Chapter 531: Book in the Box
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 531: Book in the Box
"Does the Witch Academy actually have a place like this?"
Following the coordinates provided by Teacher Natalie, I arrived at an independent alchemy district partitioned off by the Witch Academy. I could even sense spatial divisions and reinforcements; everywhere I looked, there were clusters of independent alchemy laboratories, each with its own unique architectural style.
Alchemy is a high-risk craft. After all, a single mistake can lead to a massive explosion. I understood why this area was so specialized; since arriving, I had already spotted more than one danger warning sign.
Walking through this district, I could even feel that the flow of the ley lines here was being interfered with. The information gathered by my Identification Art was incredibly comprehensive—especially regarding the construction of these alchemy labs. I could even see traces of artificial editing in the data.
Furthermore, by passing these labs, I could deduce exactly how many times each one had been blown up. After looking deeper, I realized that these buildings were interfaced with the local ley lines. The structures' architectural data was recorded, and by using a spell that my Identification Art couldn't yet analyze, the physical matter of the buildings could be reconstructed. They’ve truly pushed ley line manipulation to its limits...
Considering the Witch Academy's level of dominance over the ley lines, I began to understand where they got the confidence to repair the Main World.
"Xiao Han, you've never been here? Generally, any Witch involved in alchemy has a lab here. I had the honor of coming here once with my Mentor. I heard that explosions happen here at least three times a day. This whole area is spatially reinforced so it won't affect the surrounding districts."
"So, is Sister Bai very familiar with this place?"
"Not exactly familiar, but... I am now." As Sister Bai spoke, the information collected by her Identification Art manifested as a map in her mind.
"Sister Bai, you seem to be getting the hang of that~" Seeing her use it so effortlessly made me happy. After all, what could be more joyful than seeing the person you love enjoy using something you created?
"Of course. This Identification Art is quite impressive, though in the end, it's Xiao Han who is truly impressive. Teacher Natalie's coordinates are right here; we're not far now." As Sister Bai spoke, she finished pinpointing the location on the map. Then, the reality augmentation capability provided by the Tree of Knowledge plotted a route directly into our field of vision.
Before long, we arrived at an alchemy lab. The overall look was quite distinctive, though it seemed perfectly normal compared to some of its neighbors.
On our way here, we had seen plenty of alchemical creations. For instance, when passing an old, pastoral-style house surrounded by a flower garden, there was no doubt it was an alchemy lab. You wouldn't want to pick the flowers, either—they were likely products of biological alchemy, carnivorous plants that might just open a mouth and take a bite out of your hand.
I have to say, the Main World Witch Academy truly lives up to its reputation for hosting so many witches from outside the world. Many of the architectural styles here were completely at odds with the mainstream style of the Main World.
The style of our destination leaned toward... modern, or even futuristic sci-fi. It was dominated by a minimalist architectural style; it looked less like an alchemy lab and more like an experimental research building.
I could also sense that there was likely more space underground.
Upon our arrival, a presence similar to a smart butler popped up. After confirming our identities, it guided us into the lab.
Once inside, the interior layout gave me quite a shock. Rather than an alchemy lab, the long hallway we walked through felt more like a dedicated exhibition area for alchemical products.
Many things—some I understood, some I didn't—were on display, and they certainly caught my eye.
"Xiao Han? You're finally here. I've been waiting quite a while. Oh? And who is this?"
Just as my gaze was drifting toward the alchemical exhibits, a figure appeared directly in front of me. Her tone suggested she had indeed been waiting for some time.
"Hello, I am Bai Yu," Sister Bai introduced herself from beside me.
"Bai Yu... Oh, I see~ Is this sister here to accompany Xiao Han?" After the introduction, Natalie immediately addressed her with the familiar "sister." As a fellow Transcendent Witch, there was no way she wouldn't have sensed Bai Yu's status.
Under Teacher Natalie's warm welcome, we were led to what could loosely be called a drawing room.
However, I encountered an unexpected person there. Or rather, a Witch.
"Teacher Laura Lucy, I didn't expect to see you here." I immediately offered a polite greeting.
Teacher Laura Lucy was the Mentor Betty followed. I hadn't contacted Betty to exchange alchemy tips in a while, so I was surprised to see her Mentor here.
I had even sat in on Teacher Laura's alchemy classes before.
"Xiao Han, I'm also glad to see you here. Your growth seems to have far exceeded my imagination." Laura didn't seem too surprised. She had been there when the phone call was made earlier, so she knew I would be coming and had stayed behind.
