"Shit!" I muttered, rubbing my forehead, damp with sweat. Unfortunately, this was an engineering lab, so I had no alchemy equipment.
My eyes fell on the yellowish crystal now resting in my hand. To complete the creation of the Mud Golem, I needed to write an alchemical code directly onto it, stabilizing its magical structure. But there was no point in lamenting the lack of proper equipment.
Well... it wouldn’t hurt to rent a temporary station just to write this code.
I slipped the crystal into the inner pocket of my coat and left the lab. Soon, I arrived at the counter where the man who had sold me this engineering lab some time ago was stationed.
Leaning my elbows on the counter, I got straight to the point:
"I need to rent an alchemy station. Something functional, no luxuries needed."
He lazily lifted his eyes, evaluating me as if calculating how much he could squeeze out of me.
"How long do you need it for?"
"Three hours will be enough."
The man scratched his chin, thoughtful.
"Hmm... alright, I can get you a small station in the back for a decent price." He flashed me a sly grin. "As long as you don’t blow anything up, of course."
We negotiated for a few seconds. In the end, he handed me a rusty iron key.
"Red door at the end of the hallway. Use it carefully."
Upon reaching the red door, I inserted the key into the lock and turned it. The heavy click of the latch echoed before it opened.
I stepped into the small alchemy station.
The floor was clean and tidy, and the walls were smooth and polished. Wooden shelves lined the walls, filled with all sorts of items. Labeled containers stored commonly used magical materials, and Elementium rods were neatly arranged to detect the metal’s properties in an item. A full suit of metal armor rested in a corner, ready for testing the strength of magical artifacts... Beyond all that, there were countless items whose functions I couldn’t even begin to imagine.
But none of that interested me. What truly caught my attention was the radiant Magic Alchemy Station at the center of the room.
Metal chains hung from the ceiling, each holding a glowing stone at its tip. Eight chains; eight resplendent stones. They formed a perfect circle around the Alchemy Station, ensuring that the operator could focus entirely on crafting magical items without being disturbed by shadows.
Unlike the industrial lamps in my engineering lab, these were essentially magical versions of astral lamps!
The Alchemy Station itself was like an enchanted version of an industrial workbench.
Measuring 8 by 4 meters, its surface featured elevation platforms and strategically placed recesses. It was covered with mystical equipment, far too complex for ordinary people to understand. The station’s structure was divided into sixteen work areas, each dedicated to a specific crafting task.
For an experienced master alchemist, familiar with the crafting process, operating this equipment would feel natural, allowing for perfectly planned experiments. But for someone new to this Alchemy Station, just getting used to its functionalities could take days.
However, that was no obstacle for me, as I had the assistance of the virtual lab.
"Lab, begin scanning this Alchemy Station. Analyze the procedures of a crafting experiment!"
["Beep"]
["Mission created…"]
["Starting scan…"]
A blue light flickered in my eyes. Instantly, all the equipment in the Alchemy Station, as well as its magical mechanisms and hidden formations, were scanned by the virtual lab and stored in my mind.
["Cauldron – For mixing and heating ingredients."]
["Enchanted Alembics – Distilling essences and purifying liquids."]
["Bottles and glassware – Test tubes, beakers, and flasks for storing liquids."]
["Spoons, spatulas, and mortars – For measuring, mixing, and grinding ingredients."]
["Blades and tongs – For cutting and handling delicate ingredients."]
["Pendulum or precision scale – For measuring exact weights and proportions."]
["Crystal cabinet or ingredient shelf – For storing magical components."]
.
.
.
By combining the previously analyzed data with the real-time scan, the lab quickly added each piece of equipment to its database. Then, it projected the information directly onto my retina.
Now, whenever I looked around the Alchemy Station, any strange or mysterious item that entered my field of vision was accompanied by a clear annotation, explaining exactly what it was.
To put it simply, the Alchemy Station was a fusion of many of Earth’s forging and crafting machines, all combined into a single convenient platform.
