Alchemists do not need self-cultivation

"Your father will be staying at the hospital today and won't be back until tomorrow night," Isaac's mother said with a smile. "I'll stay home tomorrow and take you all out to play."

Isaac was initially pleased to hear his mother say that, but then he suddenly remembered something.

"Mom, I'm going out with my friends tomorrow, so I probably won't be able to come with you."

He and Levi have an agreement.

Chapter 477: A World for Two

The next morning, Isaac got up early. He was still wearing the eyepatch that he used to protect his left eye.

My mother doesn't get up too early on weekends, but Chika starts practicing on the wooden dummy in the yard very early.

Isaac went into the kitchen, tiptoed around the cupboard rummaging for something, then pulled out a bag of wheat flour, put on an apron that was a size too big for him, and got to work.

"Eggs, flour, sugar, butter..." After gathering all the ingredients, Isaac began to do his work with satisfaction.

Chika practiced in the yard for a long time. As she walked into the house, wiping away her sweat with a wet towel, she found Isaac wearing an apron and staring at the oven.

What are you doing so early in the morning?

Just as she asked that question, Isaac said "Okay," then turned off the oven and took out the baking tray with gloves.

"Chika, you've come at the right time. Come and try my cookies." Isaac smiled and handed a plate of freshly baked cookies to Chika.

"Oh my~ I have to try Isaac's cookies." Chinatsu grabbed a still-warm cookie and put it in her mouth.

chew.

Isaac asked, a little nervous but also expectant, "How did it go?"

Chika swallowed the biscuit in her mouth, her voice serious, and placed her hands on Isaac's shoulders.

"W-what's wrong? Is it not tasty?"

“Isaac,” Chika said, her eyes fixed on him, “I think you will be a good wife in the future.”

"At least you should say I'm a good husband!"

Isaac slapped Chika's hand away unhappily, then tasted a piece himself. "Hmm, it tastes alright."

"Was this made especially for me?" Chika asked happily, then looked at the baking tray. "Although there seems to be a lot, I will definitely finish it all."

“Don’t joke around, I divided these cookies into five portions.” Isaac looked at Chika strangely. “There’s yours, Erica’s, Mom’s, and Dad’s.”

"Tch~ So I'm not the only one." Chika pouted, a little annoyed.

However, she quickly realized what was going on and asked, "Since there are five portions, is one of them yours?"

"Huh? No, it isn't."

"That's... I know, it's your friend, right? I think her name is Levi."

“Chika is very clever,” Isaac laughed. “It’s meant for Levi. Judging from her appearance, she doesn’t eat well usually. The twenty dollars I got from my dad is almost gone, so I don’t have much money to take her out to eat. I can only learn to cook for myself.”

"You're really helpful... Wait, you said she doesn't eat well usually?" Qianxia suddenly realized the blind spot.

"Yeah, what's wrong?"

Where is she from?

“Of course…” At this point, Isaac suddenly realized that he seemed to have revealed a big secret.

"Where are you from?" Qianxia squinted and stared intently at Isaac.

“Of course… I’m a local.” Isaac’s eyes darted away guiltily.

Snapped!

Chika pinned Isaac against the wall and brought her face close to his.

"to be honest."

“Um… it’s a slum.” Isaac finally blurted it out under pressure from Chika.

“Just as I expected.” Qianxia approached Isaac seriously and said, “Have you forgotten what your aunt and uncle told you before? You’re not allowed to go to the slums, it’s dangerous there.”

“I know, but Levi is there after all. And I’ve been there a few times before and nothing happened.” Isaac clasped his hands together and bowed his head. “Please, Chika, don’t tell Mom and Dad about this.”

"Then you're not allowed to go."

"no!"

"...Are you really going?"

"Yes, but I'm just waiting for someone outside."

Chika sighed and said, "Okay, I promise I won't tell Auntie, but you have to be careful."

"sure."

Isaac deftly wrapped all the cookies on the table and placed them there, while he took one for himself. Chika was astonished by his skill.

"Then I'm heading out."

"and many more."

Just as Isaac was about to walk out the door, Chika called him back.

