"Welcome to the Alchemy Class, future alchemists," said a middle-aged lady smilingly. Her voice was soothing and calm, likely due to the patience born from the countless trials and errors she had to go through as an alchemist.
The lady was Professor Zanna Noxley, one of the most popular professors in the academy.
Her shoulder-length dark brown hair was streaked with gray and curled softly at the ends. Silver-rimmed glasses perched on her nose, making her hazel eyes gleam even more brightly behind the lenses.
Overall, her temper was gentle and sweet, especially toward aspiring alchemists.
It was also for this very reason that Alex felt pity for her. He knew better than anyone that there was one giant troublemaker in her class.
And that was none other than... Chuck No Rizz.
"Chuck, listen okay?" Alex said patiently. "No matter what happens, no matter how tempted you are, never, ever, create a spark in the alchemy class. This is especially true when we’re doing experiments, got it?"
"Got it, no sparks." Charles nodded. "Alex, you’re funny. Do you think of me as a child who doesn’t know how to behave?"
Alex was sorely tempted to say yes, but he resisted the urge. He simply smiled and patted his friend. Luckily, it seemed that his reminder did not dampen Chuck’s enthusiasm for the lesson.
Just like most classes, the Alchemy Class allowed students from Class E up to Class B to study together.
Class A had their own Alchemy Class and were supervised by another instructor.
As Professor Zanna listed the ground rules she expected her students to follow, Alex’s eyes wandered around the classroom and landed on a beautiful fox lady who was resting her head on her arms and sleeping peacefully.
She was none other than the sleeping beauty of the academy, Latifa Everglen.
Her cascade of pale rose-gold locks tumbled around her shoulders like falling petals.
Latifa’s skin was soft and fair. Her faint breathing as she slept gave Alex the strong urge to poke her cheeks just once.
However, Alex was certain that if he were to act on this impulse, half of the boys in Class D would unite to bury him six feet under.
The three fluffy tails behind her back signified her current rank, which was a Rank 3 Celestial Walker.
Although she was asleep, one of her three consciousnesses was paying close attention to the class.
She gained one more consciousness with every rank she reached, allowing her to multitask without needing to wake up.
"Alex, the guys in Class D are glaring at us," Chuck whispered. "So stop looking at Latifa before they come here and bite us."
Alex blinked before glancing at the boys of Class D. Indeed, as Chuck had said, they were glaring at the guy who had the audacity to stare at their class’s sleeping beauty.
Clearly, they were feeling overprotective of her. They had even gone as far as choosing seats around her so they could protect her from all sides while she slept.
Years of experience informed Professor Zanna that her class was about to get rowdy. She clapped her hands loudly to catch everyone’s attention.
"Today, we will be performing a simple alchemy exercise," Professor Zanna said. "As you may already know, the most important potion that you must bring into your adventures is a health potion."
Seeing that her students’ attention was back on her, she continued, "I’m sure some of you here have already dabbled in the arts of alchemy and can already craft their own potions.
"That is all well and good, but since this is a class meant to teach everyone, I hope those who know more about potion crafting can be patient so the rest of the class can learn."
Alex’s experience was limited to crafting healing salves, not potions. Given his lack of funds in the past, he had limited himself to the most basic of healing remedies out of thriftiness.
But now that he had some money to splurge, he intended to make some health potions for himself and his club members. After all, they would be with him when he explored monster zones and dived into dungeons.
Professor Zanna presented a few ingredients on top of her table and began to explain the process of potion crafting.
After her explanation ended, the alchemy professor then took out a small vial filled with ruby-red liquid, which shimmered faintly under the light.
"This is a properly brewed low-grade health potion," Professor Zanna said. "It may look simple, but a single mistake in the heating process, the wrong stirring rhythm, or an incorrect ratio can turn it into anything from a bitter syrup or explosive."
The word "explosive" seemed to be a cue that prompted Alex to immediately look at Chuck. His roommate responded by lifting both hands defensively.
"What? I haven’t even touched anything yet," Chuck protested.
Alex didn’t know if the teenage boy said "yet" on purpose to imply he might indeed do something some other time.
"Fire has always been the tool of alchemy," Professor Zanna went on, not noticing the tension between Alex and Chuck. "Alchemists usually use magic flames that are readily available in the market.
"However, many alchemists also go out of their way to look for ’special flames’ that are part of the Heavenly Flame Rankings, and I am one of them."
To demonstrate, Professor Zanna lifted her ring finger and a green flame rose up from it.
"This flame is called the Emerald Flame, and it helps increase the quality of my potions.
"It is ranked eighty in the Heavenly Flame Rankings and is very useful in the crafting of magical artifacts, especially when precious gems or magic crystals are used as ingredients.
"Alchemy doesn’t only revolve around crafting potions and pills. It can also be used to craft magical items. So, I hope that all of you will strive to become wonderful alchemists that can make this world a better place."
The Professor then returned to her alchemy table and started to craft the low-quality healing potion.
"For now, just watch me," Professor Zanna said. "In our next class, all of you will craft a healing potion of your own, so make sure that you pay attention now, okay?"
She then glanced at the sleeping beauty in her class, but made no move to wake her up or scold her.
The staff of the academy had already been told about Latifa’s unique circumstances. All of them had also been asked to be understanding of her.
Alex, Dim Dim, and Chuck watched as the Professor added the ingredients one by one to her alchemy pot. As the mixture was heated up, a few wisps of smoke floated out from it.
Professor Zanna’s movements were fluid, almost mesmerizing.
Her hand never hesitated as she poured crushed moon herbs into the pot before stirring quickly to ensure an even mixture.
When the solution had been mixed properly, she carefully added a single drop of salamander’s blood into the cauldron. The blood hit the blend with a faint hissing sound.
"She’s good," Chuck whispered, his eyes wide as he leaned in. "I bet she could turn swamp water into wine."
Dim Dim, who was perched contentedly on Alex’s head, blinked because it knew that Professor Zanna had already done such a thing.
A few minutes later, the mixture in the cauldron suddenly turned a vivid crimson, emitting a sweet herbal scent.
With a flick of her finger, Professor Zanna lowered the heat. The Emerald Flame danced obediently to her will.
Then, she removed the pot from the heat entirely and poured the contents into a waiting vial. The liquid settled like molten rubies inside the glass, radiant and potent.
"This is the correct result," Professor Zanna said, raising the vial for the class to see. "Notice the consistency, the color, and the clarity? For basic potion crafting, these are the three things you rely on to assess if you’ve done a good job."
A few students clapped in awe while some scribbled down notes frantically.
"Any questions before we wrap up today’s demonstration?" Professor Zanna asked gently.
A few hands rose up, including Chuck’s.
However, when the teenage boy started to ask where he could get his own Heavenly Flame, the whole class looked at him as if he was out of his mind.
Heavenly Flames weren’t cabbages you could just grab in the market.
If someone knew where to find one, they would definitely keep it a secret so that such a treasure would belong only to them.