The Alchemical of Another World

Karazan is a quaint frontier town located in the northern reaches of the Fransito continent. Surrounded by pristine forests, the abundant resources within the woods sustain the town's inhabitants and attract numerous out-of-town merchants engaging in trade. Much like other northern cities, Karazan grapples with the annual seven-month icebound period, a customary challenge in the northern regions. Consequently, the residents have grown accustomed to such climatic conditions, leading to deserted streets during the winter months, devoid of any signs of life.

However, amidst this year's raging snowstorm, an unexpected sight emerged on the desolate streets of Karazan—a young man diligently engaged in daily running exercises. Lin Yuan, running steadily through the storm without a hint of fatigue, completed his customary circuit around the city. As he arrived at the sole tavern within the city, the weighty curtain at the entrance lifted, revealing a charming young lady adorned in a thick fur coat, her delicate features exuding a winsome allure. With widened eyes and a beaming smile, she appeared before Lin Yuan, saying, "Little Yuan, you've arrived? Feeling cold? Would you like to come in and warm up?"

"No need, I'm still a bit warm!"

Lin Yuan cheerfully waved his hand, approached, and took the large silver jug from the hands of the lovely girl named Helena. Stepping back, he carefully scrutinized her standing on the tavern's steps, complimenting her with a smile, "Oh, Helena, why do I feel you're becoming more beautiful? At this rate, you'll soon blossom into a stunning woman!"

Blushing, the girl at the tavern's entrance, Helena, chided Lin Yuan with a mix of shyness and delight, "Little Yuan, you're truly annoying! Every time you tease me, if you continue like this..."

The young beauty struggled to come up with a fitting punishment for Lin Yuan, so in frustration, she stomped her foot, uttered a dismissive "I'm ignoring you," and swiftly retreated into the tavern. The young man at the door chuckled, and after a moment, he loudly declared, "I'm leaving!" He then continued running along the street towards its end.

Not far from his departure, Helena's head peeked out from behind the curtain. Observing Lin Yuan's departing figure, she spat out a disapproving sound, and then, with a hint of disappointment, she called out, "Little Yuan, come over for a delicious barbecue tonight!"

Turning around, Lin Yuan waved, "No, Helena, the master has a class for us tonight, so I won't be coming. Enjoy your meal!"

"Oh!" The young girl's expression immediately fell, and with a dejected response, she watched Lin Yuan's figure disappear into the distance, remaining motionless for a long while.

Continuing down the street, Lin Yuan reached the end and arrived at the grand gates of a luxurious estate. The two guards on duty, upon recognizing him from a distance, promptly opened the gates courteously. Lin Yuan briskly entered the estate and, friendly towards the guards, waved before striding purposefully towards a lavish, interconnected architectural complex deep within the estate.

The entire estate, along with this white stone architectural complex that Lin Yuan finds to have a distinct Gothic style, serves as the daily residence for Master Wimbrook, Lin Yuan's mentor. The estate's expansive grounds elude Lin Yuan's knowledge, but he is well aware of the dimensions of this architectural ensemble. The structure stretches over 400 meters in length and nearly 150 meters in depth. Whether considering the interior decor or the overall building area, this edifice unquestionably stands as one of the most opulent and expansive complexes in the entirety of Karazan.

As Lin Yuan ascended the steps of the structure, the white rectangular colossal stones forming the steps immediately emitted a web-like glow. Subsequently, a warm breeze stirred in the air around Lin Yuan, gently sweeping over his body. This warm breeze not only carried away the scattered snowflakes on him but also dispelled the chill, revitalizing Lin Yuan's entire being. When Lin Yuan stepped onto the steps and approached the entrance of the white complex, a terracotta-colored ripple illuminated the floor beneath his feet. Following this, the golden door in front of Lin Yuan slowly creaked open to both sides on its own.

Only after the door fully opened did Lin Yuan stride inside. Shortly after his entrance, a group of beautiful maids hurriedly emerged from the right corridor of the hall inside the door. The leading maid, upon spotting Lin Yuan, brightened her eyes and softly greeted him, "Young Master Yuan, you've returned? Have you brought back the gentleman's wine?"

"Yes, I've brought it back! By the way, Fanny, arrange for two people to help me change clothes. I'll be attending a class shortly!"

While tossing the silver jug to the beautiful maid, Lin Yuan made the request, and Fanny, the lovely maid, nodded with a smiling face. She took the jug Lin Yuan handed over, then turned and instructed the two maids behind her to assist Lin Yuan in changing clothes.

Returning to his room, Lin Yuan removed the heavy fur coat and donned a crimson alchemist robe. He then headed towards the corridor outside.

After a short walk, Lin Yuan stopped in front of an intricately carved wooden door. After gently knocking on the door, a clear echo resonated from inside, "Is it Little Yuan? Come in, the door isn't locked!"

Acknowledging with a response, Lin Yuan carefully pushed the door open and walked in with large strides.

