Chapter 87: Alchemy

Aiden quickly pushed the matter to the back of his mind and refocused his attention on the alchemy laboratory left behind by Alderton.

A divine artifact was undoubtedly precious.

But the accumulated knowledge and life’s work of an ancient alchemy master were equally invaluable.

In the long run, they might even prove more important.

Aiden returned to the skeleton of Alderton, still seated quietly upon the stone chair, observing it...

Although the old alchemist had long since perished, Aiden couldn’t help but feel a trace of respect for someone who had dared to explore realms that even the world’s greatest alchemists considered forbidden.

He then turned his attention back to the laboratory.

His gaze swept across the workbench before stopping on a concealed compartment beneath it.

A simple magical seal covered its entrance. He had overlooked it earlier because of his discovery of the Devouring Soul Blade.

Aiden crouched down and extended his hand. A trace of mental energy flowed from his fingertips, gently touching the invisible seal.

The moment his energy made contact, the seal rippled like the surface of a calm lake.

Then, without making a sound, it quietly dissipated.

Click~

The hidden compartment slid open. Aiden’s eyes immediately narrowed.

He had expected another powerful artifact. Instead, he found two seemingly ordinary objects.

Yet the moment he sensed the faint aura surrounding them, he knew that their value was anything but ordinary.

On the left lay a thick notebook bound in an unknown dark-brown leather. It was nearly as thick as a dictionary.

There were no extravagant decorations on its cover.

Only two ancient words had been engraved in simple golden script.

[Alchemy Mysteries.]

Even before touching it, Aiden could vaguely sense the vast ocean of knowledge contained within.

His gaze shifted to the second item. It was a compact toolbox crafted from dark wood and reinforced with intricate mithril inlays.

Aiden opened the lid; Dozens of strangely shaped tools were neatly arranged inside.

A rune-engraved mortar and pestle, a miniature crucible capable of automatically regulating its temperature. Several energy conduits embedded with different gemstones. A high-precision micro-balance. And numerous other instruments whose functions Aiden could not immediately identify.

Each tool emitted a faint magical aura. This wasn’t simply a collection of alchemy equipment.

It was a complete master-level alchemy toolkit. Aiden’s eyes flashed with interest.

But before examining the tools in detail, he picked up the leather-bound notebook.

The moment he turned to the first page—

Hum!

The entire notebook suddenly erupted with brilliant golden light.

It wasn’t dazzling enough to blind him, but the sheer intensity of the energy caused the entire laboratory to tremble faintly.

Countless ancient characters and intricate formulas suddenly emerged from the pages.

They weren’t written in ink. They were formed from pure energy.

Like a swarm of bees returning to their hive, the countless characters and formulas shot toward Aiden’s forehead.

His pupils contracted but before he could react, the torrent of information surged directly into his mind.

Boom!

Aiden’s consciousness shook violently. An immense amount of knowledge flooded into his mind like a dam that had suddenly burst.

Herb identification. Material properties. Energy reaction principles. Alchemy fundamentals. Potion refinement. Material transformation. Elemental fusion. Energy extraction. Complex potion formulas. Advanced purification techniques.

And countless other pieces of knowledge that Alderton had accumulated throughout his life.

The deeper the inheritance went, the more astonishing it became.

Even Alderton’s personal research was included.

Among the knowledge was his unique research concerning the extraction and application of Life Essence—a field that had already crossed into what most alchemists considered forbidden territory.

The sheer volume of information was overwhelming. It felt as though someone had forcibly stuffed an entire lifetime of knowledge into Aiden’s mind within the span of a few seconds.

Aiden let out a muffled groan. His head felt as though it were being torn apart.

The pain was intense enough to make his vision blur. Yet he gritted his teeth and endured.

His mental attribute had already reached 42 points, with 85% of it originating from his soul absorption ability.

Combined with his powerful willpower, this allowed him to withstand the terrifying knowledge transfer.

If an ordinary Level 10 player had experienced the same inheritance, their consciousness might have collapsed under the sheer information overload.

But Aiden endured.

One minute.

Three minutes.

Five minutes.

Nearly ten minutes passed before the torrent of information finally began to subside.

The golden light gradually faded. The laboratory fell silent once more.

Aiden remained motionless for several seconds, breathing heavily.

The thick leather-bound notebook in his hand had also changed.

Its former magical aura had completely disappeared.

It now looked like an ordinary old notebook. It was as though the inheritance contained within had been completely drained.

But that was only its physical appearance.

The knowledge inside it had already been deeply imprinted within Aiden’s mind.

Then—

Ding!

A series of system notifications rang in his mind.

[You have successfully inherited "Alderton’s Alchemy Mysteries"!]

[Hidden Sub-Class Unlocked: Ancient Alchemist!]

[Potential Rating: Master-Level!]

[Your Alchemy skill has been upgraded to Advanced!]

[You have comprehended a large number of alchemy recipes, including but not limited to: Primary/Intermediate Health Potions, Primary/Intermediate Mana Potions, Enhanced Health/Mana Potions, Temporary Attribute Boost Potions, Antidotes, Resistance Potions, Explosive Mixtures, Energy Extraction Techniques, and more!]

[You have obtained Alderton’s exclusive research notes: Preliminary Application of "Life Essence" — Fragmented.]

Aiden’s breathing momentarily stopped.

Then his eyes lit up.

Even with his usually calm temperament, he couldn’t suppress the excitement surging through his heart.

A hidden sub-class with Master-level potential.

An Alchemy skill that had been directly elevated to the Advanced level.

A massive library of potion recipes covering nearly every early- and mid-game necessity.

And, most importantly— A fragment of Alderton’s research into Life Essence.

This wasn’t merely the inheritance of a sub-class. It was an entire high-level alchemy system. Its value couldn’t possibly be measured in gold coins.

Aiden’s eyes gleamed. From this moment onward, his team would no longer need to worry about their supply of basic consumables.

Health potions. Mana potions. Resistance potions. Attribute-enhancing potions. Antidotes.

Even more powerful formulas could potentially be developed once he continued studying Alderton’s research.

And that wasn’t all. If he could refine enhanced or rare potions that other players couldn’t easily obtain, he could sell them through the black market for enormous profits.

Such products could also become valuable bargaining chips when dealing with powerful players, guilds, and factions.

Money. Resources. Connections. All of these could be obtained through alchemy.

Aiden slowly closed the notebook. A faint smile appeared on his face.

The Devouring Soul Blade had given him another path to grow stronger.

But Alderton’s alchemy inheritance had given him something equally important: a foundation that could provide his team with an endless supply of resources and support his ambitions as his path of revenge unfolded.