Re: Tales of the Rune-Tech Sage-Chapter 564: Verdantian Alchemy History I

CH564 Verdantian Alchemy History I

***

Alex found himself standing within a grand alchemy hall.

There were easily hundreds of alchemical workstations arranged in disciplined rows across the vast chamber.

’Judging by the scale, the ambience, and the craftsmanship of the murals... this is likely the primary alchemy hall of a large —perhaps even super-large— organisation,’ he mused inwardly.

’One of the great sorcerer sects, perhaps?’

Setting aside his initial speculation, he tested his mobility.

Finding that he could move freely, he approached the nearest mural on his right, curious about the history or knowledge it might contain.

The moment he stepped within a few feet of it, the mural illuminated.

The painted image shimmered... then transformed into a moving scene.

"What the—?" Alex muttered unconsciously.

It felt eerily similar to sitting in a cinema from his previous life, watching a film projected upon a vast screen.

The scene depicted a humble individual quietly brewing what was clearly their first medicinal concoction.

They carefully selected herbs, ground them by hand, and added them to a cauldron of heated water in precise order and timing.

The person stirred attentively, monitoring the bubbles until the mixture stabilised.

Once complete, they ladled the contents into a crude clay bowl.

It resembled more of a traditional herbal brew than structured potion crafting.

Alex stepped to the next mural.

As before, the static image came alive.

This time, the hall depicted within the mural had undergone visible improvement.

The clothing worn by the unknown individual had also changed —Becoming more refined and dignified— reflecting a rise in status.

The fire beneath the cauldron was now ignited through magical means.

The herbs reacted visibly as they were introduced, producing clear magical interactions within the brew.

Stirring was no longer purely physical; mana was infused into the process, guiding the transformation of the ingredients.

Soon, the concoction was complete.

’Well... it’s certainly more magical,’ Alex mused. ’But it’s still far from what modern standards would call proper potion alchemy.’

’Still, its product can reluctantly qualify as a true potion,’ he thought with a faint shrug.

He moved on to the next mural.

In the next mural, Alex observed that the hall had evolved yet again.

It was noticeably larger than before. Although expanded and refined, there were still unmistakable architectural elements confirming it was the same hall depicted in the earlier murals.

This time, a different individual stood before the cauldron.

Their clothing lacked the overt luxury of the previous figure, yet the cut and material clearly reflected societal progression and development.

From ingredient selection to the addition of components into the cauldron, from stirring to the retrieval of the final product— every step was now conducted through magical means.

Yet something else caught Alex’s attention.

’Chanting? Sorcerers used chanting?’ His eyes sharpened.

He paused in thought for a brief moment.

Then he shook his head.

’No point getting distracted. I should focus on completing the trial. The answers I want can be obtained directly from the old man afterwards.’

This mural demonstrated a distinct leap in technological sophistication.

The methods employed were beginning to resemble structured alchemical systems rather than improvised magical brews.

From that point onward, each subsequent mural displayed steady advancement in alchemical methodology.

Magical artefacts were introduced.

Refinement techniques improved— particularly in filtration and purification processes, which became increasingly precise and sophisticated.

By the tenth mural, the hall had expanded to such an extent that Alex became convinced the murals were chronicling the history and rise of a major power within the sorcery world.

After all, no minor faction could have financed such continual expansion and innovation.

Not to mention, each mural implied the passage of significant stretches of time between them.

No ordinary organisation could have endured such temporal spans while maintaining uninterrupted progress.

In the tenth mural, the alchemy hall had undergone a fundamental shift.

No longer was it focused solely on medicinal or poisonous concoctions.

For the first time, Alex witnessed a practitioner transmuting one material into another.

Thus began the era of material alchemy.

Material alchemy bore striking similarity to material synthesis in the chemistry of Alex’s previous life.

Through such processes, entirely new substances could be engineered to serve specialised functions across multiple disciplines.

It was foundational technology.

And this importance was reflected in the subsequent murals.

The hall expanded further, its architecture grander and more refined. Many of the innovations showcased in the background were clearly rooted in breakthroughs made through material alchemy.

Then came the final mural.

