Abe the Wizard

Creating new materials took a lot of energy, so the success rate has always been a big problem in metallurgy. Even if the material was created, you could only use it on things like magic jewelry. If you want to make a magic staff made entirely out of magic materials, it would be extremely expensive.

“Master Bennett, I’ll start by making some beginner material through metallurgy. This material corresponds with the 1#el rune. It can create jewelry with a decent amount of daily defense, increase, and illumination ability.” Master Fettes did not say too much about the basics. He was facing a Master Alchemist. His task was to make Abel understand and get use to metallurgy as soon as possible.

Therefore, he began to work straight away. Practical work was the best way to learn.

He arrived in front of the alchemy platform and took out a bit of condensed iron and secret silver. He then placed them in a crucible and lowered it into the ground fire. He mumbled some spells and those sensed solid material began to liquify.

“Quick liquify’. Abel knew the spell he was mumbling. Potion making also had the same spell.

At the same time, Master Fettes took out a little blue crystal and moved it on top of the crucible. He mumbled another spell and the crystal turned into powder and fell into the crucible.

Abel never heard of this spell. It seemed like it was a traditional spell in metallurgy, but he didn’t ask. Instead, he fully ignited the sight and data analysing ability of his world stone.

Before the crystal powder landed, the crucible suddenly began to react. Tiny explosions began to emerge, and blue sparks flew out of the crucible.

Master Fettes did not explain. He was concentrating. Both his will and gaze was fixed on the crucible. He then took out ore from a type of blue Hao Stone. He mumbled another spell and that piece of ore turned into powder again.

Abel could make out that it was the ‘essence enhance’ spell.

Afterwards, Master Fettes wait for a moment and yelled “Quality increase!!”

Abel heard of the ‘quality increase’ spell. Ever since early on in his journey, Abel realised every alchemist had their own habits. The ‘quality increase’ spell could bring a wide range of outcome. One was an immediate failure, another was successfully creating a normal material, and the last was a small possibility of creating something a rank higher.

After Master Fettes yelled ‘quality increase’, a beam rainbow colour light shoot out from the crucible. After a while, the light retreated, but the color blue was the last one to go.

“Not bad, its a blue rank material!” Master Fettes took out the crucible from the furnace and smiled at Abel.

He was a master alchemist of honour, so his chance of failing on these low rank materials was low. His chance of getting something a rank above with the ‘quality increase’ was around 1%, and getting something in the gold rank would be 0.1%.

He did not get any gold rank material, but he was already very happy to get a blue rank. At least he didn’t embarrass himself in front of Abel.

“Master Fettes. What is the spell you mumbled that turned the blue crystal into powder?” Since Abel had turned on his sight and data analysing ability, he clearly memorised the spell and its details. He didn’t know the name.

“That is the ‘divide’ spell. It can turn any material that is not too hard into powder. Also the powder from this spell is very even, it can increase the chance of success!” Master Fettes explained.

“Can i give it a go?” Abel nodded and asked.

Master Fettes shook a little. He couldn’t really understand what Abel meant. After a while he regained himself and wanted to say something, but he didn’t.

He wanted to warn Abel he should study more before giving it a go. Although there were similarities between potion making and metallurgy, the materials handled were completely different. They were 2 different schools.

However he was then reminded of Abel’s status, so he could only agree. He thought, maybe Abel would study harder once he failed a few times.

Those materials were expensive, but they were in the dwarf alchemy union headquarters. Not to mention low rank materials, even high rank materials were stored up in a pile.

Abel saw Master Fettes step to the side, so he bowed and stepped in front of the alchemy platform.

He took out a new crucible, added some condensed iron, secret silver, and lowered them into the ground furnace. ‘Quick liquify’ he mumbled.

Afterward, he took out a blue crystal and held it on top of the crucible.

Master Fettes focused his power of the will on Abel’s mouth. This step was not as easy as he made it out to be. The timing of the spell needed to be precise. If not, the material would immediately turn to waste.

It was the first time Abel had heard of the ‘divide’ spell. He did not even practice it, so Master Fettes didn’t think Abel would succeed.

Abel’s world stone could easily monitor and pick out the material reaction in the crucible. Once the reaction reached a certain threshold, he mumbled the ‘divide’ spell just like Master Fettes. Although it was the first time he heard of the spell, he knew how to speak elite elves’ language.

For alchemists who did not know the elite elves’ language, they could only force themselves to memorize every detail of the spell. Once there was a little difference in pitch, the spell would fail.

Since Abel knew the language, he could repeat what he understood and the spell could come into effect.

The blue crystal turned into powder and fell into the crucible. He kept monitoring the reaction and soon added the last ingredient.

Master Fettes looked shocked. Abel had controlled his motions perfectly. He didn’t look like a beginner at all. It was like he had been doing research in metallurgy for years.

If he wasn’t so certain that Abel had never learned metallurgy, he wouldn’t believe it.

As Abel said the ‘quality increase’ spell, rainbow colour flew out from the crucible and then retracted, leaving a golden glow.

“A golden rank material!” Master Fettes gasped.

He knew a master alchemist would have a decent chance of creating golden rank material, much more than his rate of 0.1 %. Probably around a 10 times increase, which was about the same chance as him making a blue rank material.

However it was Abel’s first time trying metallurgy. It would already be a miracle if he succeed. Abel just watched him once and he had successfully made a golden rank material, how could an alchemist like Master Fettes who studied metallurgy for hundreds of years even live on.

A sense of helplessness emerged from his heart. Even though Abel was a genius, a one in a thousand years genius, he just wasn’t expecting how overpowering Abel was.

He was always the one shocking others with his work, and today the table had turned.

However, a more positive thought soon came across his mind. It shouldn’t take long for Abel to master metallurgy with this speed, which meant the dwarfs’ dream of a Flying boat would soon come to reality.

“Master Bennett, you are the most gifted alchemist I’ve ever seen. I will show you every metallurgy skill I know. If anything is not clear, let me know and I’ll repeat it!” Master Fettes changed his original teaching method.

After realizing Abel’s ability, he thought by just showing Abel every metallurgy skills through his own work would be more efficient than teaching him step by step. This could speed up Abel’s journey to becoming a Master Metallurgist.