"what happened?"

"Take this with you."

As she spoke, Qianxia took out a small knife and placed it in Isaac's hand. "If you encounter danger, use this to save your life. If someone tries to capture you, use it to stab them and run away. If they try to rob you, just give them all the money."

"It shouldn't be that dangerous, right?"

Despite saying that, remembering the time he was surrounded by a group of thugs, he ultimately accepted the knife.

I don't know if it will work.

--------

Levi slowly woke up in her room.

Within a week, she had several more scars on her body.

Some of the injuries were from her alcoholic adoptive father, while others were from injuries she sustained while fleeing after offending local thugs.

Today was the day Isaac and she had arranged to go out together, so she took a special shower and, unusually, combed her usually messy hair.

For someone who had lived in a dark society like the slums since birth, where there was almost no hope, Isaac's appearance was like a sun shining into the darkness.

But after living alone for a while after parting ways with Isaac, she suddenly realized that she and he were ultimately from different worlds.

"Perhaps... it's time to sever this connection," Revy murmured to herself, her face somber.

If he gets closer and closer to you, the end result will be that one of you will be influenced by the other.

If she were to come to Isaac's side, she would absolutely not be able to adapt to living in the sunlight, and if Isaac were to come to her side, he would be doomed without a doubt.

The closer people from different worlds get, the more dangerous it becomes.

Levi simply didn't want to bring Isaac into her world; it was too dangerous for that silly boy.

Before she knew it, she had arrived at the entrance of the Bestar supermarket, the agreed meeting place, where Isaac was already waiting for her.

"Levi, I'm late."

Isaac ran up to Levi with joy when he saw her. Levi was also very happy to see him, but her expression remained indifferent, and she only gave a curt "hmm".

"Oh, right, here you go." Isaac handed over the biscuit from his pocket.

"This is?"

"Cookies, I made them myself."

"..."

Levi gripped the cookie in her hand tightly, deeply moved.

Of all the people she's lived to this day, Isaac is the first one who has truly cared about her.

Besides being moved, Levi was determined that she had to get Isaac away from this world.

Where shall we go for fun today?

“Let me show you around,” Revy said. “I’ll show you how people live in the slums.”

Chapter 478: Don't get involved with me

“Going into the slums…” Isaac hesitated, the last incident still fresh in his mind. “Wouldn’t it be dangerous?”

"You can go home if you don't want to come."

"No, no, no, I'll do it."

Isaac said hastily, and soon followed Levi upstairs.

The slums remained the same as always, with pedestrians with vacant eyes, the occasional sounds of fighting and cursing coming from the alleys, and the faint sound of gunfire in the distance.

Every piece of information reminds people that this place is extremely dangerous.

"Isaac, how long have we known each other?"

“A week,” Isaac laughed.

"You trust me so much after just one week?" Levi, who was walking ahead, suddenly stopped and turned to look at Isaac. "Aren't you afraid I'll just find a random place, rob you of all your belongings, and then sell you?"

As she spoke, she observed Isaac's expression.

“Don’t worry, Revy is my friend,” Isaac smiled. “Besides, if Revy has any problems, she can just tell me. There’s no need to take it from me.”

After all, she was Isaac's first true friend in twelve years, and she trusted Levi Isaac completely.

To everyone's surprise, when Levi heard this, her expression hardened, and she grabbed his collar.

This startled Isaac, who quickly asked, "Um... what's wrong... Levi?"

"I was the one asking you what's wrong? We should have no connection at all, but if this continues, neither of us will be more or less miserable."

Isaac couldn't understand a word Levi was saying, but seeing the pained expression on her face, he didn't know how to comfort her and was at a loss for what to do.

"You're only making me more and more afraid of losing you!" Revy shouted.

Isaac's appearance brought light to someone accustomed to darkness, but the light was too intense. If she were to become accustomed to the light and then fall back into darkness, the despair would be even greater.

Like an addict losing their drugs, she would fall into a state of extreme frenzy. Levi enjoyed having Isaac around, but the more she did, the more afraid she became of what would happen when he was no longer by her side.