My dear witch, please turn evil according to the script!

Chapter 259 The Textbook of Trenching
After a brief and hasty conversation, Roland, who had successfully become an apprentice, pushed a cart full of basic textbooks that were taller than himself down the mountain.

After seeing these essential introductory textbooks, Roland suddenly understood why bio-alchemy was struggling to find anyone willing to learn it.

It is known that the greatest function of bio-alchemy is to use external forces to strengthen and modify the human body, as well as to create alchemical beasts.

Of course, there may be other uses, but these are the only uses that conform to the moral values ​​of the mainland.

Furthermore, the success rate of the modification process is not 100%. Although it differs from what Russell told him to scare him, the success rate of implanting a circuit by an outsider will not exceed 70%.

The success rate sounds pretty good.

But this is the success rate of Russell, a master craftsman who, though unreliable, has undeniable skill, personally handling the task.

Moreover, failure would mean either death or permanent disability, and even high-level paraplegia would be a happy ending for everyone.

Not to mention the cost.

After all, it's a battle, and it doesn't necessarily mean that your body has to be incredibly resilient.

Aren't there a whole bunch of variations of those body enhancement techniques?

There's no need to strengthen the physical body itself.

Otherwise, why not become a soldier?
Clearly, the uses of this seemingly powerful bio-alchemy are not widely accepted by the general public.

Not only are the enhancement costs shockingly high, but the success rate is also low.

Learning bio-alchemy in an attempt to increase the success rate is a thankless and arduous task.

Unless it's a special case like Roland's, or a once-in-a-millennium alchemical genius, this method of strengthening the body is generally not used.

Another major reason might be that the alchemical beasts created by bio-alchemy are not only not as useful as the big guys created by magical technology, but they are also more expensive.

One alchemical beast is enough for the city defense army to set up three heavy machine guns, and the firepower of three heavy machine guns firing together is enough to overwhelm even a hundred alchemical beasts attacking together, let alone one.

As for creating a durable alchemical beast... well, the price is beyond what a heavy machine gun can handle.

Although Mash didn't mention how her humanoid armor was progressing.

However, the development of the mobile war fortresses, which Roland usually calls Gundam or heavy tanks, led by her and Baron, is progressing rapidly!
At least Salah III is already considering whether to deploy a small number of these units to the troops for trial use.

Clearly, humanity's war technology tree has begun to take off.

Alchemy monsters, being such inefficient and expensive products, will most likely be lost to the wheels of history unless the direction of development is changed.

After all, the main gun of the "tank" is comparable to the seven-ringed tank in power, and the cost is within a reasonable range.

Apart from the fact that it cannot be mass-produced at this stage and that although it is called a mobile fortress, its actual defensive performance is worrying, and it is a typical glass cannon, everything else is ideal.

No wonder no one studies biological alchemy anymore.

Of course, it is possible that Roland's understanding of this subject was not deep enough.

Ultimately, whether it's bio-alchemy or material alchemy, they are essentially the same art of alchemy, just with different focuses in their development.

Alchemy was invented even before humans mastered magic.

Rather, magic is a skill that humans "stole" from elves and demons.

Alchemy was the first skill that humankind mastered.

They used this to strengthen their physical bodies, to forge weapons, and to build city-states and develop civilization in the chaotic environment of the Age of Gods.

Based on this, they imitated and learned the magic of elves and demons, and adapted it for their own use.

In fact, according to legend, the small source within the human body today is essentially a product of alchemy.

A certain all-powerful and revered sage, using his unparalleled alchemy, implanted a replica of the Great Source, the "Small Source," into human history...

Of course, this is obviously nonsense, since humans are not the only ones in this world with small sources.

Humans, demons, elves, and even dragons—Xiao Yuan exists in every life form that is born, yet he is not unique to humans.

In short, the potential for alchemy to reach its full potential has always been very high.

Gradually, no one used it for combat anymore, simply because magic was easier to use, safer, and had fewer restrictions.

Thinking of this, Roland, who had unknowingly returned to the village, sighed and fell into deep thought as he looked at the cart full of various large books.

Can these books really be read in a week?

Even if he were reading Crimson King, he probably wouldn't have time to finish the book!
Let alone understanding its contents...

As expected, alchemy is not something humans can learn; I can't even ask anyone for help.

After all, this isn't just about learning how to use it.

He also needs to thoroughly understand the principles and so on.

When Kalia heard the commotion and ran out to check the situation, she was stunned when she saw the huge pile of books Roland was pushing.

"Roland! Where did you find so many books?!"

"Could it be that the master wanted to harm you, you were forced to fight back and kill him, and then you could only save yourself by studying the scriptures?!"

"Hey! Why did you hit me?"

