"I Became a Witch, but Now Everyone's in Love with Me!"

Chapter 72 – The Beginning of Jiang Cha’s Handcrafted Everything

 
As mentioned before, the essence of alchemical products is simple at its core: they are sources of magic power, synthesized by extracting magical energy from various materials through alchemical techniques.
Once crafted, these sources transform the magic a witch channels into them, producing a variety of wondrous effects.

But then—what exactly is the role of an alchemy table? Why can’t low-level alchemists work without one?
【Stabilization】
“That’s it. Although an alchemy table has all sorts of auxiliary functions, and the high-end ones can even improve product quality, its most essential purpose is just one thing: stabilizing the magic power drawn from materials so it doesn’t evaporate.”

Jiang Cha muttered to herself as she scribbled across sheets of manuscript paper.
“If it’s for my own use, the rest of the functions can be tailored to my needs... Add a [Floating Platform] for temporarily placing ingredients, a [Space Pouch] for storage, and a [Dust Collector] so nothing gets contaminated.”
Unlike her earlier project, the focus glasses, an alchemy table wasn’t something that could be put together with a single purpose in mind. It required forethought—how to arrange the flow of magic sources, where to place the inscriptions, even the structure and design of the device itself.

Low-level alchemy tables were already considered complex. They were multi-core constructs, involving several different streams of magical power. Worse, they drew on knowledge from multiple disciplines: enchantment, mechanics, alchemy itself.
That meant Jiang Cha had to design the inscriptions, plan the mechanical framework, and pre-determine how the accessory functions would all tie together—before even starting the build.
They were, in short, the hardest type of low-tier alchemical product. Even with her enhanced computational ability, it was easier to just draw the blueprint first.
“If I keep the functions simple and skip intelligent control... this should do.”

The models available online were stuffed with extras: one-touch drying, automatic water filling, even fusion systems that boosted success rates. The most ridiculous came with internet connectivity—so you could slack off watching videos while brewing.
But for Jiang Cha, and for most practical witches, these were needless gimmicks. Functions that might never be used once after purchase.
Worse, the “internet alchemy tables” even lowered success rates.

It was just like mobile gamers: buying a flagship phone for its processor, but being forced to pay extra for an advanced camera they rarely touched. The camera raised the price, but its true purpose was little more than marketing bloat.
Price-performance ratio? Abysmal.
That was why making her own was better. By handcrafting it, Jiang Cha could strip out every useless function and focus only on what mattered. The result would be lean, efficient, and suited precisely to her needs.

Yes, compared to big manufacturers, she couldn’t match their polished technology or cutting-edge materials. In theory, her table should’ve been bulkier and less efficient.
But by removing all the unnecessary fluff, her version ended up smaller.
Fewer inscriptions meant less bulk, which meant more compact design overall.

And cost? Thanks to her free material quota from the Alchemy Society, her handmade table was more than fifty percent cheaper than buying one.
“I can only say... witch capitalists are truly evil!” Jiang Cha muttered bitterly.
They had consciences, yes—but only the bare minimum.

If she hadn’t gone through the process herself, she never would have realized how inflated the market prices on Magic Web really were.
Her finished alchemy table was plain—no pastel pink cuteness, no sleek industrial shine. It was big, black, and a little rough around the edges. Pure function over form.
But since she’d made it with her own hands, it felt special—like a homecooked meal always tasting better than restaurant food. She couldn’t wait to put it to use.

Brimming with energy, she pulled out the blueprint for a potion table next.
Its principles were nearly identical to the alchemy table, just with slight adjustments in magical sources and materials. After all, Jiang Cha had even brewed spirit potions on an alchemy table before.
With her fresh experience, this build went smoothly.
“Industrial-scale assembly lines are good for mass production... But for a small shop like mine, handmade is better than factory-bought. After all, my store isn’t about mass production—it’s about custom work.”

Mechanics as a profession had two main branches: designing assembly lines for mass manufacturing, and building weapons based on mechanical principles.
Her shop, however, was the standard witch variety. No production lines, no factories. The Alchemy Society could ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) handle mass-producing glasses.
As for mechanical weapons, as long as they weren’t being built en masse, a witch’s craftsmanship was just as efficient as a machine—and often superior in quality.

Assembly lines saved labor and reduced costs, but true high-end work was still best made by hand.
Just as in the twenty-first century, when high-precision machine tools were still crafted by master artisans, handwork remained irreplaceable here as well.
Of course, that might change in the future—the field was developing rapidly. That was why mechanics could stand alongside the other secondary professions in importance.

“For now, let’s shelve the idea of an intelligent assembly line. Next... let’s try a puppet workshop table.”
She tapped her pen against the page, eyes bright with anticipation.
“The core functions are [Enhancement], [Stabilization], and [Assembly]. Unlike potions or alchemy, which focus on extraction and fusion, puppetry is all about stabilizing and fitting parts together...”

“Which means... adjustments here, reworking the enchantment inscriptions there, and the exterior design needs to look more like a proper processing station...”
The girl leaned forward, already lost in her diagrams.