Alchemist in the Expedition Team

The forest was silent. Sunlight filtering through the trunks and low-hanging branches appeared solemn and sacred. Lush moss covered every protruding surface, whether stone or decaying wood. Leaves sparkled in the sunlight outside, while the shaded sides of the trunks were dark. At the end of the vibrant green, a few pine needles had prematurely turned yellow. Standing beneath them was a person, engrossed, holding a lens to their right eye and rotating the brass outer ring with a click.

This person was a boy of sixteen or seventeen, ordinary-looking with a slightly refined air. He had neatly trimmed short hair, an average height, neither too tall nor too short. His build was somewhat slender. He wore a dark blue robe with an open front, a hood attached. Beneath the open robe was a gray vest with copper buttons, revealing the collar of a white shirt. Two shiny silver stars were embroidered on the shirt's collar edge.

The robe's hem reached just below the knees, exposing a good portion of his trousers, also dark gray, with threads fraying at the edges. Below that were a pair of weathered leather shoes, their toes covered in various scratches.

Strapped to the boy's back was a cylindrical tin box, its silvery-white surface gleaming. Four recessed slots were arranged from left to right on top. The slots were a golden-yellow, made of copper, and filled with grooved lines, resembling sockets for some kind of device. The sides of the box bulged slightly, with a green tourmaline rod inserted horizontally in the center, where light gently rotated within. Four buckles were nailed to the edges, secured by leather straps.

Below the box was a copper socket, connected to a leather tube. This tube led to a thick leather glove on the boy's right hand. The glove was fitted with a complex instrument, its brass dials and silver tracks moving slightly up, down, left, and right, emitting occasional clicking sounds.

The boy squinted his left eye, looking through the lens with the other. The lens itself had some smudges and spots. In the distance, the ancient Elven Ruins by the Gorgon Riverbank could be seen. The white, semi-circular dome of the temple building emerged above the treetops, covered in parasitic plants like wisteria.

He rotated the lens with a click.

This vast forest was called Vanna Forest, located north of the Sea of Ancient Trees. Above the sea of trees floated a solitary mountain, suspended in the sea of clouds. Its snow-capped ridges gleamed in the sunlight, resembling an aloof silver dragon.

On the southern slope of the mountain, the terrain gradually lowered, forming a basin filled with towering ancient trees and beautiful scenery.

It was absolutely stunning.

He gazed for a while, lost in the view, until the image began to shake and then spun uncontrollably downwards. A small, sparkling object then fell from the treetops and landed with a splash in the nearby bushes.

Scarpe, the elven ranger, darted forward and searched for a moment beneath a piece of chalky rock. After a while, she emerged from the low bushes, holding a small, hemispherical object with a brass casing. She turned and waved to the others, "Found it! It's here!"

It was a Clockwork Sprite, its copper casing reflecting the sunlight, gleaming in Scarpe's hand.

Scarpe's scouting skills were excellent, combined with her elven racial talents. The Clockwork Sprite was as conspicuous in the bushes to her as an infrared heat source.

Fang Heng, however, could not do that.

Because he was an alchemist, those bushes looked no different to him than any other part of this vast, primeval forest.

"Ed!" This was Fang Heng's ID in this world. Scarpe called out to him and tossed the sphere over. "Thanks, Miss Scarpe!" Fang Heng caught the sphere and raised his lens, opening his left eye simultaneously. His pupils, like those of most Chinese people, were dark brown, but his irises expanded outwards like flames, making them very beautiful.

This world had no magic, but ancient sorcerers invented alchemy and the formula of equivalent exchange. Through formulas, they could drive magic power, allowing people to use powerful tools. These tools were divided into two categories: Magic Devices, which ordinary people could use, and Battle Gear, which could only be used by those with corresponding magic adaptability.

But regardless of the type, only professional artisans could maintain and recharge them. These professional artisans were alchemists.

"You're welcome," Scarpe said, her eyes twinkling as she smiled, "This reward will be counted towards your salary."

"Just make sure you cover food and lodging!" Fang Heng replied with a carefree laugh.

"Just kidding. I was surprised you could use a Clockwork Sprite! Ed, why don't you join our adventuring party?" Scarpe looked at the young man with a half-serious expression.

"I can't do that. I finally made it to Aethelria, and I have my own goals! In the future, I want to see the Sacred Mountain, the Nurinnari Giant Tree Hills, and maybe even go to Luotao, the homeland of the People of the Wilds—then cross the continent bridge to the mythical Second World, following in the footsteps of the Pioneers. Maybe one day I'll even form my own adventuring party."

