r18novel Chapter 33 The First Attempt at Alchemy
Chapter 33 The First Attempt at Alchemy
In the Eagle's Nest common room of Ravenclaw Tower, Karen sat by the window, her grey-blue eyes fixed intently on the open book, *Elementary Alchemy Principles*. October sunlight streamed through the arched windows, illuminating the intricate runes and diagrams on the parchment.
"What advanced stuff are you studying now?" Wesley, with his reddish-brown hair, plopped down opposite him, holding a dirty soccer ball in his hands. "I haven't finished the Charms assignment Professor Flitwick gave me yet."
Karen looked up, a slight smile playing on her lips: "Professor Victor's little alchemy quiz was very interesting."
"Merlin's beard!" Wesley exclaimed, his eyes widening dramatically. "You're only a first-year student and you're already learning alchemy? Isn't that a fifth-year elective?"
Fabian, standing by the window, adjusted his glasses, a gentle smile spreading across his bronze face: "For Karen, the course grade division is probably just a suggestion."
Ernesto leaned back in his armchair by the fireplace, his gray eyes fixed on the ceiling. "Alchemy isn't a subject that can be mastered quickly just by talent."
Karen ignored his roommates' teasing and focused his attention back on his books. As a transmigrator, he understood better than anyone the limitations of Hogwarts' curriculum. Especially considering the chaotic period to come, he needed to seize the time to study.
"You two continue your conversation, I'm going to 'Eagle's Nest'." Karen closed the book, carefully placing a few sheets of parchment between the pages.
"Going again?" Wesley whistled. "Watch out, or Filch will catch you on a night stroll."
"It's only four in the afternoon." Karen shook her head helplessly, stuffing the books into her dragon-skin satchel. "Besides, I have a legitimate reason: alchemy experiments require a quiet environment. But there's no way he'll catch me."
Leaving the common room, Karen descended the spiral staircase. His fingers gently traced the raised eagle relief on the stone wall, savoring the unique tranquility of the Ravenclaw Tower. The castle corridors were filled with the aroma of pumpkin pie and roasted sausages, but Karen's mind was entirely focused on the experiment he was about to conduct.
Karen took out the prepared materials from his bag: a flat stone slab, a bag of iron ore, ground moonstone powder, and the hexagram transmutation array template that Professor Victor had given him. He took a deep breath and laid the template flat on the workbench.
"First, we need to inscribe the transmutation circle..."
Karen picked up a specially made silver engraving knife and carefully carved a six-pointed star pattern onto the stone slab according to the template. Every line had to be precise to the millimeter; any deviation could disrupt the flow of magic. After carving the main structure, he added a ring of ancient runes around the outside, a basic technique for enhancing stability that he had learned from "Basic Alchemy Arrays."
After completing the inscription, Karen stepped back and used his "Eye of Truth" to check the integrity of the array. In his special vision, the newly inscribed lines glowed faintly with a blue light, symbolizing excellent magical conductivity. There were no signs of breakage or blockage; the first attempt had achieved perfection.
"Next is the preparation of materials."
Karen put on dragon-skin gloves and took several fist-sized pieces of iron ore from his bag. The ore had a rough surface and was mixed with dark red impurities. According to the experimental requirements, he needed to use moonstone powder as a catalyst to separate the impurities from the iron ore.
"Purity requirement: over 90%..." Karen muttered to herself, placing the iron ore at the center of the six-pointed star array. Then, she took out a small silver spoon, scooped up moonstone powder, and evenly sprinkled it along the patterns of the array. The pale blue powder outlined shimmering lines on the stone slab, like a galaxy in the night sky.
Everything was ready. Karen took a deep breath and raised his wand.
"start."
With a light touch of the wand tip to the core of the array, Karen began to steadily channel her magic. In the Eye of Truth's vision, the silver-blue magic flowed into the array like water, rapidly spreading along the inscribed patterns. The transmutation array began to glow, and the moonstone powder gradually melted, transforming into a translucent liquid that slowly flowed towards the iron ore at its center.
"Stable magic output...very good..."
