Infinite Forge: I Can Devour Everything

The lecture hall on the third floor of the Central Black Tower buzzed with the afterglow of Agnes Darkwood's Introduction to Alchemy. The room's black stone walls, etched with glowing runes, seemed to pulse in rhythm with her words, her chalkboard diagrams of potion arrays and artifact runes lingering like a spell.

Agnes, with her raven hair and cat-like grace, had woven a tapestry of alchemy's secrets, potion-making, arcane crafting, mana manipulation, that left the class spellbound. Her voice, sharp yet alluring, cut through the air, making two hours vanish like a Magic Missile. As she swept out, her boots clicking, Edwyn leaned back in his seat, rubbing his chin, his red hair catching the luminweed's glow through the window. His Apprentice Mage Robe shimmered faintly, its Force Barrier runes humming, but his mind was on fire.

"Alchemy, huh? That's some serious mojo," he muttered. "This Infinite Forge and I are gonna be best buds with that stuff."

Alchemy's scope, potions that could heal or kill, artifacts like his Fireball staff, mana-infused constructs, was a goldmine for a guy with a cheat code. Sure, it burned Mana Stones like a dragon's furnace, but the Forge could extract recipes and techniques, bypassing years of grinding. Plus, Agnes's side hustle, an alchemy shop raking in a hundred Mana Stones a month without her lifting a finger, proved it was a cash cow.

"Time to hit the library and dig up some alchemical goodies," he said, slinging his satchel over his shoulder.

Elia bounced up beside him, her golden hair tied in a messy bun, her eyes sparkling with a shopper's zeal. "Edwyn, c'mon, let's hit the Commercial Zone!" she said, tugging his sleeve. "They've got stalls with glowing potions, spell scrolls, even enchanted jewelry! You need a break from all those books."

Edwyn chuckled, waving her off with a theatrical flourish. "Nah, Goldilocks, I'm on a knowledge bender. The library's calling my name, gotta stock up on wizard tricks." He winked. "Catch you later. Don't spend all your Mana Stones on shiny baubles."

Elia stomped her foot, her cheeks puffing out. "You're no fun!" she huffed, but her smile betrayed her as she watched him stride off, his robe billowing like a hero's cape.

The Central Black Tower's library was a labyrinth of secrets, its 50th-floor doors a gateway to the Magus World's wisdom. Edwyn's legs screamed from the spiral staircase's climb, no levitation spell, no mercy, but the library's grandeur erased the pain. Shelves towered ten meters, packed with tomes that glowed with mana, their dragonhide bindings chained to prevent theft. Crystal chandeliers floated above, casting kaleidoscopic light across the stone floor, the air thick with ink, leather, and arcane energy.

Apprentices studied in hushed corners, some levitating to high shelves, their robes trailing like comet tails. Fiona, the palm-sized sprite, didn't appear, leaving Edwyn to navigate alone.

He probed his crystal orb, its surface shimmering, and a list of alchemy titles flashed in his mind. Among them, a section labeled "Unknown" caught his eye, sparking a grin.

"Mystery books? Oh, I'm in," he said, his voice low but eager. He found the section, tucked in a shadowy alcove, where a handful of Apprentices browsed, their faces a mix of curiosity and frustration.

"Yo, what's the deal with these 'unknown' books?" Edwyn asked a young-looking Apprentice, a girl with ink-stained fingers and a harried expression.

She glanced up, startled. "Newbie, huh? These are notebooks from Arch-Mages and Grand Overlords who died in the Mage Wars. Written in private ciphers, gibberish to anyone but the authors. We're all just gambling on cracking one."

Edwyn's grin widened, his heart pounding like a war drum.

"A cipher jackpot? My kinda game," he said, nodding thanks. The Infinite Forge hummed in his soul, a hungry spark. He grabbed a notebook, its leather cover scarred, its pages filled with cryptic symbols, squiggles, runes, and jagged lines nothing like Mage Language. Instead of decoding it, he activated the Forge.

[Material: Unknown Mage's Notebook]

[Extractable Information: Physique-Enhancement Potion Recipe]

[Extraction Cost: 25 Spiritforce]

[Insufficient Spiritforce].

"Hell yeah!" Edwyn whispered, his eyes gleaming. "The Forge can crack these suckers!"

The shelves, once a puzzle, now looked like a treasure vault. He shelved the notebook but memorized its number, 25 Spiritforce was out of reach, but not for long. Scanning more, he cycled through bizarre titles:

[132 Failed Experiments],

[342 Diary Entries],

[Mating Experiences with 32 Interdimensional Creatures].

His grin faded to a blank stare. "What the hell were these Mages smoking?" he muttered.

He shoved the "mating experiences" notebook back into place and, ahem, took note of its number.

Not what you think. He was just… interested in the anatomical structure of interdimensional lifeforms. For science.

Finally, he found a winner:

[Extractable Information: Bloodline Alchemy Recipe]

[Extraction Cost: 15 Spiritforce]

[Proceed with extraction?].

"Not yet," he said, tapping his orb to borrow the book, a white flash confirming:

[Apprentice Edwyn has borrowed Book No. 7891. Loan period: 3 days. Free-access title, recordable.]

"Free books, no curses? Sweet deal," he said, theorizing that paid tomes were likely hexed to prevent copying.

Back in his room, the luminweed's glow casting shadows over Saban's greatsword, Edwyn extracted the notebook. The Forge roared, mana surging through his soul, and he blacked out, collapsing onto his bed.

When he woke, night cloaked the Academy, the sky a velvet canvas of stars.

"Another blackout party," he groaned, rubbing his temples. "Let's see what this Bloodline Alchemy is packing."

The Forge's knowledge flooded his mind, a torrent of arcane secrets.

Bloodline Alchemy fused creature bloodlines into a Mage's body, granting powers, dragon strength, beast agility, even elemental affinities. Multiple bloodlines could synergize, their effects greater than the sum. Edwyn's eyes flicked to Saban's bracers, their breathing technique etched inside. Comparing it to the notebook, he slapped his thigh.

"Perfect! It's a match! Saban's furry freak-out was Bloodline Alchemy, not some knight fairy tale."

The realization hit like a Lesser Fireball. Legendary Knights weren't born, they were crafted, their superhuman traits forged by alchemical rituals. Saban's golden fur, his speed, his strength, it was all engineered.

"These guys were Mages playing dress-up," Edwyn said, his voice alive with excitement. "And I've got the recipe to join the club."

He grabbed the notebook and bolted back to the library, his Feather Foot spell speeding his steps. The 50th floor was quieter now, but Apprentices still pored over tomes, their eyes bleary but determined. Edwyn raided the alchemy section, pulling Introduction to Alchemy, Ancient Alchemy, and A Treatise on the Merits and Flaws of Bloodline Alchemy. Each book solidified his vision: a combat system centered on alchemy, the ace card in his magical deck.

Potions for healing or buffs, artifacts like his Fireball staff, bloodline rituals for raw power, alchemy wasn't just versatile, it was a force multiplier, empowering every spell, every fight.

He leaned back, a stack of books around him, his grin fierce.

"Alchemy's my ticket," he said, sketching a mental framework: Lesser Fireball as the core, Ice Spike and Magic Missile for range, bloodline enhancements for melee, and potions for clutch moments. "Now I just need a teacher to show me the ropes, someone who knows their stuff."