"Hey! You boastful brat. You don't even have Magic Adaptability. It's wiser to stay in Taren and not lose your life," Scarpe said, playfully hitting his head.

Fang Heng rubbed his head and chuckled, unfazed.

He had stowed away to this world.

In the mid-21st century, humanity accidentally discovered a special substance in the asteroid belt's hast042 region—Luminous Matter. By deconstructing the 'Type II Element', remnants of information from higher dimensions within the Luminous Matter, humans finally constructed a ring-shaped Star Gate between Earth and the Moon in 2071 using Constant Luminous Structures, leading to a 'higher dimensional world'.

And this world was Aethelria.

However, people soon discovered that Aethelria was not the higher dimensional world they had imagined—it was more like residual information. There was no real matter here, but a large amount of Type II Element and high-dimensional information was active, forming a world that 'appeared real'. To develop and claim the Type II Element, the pioneers who entered the Star Gate after the various governments—the First Generation Chosen—engaged in fierce competition in Aethelria. As time went on, this competition gradually became a widely known display and competition of national strength between countries, and the Chosen seemed to become a synonym for glory and prestige overnight.

This was the origin of the Super Competition—

As a generation born on Earth after the Star Gate Era, Fang Heng grew up listening to those stories, dreaming of becoming one of those heroic figures himself one day. But becoming a Chosen was not easy. Just the training and obtaining the qualifications required a large sum of money. His parents had died early, and it was unrealistic to expect his aunt's family to invest such a large sum in him.

Fortunately, there was always a way. Through a friend, he met a supposedly reliable smuggler online. The person was a Starport employee. After spending almost all his savings, the employee did not disappear but kept his promise, helping him obtain an Internal Ship Ticket and smuggle him through the Star Gate.

The process was smooth, with only a minor flaw.

Because he entered as a stowaway, Fang Heng did not have Luminous Matter equipment, which meant he lacked Magic Adaptability. In this world, he could only be an ordinary person. Furthermore, since he had not registered at the Starport, he had no beginner's guide. He spent six months alone in Kapuka before learning some basic alchemist skills and mastering the operation of a few Artificer Tools.

Fortunately, he was a naturally optimistic person. Not only was he not discouraged, but he also enjoyed himself. Thus, he rashly embarked on his first adventure.

He first went to Rodell alone and stayed there for many days, hoping to find a team that would accept him. But no one was interested in a newcomer without Magic Adaptability, until he met Scarpe's team.

Scarpe and her boyfriend's small team was a common type of private adventuring party in this world, operating on a self-funded basis. After paying member salaries and daily expenses, the team's funds were often not very abundant—in simple terms, they were struggling.

In fact, she was also looking for an affordable alchemist to join their party. Thinking back to their meeting, Scarpe couldn't help but laugh. This naive young man had no idea about the difference between a regular member and an accompanying alchemist. The adventuring party certainly wouldn't want a member without Magic Adaptability, but he never clearly stated his skill as an alchemist.

Fortunately, the usually shrewd Scarpe asked detailed questions at the time and then took advantage of the situation to recruit Fang Heng at an unbelievable price—room and board. This price might even have been illegal, as the Aethelria Artisan's Guild had regulations on the minimum wage for alchemists participating in adventures, to protect their interests.

There were probably very few people in this world who dared to offend the colossal Artisan's Guild.

Of course, we also know that high returns always make capitalists take risks.

Then Scarpe discovered she had found a treasure.

Although the young man claimed it took him six months to master the basic skills of an alchemist and pass the assessment to become an Apprentice Level 2 Alchemist, Scarpe and her boyfriend Quilod had never heard of anyone taking six months without passing the novice stage. It usually took at most a month. This sounded like the worst possible talent, yet they surprisingly found Fang Heng's craftsmanship to be exquisite, and he could even operate a Clockwork Sprite.

That was usually the skill of a Combat Artificer—

Scarpe felt like she had stumbled upon a gold brick. It was just that the brain of this gold brick seemed to be solid 24K gold as well. He didn't even have Magic Adaptability, yet he was clamoring to go to the Second World and adamantly refused to join her team.

What a lunatic!

Since the Gorgon Temple Ruins could be seen in this direction, it meant the team had entered the designated target area. As Scarpe's team was only responsible for support and had to wait for two other teams to arrive, the adventuring party stopped at their current location.

