Knock. Knock. Knock.
Eugene rose from the sofa and walked toward the door. The moment he opened it, he found a black raven with violet eyes standing there.
He raised an eyebrow and murmured inwardly,
Is this the raven Fred mentioned—the one that would bring me a ring?
The raven spread its wings and slipped one into a small light-brown pouch, pulling out a silver ring glowing with a violet light.
It extended the ring toward Eugene. He took it, puzzled, and the raven immediately flew away.
"Why is this ring so heavy?" Eugene muttered, turning it between his fingers—until it slipped and fell to the floor.
The instant it hit the ground, it released an intense violet beam of light.
"What—what's happening?!" Eugene shielded his face from the blinding glow.
When the light faded and he lowered his hand, his eyes widened.
"W-Where did all this come from?"
A full set of furniture had appeared—exactly the color, type, and design Eugene had ordered.
In that moment, realization struck him. He whispered in astonishment:
"So the ring is some kind of storage space… The furniture was stored inside it, and the raven delivered the ring so I could receive everything."
He looked down. The ring lay on the floor beside a folded note.
He picked it up and opened it. The message was written in neat Ruq'ah script:
> Dear Customer,
We hope your order has not been delayed.
Please consider giving our store a five-star rating.
Lastly, keep the ring in case you wish to purchase furniture or anything else again.
It is a gift from our store to new customers.
Signed,
Benjamin's Store.
Eugene smirked slightly.
"They're good at what they do. Respectful. Classy presentation… Wait—how do I even rate five stars?"
He lifted the ring, examined it from every angle, tapped it lightly against his head with his index finger, then shrugged.
Click. He closed the door and began moving and arranging the furniture. He used his spatial ring to store the old pieces.
"I'll take them to a recycling shop later."
He sat down, breathing heavily from exhaustion.
"I didn't expect it to be this heavy…"
After a few quiet minutes of admiring the room, he smiled.
"Wonderful."
He was deeply pleased with the room's appearance and the comfort and softness of the furniture.
Ding. Ding. Ding.
A bell rang, announcing the start of class.
"Why is our class schedule different from the other years?" Eugene muttered as he stepped outside.
As he passed the entrance of another apartment in the complex—
"Meow."
He turned just in time to see a black cat with green eyes leaping toward him. It collided with him and wrapped its legs around his face.
"You're even more troublesome and energetic than I am!" Reem's voice called out as she approached from the building.
When she saw Eugene with the cat clinging to his face, she burst into laughter, pointing at him.
"Hahaha! What is that?! You look like a tame aurochs!"
Eugene pulled the cat off with his left hand, his expression dark and irritated.
"Since when do you have another cat?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Since today," Reem answered instantly.
At that moment, the door to Rin's apartment opened.
"Ah… you two are truly noisy," he muttered sleepily.
When he saw the cat, he pointed at it before speaking.
"You got her today," Reem replied quickly.
"Seems like you came prepared with that answer," Rin said, sounding more awake now.
Reem picked up the cat as she walked.
"Hey, we're going to be late for class."
Rin and Eugene followed behind her as she quickened her pace.
They arrived at a large red door and pushed it open.
One of the talking trees commented to the cat,
"Looks like you've found yourself a caretaker."
Rin glanced briefly at the trees before they all entered.
They sat on soft, red wooden chairs—far more comfortable than the seats in other classrooms.
Students whispered among themselves.
Tiiing.
A sharp, echoing bell rang.
Everyone turned toward Adelaide, who stood beside—
Idris.
The students recognized him immediately. Surprise and excitement spread across their faces.
He stood in a long black robe trimmed with red lines at the hem, wearing two rings—one on each hand. His usual expression blended arrogance with gentleness.
Rin was visibly stunned. Reem's surprise was calmer. Eugene, however, showed none.
Rin glanced at him while stroking the cat.
"You don't seem impressed."
"I'm not. Alchemy isn't really my interest. Besides, I met him at Melissa's birthday," Eugene replied indifferently.
From the corner of his eye, Idris noticed Eugene's lack of interest. His expression darkened for a brief moment before returning to normal.