Witches who specialized in alchemy and lived nearby would occasionally gather to chat or exchange techniques, hoping to spark some creative inspiration.
Judging by the design of the front of Natalie's lab, it was clear she was a hospitable host; that mandatory path through her most prized exhibition area was proof enough.
At that moment, an alchemical construct brought us some desserts.
"Would you like something to drink? Black tea or coffee? If you want hand-poured, that might be a problem," Natalie said, pointing to the alchemical creations.
"Um... coffee, please."
"I'll have coffee as well, same as Xiao Han."
A moment later, the brewed coffee was delivered. I took a small sip. Hmm... instant.
But considering this was an alchemy lab, there was no need to have such high expectations. Besides, the taste of this instant coffee was actually quite good—richer and more fragrant than the average coffee you'd find outside.
After a brief chat, Natalie grew impatient and immediately dove into the topic of my custom weapon.
"Is Teacher Natalie always this passionate about alchemy? I could already feel your enthusiasm over the phone earlier."
As soon as I said that, Teacher Laura Lucy couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle.
"She's not passionate about alchemy; she's eyeing the rare materials in Mei Lind's collection. Don't underestimate an alchemist's obsession with rare and precious materials, especially Natalie's."
"Don't go airing my dirty laundry!" Natalie shouted at Laura Lucy.
"Natalie even has a notebook recording every Witch in the academy who owns rare materials. She loves to go 'visit' them whenever she has free time..."
"Laura Lucy!" Natalie's roar finally cut off the other woman's exposé. She then turned back to me with a beaming smile. "Haha, sorry about that, Xiao Han. You can forget everything this woman just said. While I do do that, it's definitely not as pretentious as she makes it sound."
Seeing her explain it like that was essentially a confession. I finally understood what the Dean meant when she spoke about an alchemist's obsession with rare materials.
So that's what she meant...
She had been eyeing them all along?
Just what kind of materials were they to make her this obsessed, to the point where she was delighted to work with them even if they weren't for her own use?
"So~ Xiao Han, have you thought about what kind of weapon you want? Since it's a private commission, we'll help you all the way. Since someone else is providing the materials anyway, speak boldly, and I'll build boldly~" Natalie sat beside me, separated only by a small tea table, but she was leaning in so far she was practically on top of it.
"To be honest... I haven't decided exactly what kind of weapon I want yet. That's why I made a point to come here; I wanted to hear your advice, Teacher Natalie."
"You haven't decided yet..." She seemed a bit surprised by my answer, but she immediately followed up with more questions. "Well, have you determined what type of weapon you want? What role do you want this weapon to play in your hands?"
"Not really. I don't know much about these professional categories. Could you explain them to me, Teacher Natalie?"
"Of course. Since you want to craft a weapon, I'll give you a brief overview. Weapons are generally divided into several types based on their primary use. For example, Main Battle Weapons, which are combat weapons that directly increase your fighting power."
"Then there are Functional Weapons—exactly what it sounds like: weapons that integrate multiple functions."
"After that, we have Support Weapons, used to assist in combat. This category includes Augmentation Weapons, which boost a specific ability, like reducing chant time or increasing casting speed. There are also Specialized Weapons, which are specifically enhanced for one particular ability. Generally, if there are no special requirements, these categories cover the mainstream range of weapons."
"I see..." Hearing these classifications gave me a few ideas, but I truly hadn't thought about these things before. I hadn't even considered what kind of weapon I needed.
However, one thing was clear: I was basically discarding the idea of a Main Battle Weapon. Rather than relying on external objects for a direct power boost, I preferred to strengthen my own abilities. At my current stage, the rate at which I would outgrow a weapon was extremely fast. Such a weapon wouldn't last as long as a Support or Augmentation Weapon.
"Right. If you're still having trouble choosing, there's also the integrated custom version. It's possible to pack multiple abilities into a single weapon." Natalie offered a very tempting alternative.
"Xiao Han, don't listen to her nonsense. A weapon that is a jack-of-all-trades but master of none is a major taboo. Such weapons are bulky, incredibly difficult to repair if damaged, and a nightmare to maintain. You wouldn't be carrying a weapon; you'd be creating a burden for yourself."
