The lecture hall buzzed faintly with the low hum of students settling in, parchment rustling, quills scratching, and the occasional soft cough.
I slid into a seat near the middle, Mei Lin beside me.
Professor Han, one of our Alchemy Professors, and the senior instructors had gathered all the Alchemy students to explain the latest findings about the infernal miasma, the rifts, and the unstable reactions it caused in both living creatures and reagents.
Professor Han began:
"The corrupted energy isn't just a threat to living creatures; it interferes with even the most stable alchemical compounds.
Certain reagents, when exposed to infernal mana, react violently, destabilizing the mixtures.
Others lose their magical properties entirely."
"So, understanding the interaction between miasma and mana is crucial," Professor Han continued, voice calm but heavy with authority. "Today, we will review the data our field teams have collected and discuss preliminary methods for stabilizing compounds exposed to corruption.
We've seen partial successes, but the variables are enormous: temperature, ambient mana, and the presence of living mana, whether plant, animal, or otherwise. Everything… and I really mean everything, can influence reactions."
I scribbled notes furiously, already imagining how I could integrate my Space Magic into the process.
Folding the space around a volatile reagent could give it a moment of isolation, a chance to react at the right pace, instead of being influenced and becoming uncontrollable.
My mind raced with possibilities: stabilizing unstable crystals, countering corrupted energy spikes, even containing subtle bursts of infernal influence until they could be neutralized.
The lecture continued with demonstrations. Holographic projections displayed reactions gone wrong: liquids bubbling over, powders igniting unexpectedly, and enchanted plants wilting or mutating. Some students whispered nervously; others leaned in, fascinated.
By the time the lecture ended, my head was buzzing. I tucked my notebook into my bag and stepped out into the sunlight, eager for a change of pace.
Kean was waiting near the Academy's courtyard, grinning and waving a small picnic basket.
"Finally," Kean said, nudging us playfully. "Lecture over. Let's eat before we drown in formulas and reagents again."
We found a shady spot under a beautiful tree, the grass cool and soft beneath us.
The three of us unpacked sandwiches, fruit, and tea, letting conversation drift to lighter topics before inevitably circling back to the infernal miasma.
Mei Lin glanced at me, her expression earnest. "Even if the lecture was heavy, it's… reassuring, isn't it? We at least know the dangers now, and we can prepare."
I nodded, cutting into a slice of bread. "Yeah. Preparation is everything. Still…" My words trailed off as my gaze wandered.
A few dozen meters away, I noticed Sheng Rui and the other Legendary Students gathered casually beneath a different tree.
Liang Yue had a hand lightly resting on Sheng Rui's shoulder, Dawei Chen was leaning close to observe, and Yung Yu's presence was, as always, sharp and commanding.
I caught a glimpse of Sheng Rui laughing at something Liang Yue said, his hand brushing against Liang Yues lightly.
My chest warmed, a strange mix of amusement and protective affection.
I nudged Kean and Mei Lin subtly. "Look over there."
They followed my gaze, whispering and chuckling softly as they caught the subtle interactions.
Mei Lin leaned closer, a mischievous sparkle in her eyes. "I told you so… and aww, they're so cute!" she squealed softly, barely above a whisper.
I rolled my eyes, smiling at her energy, but didn't comment further.
We didn't interfere, of course, but it was… entertaining.
After the picnic, I walked back toward my own lab, my bag heavier with fruit scraps and a notebook full of thoughts. The space smelled faintly of herbs and mineral dust, a comforting scent. I had prepared the workspace ahead of time, arranging small vials in floating arcs, herb powders suspended in neat layers, and empty flasks waiting to receive the stabilized mixtures I intended to create.
Today's task was to test the compounds we had discussed in lecture. I began with a small vial of base solution, carefully layering extracts from purified herbs. Each ingredient was added with precision, its reaction guided by my Space Magic threads. I could fold space around particularly unstable compounds, giving them micro-moments to complete reactions before interacting with other reagents.
I experimented with a rare crimson powder known for its violent instability when exposed to corrupted energy. Normally, it would flare uncontrollably if a single fluctuation occurred, but with careful layering and my mana threads subtly holding it in isolation, it integrated smoothly into the mixture.
The liquid shimmered with faint gold and violet hues, reacting subtly to my own aura as if acknowledging the precision I applied.
I recorded every shift: how micro-adjustments in timing affected reaction stability, how space folding prevented cascading surges, and how small variations in ambient mana could destabilize or enhance the compound.
Hours passed. I tested, adjusted, and refined. At one point, I deliberately introduced a minor pulse of corrupted energy to simulate miasma exposure. The solution wavered, hesitated, and then stabilized under my careful control. My Space threads hummed faintly, a tangible presence in the room as they guided, supported, and corrected.
The thrill of control and precision was intoxicating.
By late afternoon, the mixtures were stable, the compounds recorded in detail, and my notes filled with observations on timing, layering, and the subtle dance between living mana, reagents, and spatial manipulation.
For a long moment, I simply leaned back, letting the air cool and the sunlight fall through the tall windows.
The world outside felt distant, but somehow brighter. I had learned much in a single day:
not only about the compounds themselves, but how to integrate my Space Magic into practical alchemy.
And somewhere in the back of my mind, a faint warmth lingered as I remembered Sheng Rui and the others at the picnic. The way they moved together, laughed together…
I felt like a quiet observer cheering them on from the back. One day, the lessons here might help protect more than just mixtures,
they might help protect them, too.