In one of the alchemy rooms.The operation of this room depended on three key arrays.
The first and largest was the Feeding Array. It had a simple design and served to transmit energy to all elements of the room.
The array was powered by five sources: four positioned along the sides of the room, and a fifth, central source, located right in the middle.
Two of the side sources, closer to the entrance, provided lighting, climate control, and simultaneously served as a backup for the remaining three.
The central source and the two distant ones formed a triangle, with the alchemy table at its center. Lines carved from the vertices of the triangle led to the table, transmitting energy.
— The first thing to improve, — Anna began, pointing at the side sources and tracing imaginary lines toward the central one, — is the structure of the feeding array. Right now, all four additional points are connected to the central node. This causes unnecessary energy loss. If we redistribute the flows, we can make the system much more efficient.
Without wasting time, she erased the connections to the central source.
Then, using energy-conducting ink—a mixture of magical beast blood and extracts of spirit flowers—she carefully connected the four side sources, forming a rectangle.
— You know, if you fail, I'll make you play chess with me for a whole month, — I commented, watching her work.
— You have a strange idea of punishment, — she replied with a faint smile, not slowing her movements.
— Ah, well then, two months, no breaks, — I added with mock indignation.
Anna just shook her head and continued:
— Now we need to add three new nodes. Two will be directed toward lighting, the third toward ventilation. This will relieve the central source.
Her movements were precise and confident. Every stroke was perfectly neat. She created three additional nodes on the sides of the main rectangle of the array.
Then she severed the old lines leading to the lighting and ventilation and connected them to the new nodes. From the node nearest the exit, she drew a line connecting it back to the central source for support.
— Now the system is less stressed, and energy losses are reduced. This will allow the spirit stones to last longer.
Her next focus was the alchemy table. Its array was a complex network of lines of varying thickness, ensuring precise energy distribution for the operation of the cauldron, flame creation, and its regulation.
— For a pseudo-alchemist, this table is effective, but for a student with even a bit of experience, flame control isn't ideal. A few adjustments will fix that.
She took a stylus and began carefully carving new symbols between the existing ones, adding more intricate and smaller inscriptions.
— These symbols will improve flame control and response speed. This, in turn, will positively affect the quality of the product.
Anna paused for a moment, then pointed to the area around the table:
— Currently, the excess heat generated by the flame isn't being used efficiently. These additions will allow us to capture spirit energy from the heat and return it to the cycle. This further reduces energy consumption.
Next, she focused on the point where the cauldron met the table.
— Four feeding points under the cauldron legs are fine, but if we add four more, the energy distribution will be more even.
She retrieved a perfectly fitting stand, added additional feeding points to it, and placed the cauldron on top, outfitted with extra legs.
When finished, Anna stepped back and surveyed her work.
— Now all that's left is testing, — she suggested, clearly satisfied.
«Clap!»
«Clap!»
«Clap!»
— Excellent, excellent, Sila, begin! — I clapped my hands and gave the order.
Hearing my command, Sila entered the room. His calm but focused gaze scanned the modified arrays, his small glasses glinting slightly. Without a word, he carefully checked each line, each new node.
— Quite an unusual approach, — he finally said, bowing his head. — But theoretically, it should work.
— Theoretically? — I asked, smirking. — We need facts, Sila. Go ahead, start the test.
He nodded and activated the feeding array. Moments later, the room came alive: the light became brighter, yet softer, the temperature stabilized, and a gentle breeze from the vents refreshed the air.
— The feeding array is stable, — Sila noted. — Energy losses have indeed decreased.
— Now the table, — Anna prompted.
Sila shifted his attention to the alchemy table and cauldron.
As the flame ignited, we immediately noticed the difference. It was even, stable, without the barely noticeable fluctuations from before.
The heat that had previously dissipated uselessly into the air now returned smoothly to the system, making the flame grow slightly brighter with each cycle.
— Control has improved significantly, — Sila acknowledged, closely monitoring the changes.
— Now even a beginner can achieve acceptable results.
— Not just acceptable, — Anna interjected softly. — This table is now suitable for experts.
Her voice was calm, but I caught a hint of pride.
— We still need to test the cauldron array in action, — I said, turning to Sila. — Prepare a Mortal Rank pill.
— Already preparing it, Mistress, — he replied.
He selected a combination of ingredients to craft a strengthening pill. As soon as the components entered the cauldron, the system sparked to life, instantly adapting to the new process.
The flame responded with flawless precision: dimming and flaring according to the algorithms embedded in the array.
Ten minutes later, Sila extracted the finished pill and handed it to me.
— Purity 75%, above average for rooms like this, and I didn't even try that hard, — he stated, slightly squinting. — Excellent result.
I examined the pill, admiring its perfectly smooth shape and rich color, while he continued the report:
— So, calculating and translating it into profit, efficiency clearly exceeds the promised 20%. Resource savings and pill quality push the figure to 25–30%.
— O-oh… — I truly was surprised. I noticed her techniques were slightly different from before, but I hadn't expected such a drastic improvement. It pleased me, as it meant I'd made a good impression on her. Otherwise, 20% would have remained just 20%.
— Then add another 50 kg of spirit stones to the reward, — I said, then decided to clarify, addressing the girl directly. — Or do you prefer something else?
— I didn't expect it to turn out better, so no extra reward is needed, — she shook her head.
— Well, then I won't pay you at all, — I turned away, closing my eyes.
«Sigh»
— Fine, another 50 kg will do, — I heard her resigned sigh.
I immediately turned back to her, speaking seriously:
— I meant to say that you can consider this a gift for our first meeting. But you would say that the 10% was your gift. So let's call this a deposit, and if you have something interesting in the future, I'll be the first person you come to.
— Agreed, — she extended her hand, and I gladly shook it.
— The herbs still need to be gathered; the stones will be ready sooner. Will you collect them yourself, or should they be delivered somewhere?
— To the pawnshop "Golden Bowl." Deliver them to Qinshan or Qinshé if I'm not there
After confirming the schedule, I decided to escort her to the exit.
Along the way, we attracted many glances. Curiosity pinned everyone's attention on Anna, and I'm sure many wondered who she was to walk alongside me.
Their fear of me was amusing. But the way they scrutinized her irritated me.
— Don't you have anything better to do? — my icy gaze, like a sharp blade, swept over the visitors and workers of the Hall, and my voice, like a thunderclap, made everyone flinch.
The air fell silent until they started scurrying like ants on a hot pan.
— Heh, — I smirked.
At the exit, we said our goodbyes. She waved, and I blew her a kiss. Anna merely shook her head.
I watched her until she disappeared from sight. I didn't feel sad: this was not our last meeting.
My gaze shifted toward the forest.
After a brief inner hesitation, I returned to the building.