AK - The Alchemy Kingdom

Chapter 119: Spiritual Alchemy

Year 3, Fall, First Month, First Week.

How can we pass through them?

The Council meeting fell into silence as the most important question was thrown on the table. After traveling for three months and facing more beasts than their numbers, they were finally close enough to their destination. Unfortunately, the last 50 kilometers were infested with MT beasts. Baiting them off their path was no longer an option because they couldnt move through two kilometers without meeting another beast.

The problems didnt stop there, on the contrary, the density of MT beasts should increase closer to the energy vein, it wouldnt be impossible to even meet a pack of MT beasts. Additionally, the energy levels would spike from here on, maybe they wont be able to even walk through a day without feeling the poisoning, after all, they never got near such a big energy vein. Karls ambition knew no limits and now everyone was paying for it.

However, they had changed, they were no longer commoners or farmers, now they carried the proud name of AK citizens. Land was essential for a Kingdom, but more important was their spirit, the common goal and values that brought them together. So, they didnt accept defeat and looked for solutions.

The first idea came from Marlen, who proposed to use a portable protection barrier and move slowly towards the vein. The idea itself had its merits, it was simple and direct, but unfortunately, a giant barrier generated by a MQ bubble crystal and maintained by a HQ energy crystal (or two) wouldnt be able to resist continuous attacks from several beasts. It could handle one or two beasts, even three if they added another HQ crystal, but once more beasts tried to attack it

Another option was to use the concealment effect to help them move unnoticed. The idea was also good, Karl even wanted to revisit it later, but the chances of it working were close to zero. Again, the effect would be cast around a big group and its efficiency would thin before becoming weak enough to be noticed by the beasts. However, both ideas had excellent approaches for a small group, which was enough for Karl.

We could do both, concealment and protection barrier, but for a small elite group. Once we get to the energy vein, we can work out something to bring the rest in

How could Reiner not understand what he was thinking?

Karl, no... Youre not a hunter, how long has been since you were out there hunting with them? You shouldnt be even in the groups facing LT beasts

The Alchemist had to control the urge of rolling his eyes, after all, his mother wasnt wrong, but this was his dream and his plan, nobody would prevent him from reaching it. Fortunately, theres always a midway, and this time, Diana was the one to point it:

We could send the shadows first and map the beasts on the way, maybe theres a less dangerous path to the vein

The conflicting parties objected to it but ended up agreeing to the proposal, if only because it delayed Karls involvement. With this problem addressed, the meeting ended quickly. Nobody dared to ask how Karl was planning to bring them close to the vein, most feared hearing that he had no idea.

***

After the meeting, Karl walked back to the Alchemy pavilion where the three eager disciples waited for him. For the young Alchemists' dismay, before their Master could explain anything, the Council assistant arrived with a summon for an emergency meeting. Before entering the pavilion, he could already hear the bickering disciples, apparently, the other two didnt believe Anyas words about Karl promising to teach them Runes.

If you want to finish your discussions, we can leave our talk to tomorrow

No! Sorry Master. Anya was just trying to play us

I what?... Please, Master, tell them

I see Then, lets talk, but no more fighting Anya isnt lying, I decided to teach you Runes, but we cant start right away. We need to discuss something first

Karl guided the impatient disciples to a silent corner, usually reserved for him. Once they sat, he started explaining.

You need to pay attention, this is very serious Currently, Im studying a new area of Alchemy called Spiritual Alchemy. The tools we use are still the same, Arrays and Runes, but the interaction with the drawings enters another level. First, lets talk about spiritual energy. Could you make a brief introduction, Anya?

The girl nodded proudly before starting.

Spiritual energy is how we refer to the soul energy particular to every person. Everyone has their own soul energy, which is constantly renewed, we call it spiritual energy. Elemental Mages have spiritual energy with affinity to an element, which allows them to interact with the elements. Fighters and Spellcasters use their spiritual energy to control the energy around us or in a crystal, for them, the spiritual energy works as a hand used to manipulate energy. Alchemists use spiritual energy to imprint a concept into their drawings.

Correct. In other words, spiritual energy is a tool to help use magic energy. However, theres also a way to use spiritual energy to modify reality directly, just like we do with magic energy, but with the spiritual energy itself.

The disciples eyes started to shine, a new world of possibilities had opened on their minds. Until now, spiritual energy was only used as a way to control magic energy, but now

Be aware, using spiritual energy directly is dangerous, just like Spiritual Alchemy. Thats why only Engineers are allowed to learn it.

Instead of being fearful, the disciples' awe increased to another level. Although this wasnt a popular classification yet, everybody in the Alchemy Department knew of the five tiers of the Alchemy path. Assistants corresponded to the students, so everybody who worked with Alchemy but didnt know how to draw Arrays. Technicians corresponded to the disciples. The next level, Specialist, was achieved when one learned how to draw Runes. Karl as someone who could use Spiritual Alchemy was on the fourth level (Engineer).

So, what can Spiritual Alchemy do? The first and most dangerous ability is giving access to our spiritual domain, in other words, the soul. The possibilities are endless but to point a few, getting someones spiritual signature and manipulating some mind faculties. With the former, we could track someone or make an Array responsive to a specif person, while the last could be used to improve focus or make a mental attack on an enemy. The last is clearly more dangerous

Unfortunately, it should take years before youre ready to learn this What brings me to why I wanted to explain it in the first place. When you started to learn from me, I told you about my goal to use Alchemy to make our dreams possible, but at some point, our dreams might diverge or even collide. In the end, I cant teach everything I know recklessly and hope were friends forever. It might come a day when an Alchemist turns against us and against the Kingdom we want to build.

The disciples genuinely pondered about Karls words. They never considered this possibility, they actually never considered their own goals, their lives summed up to surviving and trying to be free.

I truly believe that sharing my knowledge is the only way to create a place of freedom and where magic is used to the benefit of everyone instead of against them However, I cant force everyone to agree with or always respect this dream. Before, I didnt have an option so I taught everyone without distinction and without asking anything in exchange, but I cant keep doing it or I risk destroying this dream. So, from now on, if anyone wishes to learn something from me or from someone I might teach, I can only do it in exchange for their promise of allegiance. Not allegiance to me, but to this cause, to this dream. They would have to swear allegiance to AK, and now, using Spiritual Alchemy, I have a way of binding them to the promise Now, is my turn to ask you, my disciples, friends and fellow AK citizens, will you do it?

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