The room behind this door exuded a feminine ambiance. Upon entering, one could immediately see a beautifully adorned flower wall. Despite the icy expanse outside, the room was warm as spring, with an array of vibrant flowers in full bloom covering the entire flower wall. Lin Yuan, upon seeing the flower wall, instinctively lowered his head to glance at the intricately patterned stone floor. These patterns, now faintly glowing, represented one of the fundamental disciplines in alchemy—Alchemy Runic Studies, abbreviated as Runic Studies. Every alchemist essentially learned how to draw runes, and the quantity of runes an alchemist could draw directly determined their level of expertise.

Swiftly bypassing the flower wall, Lin Yuan spotted a young girl seated at the desk in the inner room. This girl was exceptionally elegant, exuding an air of sophistication and possessing the aura of a knowledgeable woman. Like Lin Yuan, she was adorned in a crimson alchemist robe. At that moment, she held a parchment scroll, smiling as she watched Lin Yuan enter.

"Sister!" Lin Yuan cheerfully called out, and the graceful young girl nodded before giving Lin Yuan a once-over. She then smiled and said, "Indeed, you now look somewhat like an alchemist. Well, time is running short. Let's go; the teacher is giving us a class tonight. Being late will surely earn us a reprimand!"

"Yes! Alright." Lin Yuan nodded happily, and the elegant young girl stood up, stretching lazily. The curves of her already developing figure became evident, prompting Lin Yuan to cough lightly and avert his gaze.

Upon hearing Lin Yuan's cough, the graceful young girl set down her arms, stared at Lin Yuan with a playful look, and muttered softly, "Coward, if I dare to do it, and you still can't bear to look? Truly useless!"

"Sister!" Lin Yuan chuckled helplessly and said, "Sister, let's hurry; if we don't, we'll really be late!"

"Understood, understood. Why the rush? I've never seen you so proactive during classes!" The exquisite young lady huffed, slightly displeased with Lin Yuan's urging. Nevertheless, she approached, reached out, and seized Lin Yuan's arm, domineeringly humming, "Let's go, foolish junior. It's time for our class!"

"Alright, let's go!" Lin Yuan glanced at the delicate hands of the graceful young lady linked with his arm, smiled at her, and then, arm in arm, they briskly walked towards the door.

Exiting the door, they strolled along the corridor to its end, arriving at a crimson metal door.

As Lin Yuan reached for the door, the graceful young lady suddenly tugged his arm. Then, she softly said to him, "Junior, about what I mentioned earlier, you're not upset, are you?"

"Why would I be upset?" Lin Yuan was surprised, and the young lady carefully observed his expression. After a while, she whispered, "Um, Senior sister didn't mean to call you foolish! Really, you believe Senior sister..."

"I'm not upset at all. Besides, why would I be upset? Alright, senior sister, rest assured! I'm really fine!" Lin Yuan chuckled and smiled, pushing open the hefty metal door before turning and extending his hand with a bow, inviting, "Come, senior sister, please enter first!"

"Hehe..." The graceful young lady, seeing that Lin Yuan didn't seem angry, relaxed. She smiled faintly at Lin Yuan, expressing gratitude with her eyes, and elegantly stepped into the room.

After the graceful young lady entered, Lin Yuan followed suit.

It was a spacious room, spanning several dozen steps from the doorway to the deepest part of the room. The room's width was considerable, with densely packed, tall bookshelves on either side of the central aisle. At the center of the room, there was an oval-shaped conference table several meters long, adorned with luxurious fringes. On the fringes sat various glass bottles, lit crucibles, alcohol burners, small coal stoves, as well as a variety of peculiar potted plants, colorful minerals, small hammers, small scissors, and tweezers, among other tools.

"Shall we, senior sister? Let's go in!" Lin Yuan, upon entering the room, glanced curiously at the oval conference table in the middle of the aisle. According to usual practice, this space would have been claimed by the other senior brothers long ago. However, today was different; although they had arrived, the senior brothers, who usually got here before anyone else, were still absent.

The graceful young lady, who entered ahead of Lin Yuan, also noticed this anomaly. Puzzled, she looked around and turned to Lin Yuan, inquiring, "Huh, what's happening with those annoying guys today? They've always occupied this place early. Why haven't they shown up until now?"

"Who knows? Maybe they had something urgent to attend to!" Lin Yuan shrugged, responding casually. Turning around, he was about to walk towards the central conference table, but from behind the door, a deliberately affected, sneering voice rang out, "Oh, isn't this our little junior? Hey, Dex, did you hear? I heard recently that our genius junior here has switched to learning blacksmithing. For the past few weeks, he's been spending every day in the blacksmith shop, neglecting the teacher's lessons entirely. Not a single touch!"

"Really? This news is quite surprising. Oh, junior, why must you act this way? Though you may be a bit foolish, there's no need to abandon your path as an alchemist to become a blacksmith, right? Remember, you are the teacher's disciple, and news of you becoming a blacksmith doesn't bode well for the teacher's reputation!"

"Yes, certain individuals don't consider the consequences for the master. Instead, they bring shame upon our master!"