"Being a 'master of none' is just because they don't have the skill! Bulkiness is also a matter of technique and materials! As for damage, that's because other people's weapons are poor quality, don't you understand? And maintenance... maintenance is about deepening the understanding and compatibility between the user and the weapon. How can you call that a 'nightmare'?" Natalie retorted unceremoniously.
"You act like you're so great. Wouldn't it be better to focus all that energy on perfecting a single aspect?"
"What's the use of specializing in one thing? It's too easy to be countered!"
"A weapon is meant to compensate for the user's shortcomings. You're ignoring the role the user plays in wielding the weapon."
"How can you guarantee the user only has one shortcoming?"
"How can you be so sure the user can only have one weapon... Hmph... Stop. Now is not the time for us to argue. You should be asking Xiao Han more questions." Laura Lucy took a deep breath, ending the pointless debate.
"True..." Natalie seemed to snap out of it and leaned toward me again. "Sorry about that, Xiao Han. That was just a clash of philosophies. The final decision is yours. Do you have any thoughts now? Speak freely; I want to know what's on your mind."
"My thoughts..." I instinctively looked at Sister Bai.
"It's okay, Xiao Han. Even if the effect you want is just a fire poker, I won't have any objections," Sister Bai said with a smile.
She naturally didn't want to put pressure on me. She could tell that my demand for a weapon wasn't high; from our earlier conversations, she could sense that I valued the "fun" aspect of a weapon more.
Of course... in the past, she wouldn't have noticed so much... but who could blame her when she had the Knowledge Shadow providing assists?
"It's fine, speak boldly. You handle the imagination, I'll handle the realization. Don't feel pressured. Since Mei Lind promised these materials to you, she's not afraid of you wasting them. Let's take it step by step," Natalie added. She considered herself to have decent emotional intelligence. "Let's start with the appearance. What do you want it to look like? Hmm... how about I give you a catalog of weapons I've made for reference?"
"That would be great!" I nodded immediately.
Shortly after I agreed, Natalie brought over her catalogs. She began introducing the design concepts and abilities of the weapons as if they were her own children.
Looking at these weapons was a real eye-opener. It was clear that Natalie's design style spanned a wide range, and the abilities covered were extensive. She truly was the alchemy master recommended by the Dean.
"Hmm? This one..."
As I flipped toward the back, I noticed that the entries were no longer photos of physical objects but rather hand-drawn blueprints.
"Everything from here on is just conceptual designs. They're either rejected drafts from past commissions or custom orders that were abandoned. But they represent my bursts of inspiration, so I kept them. I refine them whenever I have time. Some were limited by poor materials, others by my own lack of skill at the time. In short, these were all my passion projects." Natalie quickly explained.
"I see..." I nodded and kept flipping until I stopped at a certain prototype design.
The prototype was a book. There are actually many book-style magic tools used for casting, but most are used to record rituals, solidify spells for faster casting, or act as a medium for a spellbook to assist in casting. What attracted me to this one was its sheer variety of functions.
"You like this one?" Natalie asked immediately, seeing the interest in my eyes.
"This was one of my wildest designs from years ago. Even my Mentor gave me a lecture about it, but I kept it anyway. After constant refinement, I've named this design... the Book in the Box!"
"It's perfect for friends with choice paralysis. Because it can store... well, 'store' isn't quite accurate. It can 'record' various weapons. It's one of the representative works of functional weapons, perfectly solving the bulkiness issue of multi-functional weapons..."
"Is this weapon... not just a magic tool and storage equipment wearing a different skin?" Laura Lucy walked over. After looking at the blueprints and the concept, she quickly grasped the essence of the weapon.
"Do not insult my inspiration and creativity! By your logic, isn't every weapon just a mix of materials with some runes carved on top? Is that the same thing? This is the ingenious combination of inspiration, concept, and design! How can you, an alchemist, say such a thing!"
"Um... Teachers, I think this idea is actually quite good... I just wonder if it can be modified according to my needs?" Seeing the two of them at each other's throats again, I spoke up quickly.
I had originally considered using a book as the form for my weapon, and seeing such a ready-made design definitely piqued my interest. It just didn't quite meet all my requirements yet.
But this was just a custom weapon commission; it wasn't like I couldn't change it later. Who knows, maybe after I become a Transcendent Witch, I'll fall in love with something else?
So, rather than hesitating forever, I might as well pull the trigger on something that caught my eye!
"You have good taste! Of course it can! Tell me exactly how you want to change it and what your requirements are!" Natalie's eyes lit up as she spoke.