Looking at Kalia, who was covering her head and looking aggrieved, Roland felt his blood pressure rising: "You should read less novels, or at least learn some magic, or build with shadow beasts!"

Roland then briefly summarized and relayed his conversation with Russell to Kalia.

To avoid overloading Kalia's erratic brain, Roland finally summarized it in one sentence.

"The master has accepted me as his disciple, intending to teach me the method of self-salvation!"

"Wow!!! That sounds amazing! Why would she take you as her apprentice? Is she some old woman who's after you?"

After a brief moment of shock, Kalia became slightly wary.

Roland delivered another chop to Kalia's head: "I'm not some legendary succubus elf, how could such a thing happen to me?"

"Never mind... In a sense, you're right."

“She wants me to be her student and inherit her knowledge.” Roland said, pointing to the cart. “This is my introductory textbook. I have to finish reading it within seven days.”

Kalia: "!!!!"

"So much! Only seven days?! I don't even read storybooks that fast!"

Roland sighed. "So tell me, where are you staying tonight? Your house should be ready by now, right?"

"Mmm!" Kalia nodded. "It was built just like the little cabin you had outside Riskan!"

Roland paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "Let's go now."

Roland hadn't gone far when he saw the little wooden house that Kalia had built.

Well, this cabin is not small at all.

It's at least three times the size of the place I renovated myself by the lake.

It makes sense when you think about it; when I built my house, it was all done by hand.

He chopped down trees with an axe, then bought the necessary materials, and painstakingly handcrafted each part, piece by piece.

After all, when he built the house, he didn't even live in the Second Ring Road area.

In essence, he is a teenager whose physique far surpasses that of a normal adult.

Unlike Kalia, who could so easily chop down a tree that used to take her half an hour to cut down with just a couple of swipes?
An axe is far less effective than a sharp shadow blade, let alone those shadow beasts that can change shape at will.

After carefully examining the cabin, Roland concluded that Kalia must be the legendary chosen one!

Although the interior decoration consisted entirely of wooden furniture in similar colors, Roland surprisingly did not experience any aesthetic fatigue.

It's hard to imagine that this guy could build himself a three-story villa in just over two hours.

Looking at Kalia behind him, who was eager for praise and compliments, Roland generously passed on to her all the flattering words he had used from the wealthy and powerful merchants of Isfar who had come to fawn over him a few days earlier.

Unlike himself, this guy quickly became engrossed in these words.

Roland sighed helplessly, then turned his head and saw the window that hadn't been fitted with glass yet.

No wonder he felt such a strong wind after he went inside.

There was still a layer of snow on the ground.

Roland: "..."

Why does it feel surprisingly reasonable?

However, after discovering the problem, Kalia quickly took remedial measures.

She used her shadow magic to block up all the openings.

Only a few small gaps were left for ventilation.

After that, Roland and Kalia started working together to fix up the "unfinished house".

Obviously, two people can't use three layers.

So after tidying up the first floor, Kalia brought over the leftover wood from building the house and threw it into the house, in front of the fireplace, the feature she had designed with the utmost care.

She lit the fireplace, and in the warm glow of the fire, Kalia dragged over two chaise lounges and two blankets.

Clearly, this guy has an extraordinary talent for furniture making, for some reason.

Roland naturally accepted this with a smile.

After pushing the cart into the room, Roland suddenly felt playful. Together with Kalia, they gathered the books in front of the fireplace and, like children playing, piled them into a "fortress" half a person's height.

Roland and Kalia huddled inside the fortress, lying in chairs and reading books.

Although the two of them were reading completely different books.

Compared to Roland's seemingly dry and boring alchemical texts.

Kalia clearly enjoys this lifestyle.

Outside, wind and snow were raging, while inside, the fireplace provided warmth.

Place a small blanket in front of the recliner and cover yourself with it.

Let's start now.

Unfortunately, Roland wasn't in the mood for that; he had already vented his desire to have fun.

Now... take out the introductory book that you just categorized under the pretext of building a fortress and start reading.

Roland listlessly picked up a book from beside him and began to read.

Introduction to Alchemy

[Chapter 1. Lecture 1]

The Components of Alchemy

Roland: "..."

Why do I have this feeling that this book is full of a lot of irrelevant information?
Although he hadn't started reading the contents yet, the book reminded him of the textbooks for those easy courses he had taken in university in his previous life.

It's the kind of book that likes to take a word that everyone knows and turn it into a long, cryptic sentence.

Roland finally breathed a sigh of relief as he patiently continued reading.

Clearly, the people from another world still have principles.

The book doesn't contain much fluff; it starts with a long, substantial section of information.

And, even Roland, a novice in alchemy, had dabbled in the fundamentals—the composition of trees.

(End of this chapter)