The Alchemy System

Arlo swallowed, staring at the floating screen.

Alchemy.

The art of creation.

The very thing he abandoned.

His heart pounded.

He didn't know whether to be excited—or terrified.

"Alchemy, huh?" Arlo muttered.

He had expected something more dramatic, but this wasn't bad at all. In fact, it was almost ironic. He had completely buried his past connection to alchemy—forced himself to forget it, along with the memories tied to it. And now, it had come back to him like this.

He sat in silence for a moment, his thoughts drifting back to a time he preferred not to remember. But this time… this time would be different.

'This time, I won't fail. Grey, please watch over me.'

Shaking off his lingering emotions, he turned his attention to the system, eager to learn more about his newfound ability.

After spending a few minutes navigating the interface, he got the gist of it.

At its core, his ability allowed him to construct and reconstruct materials to create new objects. It seemed simple, but the potential was overwhelming. This was the power to create anything—anything—so long as he had the necessary materials and met the conditions.

But there was a catch. A huge one.

To craft something, he needed Alchemy Points (AP). Every creation had a cost, and without AP, his ability was useless.

And earning AP?

He had two methods. The first was by completing tasks and quests assigned by the system, which seemed reasonable. The second, however…

"Studying?" Arlo groaned, rubbing his temples.

His AP pool increased whenever he improved his intellect—specifically, his understanding of materials and how the world worked, as well as whatever he needed to create. The more knowledge he had, the more he could do. 

But that was a problem.

He hated studying. Absolutely despised it.

Unfortunately, he quickly realized that even if he ignored studying for AP, he couldn't escape it completely.

The system introduced another key factor: Understanding Level.

If AP was the currency that allowed him to create things, then Understanding Level was the prerequisite. He couldn't make something unless he fully grasped how it functioned.

'So, I have to know how something works and have enough AP to make it, as well as a high understanding level? That's a double hit…'

His stats popped up in front of him.

[Name: Arlo Valemont]

[Ability: Alchemy]

[AP: 500]

[Nexora Flow: Basic]

Arlo's eyes widened at the last part.

Nexora Flow—the supernatural energy that granted special abilities to those who could harness it. Only a fraction of the population had it, and he had never shown any signs of possessing it before.

'This must be another benefit of the system.'

Anyone else in his position would be overjoyed. But Arlo? He only sighed.

Strength? Power? It sounded like work.

And to make things worse, he was at the basic level.

"I just want a peaceful life of riches and comfort," he grumbled. Not planning on indulging himself with getting stronger. He decided find a way around this later.

With a clearer understanding of his abilities, the real challenge began.

How the hell was he supposed to use this to fix his family's predicament?

Minutes passed as he brainstormed, but no solid plan came to mind.

It wasn't an issue of intelligence—he just lacked information. His introverted, carefree lifestyle had kept him out of the loop, and now he was paying for it.

Then, he recalled something a wise man had once told him:

"One of the most effective ways to overcome a problem is to cultivate the obligation of others, compelling them to resolve it on your behalf."

In short, make others solve your problems for you.

But to do that, he first needed to understand the problems in the kingdom.

"Maybe a walk around the manor will help," he muttered.

He wasn't well-liked even before his family's downfall began, so walking around openly wasn't an option. He needed to blend in.

---

A figure in a black cloak exited the main residence, stepping into the outer quarters of the Valemont manor.

It was, of course, Arlo.

The cloak concealed his chubby frame, which should have helped him stay unnoticed.

'So why was everyone staring at me?'

[You're dumber than I thought.]

Arlo nearly flinched at the system's remark.

[Who wears a black cloak in broad daylight and expects to go unnoticed?]

'Huh? And you have a bigger mouth than I thought,' he shot back.

[I have no mouth.]

…

'Just shut up.'

---

After forty minutes of wandering, Arlo had nothing useful.

Just the usual complaints from disgruntled residents.

Feeling defeated, he decided to take a break and entered a bar.

"One lager," he ordered, taking a seat.

Shortly after, a server placed the drink in front of him.

"Let me know if you need anything else," she said politely before walking away.

Arlo took a long sip, sighing as he leaned back.

"How long is this going to take?"

As if the world had heard his frustrations, a conversation from the table beside him caught his attention.

"It seems like the Lord's conflict with the first-class nobles still isn't resolved."

"Yeah… At this rate, he might lose everything. It's a shame. He was a good ruler. I'm sure he's being set up."

"Same here. But it's happening at the worst possible time, with the Scawy Virus approaching."

"That thing's dangerous. I hear there's no cure yet, and it's heading our way. Experts say we've got less than two weeks before it reaches the kingdom."

"I think it's best to leave before that happens."

"I was thinking of that as well. But my family and I have a lot of history and memory tied to this place. It would really be great if a cure is found soon. Or this might end up as an epidemic or even worse."

The mug in Arlo's hand froze mid-way to his mouth.

Then, ever so slowly, a wide grin stretched across his face.

"Bingo."