The newcomers outside the door indulged in taunting Lin Yuan, who had just taken a step forward. Lin Yuan's footstep froze in place, and he calmly turned around, giving a casual glance to the two who barged in with the voices. Rolling his eyes disapprovingly, he said, "Senior brothers, how is it that everything I do is known to both of you so quickly and clearly? Do you spend your days doing nothing but spying on me? It's not good, you know. Don't let my trivial matters delay the progress of such intelligent seniors as yourselves, and prevent you from receiving favor in front of the master!"

"Hmph, junior, our affairs don't concern you. You'd better worry about yourself. Don't end up unable to answer when someone asks you what you've learned. By then, not only will you have disgraced the master, but even we, your senior brothers, will also be embarrassed to be associated with you!"

The one speaking, a youth named Wesley, disdainfully glanced at Lin Yuan, forcibly pushing past him without looking back. "Move aside, don't you know there's a saying about not blocking the way for a good dog?"

Wesley finished speaking, disdainfully uttered a sound of mockery, and then briskly walked forward. Following closely behind him, another taller and stronger youth reached Lin Yuan. He blocked Lin Yuan's path, looked down at him condescendingly, and revealed a provocative smile. "Junior, I heard you've been busy lately exercising your body? Tsk tsk, let me tell you, with that petite frame of yours, even if you keep practicing, you won't be my match. Look at these muscles of mine; I can take on two of you easily. So, junior, I suggest you stop training and just peacefully embrace your insignificance!"

The youth, named Dax, completed his statement and flaunted his robust muscles to Lin Yuan. He grinned, patting Lin Yuan's face vigorously with his hand while wearing a contemptuous expression.

Lin Yuan's expression changed, and a trace of anger flashed in his eyes. Seeing this, Dax laughed heartily, taunting Lin Yuan once again by flexing his strong muscles. He deliberately pushed Lin Yuan forcefully and then laughed heartily, saying, "D*mn, useless waste. Just because your face changed color, you think I'll be afraid of you? Junior, you're just a useless waste. If you have the guts, explode today and fight me. I won't even bully you; I'll use just one hand. How about it? This way, you dare to confront me?"

Lin Yuan, pushed aside by Dax, twitched at the corner of his eye, clenched his teeth, and tightly balled his fists. At this moment, the graceful young lady, who had been observing the scene, stepped forward, blocking Dax who was still flaunting his strength to Lin Yuan. She sternly confronted him, "Dax, what are you doing? If you dare to touch Little Yuan, I'll report it to the teacher immediately. Hmph, you two brothers have no shame. Little Yuan is several years younger than you, and yet you constantly bully him. Is this the tradition of your Picard family, always bullying those younger than you?"

"Bullying him?" At this point, Wesley, who had already arrived at the large conference table, turned disdainfully to the elegant young lady who had stepped forward. "Wendy, do you think a lion would bully a dog? Do you think he has the qualification to let me bully him?"

After speaking contemptuously, Wesley cast a scornful glance at Lin Yuan and began searching through the items on the table. Dax, who was still showcasing his strength, sneered at the elegant young lady, saying, "Exactly, Wendy. He's just a wild dog. Why do you always protect him? Could it be true, as those people outside say, that you've fallen for him? D*mn, Wendy, if you like someone, why choose this wild dog? You should know, he's truly a useless mangy dog, never on the same level as us lions!"

After Dax finished arrogantly laughing, he turned to walk in Wesley's direction. Just then, a soft but authoritative voice came from outside the door, "Dax, who do you think is the lion and who is the wild dog?"

Hearing this voice, everyone in the room looked up. Dax's expression froze for a moment. Then he turned around cautiously and called towards the door, "Senior Brother Brooke, you came really early today!"

"Did I come early?" A tall and handsome young man walked into the room from outside. Like everyone else present, he wore a crimson robe. However, his robe differed slightly from the others; it had a gold star at the chest, marking him as a first-level alchemist recognized by the Fransto Continent Alchemist Guild. This qualification couldn't be obtained with money or power; it required the person to pass the strict examination of the Alchemist Guild and gain their approval. The value of this golden star badge, representing the status it conveyed, was enough to make all the young men in the room envy.

Wesley in the distance showed a hint of jealousy in his eyes, and Dax and Wendy, who were nearby, displayed traces of admiration. As for Lin Yuan, standing behind Wendy, he glanced briefly at the golden star badge on the young man's chest, his eyes revealing a complex emotion.

"Did I arrive early?" The handsome young man, upon entering, repeated the question to Dax. Suddenly, his expression turned cold. "Dax, do you wish for me to arrive a bit later, allowing both of you brothers to freely bully the junior disciple? Hmph, you boastful ones, lion and dog? Wesley, I'd like to ask you, who here is the lion, and who is the dog?"

Everyone present fell silent. Wesley and Dax lowered their heads, refusing to speak. Wendy, looking triumphant, glanced at the two brothers, then pulled Lin Yuan out from behind her. Pushing Lin Yuan forward, she was about to explain the situation to the senior brother when she noticed the handsome young man furrow his brows. "Junior disciple, I heard that you've been getting close to Ian, an apprentice of Uncle Harriman. You even refer to each other as brothers? Is this true?"

Wendy hesitated, then involuntarily cast her gaze toward Lin Yuan. Lin Yuan, looking surprised, then nodded