The flames in the fireplace cast swaying light and shadow in the laboratory. Ian was sitting quietly in an armchair. Dozens of alchemy books were suspended in the air. The pages turned automatically at a speed that was difficult to detect with the naked eye. A light blue data stream flowed in his pupils, and the information on each page was ingested, analyzed, and stored in an instant.
"These Alchemy masters are too paranoid." Ian rubbed his eyebrows, and the classics slowly fell back on the bookshelf, "All core research is written in code, which wasted three days of my time."
He stood up and walked to the open space in the center of the laboratory, picked up a piece of chalk, and drew a perfect circle on the smooth ground.
"Alchemy, the science and technology of understanding the structure of matter, decomposing and reconstructing matter." Ian whispered to himself while drawing complex runes, "If you can use it skillfully, you can even turn lead into gold. But as a science, it must follow certain basic principles-mass conservation, Equivalent Exchange."
The chalk wanders on the ground, outlining several triangles nested inside each other.
"However, this is not the whole truth." Ian's writing suddenly became sharp. "Although most Alchemy masters insist that their skills are pure science, the fields involved in Alchemy have long gone beyond the scope of conventional science. Soul, spirit... These concepts are regarded as pseudo-science by mainstream science, but they are indispensable elements in Alchemy."
He pressed his palm on the Transmutation Circle he had just completed, and the pattern instantly shimmered.
"Transmutation Circle is one of the two Cornerstone of Alchemy. Just like a wizard needs a magic wand as a medium, a Alchemy master also needs Transmutation Circle to guide energy. Here, they use Leyline Energy generated by the movement of tectonic plates."
Lightning flashed in the formation Blink, and the stone slabs on the ground were reshaped into a sharp spear in the light, standing quietly in the center of the formation.
Ian stared at the spear, a look of thought flashing in his eyes.
"To become a Alchemy master, you must have Gate of Truth. According to known information, all life in this world has its own Gate of Truth. So, is this a rule limited to this universe, or is it Truth that applies to all Multiverses?"
He slowly walked around the spear and touched the cold stone surface with his fingertips.
"Since I can cast Alchemy, it means that I also possess Gate of Truth. The answer is probably the former. But it does not rule out that it is the influence of the laws of this world, which automatically generated the corresponding Gate of Truth after I entered."
The light in the laboratory lengthened his figure, and several magic formulas being calculated were projected on the wall.
"More importantly, if Alchemy can only be used in this universe, then this knowledge will be of no value to the Empire... Wait, that may not be the case."
Ian suddenly stopped, a flash of understanding flashed in his eyes.
"If the function of Gate of Truth is to allow ordinary people to perceive and control energy, then wizards do not need this restriction at all. They can directly train the ability to perceive Leyline Energy, and then use Alchemy."
He quickly walked to the experimental table, unfolded a blank parchment, and wrote quickly on the paper with his quill.
"My thinking is still too limited. Alchemy can use different types of energy. Xing's Alkahestry uses Dragon Vein, and Amestris can even use soul as energy source. In this case, there is no reason why magic power cannot drive Alchemy."
The moment of verification has arrived. Ian redrawn Transmutation Circle. This time he deliberately avoided Leyline Energy and instead mobilized the remaining magic power in his body. When his palm pressed Transmutation Circle again, a change occurred--
A huge ax appeared in the electric light. Its size was far beyond ordinary, and the ax was almost as wide as an adult's chest. Ian made a rough estimate that the weight of this huge ax was at least twenty times that of the previous spear.
"Unexpected result." Ian stroked the ax blade gently, feeling the fluctuation of magic power contained in it. "The magic power seems to have an amplifying effect on Alchemy. But this violates the principle of Equivalent Exchange..."
Subsequent experiments confirmed his guess. Driven by magic power, the quality and volume of the refined product increased significantly, and this increase was directly proportional to the magic power invested.
"Magic power can actually break the Equivalent Exchange principle... just like Philosopher's Stone." Ian's eyes Blink glowed with excitement, "This is really an unexpected discovery."
In the following days, Ian was immersed in the ocean of Alchemy. With a knowledge reserve that far exceeded the scientific level of this era, and his innate control over energy, he quickly grasped the essence of Alchemy.
The walls of the laboratory are covered with calculation manuscripts, and dozens of refined products of different forms are placed on the table. From the simplest transformation of matter to the reconstruction of complex life forms, Ian's progress is staggering.
However, he never touched the final taboo - Human Transmutation.
Until this night, when the last alchemy book was closed, Ian stood in the center of the laboratory, and an unprecedentedly complex Transmutation Circle had been drawn on the ground.
"It's time to conduct Human Transmutation." His voice echoed in the empty laboratory, "I can't feel at ease until I see Truth. Moreover, I have some theories that need to be verified about Gate of Truth."
Transmutation Circle began to glow, and Ian pressed his hands on the formation eye.
"If my theory is correct, it will completely change the trajectory of my life and even the fate of the entire Empire."
The lightning engulfed his figure.