Chapter 86: A Major Decision

The method of creation was also completely different.

Modern magic formations relied mainly on magical beast blood and various special liquids to corrode and prepare the surface of a material.

After that, magic crystal powder or powdered magic cores were fused into the pattern to complete the formation.

The ancient magic formations, however, followed an entirely different path.

They relied on powerful spiritual force and mana to directly melt and shape magical metals.

And that was where the essence of Divine Alchemy came into play.

That was the name Kent had given to the ancient alchemical system he had inherited.

Divine Alchemy did not rely on external tools.

Instead, it used powerful mana and spiritual power to directly penetrate the elemental structure of a material.

Then, through precise control of spiritual force, the alchemist could reshape the material according to their will.

Of course, this was not something that could be mastered overnight.

Divine Alchemy itself was divided into several stages.

The first stage was the ability to use spiritual power to directly shape black iron—the most basic form of iron.

Those who reached this level were known as Black Iron Alchemists.

The second stage involved shaping copper.

Those who mastered this level were called Bronze Alchemists.

The third stage was the ability to shape gold.

These were known as Gold Alchemists.

The fourth stage was the ability to shape magic silver and mithril.

Those who reached this level were called Magic Silver Alchemists.

And finally...

the highest stage.

The ability to shape adamantine, the hardest and most precious magical metal.

Those who reached this realm were known as Saint Alchemists.

However, with Kent’s current strength, even shaping ordinary black iron directly through spiritual power was probably impossible.

So the ancient method also provided a more practical approach for beginners.

First, melt the black iron.

Then use spiritual power to analyze and understand the elemental structure inside the metal.

After that, use spiritual force to reshape it.

This was still a gradual process.

The most important factors were familiarity with magical formations and control over spiritual power.

After all, black iron cooled extremely quickly.

Once the temperature dropped, the opportunity to reshape it would disappear.

Fire-element alchemists had a slight advantage in this regard.

Their magic allowed them to maintain high temperatures for longer periods of time.

Kent carefully studied the information in the inheritance.

The method was undoubtedly extraordinary.

However, the requirements for spiritual power and concentration were extremely demanding.

Still, the advantages were equally impressive.

Once mastered, engraving magical formations would become almost instantaneous.

There would be no need for slow manual carving.

The formation could be created directly through spiritual control.

Even more importantly, these ancient formations could automatically absorb magical elements from the surrounding environment.

This opened the possibility for many ideas that had already existed in Kent’s mind.

There was another advantage that was even more significant.

The space required for engraving formations could be greatly reduced.

When using spiritual power to create a formation, the precision could theoretically reach the micrometer level.

Manual engraving, however, always required a certain amount of space between lines.

No matter how skilled the craftsman was, there would always be limitations.

The difference in precision was enormous.

But now Kent found himself facing a difficult choice.

A true dilemma.

If he chose to cultivate Divine Alchemy, he would have to abandon the methods he had learned before and rebuild his entire understanding of alchemy from the foundation.

On the other hand, if he continued using modern alchemy...

he could still create many new types of alchemical inventions.

After all, the concepts and ideas he brought from Earth were far beyond what this world currently possessed.

With modern alchemy combined with Earth’s knowledge, Kent could still produce astonishing results.

But if he chose Divine Alchemy, he would need to wait.

He would first need to increase his spiritual power.

According to the ancient system, Kent needed at least the spiritual strength of a mid-level mage before he could barely qualify as a Black Iron Alchemist.

And being a Black Iron Alchemist did not mean one would create weapons out of black iron.

Black iron was merely the first stage of spiritual control.

The true importance lay in the magical formations.

A Black Iron Alchemist could create the simplest ancient magic formations.

A Saint Alchemist, however...

could engrave the formations used in Forbidden-Spell Magic Crystal Cannons.

The difference between the two was not merely the material.

It was the complexity and precision of the magical formations themselves.

The strange thing was that, visually, the simplest magic formation and the formation capable of launching forbidden spells appeared almost identical in size.

A small formation.

A massive weapon.

The same surface area.

Yet the difficulty increased exponentially.

The reason was precision.

Every tiny mistake mattered.

The higher the level of the formation, the less room there was for error.

Kent leaned back quietly.

For the first time since obtaining the ancient inheritance, he truly hesitated.

Modern alchemy gave him immediate results.

Divine Alchemy represented a completely different future.

One path allowed him to continue advancing quickly.

The other led toward a realm that might eventually allow him to recreate the wonders of the ancient age.

The choice before him...

was far more important than any wager he had ever made.

Kent was not unwilling to master both systems of alchemy.

The problem was simple.

A person’s time and energy were limited.

He still needed to practice magic.

Magic was his greatest means of self-protection.

That was something he could never abandon.

After carefully weighing everything, Kent finally made his decision.

He would choose Divine Alchemy.

Not because Divine Alchemy was necessarily superior in every aspect.

But because he had no other choice.

The modern alchemy system used on the surface was something Kent had only learned the foundations of.

There was no complete inheritance.

No advanced knowledge.

No further guidance.

Everything beyond the basics would require him to study and experiment step by step.

Divine Alchemy, however, was completely different.

The knowledge was sealed directly within his mind.

As long as his strength reached the required level, the corresponding knowledge would naturally appear.

That was the most important advantage.

Even learning the simplest magic formations had already taken Kent a considerable amount of time.

And the more complicated the formations became, the more time would be required.

The later stages would demand exponentially more effort.

Divine Alchemy might be profound and difficult to understand, but the knowledge itself was already there.

He did not need to learn it from the beginning.

He only needed to practice until he mastered it.

When comparing the two systems, the difference became obvious.