Alex watched as a large assembly of alchemists collaborated on what appeared to be the most ambitious project this ancient hall had ever witnessed.

He arched forward unconsciously, breath held, eyes glinting with undisguised greed.

Before him, the alchemists succeeded in giving birth to Energy Alchemy.

A revolutionary discipline that enabled the conversion of one form of energy into another.

In theory, this meant that cheap, abundant energy could be transformed into rare, high-tier energies.

Alex’s heart pounded.

He desperately wanted access to this knowledge.

While he possessed a method to convert ambient mana and spirit stone mana into spatial energy, his approach was painfully slow and inefficient.

The Energy Alchemy depicted here was clearly leagues beyond his crude workaround.

And it was not limited to mana-to-spatial conversion.

Temporal energy, Life energy, Death energies, even other exotic energies and forces... All appeared to be viable conversion targets.

Moreover, the input energy did not need to be mana at all.

Sound energy.

Kinetic energy.

Perhaps even potential energy.

All could theoretically be converted into desired forms.

The applications were staggering.

To call it groundbreaking would be a gross understatement.

Beyond what he could accomplish with Rune-Tech alone, such a discipline could trigger an industrial and arcane revolution within this world.

’Yet this technology clearly didn’t proliferate...’ Alex mused. ’Why?’

’Was it lost during the war the sorcerers faced? Did the innovators perish along with it? Or is this knowledge now hoarded— restricted to those within the sorcerers’ hidden subspace enclave?’

Questions swirled in his mind.

Answers were scarce.

Just as he prepared to step away from the mural, something caught his attention— a subtle detail he had previously overlooked.

His eyes narrowed.

’Wait... the way they’re manipulating energy... are they using Domains?’

There were six individuals at the head of the group of alchemist within the mural.

Each manipulated energy in ways that far exceeded the scope of conventional spells or magical artefacts.

The distortions in space, the bending of force, the stabilisation of unstable energies—

None of it resembled structured spellcasting.

The only logical explanation was the manifestation of a Legend’s Domain.

’It makes sense that the architects of such a revolutionary discipline would be Legends... perhaps even beyond,’ Alex reasoned. ’At the very least, they must have been Grandmaster Alchemists.’

Yet that realisation raised an uncomfortable implication.

’Does this mean I would require six Legendary ranked Alchemy Grandmasters working in unison to recreate this technology...?’ He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

’That would make monopolising it... difficult.’

If the technology inherently required multiple Domain-level experts, it would be nearly impossible for him to quietly internalise it within his own organisation. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

A disappointing thought.

But he did not linger upon it.

’Well, I need to obtain the knowledge first before worrying about the logistics,’ Alex shrugged inwardly.

After finishing his inspection of the murals, he returned to the centre of the hall.

He stood amidst an array of alchemical apparatus sufficient for any branch of the discipline— medicinal, poisonous, material, energy, and so on.

"Now what exactly am I meant to do?" he muttered.

Suddenly, a deep voice echoed throughout the chamber.

At times, it seemed as though the hall itself was speaking.

At others, it resembled the voice of an ancient entity resonating through the currents of time.

"The Heaven and Earth are ever-changing, ever-growing, ever-learning, ever-adapting. As one who walks the path of the Heaven and Earth, stagnation is unacceptable. Observe. Learn. Ponder. Comprehend. Grow..."

The hall fell silent once more.

’That’s it?’ Alex wondered.

Then a second voice resounded.

"To become a Legatee of the Heaven and Earth, one must embody their qualities and nature.

"To become a Legatee of the Heaven and Earth, one must cultivate not only oneself, but the Heaven and Earth.

"To become a Legatee of the Heaven and Earth, one must contribute to their growth."

"O seeker of the Legacy of the Heaven and Earth— demonstrate your contribution. Present your tribute."

At once, the primary workstation before Alex illuminated.

A doorway ahead slid open, revealing a vast repository of materials —herbs, ores, crystals, reagents— everything he could reasonably require for any form of alchemy.

Yet more significant than that—

He felt it.

The restrictions placed upon him loosened.

The constraints limiting his Rune-Tech...

Were lifting.

’What?!’

***