May 15, 1645.
This was an important day, one worthy of being written into the annals of history.
Perhaps, in the next day's newspaper, tucked away in an obscure corner, there would only be a brief record of the day's astronomical phenomenon—the first advent of the blood moon!
But as the wheels of history rolled ever forward,
future generations, upon opening the heavy tomes of historical records,
would discover through careful research that a great number of significant Transcendents and mystical powers were inextricably linked to the blood moon of this day.
The trajectory of fate, the tides of the era, the anchor of destiny.
Every epic would be frozen in the moment night fell today, before a seemingly unremarkable stroke was added to the page.
Where there were gains, there were inevitably losses.
In the past, the "Evil Spirit Wizard"—that unlucky fool played by fate, that mercilessly manipulated pawn—had lost so, so much!
On May 8th, exactly one week prior, he had received an incomplete inheritance at the wrong time, anchoring himself to a terrifying entity that should never have been anchored.
When the crimson glow of the blood moon shone upon his young and bewildered face,
he walked upon a vast land veiled in the bloody gauze of the moonlight.
He could feel that he had missed something.
But he had no power to salvage anything, able only to extend his hand in helpless confusion, grasping at nothing.
But the light of the blood moon slipped through the gaps between his fingers.
This time, however, Zorn had long since made his arrangements and preparations.
Not only was he fully prepared, but he also had many backup plans.
...
「Early Morning」
Amidst the mist and the cold morning dew, the Fighting Master practiced his Skull-Splitting Fist, carefully sensing the changes within.
With every flourish of his fist, his Star Trace Gang Qi surged, making each punch feel effortless.
Immersed in his training, Zorn could feel that his Star Trace Gang Qi was accumulating exceptionally quickly today.
Of course, the Confused who served as his "punching bag" yesterday had also played a significant part.
Currently burdened with his studies, Zorn didn't have much personal time for Ascetic Practice.
But once his schooling was over, in about a month,
he could join some clubs, or even create one of his own—a club for Transcendents.
The morning light filtered through dew-kissed leaves, casting a mottled and hazy glow on Zorn's face.
A faint, indescribable sense of stagnation hung in the air.
It was something one would never notice unless they were looking for it.
The enlightenments of fate always came with omens.
After pulling back his fist, Zorn quietly reviewed his gains in his mind.
He remained that way until Glangk, the butler, approached.
...
「At the Breakfast Table」
The food was more lavish than usual.
In addition to the usual milk, fried eggs, bacon, and vegetable salad,
there was also bread soup and deep-fried golden meatballs.
It was said that this habit of eating mixed fried meatballs was a trend passed down from the great nobles of Saintisman.
This strange custom had blown into the Oston Republic and onto Zorn's dining table.
Looking at the delicious food that covered half the table, Zorn turned to Glangk with a helpless expression.
"Glangk, I've already told you, there's no need for such a lavish breakfast."
But Glangk stubbornly insisted.
"Young Master Zorn, you are at a crucial age for growth. Even though you wield Extraordinary power, you still need to eat your fill."
'I desperately wish I had a Glutton's Stomach right now,' Zorn couldn't help but rub his stomach, 'One that could hold a week's worth of food in a single meal.'
A Glutton's Stomach could help a Transcendent devour more food to gain astonishing strength, and it would also save a lot of time on meals.
"Glangk, how are the Steam Giant Whale stocks doing?"
Zorn asked during the meal.
From the irrepressible smile at the corner of Glangk's mouth, Zorn already guessed the outcome.
At the mention of the Steam Giant Whale, the white-haired Glangk seemed to revert to his younger, more robust days, his voice becoming much more forceful and resonant.
"Following your previous instructions, I spent a total of 2,360 gold pounds to purchase shares of the Steam Giant Whale."
"The average price per share was 1.2 gold pounds."
"Just yesterday afternoon, I submitted the stock certificates and bank account information to the Beleu Navigation Company."
"In a few more days, a stock dividend of a full seventeen thousand seven hundred gold pounds will be deposited into the family's account."
At this point, the old butler Glangk was exceptionally excited.
After all, in all his years, this was the largest sum of money he had ever handled.
"Of course, the necessary taxes must be paid."
"The stocks were originally purchased in the name of your father, Baron Leon."
"The tax forms bear Baron Leon's exclusive noble seal."
"Therefore, we will need to pay approximately 8% in taxes."
"If they had been in your name, the tax would have been 15%."
"After taxes, there will still be sixteen thousand two hundred and eighty-four gold pounds."
Hearing this, Zorn nodded slightly.
His father, Leon Corick, was an officially recognized Baron.
He, on the other hand, was just an ordinary person in the eyes of the Republic's law.
For now, he could still use his father's title to gain some advantages.
"Additionally, this month we need to repay approximately five thousand three hundred gold pounds in principal and one thousand one hundred gold pounds in interest, for a total of six thousand four hundred gold pounds."
"Adding the two thousand four hundred gold pounds we had saved previously,"
"we will have a surplus of twelve thousand five hundred gold pounds this month."