"Listen carefully, students," Adelaide began. "Young Master Idris is one of the geniuses of the Four Empires and a member of the Kanfi family."
Ralph, his face tense and irritated, looked around but did not find Melissa.
"He is very busy, so pay close attention. Opportunities like this rarely come twice."
She cast a sharp warning glance at Reem and Eugene—as if cautioning them against causing another scene.
Eugene sneered inwardly.
She may be old, but her memory is sharp.
Adelaide moved to a seat at the end of the row, leaving the spotlight to Idris.
"I assume you're wondering why I'm here," Idris began. "Logically, I should be teaching third-year students. By then, you'd be second- or third-rank alchemists, capable of crafting potions, pills, weapons, and other alchemical branches."
Other branches? Eugene whispered inwardly, intrigued.
Every time, I discover something new about how vast this world is.
Clap.
Idris clapped sharply, pulling Eugene back to attention.
"However… foundation is more important than advancement. Teaching you advanced techniques without proper grounding is meaningless. Strong fundamentals allow faster and deeper understanding in the future."
He paused.
"Enough introduction. Let's begin directly. I will explain the laws—or rules—of this world. Call them what you wish."
He turned to the board and began writing as he spoke, simplifying the concepts as much as possible.
First Rule:
Do not combine incompatible elements—not by name, but by composition.
"This means that a Fire Blossom cannot simply be merged with an Ice Blossom. Right or wrong?"
Students raised their eyebrows in confusion.
"It can be done—if their compositions are arranged precisely and harmoniously so they support each other."
"However, if two structures fundamentally reject fusion, they cannot be combined—except under specific conditions."
"For example, a small beast fang and Nile Water. The water can cleanse the fang, but it will weaken or even dissolve its beneficial properties. However, if you add Moon-Nut Shell, it purifies the fang without damaging it—and may even enhance its value."
Second Rule:
Everything has its proper time.
"I don't mean harvest seasons," he clarified, his tone heavier. "I mean that every act of fusion, purification, or crafting has an optimal timing."
"Why? Because the universe itself is a structure of varying properties—air composition, weather, scents, lunar movement, planetary motion, seasons, even population density. All of these can affect a potion—even by 0.5 percent."
Half a percent? Seriously? Eugene thought sarcastically. People are complex and imperfect, but half a percent can affect a potion?
As if reading his thoughts, Idris's voice grew sharper.
"The smallest things can destroy the greatest creations—or create immense difference. Bacteria and viruses are microscopic, yet they can cause suffering and alter the course of your life."
"And how do they spread? Through actions done at the wrong time—or without following simple rules. Like not washing your hands before eating."
A green-haired student raised a hand.
"Can you give an example of how such a small percentage could affect an entire process?" he asked, his voice tense but audible.
Reem glanced at Eugene, who seemed uninterested, examining his nails as though they were artwork.
Idris wiped his glasses with a cloth and smiled faintly.
"Very well. Let's assume… Eugene." He gestured toward him. "Suppose Eugene is an alchemist."
Reem and Rin burst into laughter at Eugene's expression.
"Yes, yes—Eugene the great alchemist," Idris continued lightly.
"One day, he attempts to brew an antidote requiring precise, ordered fusion of multiple resources. But Eugene ignores the rules and decides to craft it in his home—with the windows open."
"As he draws in materials, airflow is created, pulling various scents and airborne particles into the cauldron."
"These carry minor impurities—microbial traces and residual properties. This disrupts the potion's structure."
"One of two things happens:
Either the potion succeeds—but its effectiveness drops by four to five percent.
Or—" he paused with a teasing tone—
"It destabilizes and explodes, burning down his house."
Rin leaned toward Eugene, grinning.
"You'd make a terrible alchemist."
Thud.
Eugene punched Rin quickly.
"Ow! Hahaha—" Rin laughed despite the hit.
Reem's cheeks flushed as she tried to suppress her laughter.
A vein throbbed visibly on Eugene's forehead as irritation burned within him.
End of Chapter.