Undric took a deep breath before taking his first step onto the smooth, level stone steps.

  The hall rose, resting atop a polished stone platform that seemed to reflect the sky. Its tall, robust red pillars supported everything without wavering. The curved roof was covered in firm, brownish tiles, while lanterns hung from the eaves, swaying gently in the soft wind.

  Upon reaching the entrance floor, the dark wooden gate, adorned with sophisticated moon carvings, opened.

  He walked down a corridor illuminated by white crystals lining the tops of the walls and dangling from the ceiling in strange shapes, like clusters of stones held by wires too thin to be easily seen. The corridor's walls were adorned with things Undric could not comprehend, such as a single strand of hair which, like many of the other objects stored there, gave him an odd sensation and sent chills through him just to look at it.

  It was more than just a corridor, and he knew it. It was also a demonstration of power from those who, if they wished, could leave this place at any time.

  — Please, come in, sir, — said the butler, bowing briefly. Someone whom, no matter how hard Undric tried, he couldn't even begin to guess his cultivation level.

  The door opened, allowing the strange, oppressive pressure it had been holding back to spill into the room. Undric had visited this place many times in recent years, yet he still could not get used to it.

  He walked to the room where a young man awaited him.

  — Mr. Undric, — the young man said in a friendly tone, different from the tension that hung in the air, — I'm sorry, but unfortunately, we still haven't received any new information about possible alchemists.

  After clearing his throat, Undric turned to the empty chair. He pretended not to be affected, but his feet trembled beneath the table, in contact with the floor.

  — ...That's not why I came, — he said, looking the man in the eyes. — I remember you once said there was something here, even though there isn't an alchemist... a furnace.

  — Well... that's true, but unfortunately it's not of much use to us, since only alchemists can use it to its full capacity.

  — I want to buy it.

  — You... want it? — The young man covered his eyes with his fingers, deep in thought. A heavy sigh echoed and the pressure faded. — Look, Undric, I understand how you feel, but... — he reconsidered, — Let me give you some advice... Forget everything and spend some time with your wife, that's something money can't buy.

  — ...I understand, but—

  — Alchemy isn't easy, believe me. You might think it will be different, that with effort you'll achieve something, but... — The man looked at Undric, thoughtful. His eyes wandered for a moment and a slight smile flickered on his face briefly, as if remembering something he had forgotten. — I understand... You can take the furnace, Undric. It'll be one white crystal per day.

  — What...?

  — And don't forget to do business with us when you manage to make the pills.

  The door closed after the confused Undric left, following the butler in silence.

  What was that...? Maybe... He looked at the butler's back, considering his suspicion. No, maybe not. They already knew about Noah, they just didn't know he was capable of something like that...

  Their steps echoed along the short spiral staircase leading underground.

  The man sighed.

  They said he was just a boy, but... how monstrous would this 'boy' have to be to make it here all by himself?

  He turned to the window that illuminated the whole room which, unlike the corridors, had nothing inside except for the table and the chairs. He had nothing to place there.

  If he really knows alchemy, Undric could consider himself a lucky man. Very lucky... And maybe, just maybe, he'll get what he's looking for: more time, a cure... Or not. We shall see... It will depend on what kind of person he is.

  His mind wandered for a long time, while the sun warmed his face.

  And beyond the stairs and through the corridor where a strange chill circulated, Undric found himself before a door chained and locked. When it opened, a strong smell of rot flooded the air, followed by the freshness of herbs. A heavy, familiar weight settled in his chest: emotions that had never left him, guilt and pain, a guilt for failing and pain just for wanting to give up. Both heavier than he cared to admit.

  The furnace was much larger than he'd imagined, twice the size of an adult man, dark-colored, with iron so cold it hurt just to touch it.

  Now there was nothing left to do but return home. Which is exactly what he did, not looking back or stopping to be bothered by his surroundings. His spatial bag felt far too heavy and his chest warmed. It was a new and unique chance, he had to seize it at any cost.

  — Is that an alchemy furnace...? — Isadora approached the large object and reached out with her hand, but couldn't touch it. She went back to her parents, curling up and clutching her trembling hand to her chest. — It gives me the chills just being close to it... Are you sure it’s supposed to be like this, Dad?

  — I don’t know... The hall manager didn’t mention anything might be wrong with it.

  — But why keep it here? Couldn't you have put it in another room...? Maybe one closer to where Noah is?

  Undric glanced around. The room was somewhat dark, only lit by torches. The stone walls and solid rocky floors made it nothing but a block of rock. It was the training room for the family leaders, a place only the three of them had access to, and now, Noah as well.

  — It's safer this way. This way, the information won’t be at risk of leaking out.