With so much cash on hand all of a sudden, the pressure on Zorn's heart lessened considerably.
At the same time, a slight sense of relief bloomed deep within him.
He was keenly aware of how terrifying the trajectory of fate could be and held it in awe!
He had also worried that after transmigrating and taking on the identity of "Zorn Corick," the gates of fate would be welded shut, and he would be dragged down into the Abyss.
He would be forced to repeat the disaster of five years later.
It now seemed he had dodged the incorrect inheritance time and prevented the Coric Clan's bankruptcy.
For now, he had silently pried open the trajectory of fate.
And today, he was about to inherit the Evil Spirit Wizard Sequence and undergo a magnificent transformation.
After a moment of thought, Zorn slowly reined in his mind and spoke.
"Glangk, I need you to go to the factory district in the south and find a way to acquire a small to medium-sized Steam Factory, one that can accommodate one to two hundred workers. If it already has some steam engine boilers to provide Kinetic Energy, that would be even better."
Over ten thousand gold pounds couldn't just sit around and gather dust.
'The Evil Spirit Wizard is about to come online.'
A Steam Factory, a place of "exploitation" and "oppression," where the "blood, sweat," and "life" of workers could be harvested, had to be established.
This would be the Evil Spirit Wizard's most perfect disguise.
Furthermore, it would be a ceaseless wellspring of power for the Evil Spirit Wizard.
"At the same time, I need to recruit a batch of graduates with a basic knowledge of medicinal materials."
"Hmm... Ogrande City's public university has quite a few graduates in this field, and they are facing the predicament of being unemployed right after graduation."
"I believe my factory can offer them decent jobs that align with their specialization."
"Also..."
Zorn rubbed the bridge of his nose.
"I need a chief Pharmacist."
"A chief Pharmacist who will be completely loyal to me, who will never... betray me."
As he thought, Zorn already had a suitable candidate in mind.
From what Zorn knew about Ogrande City's public university, the future Legendary Alchemist should be worrying about his prospects right now, lost and confused.
Now, Zorn needed to help him find the right path forward.
'Helping nobles concoct potions to raise their bedroom thresholds and intensity of excitement is a dead end.'
'In my previous life, that kind of profession was a one-way ticket to a death sentence.'
'Flitting about under the skirts of noble widows to enjoy moments of Joy is not a long-term solution either.'
Concocting real potions, even Magic Potions that could help a Transcendent achieve transformation, or even top-tier Magic Potions that could push the tides of the entire World to new heights—
'*That* is the proper way to be an Alchemist.'
After breakfast, it was still a while before noon.
Zorn went to his study, took out a sheet of letter paper, picked up an exquisite blue fountain pen, dipped it in ink, and began to write.
"To the esteemed Alchemist, Mr. Vladimir Kojin,
It has been three months since you last published your theories on Pharmacy in the newspaper.
I greatly admire your wild imagination and unbelievable creativity in the field of Pharmacy.
I have a few small ideas and some questions of my own regarding Pharmacy.
Perhaps... you might be able to provide some answers.
...
Your faithful reader—Zorn Corick, with utmost respect."
...
Soon, a letter sufficient to move the Alchemist "Vladimir Kojin" was finished.
Of course, these words alone wouldn't be enough to make Vladimir Kojin read the letter seriously.
As he sealed the letter, Zorn tucked 10 gold pounds inside.
Held in the hand, its heavy weight was quite conspicuous.
This was also Zorn's small remuneration for the answers he sought.
After giving some more detailed instructions, the butler Glangk left with the letter.
'I hope this yields a good result. If this Vladimir is unwilling to come, then I'll just have to find someone else.'
Vladimir was the best candidate, but Zorn obviously wasn't going to put all his eggs in one basket.
He had many other candidates.
Ogrande City was a crucial node in the tide of the Steam Era, and it held many, many important "characters."
Right now, Zorn, who was still in his developmental phase, needed to build good relationships with these important "characters."
After all this was done, it was already approaching noon.
The coachman, Old Nero, had parked the carriage in the courtyard and was waiting for Zorn's arrival. He looked to be in good spirits; he had finally recovered from the scare he'd received a week ago.
'If something happened to Old Nero, I'd have to drive the carriage myself,' he thought. 'Although I do have that Skill—I've even played around with drifting a carriage around corners—it would be somewhat undignified.'
Taking a deep breath, Zorn stood up and stretched his arms wide.
He slightly turned the Ring of the Two Serpents on his middle finger, feeling the faint squirming and Climbing sensation of the serpent-like finger. He let out a light breath, then, after putting on the items he had prepared, he walked outside.
After boarding the carriage, Old Nero, who had received his orders long ago, knew Young Master Zorn's destination for the day and immediately set the carriage in motion.
He had been looking forward to the party at Miss Joliya's house for a long time and had made many preparations for it.
The carriage proceeded slowly down Geluo Long Street, under the mottled shade of the trees.
The CLOP-CLOP of horse hooves and the rumble of carriage wheels intertwined into a magnificent symphony, like a prelude to taking the stage.