Alchemy was an extremely complicated discipline.
In the history of magic, there had been many powerful sorcerers, but very few who truly mastered alchemy.
Back then, even Isaac Newton had researched alchemy in his later years.
Unfortunately, he never achieved anything notable.
If even humanity's greatest mind couldn't crack it, that spoke volumes about how difficult alchemy really was.
No wonder—even someone like the Ancient One, a powerhouse across the multiverse, didn't have the ability to fully master it.
Even with Karl's terrifying talent, he didn't comprehend the relevant knowledge right away.
It took a full several dozen seconds before the system notification finally chimed.
[Ding!]
[Detected that the host is listening to an explanation of God-Tier Alchemy. God-Tier Talent triggers a hundredfold critical strike.]
[You have mastered God-Tier Alchemy.]
All of a sudden, Karl felt an indescribably profound sensation surge through him.
A vast amount of intricate, mysterious knowledge flooded into his mind.
It was all alchemical theory—advanced, subtle, and extraordinarily sophisticated.
In an instant, Karl learned high-level alchemical techniques that ordinary people might spend decades and still never fully grasp.
At this point, calling him an Alchemy Master would not be an exaggeration.
In a certain sense, his current alchemy might not be much worse than the Ancient One's.
Karl rapidly absorbed and familiarized himself with the knowledge.
The Ancient One simply smiled as she watched him, then spoke calmly.
"How is it? Alchemy isn't something ordinary."
"If there's anything you don't understand, I can explain it again."
"Even so, you'll still need a great deal of practice."
"Even if you understand it, you'll need extensive practice to truly master profound alchemy."
"Only then can you become an excellent alchemist."
"I understand."
"But I want to try it right now."
Karl licked his lips.
"Looks like you're confident, kid."
"Then give it a try."
"For your first attempt, you don't need to make anything complicated. Try making a sling ring first."
The Ancient One raised her hand.
A piece of bronze-colored metal appeared in her palm.
"This is the material used to make a sling ring—some kind of bronze from Hell."
"It has astonishing magic conductivity and ductility."
"And there's quite a lot of it in Hell, so it can be used as sling ring material."
"You only need to carve thirty-six runes onto it in order. If you do that, it's a success."
The Ancient One spoke in an even tone.
A sling ring was not a powerful artifact, and it had no offensive capability at all.
It was an auxiliary focus tool—helping ordinary sorcerers gather and stabilize their willpower.
It also had a certain effect of converging spatial power.
It only needed thirty-six runes to function.
But carving those thirty-six runes was not easy.
It was like engraving patterns onto something the size of a needle tip.
It required astonishing control and extreme sensitivity to energy.
You also had to eliminate interference between the runes.
It looked simple, but in truth it was brutally difficult.
This kid's first time touching alchemy—could he really succeed?
Karl didn't hesitate.
He took the bronze from the Ancient One's hand.
Magic surged through his body.
His palm grew scorching hot.
The bronze immediately melted into a dark, antique-bronze liquid.
With brute, overwhelming power, Karl refined it—forcing out large amounts of impurities.
Then he condensed his willpower.
He drew upon powerful magic and began "carving" in midair.
Runes formed one after another in the air.
In no time at all, thirty-six golden runes floated before him.
Beside him, the Ancient One's expression changed instantly—her eyes widening in shock.
This kid…
He actually did it!
His first contact with alchemy, and he successfully formed all thirty-six runes.
Having monstrous talent in magic was one thing—
But he also had monstrous talent in alchemy?
What kind of freak was this?
Even the most famous figures in magical history—Alchemy Master Nicolas Flamel, and even the legendary Merlin—weren't this absurd, were they?
These were two completely different fields.
The Ancient One was so shocked she barely dared to breathe, afraid of disturbing Karl and causing the crafting to fail.
"Forming the runes is only the beginning. The next step is the hardest."
She thought that to herself.
But Karl, in front of her, didn't hesitate at all.
His willpower erupted.
He controlled those hard-won runes and drove them straight into the bronze liquid in his hand.
Under his control, the thirty-six runes sank into the metal as if swallowed.
Then the liquid transformed.
It solidified into a two-finger ring engraved with complex mystical patterns.
"Hand it over. Let me see."
The Ancient One snatched it anxiously and slipped it onto her own hand.
With only a thought—
Golden light flared.
A massive golden portal opened.
"What?"
"You've got to be kidding me!"
The Ancient One turned pale in disbelief.
How was this possible?
How could a sling ring have such outrageous power?
Just now, she had barely used any of her own strength.
She hadn't even exerted much willpower.
And yet a portal formed—effortlessly, with almost no cost at all.
Forget her—
The Ancient One now suspected that even a talented ordinary person could use a portal with this sling ring.
That was beyond ridiculous.
She even felt that the sling rings she made herself looked dull in comparison to the one Karl had just produced.
Was this kid really touching alchemy for the first time?
With this level of technique…
Even if Nicolas Flamel came in person, he wouldn't be able to do much better.
"Karl… is this really your first time with alchemy?"
The Ancient One asked, trying to keep her tone steady.
"Of course."
"Before this, I never had any way to come into contact with high-level alchemy."
Karl gave a wry smile.
The Ancient One stared at him, her expression turning even more stunned.
Inside, it was like a stormy sea.
This kid's talent was downright terrifying.
She had never seen anyone so absurd.
In two completely different domains, he displayed the same jaw-dropping gift.
It wasn't human.
The Ancient One felt that, at this rate, it wouldn't take long before he could freely travel across dimensional realms and the multiverse.
Kamar-Taj wouldn't need her at all.
This Sorcerer Supreme—whether in alchemy or magic—was terrifyingly strong.
This child was not normal.
(End of Chapter)
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