A magnifying glass was mounted on a movable mechanical arm. Unlike the concave-convex lenses I used on Earth, this one was made of special glass, engraved with a magical formation. Since I had chosen a top-tier Alchemy Laboratory, this lens provided a magnification power of 300 to 500 times. Had I opted for a regular laboratory, the maximum power might have been only 150 times.
This was extremely important because, to create most magical items, it was necessary to carve microscopic details. Typically, in a specific area of the item, I would need to engrave multiple independent yet interconnected magical formations. Experienced alchemists were capable of carving over a hundred formations into a ruby crystal the size of a fist.
As a beginner, I didn’t have that skill, but I only needed to engrave seven magical formations onto a demon core the size of a thumb.
The Summoning Code was essential, as it served as the foundation for conjuring the Clay Golem. It was present in any magical summoning item.
The Body Construction Formation was also indispensable, as it manipulated the magical forces of the world to create a physical body for the Golem. In my case, the body would be made of soft mud.
The Mental Control System Imprint was the most crucial of all. During the creation process, I needed to bind a part of my soul to the formation, ensuring that the Clay Golem would obey my commands.
Additionally, to allow the Golem to control its mud body with precision, it was essential to carve the correct energy nodes and circuits. These elements directly influenced the Golem’s mobility and combat capabilities. Any mistake here could be disastrous.
Of course, I didn’t fully understand these advanced codes, but luckily, I had the lab to assist me. It handled the design and optimization of the project, so my only task was to follow its instructions.
Even so, the difficulty of my work was beyond imagination.
Over the past few months, I had conducted only a few alchemy experiments, limiting myself to basic processes like purification and code extraction. To be honest, I was still a novice in this field.
But today, I had no room for error.
I had only a single demon core.
If I failed, my plans for an army of Golems would be destroyed before they even began.
.
.
.
.
.
"Start the simulation for engraving the codes onto this crystal!"
["Beep!"]
["Simulating…"]
I stood in front of the Alchemy Station for nearly fifteen minutes, completely motionless. In my mind, the virtual lab tirelessly repeated the simulation of the procedure to create the Golem’s core. Only when I could visualize every detail with absolute precision did the simulation stop.
After all that time frozen in place, I finally moved.
From my waist pouch, I retrieved a bar of Black Magic Iron and tossed it into the crucible. The next moment, I channeled my spiritual energy into the magical formation that controlled the Alchemy Station.
"Buzz~~"
A crackling sound echoed through the room as a white flame ignited beneath the crucible.
If I had been working without this station, I would have needed to generate my own white flame in the engineering lab to heat and melt the Black Magic Iron. More than that—I would have had to maintain a stable output for at least fifteen minutes, ensuring the metal melted correctly.
Now, with the help of the Alchemy Station, everything was different. I only needed to activate the hidden magical formation at its base, and the equipment would automatically handle the heating and material fusion, adjusting temperature and time according to my settings. While the Black Magic Iron melted, I could focus on other preparations.
This alone demonstrated the enormous benefit of using a Magic Alchemy Station.
I carefully placed the core retrieved from the Luxiria cave on top of the station and adjusted the magnifying lens to the correct position and power. Only then did I begin preparing the equipment for microscopic engraving.
The tool used for this type of work was a special magical item. Depending on the amount of magical energy injected into it, it could emit a heat beam similar to a laser, as thin as a mosquito’s leg. This heat beam had been modified and fine-tuned by a master alchemist, making it incredibly precise.
Common magical metals posed no challenge for this tool. Even extremely tough metals like Eighth-Grade Gold, Refined Subterranean Iron, and Kryptonium Steel—materials whose hardness was beyond the imagination of ordinary people—were easily engraved by the heat beam.
Now, my task was to use this equipment to engrave seven magical formations onto the thumb-sized core: a summoning formation, a mental control system imprint, a formation for granting elemental life, four energy nodes, and some extra circuits.
Easier said than done.
I took a deep breath, calming my mind. Then, leaning forward, I positioned my eyes over the magnifying lens, activated my zoom in the virtual lab, and finally began working on the project I had prepared so long for.
["Zoom: 10x"]
["Zoom: 100x"]
This chapter is updated by freēwēbnovel.com.
["Zoom: 300x"]
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