CHAPTER 236: ALCHEMY PROJECTS

Gara listened to the explanation of the Alchemy Association’s centuries-old project. As Ambar detailed the goal and the progress of that project, his brows furrowed sharper and sharper.

"After all of those trials with all kinds of ingredients, nothing worked out," Ambar concluded.

Gara nodded, but he still looked quite dissatisfied.

Ambar chuckled. "That’s how hard alchemy is, making something that seems impossible."

But Gara shook his head. "No, that’s not what I meant."

"Then what?" Now, Ambar frowned.

"Why choose that elixir as the collaborative research? That kind of elixir can prolong human life, but if they die from Mist Monsters, then the elixir is useless," Gara said, his expression solemn. "Why not create an elixir that can destroy Mist Monsters or one that can grant immunity to Mist touch and Mistwight attacks?"

At first, Ambar showed a serious expression, but then her face relaxed, settling into a warm smile.

"Once again, I’m convinced that you’re a prodigy. I like the way you think. When I first started on the path as an Alchemist, I also focused on the Mist Monsters," Ambar said, gazing into the distance.

"But after years, I realized that we will never defeat them. We only have to wait and defend when they attack. It’s not bad. That’s just how things are supposed to be."

Without realizing it, Gara shook his head. His face clearly showed how much he disagreed with Ambar’s view, and perhaps the view of most people in this world.

"You’ll get used to it." Ambar simply tapped Gara’s shoulder.

Gara’s consciousness didn’t stay with Ambar anymore. He was busy talking with the Goddess, whose voice suddenly cut in, sharing her own commentary.

"That’s what I told you before."

How can someone with such high rank and power like Chief Ambar think like that? We can’t defeat the Mist Monsters? We just have to wait?

"People in this world have given up. They think the existence of Mist Monsters is an opportunity."

Crazy. How can my babies save this broken world?!

"You just need to raise them well. Start from the fetus." Goddess Freya’s tone became much stricter. "I think you’re too relaxed. You’re hopping around without a care when you have a baby in your belly right now."

Don’t make me sound like an unreliable parent. I’m not hopping around like you said. I just come to class, like any other student, Gara thought, staring with an innocent look.

"Like I’d believe that. Whatever you’re doing, remember that your priority is to give birth to and raise the saviors, not making yourself wealthy and strong."

Gara absolutely didn’t accept that. Everything he did was to make his children’s lives easier in the future.

Before he could argue back, Ambar called him, waking him up from his reverie.

"Let’s not talk about the collaborative project. It won’t see any development in the near future," Ambar said.

Gara readily nodded. Discussing it longer only made him feel how broken this world was.

"Now, I’ll explain to you about my project..." Ambar then started detailing her work. "My project’s name is Fertility Elixir."

"Fertility for plants?" Gara asked, excitedly.

His yard in the Dimensional Home really needed that, even though the soil condition was good for planting now. He wanted a more effective fertilizer so that the yield could be maximized.

Unfortunately, Ambar shook her head. "No. It’s for a few races who have low fertility."

"Humans don’t have low fertility, right?" Gara clarified.

"Right. This elixir isn’t for humans. One of the biggest races, the Devils, has low fertility. However, it’s much more urgent to complete this elixir for the races facing extinction, like the Elves."

Gara recalled seeing in Fian’s status panel that Elves had low fertility despite their great genes. But the low fertility of Devils was completely new information for him.

"Devils also have low fertility? But how can they still be one of the biggest races? And isn’t the Succubus part of the Devil sub-races? It’s impossible for them to have low fertility, right?" He fired off all his questions.

"Have you heard about the nature of the Devil, their cunning?"

Gara nodded right away. The system even approved that trait on Langga.

"They use that to trick the races who have high fertility, such as Druids, some Beastkins, and even Humans. And it’s also in their nature to kidnap— I mean, to seek partners outside their race."

Gara could hear the disdain in Ambar’s voice. Even someone of Ambar’s high status harbored prejudice against the Devils.

"How does that work?" Gara asked again. Would she give another assumption, or a legitimate reason?

"They naturally can smell the unique scent of certain races— to be exact, the scent of races who have high fertility."

"How can that be, Chief? That’s a weird trait."

"I don’t know. That’s a Devil trait, especially for the Succubus. They have a strong sense of smell."

Suddenly, Gara remembered how Langga could smell his scent. It turned out that the professor could smell him because Gara was a half-Druid, or perhaps because of his Divine Fertility Talent.

If what Ambar said was true, then the Devils were certainly suspicious.

"Next, let’s see the progress of the project for yourself."

Forgetting the conversation about the devils, they left their seats and headed toward a machine that looked complicated, while Ambar continued to explain everything.

Gara quietly listened to the explanation. It was certainly fascinating.

...

Ambar didn’t ask Gara to start working on her project that day. She just introduced the project, but it still took quite a while.

By the time she finished explaining the progress, it was already time for Gara to head back to the academy.

But before leaving, the young man tried his luck. "Chief Ambar, those alchemy machines... where did the laboratory purchase them?"

"Oh, that? They were commissioned and built directly by the Gnomes. They aren’t available for general sale. The Gnomes only make them for this lab," Ambar replied.

Gara’s face fell in disappointment.

"But, if you want them for yourself, I can connect you with the Gnomes," Ambar quickly continued.

"Really? Thank you, Chief Ambar!" Gara almost jumped happily.

"You can go back now. See you next week." Ambar smiled warmly.

...