Scarpe's boyfriend—a tall man named Quilod—sat on a decaying log, barking orders for setting up camp. His cheeks were hollow, and he had a light stubble on his jaw, giving him a deep, handsome, and masculine appearance. His Battle Gear was a greatsword, which looked like two pieces of metal joined together. The blade was two fingers thick, over a meter long, its surface covered in scratches. A piece of Rhodochrosite was embedded in the hilt.

The Magic Furnace on his back was even larger than Fang Heng's. Although it only had three sockets, each socket was fitted with strange metal attachments—some were pure copper parts, others were metal embedded with crystal columns.

Then there was the small metal canteen. Fang Heng could count at least seven or eight flat canteens tied to his waist, arms, and legs. They contained water mixed with alcohol—some bottles were pure alcohol, Vodka. Every few gestures, he would take out a canteen and take a sip, then sheepishly put it back under Scarpe's glare.

Fang Heng suspected that this uncle was from a warrior nation before coming to Aethelria.

Of course, the other party looked imposing, but in reality, this small team wasn't bound by discipline, but by the warmth between people. Small teams are like this; despite their various drawbacks, everyone knows each other, and at least there's no lack of warmth.

As Fang Heng secretly observed the leader, Quilod also squinted at him and nodded.

His view of Fang Heng was different from his girlfriend's. Talent was important, but it didn't mean that a lack of talent was the end of the world. Before becoming a Chosen, he worked in the logistics support department in Russia as an aircraft engineer. This profession required meticulousness, patience, and a sense of responsibility, all indispensable. In the early years, he could still see many such peers, but now, newcomers with a sense of responsibility and patience are increasingly rare. The young people sent here are like future stars, all incredibly frivolous.

However, in Fang Heng, he saw this long-lost quality again.

While setting up camp, people also started chatting. Someone mentioned during the conversation, "Speaking of which, don't you think this mission is a bit different from the previous ones?"

"There are some differences. In the past few days, our main tasks were map opening (exploration and reconnaissance) and defense. We rarely had to coordinate with the main force like this."

"This seems to be a recovery mission. Recovering what?"

"Most likely a campaign-grade magic device."

Fang Heng himself could clearly feel that this mission was different from the previous ones. The Descendants of Flor even sent a liaison officer, which had never happened in the past two months. Thinking of this, Fang Heng couldn't help but look around.

Unfortunately, a tent had just been erected not far away, blocking his view.

The forest was quiet.

Speaking of which, although Scarpe and Quilod's team had an elegant name, Dawnstar, their purpose for being here was not to improve their cultural cultivation or temper their minds, but for war.

The war had been going on in Taren for almost a summer. The role of private adventure groups, big and small, here was similar to defense contractors in the real world—that's the elegant term; in reality, they were mercenaries, one of the oldest professions in this world.

However, south of the Dragon Roar Mountains was a sea of trees, mountains stretching upon mountains, and the nearest town, Kapuka, was thousands of miles away. So, even if the Descendants of Flor and the Rainbow Alliance fought to the death here, the two nearby indigenous forces—the Knight Nations of Guta and the Kolin-Ishurian Alliance—would not interfere.

As for why the warring parties chose to fight in this godforsaken place, only heaven would know. The mercenaries didn't care, and Fang Heng didn't know much about either side of the conflict—he only knew that one side was the Chosen Alliance of the Nations of the Sea of Ancient Trees, and the other had a background from Southern Ishuria.

And the names Fang Heng was familiar with were not in the First World. The top Chosen and the Chosen Guild of Aethelria were almost all in the world behind the First Continent Bridge.

"Speaking of which, Miss Scarpe, do you know why the Descendants of Flor and the Rainbow Alliance are at war?" Fang Heng turned and asked. He suddenly realized that his understanding of the First World was too superficial. Besides Mount Eldron and the Nurinnari Giant Tree Hills, it was also a world full of wonders.

"Let me give you a lesson, rookie. See those ruins? Those are good stuff!" Scarpe pointed into the distance and replied with an air of seniority. "An undeveloped ruin can contain anything—gold coins, treasures, and of course, the most valuable being ancient heritage."

Fang Heng was surprised: "Then why didn't we search for them ourselves while we were stationed here?"

"How could we not have done that?"

"Cough—" Quilod coughed loudly.

Scarpe realized she had said the wrong thing and smoothly changed her tune, "How could we not have done that? Because we couldn't. We are defense contractors, we have our professional ethics, how can we steal what we are guarding?"

"I believe you," Fang Heng nodded with a sincere expression.

Chapters 11 and 14 of the prologue have been blocked, as well as chapters 246 and 274 of the second volume. The blocked chapters will be temporarily unblocked when they are cleared.