Divine Alchemy was a complete inheritance.

That was the true reason Kent chose it.

And there was one more crucial point.

Divine Alchemy contained magical formations from every elemental system.

Fire.

Wind.

Lightning.

Ice.

And most importantly...

space magic formations.

Especially the space-element formations.

Those were the key.

The ultimate key to leaving this underground world.

Just that alone was enough reason for Kent to choose Divine Alchemy.

Although Kent could not yet truly use Divine Alchemy, he could begin practicing the foundations.

The first step was extremely simple.

A piece of wood.

He would use his spiritual power to penetrate the material and train his control.

The requirement was very strict.

He needed to use spiritual force to separate the fibers of the wood one by one.

Only when he could pull apart every individual fiber with perfect precision would he have officially stepped into the basics of Divine Alchemy.

The next stage was even more difficult.

If he could transform an entire piece of wood into a pile of separated fibers in an instant...

then he would have essentially reached the level of a Black Iron Alchemist.

At that point, Kent would be able to melt certain magical metals and carve the simplest ancient elemental formations onto them.

There was no denying it.

This method was absurdly powerful.

To reach that level, one’s spiritual power would need to become almost tangible.

Kent picked up a small piece of wood.

Then, without chanting, he instantly released a Wind Blade.

The sharp arc of wind sliced through the wood, cutting off a thin piece with perfect accuracy.

“Wind magic?”

A voice suddenly came from behind him.

Kent was startled so badly that he nearly jumped.

He turned around.

Darkya was standing there.

Her eyes were still slightly red from crying earlier.

“You’re trying to scare me to death?”

Kent glared at her.

“Do you know that people can actually die from being frightened?”

Darkya ignored his complaint.

Instead, she immediately asked,

“Aren’t you a fire-element mage?”

“Why can you use wind magic as well?”

Kent was caught off guard.

He genuinely did not know how to answer.

And at the same time, he suddenly felt something was wrong.

Keta already knew that he possessed fire and light attributes.

Now Darkya knew that he could use wind magic as well.

How did she know?

Kent looked toward the laboratory entrance.

The door had been locked.

So how had Darkya entered?

When he walked over to check, his expression changed.

The door latch had been forcibly broken apart.

She had not unlocked it.

She had simply pushed it open.

Kent immediately changed the subject.

“Wait.”

“Don’t you know that alchemists require an absolutely quiet environment when conducting experiments?”

“Why did you just barge into my laboratory?”

Darkya did not answer Kent’s question.

She simply stood there and looked at him.

Her large eyes, bright and expressive, blinked slowly.

If it were not for the faint redness around her eyelids from crying earlier, she would have looked much more charming.

Kent felt strangely guilty under her gaze.

It was not that he did not want to simply order Darkya to leave.

The problem was that the magical contract could not force her to remain silent.

If their relationship became hostile and Darkya went outside and started talking carelessly, his secrets would be exposed.

And if Keta learned about everything...

Kent would probably end up being dragged away to work for him like some kind of free laborer.

Thinking quickly, Kent’s eyes shifted.

“I used a magic scroll.”

“You must have mistaken it.”

“Look.”

“I still have some magic scrolls here.”

Kent took out several scrolls from his storage.

They were all low-level magic scrolls.

Several fire-element scrolls.

One light-element healing spell.

One water-element healing spell.

And one light-element illumination spell.

These were all things Kent had prepared for self-defense.

After all, living in the underground world made him feel extremely insecure.

There was darkness everywhere.

Danger could appear at any moment.

So he always needed something reliable to protect himself.

Darkya looked at the scrolls, but then suddenly noticed something else.

“Hmm?”

“What is this?”

She pointed toward an object on Kent’s worktable.

It was Kent’s otherworldly version of a night-vision device.

The purple-gold shell reflected a dazzling metallic glow.

On the surface, only a few simple lines had been carved, forming an unusual image display.

Yet those simple designs were enough to make Darkya’s eyes shine with curiosity.

Kent immediately felt relieved.

At least her attention had shifted.

Considering Darkya’s actual age by human standards, she was only barely an adult.

Deep down, she still possessed the curiosity and innocence of a young girl.

Kent quickly picked up the night-vision device and handed it to her.

“This is something I call a night-vision device.”

“It has been enchanted with low-light vision magic.”

“It allows the user to see clearly in complete darkness.”

“Not only that, but it can also observe things from a very long distance.”

“A few kilometers is not a problem.”

He smiled slightly.

“You know how dangerous this kind of environment is for mages.”

Darkya carefully held the device.

Her fingers brushed across the purple-gold surface, where tiny traces of silver-white patterns shimmered beneath the light.

The material gave off a strange and fascinating sensation.

“It’s beautiful...”

She could not help but praise it.

Kent was secretly pleased.

The elves had always been famous for their appreciation of beauty.

If even a dark elf like Darkya approved of his creation, then this night-vision device would likely bring him considerable wealth.

But more importantly...

the magical metals used in its construction would be extremely valuable to him in the future.

Those materials could become an essential part of his alchemical development.

“What an incredible thing...”

Kent took Darkya outside and patiently taught her how to use the device.

The moment she looked through it, her mouth opened wide in shock.

She remained frozen for several seconds before finally exclaiming in amazement.

Kent could not help but smile.

If one asked which race possessed the greatest wealth in the underground world...

the answer was undoubtedly the dark elves.

The Dark Region contained countless resources.

And the dark elves controlled nearly half of them.

If this device could impress even Darkya...

then the potential value was enormous.

After explaining everything, Kent hesitated for a moment.

Then he asked carefully,

“Darkya...”

“Tell me something.”

“How much do you think this thing is worth?”