Aldren's tone shifted slightly, from light to more informative, as he gestured toward the nearest row of reinforced glass windows.
"Now, you should also know… everything in this block is monitored and measured. The quality of your work here isn't judged solely on whether you succeed, but on how efficiently you use your materials, how safely you conduct your trials, and how consistently you can replicate results. That's why there are so many requirements just to apply to the Alchemy Department—minimum cultivation stage, confirmed fire affinity, foundational alchemical theory exams…"
He shrugged, a spark of humor creeping back into his voice. "In short—if you make it in, you've already proven you can survive here. Well… survive the entrance, anyway."
A few smiles flickered among the group.
