Chapter 96b: Where There's Smoke

Chapter 96b: Where There's Smoke

A bit of testing found that the illusion dust- Obscuring False Cloud Powder, according to Common Knowledge but that was far too much of a mouthful- reflected light remarkably well, even when dispersed. If he enclosed it in an apparatite ball and gave it a bit of a shake, the entire sphere turned semi-reflective white for the better part of an hour before the dust finally settled enough for anything to start to be visible. If it were a snowglobe, it would either be the absolute best or the absolute worst, depending on what you felt the point of the decoration was.

For Edwin, it was exactly what he needed. A few tests showed that the dust wasnt flammable, making it just what he needed.

Perhaps he could have made an adequate smoke bomb with just that. He probably could, in all honesty. But why stop there? This wasnt an experiment, after all. He was just trying to make the best darn smoke bomb that he could. Later on, hed start experimenting with different variables. This was just the prototype.

The phosphorus Essence he chose to use for this had been optimized for smoke production when it burned at the expense of all else save its flammability and was appropriately named elemental smoke. While he could try adding other types of Essence based on the element to it, Alchemy (and a bit of testing) informed him it would dilute the end result. Instead, he needed to find other ingredients and Refine them into ingredients which would enhance, not dilute, the effects of his potions. Thus, his current project.

Why that was the case, Edwin wasnt entirely sure. Well, beyond the magical explanation of them polluting each other. But that wasnt how it worked!

Well, actually.

If he thought of his Essences as a sort of magical allotrope of the elements he was using- and the elements were the same, he confirmed as much using Alchemical Analysis- then he knew that properties could change depending on the crystal structure of a molecule.

Was there something similar that happened with magical structures? Then, like how well, that was where the analogy broke down some. Edwin didnt know of any allotropes which interfered with the properties of nearby substances, but perhaps it was like pH? Or maybe colors would be the better analogy. Shining green light and red light on the same spot didnt make red-green, it made yellow. Whereas using a different substance might be more like changing the material the light was shone on, changing the color in that way?

Further testing required, he promised himself. There was literally more stuff than he could focus on in a lifetime, which meant he either needed to figure out immortality, or not exhaustively delve into every topic he came across.

Probably both, in all honesty. And hed still have deep dives into different substances. He wouldnt be able to stop himself. But maybe he shouldnt spend two months figuring out all the properties of a single element?

But that was how you figured out the coolest stuff! and also where most research time was wasted, to be fair. And there was no way to predict what would be useful ahead of time. It wouldnt be research otherwise.

So what? Was he supposed to just leave potentially revolutionary ideas out to dry because he didnt have the time to explore them?

Yes, a traitorous part of him whispered, and Edwin had to admit he couldnt quite disagree. He just needed to get a team of alchemists also working on all of this stuff, focus on the lowest-hanging fruit, and become immortal so he could reap the benefits of his apprentices lifetimes of work as well.

So much to do, such few short decades to do it all in. Even though he could realistically expect to live into his triple digits. According to Lefi, having the Health attribute tended to add at least a year to your lifespan per point you had in it, and that wasnt counting the massive benefits he got from Sleeping, First Aid, Purify, BreathingUpdated from novelb(i)n.c(o)m

But that was a long, long time away. For the moment, he needed to cast aside everything that wasnt immediately useful to him. He had been picky with his Skills, he could be picky about this. He had to be, if he wanted to make any kind of headway on the massive project that was turning alchemy into magical chemistry.

Did he really, though?

Edwin carefully heated his potion base, the Infused water to be kept warm but definitely not boiling. Yes, the extreme flammability of the phosphorus had been strongly tempered down, but he didnt want to take any risks. Well, not yet anyway. The end of the potion would definitely be risky, but there was no point in bringing that risk to bear already.

Huh. Neat. How could he use that

You know Edwin, youve been spending a lot of time in that carriage making potions. You havent been dodging your training, have you? Inion asked with a grin that suggested she already knew the answer.

Would I be able to get away with it?

No.

Well theres your answer, I suppose.

Well! Time for you to get out and get working, isnt it. Were three days out from Sheraith, and you still havent figured out Overcharge.

But what Im doing is important, Edwin protested, Im an alchemist first and foremost. Making potions and new weapons are at the heart of what I do. I dont need to practice my Overcharge if I work instead on my primary stuff first. Im almost done with my smoke bomb, I can feel it.

Come on, Edwin. Youve had that stamina potion of yours for how long now?

Like two weeks? And its not a Stamina potion, its a catalyst.

Precisely! In such time you might have reached a perfectly adequate level with your Skill, and possibly even wholesale mastery of its limited-area use had you been diligently practicing!

But I need my mana for Refining! If I use Overcharge, that knocks me down for at least the day when it comes to mana usage. All my struggling and pain is way worse when I actually try to purify my mana into its Refined form.

Before you go to bed, then! Perfect. Ill get it ready for you, ya?

You possess such magnificent power! I insist that you strengthen it.

Edwin glared at his trainers, Both of you have no respect for pain, do you?

Pain is the bodys way of letting you know youre doing something right!

Thats literally the opposite of what it does, Edwin sighed, but knew there was no winning this discussion. Fine, fine. Ill get to it soon. I just want to make a couple of potions to help me prepare first. Its not like I have a bunch of time for more trial and error, after all.

It looked like he wasn't done quite yet after all.