  — Hmm, not that it will help much. After all, someone's bound to notice when it comes time to purchase the herbs Noah will ask for, — Mirabel pointed out.

  — And those are sold at auctions...

  Isadora sighed.

  They left through the massive door, two hand widths thick, and Undric closed it behind them. Its creaking echoed heavily throughout the room and corridor, up to the foot of the stairs. Climbing the broad but dark stairway, light finally shone at the end when they emerged into a small pavilion surrounded by a lake whose far side was visible to the naked eye.

  Colorful fish danced in great numbers, like a living painting beneath the waters. One walkway led to an isolated garden, while another led to the back of Undric and Mirabel's courtyard.

  Stopping along the way, Isadora picked up a stone from the ground, leaving her parents confused.

  When they reached the room, they found Noah meditating, which prompted Undric to ask:

  — Didn't you say he was practicing martial arts?

  — He is... although I don't really understand how, either.

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  Then they understood the reason for the stone. Isadora prepared to throw it, winding her arm back, startling her parents enough that they considered stopping her, but failed to do so.

  Noah raised his hand quickly, quicker than his eyes could open, or than any of the three could follow, catching the stone midair. The pain from doing so was far greater than he imagined, making his whole arm tremble and tingle for a while. He looked at Isadora, realizing the object in his hand was but a small stone.

  — ...That was excessive, you didn't have to throw it so hard, — he said.

  — Sorry...

  — What was that?! — Undric demanded, confused. He spoke so loudly he startled Isadora, sending her running into Mirabel’s arms. — You could have hurt him, Isadora!

  — I was the one who asked her to do it.

  — Excuse me...?

  While stretching, Noah reminded him:

  — I just didn't want something like what happened with that girl to occur again... Guang Ai...?

  Having finished stretching, Noah slowly sat up from the bed, surprising the three of them. The pain he felt was immense, as if his bones were reconnecting and snapping back into place all at once, the soles of his feet fixing to the ground and sending shocks through his body. He froze for a moment, and when he finally blinked, almost collapsed. However, Isadora helped him stay upright.

  He looked at the stunned Undric, enduring the pain and getting used to it.

  — So, where’s the furnace, sir?

  Noah noticed that after a few steps, the pain began to ease. It was as if his body was adjusting to the changes, whatever they might be.

  Once outside the room, he could see that the damage he'd caused unknowingly was worse than he'd thought. The holes scattered across the courtyard made it clear enough.

  Isadora had already shown him the cause of those holes: bones expelled from his body in a sudden, strange manner, and even so he’d taken a while to believe it, even though all the fragments were now stored in his inventory. After all, without bones, how was he moving his arms? Walking as he was? It was simply unbelievable.

  It didn't take long for whispers to spread through the halls and rooms of the Radiance residence, as many had seen their masters walking beside a stranger, and worse, their young lady was helping him walk, serving as his support.

  "Could it be the lady's fiancé...?" was the most frequently asked question.

  What strengthened the truth of such rumors was the fact that Undric was present at the time, and everyone there knew how overly protective he was about anything concerning Isadora or Mirabel. For something like this to happen in front of him, surely there must be something more to the relationship between Isadora and the supposed "stranger."

  It took Undric a while to hear about these rumors, and when he did, he was furious. Even so, he didn't say much given the situation they were in.

  Since the Radiance estate was large enough that Noah thought it excessive, like a small city, he found that his bone creaking stopped and his pain had faded completely before they reached their destination.

  When they walked through the largest gate Noah had ever seen, he thought they had arrived at the place where the furnace was kept. But no. Only after they crossed the front area with stone tiles, also a personal training area, passed through the grass around the building, saw the trees behind it where a small table hid in the shadows, did they head for a path ahead, and then he could finally say they were near the final destination.

  The floating pavilion caught Noah's attention, but not as much as the beautiful fish in the lake.

  He followed Isadora up the dark stairs where, to prevent him from falling, she closed the distance between them from the first step, allowing him to feel her body in precise, unnecessary detail.

  As if all his strength drained in an instant, his head spun on the last step, making him stagger. But where he landed was soft, unlike the hard, cold floor he had been stepping on.

  What on earth was that smell...? He wondered, but...smell...? What smell? That’s—?

  He opened his dazed eyes, just to see, albeit through blurry images, where he had ended up, clear enough.

  Embarrassed, Isadora quickly set Noah upright again, since Undric was turning to check what had happened.

  — Are you alright, Noah..? — she whispered, thinking maybe he was still in pain and that’s why he nearly fell.

  Noah nodded, while the dull ache in his mind gradually eased.

  — I just... tripped... — he looked around, analyzing his surroundings. — This place seems much too well-guarded for somewhere anyone can just access. Are you sure it's alright for me to be here?

  — There's no problem. The place itself isn't special, after all, — Undric clarified.