Karen was completely focused on controlling the flow of magic. The most difficult part of this experiment was maintaining a stable output of magic; too much would overload the array, while too little would prevent the conversion process from completing. But for Karen, who could see the flow of magic, it was as intuitive as adjusting the heat by watching a thermometer.
The liquid moonstone completely enveloped the iron ore and began to seep into its crevices. Karen squinted, watching as the black impurities were gradually pushed out of the ore's structure by the blue liquid, like ink being diluted with water. The process was slow and precise, requiring immense patience.
Fifteen minutes later, the transformation was finally complete. The once rough iron ore had become a smooth metal ingot with a cool gray sheen. The surrounding liquid moonstone had reformed into powder, but its color had changed from pale blue to dark gray, a sign that it had absorbed impurities.
Karen stopped channeling magic, and the light from the transmutation circle gradually dimmed. He carefully put on heat-resistant gloves, removed the still-warm iron block, and placed it on the analytical balance on the worktable.
"Purity testing..."
For more accurate results, Karen used the metal analysis spell given to her by Professor Victor.
A golden light swept across the iron block, and a line of flashing numbers appeared in the air: 92.3%.
"Success!" Karen couldn't help but smile; his first attempt had exceeded the professor's 90% standard. He quickly recorded detailed data in his experimental notes: array structure, material usage, magic output duration, final purity...
Just as he was organizing his lab records, there was a gentle knock on the classroom door.
"Karen? Are you inside? It's time for dinner." It was Fabian's gentle voice.
Karen glanced at his pocket watch and was surprised to find that three hours had passed. He quickly packed up his experimental equipment, put the iron block and notebook into a bag, and opened the door.
"How's the experiment going?" Fabian asked curiously, peering into the room.
"Success! 92.3% purity!" Karen couldn't hide her excitement. "Even higher than Professor Victor's requirements."
Fabian whistled: "Impressive. Ernesto said that if you fail, he has some alchemical notes from his family collection that you can borrow for reference."
Karen raised an eyebrow: "He really said that?"
"Of course, he used his 'I didn't mean to help you' excuse." Fabian mimicked Enesto's affectedly arrogant tone, and the two exchanged a smile.
On his way to the auditorium, Karen's mind was already planning the next experiment. Although this time it was successful, he noticed some magic leakage at the edges of the array. Next time, perhaps he could try using copper coins instead of stone slabs. And there was room for improvement in conversion efficiency…
"Hey, genius, don't think while you walk, you'll run into armor." Wesley caught up with them from behind, holding a chicken leg. "So? You managed to get that iron block out?"
Karen nodded: "Yes, the first attempt went fairly smoothly."
"I knew you could do it!" Wesley slapped Karen hard on the back, almost making him choke.
The ceiling of the Great Hall reflected the darkening sky outside, and floating candles cast a warm glow. Ernesto had already reserved seats for them at the Ravenclaw table. Seeing Cullen approach, the grey-eyed boy pretended to be focused on his mashed potatoes, but Cullen noticed his furtive glances.
"92.3%," Karen said directly, sitting opposite Ernesto.
Ernesto seemed somewhat surprised by the number, but still lowered his voice and said, "...Not bad. For a first attempt."
"Thanks to your suggestion, regarding the ancient runic stabilizing spell," Karen said sincerely. He actually already knew the technique, but acknowledging a friend's help was always a good thing.
Upon hearing this, Ernesto lowered his head and took another gulp of pumpkin juice.
After dinner, Karen went alone to the observatory atop Ravenclaw Tower. The night breeze was cool, carrying the moisture of the Black Lake. He took out the iron block he had made and examined its texture in the moonlight. Although it was only the most basic alchemy experiment, the sense of accomplishment from completing the magical transformation with his own hands still thrilled him.
"Silent spells, alchemy..." Karen murmured to herself, "There's still so much to learn."
He gazed towards the Forbidden Forest in the distance, thinking of Harry Potter, who would be enrolling in school a year from now, and the dark forces that were about to resurface. As a transmigrator with knowledge of the future, he had to seize the time to improve himself. Not only for his own protection, but also to be able to protect the friends he had made in this world.