  They finished the rest of the way in silence, and the opening of the door at the end seemed to shake the floor. And there it was, at the center of the room, creating an air of might and fear. The furnace radiated failure, as if such was its very nature.

  Moving away from Isadora, Noah walked up to the object, more structure than tool.

  Is this... an alchemy furnace?

  Feeling the cold touch and the pain it brought, but realizing that most of it was not physical.

  Guilt, pain, and fear... This thing gives off such an overwhelming sense of might that, strangely, you really can feel it. Should an alchemy furnace really be like this?

  [Alchemy is deeply related to connections, whether between ingredients or cultivators.]

  So, furnaces can also be imbued with emotions, as long as they're strong enough? ...But won’t this interfere with pill-making? Or will it be fine, as long as the user can handle the emotions the furnace emits?

  [Yes, I don't think something like that will matter to you.]

  ...Was that a compliment?

  — So, is it good enough? — Undric asked, a little anxious.

  — Huh? Oh, yes, there's no problem with it.

  — No problem...? — Isadora murmured, surprised to see Noah not only touching the thing, but also unfazed by it.

  — Well, the old user's emotions are still trapped in it, but that doesn't directly affect the results of the pills, so it doesn’t matter. — Noah turned, glancing at the furnace once more, analyzing it. — Now, as for the herbs you mentioned, it depends... Did you keep the clothes I was wearing when I arrived in town?

  The three exchanged confused looks, then Isadora went to fetch what remained of the garments.

  — Is it something special? — she asked, handing Noah the reddish scraps. — Did your uncle give it to you?

  — Yes, he said it was something to keep me safe from weak creatures, — he replied, as he split the scraps into thinner strips.

  — Weak...? By weak do you mean...?

  — Well... something below Nascent Soul, maybe? I'm not sure.

  — Nascent Soul...? — The Radiances exchanged glances, and Noah could see the confusion on their faces. — What is that?

  Such a small city, indeed. Noah hadn't expected the lack of information to be so great there, not when it came to cultivation. After all, that should be what they most strive to protect and keep themselves alive for. But why should he care? It didn’t matter, he had already decided. So he decided to explain just the basics... Why...? He couldn’t remember. It felt right, maybe necessary. The basics wouldn't be a problem, of course. Still, why was he now talking about everything, from Body Refinement up to Nascent Soul, revealing their features and steps to those levels? It felt so natural to do so.

  Helping them shouldn't be a problem... he convinced himself.

  They say that aside from cultivation practice, knowledge is something that has always let cultivators evolve as splendidly, perhaps more. Recognizing and understanding what is above all, the Dao, creates opportunities to greatly expand one's talents.

  Noah, of course, didn’t know this, but he had seen it firsthand.

  If condensation is the purpose, the door won't open just by absorbing more and more Qi. Undric and Mirabel understood after that explanation, feeling their energies fluctuate and increase automatically, as if the Qi in the surroundings was entering them on its own.

  They sat on the ground to meditate. The opportunity was close; they had to seize it. If density and refinement were the goal, they knew the denser and more refined the Qi, the closer they were to the peak.

  Undric stopped after a mere few hours, as his enlightenment didn’t take him beyond the fourth gate of Qi Condensation. However, Mirabel's meditation lasted much longer, ending only three days later.

  When she opened her eyes, she found herself half a step away from something she'd long ago thought she'd never reach in this life: Foundation Establishment, what she’d always longed for as she grew, her greatest dream.

  Mirabel collapsed into Undric’s lap, crying, moments after awakening.

  Noah waited to see what would come of it, but as time passed and nothing happened, he put away the remaining strips and decided to leave, after wrapping some beneath his clothing.

  Even though he said it wasn’t necessary, Isadora insisted he take a map so he wouldn’t get lost in the city. However, that wouldn’t help in the forest, so she made him promise not to go too far, keeping close to the city walls.

  The sad look in her eyes kept Noah from leaving, even though he felt like he shouldn't care. And yet, he found himself doing something he'd seen done on the streets before, but never received himself.

  — ...I'll be back soon, — he said, as he patted her head.

  Something stirred inside him, as if resisting the closeness.

  Was that... my golden core? Is it getting ready for another reaction, or did that happen because it’s an incomplete core...?

  It all felt strange to him. The touch, the emotions unravelling in his chest, everything. Awkward, and out of place.

  Isadora nodded, running inside to hide from the guards. She couldn’t quite understand why her heart was beating so fast.

  And so another scene was born, soon to be the talk among the servants.

  With the map in hand, Noah set out. Yes, it was a good map, but nothing near as detailed as the system’s, which even showed the existence of something like what lay beneath the Demon Beast Forest, a ley line beneath the city’s land.