Chapter 70: A New Plan

"The integration of the magical circuits must have been too haphazard. I got too eager to produce a sample and didn't carefully consider the issues of magical energy repulsion and heat dissipation between the circuits. When you used it continuously, the circuits exceeded their safe working capacity, and the backlash from the mana flow caused the mana crystal to explode," Avia explained.

She fiddled with the wreckage of the magitech device, now nothing more than a pile of charred scrap metal on the ground. Thankfully, only the high-purity mana crystal had exploded. If the explosion had occurred while using a high-power spell, the consequences could have been disastrous. Just thinking about it made her shudder with fear.

"It's perfectly normal. New inventions always involve setbacks. This was just a single failure. I believe in your abilities to eventually unlock the true potential of this device," Wang Yu said reassuringly.

Wang Yu had changed into a new outfit. He was standing nearby and inspecting the remnants of the device. The still-burning wreckage was beyond recognition.

He felt a bit regretful about losing a tool he had found so handy, but he had confidence that Avia would eventually produce a far better version.

"Mm, I'll do my best..." Avia nodded determinedly.

"Avia, if you're having any difficulties, let me know," Wang Yu said. He had noticed a faint hesitation in her tone, which he wanted to address directly.

"Well, although my mentor lets me use the lab and access the library for free, I have to pay for all the raw materials myself. Since I bought everything in a hurry, the prices were quite high. The money my mother gave me... it's almost... gone,"

She admitted, her voice tinged with embarrassment.

Wang Yu wasn't surprised. Alchemy was widely known to be a noble art—because only nobles could afford the exorbitant spending required. Just creating a single prototype had necessitated a whole slew of expensive materials. That said...

Wang Yu gently took Avia's hand and placed the mana crystal card Sieg had given him into her palm. "Take this and use it. Don't worry about money—leave that to me. Right now, it's not a problem. Money is meaningless if it can't be turned into strength."

Then, a thought crossed his mind. He looked at Avia seriously. "Also, Avia, you can't always be doing things for me. I appreciate your help, but you should also think about what you want to do. That's important to me too. If you don't mind, I'd like to know—what are your goals and dreams?"

"Huh? My dreams?" Avia covered her mouth. Caught off-guard, she was unsure how to respond.

Over the past year, she had been constantly busy, driven by events and circumstances largely beyond her control—getting stronger, solving problems, and following in Wang Yu's footsteps. Now that things had settled down a little, she realized she had never seriously considered what she truly wanted for herself.

As her thoughts drifted, Avia considered her nature. By and large, she was gentle and averse to violence. She didn't want to hurt or kill others if she could avoid it.

What she truly wanted was to protect those she cared about, delve deeper into the alchemical arts she loved, explore magic and wizardry, and learn more about Wang Yu's homeland, the strange and fascinating world he had described.

In the future, if Wang Yu ever found a way to return home, she wanted to go with him and live a peaceful life. That seemed like her ultimate dream. But what about now?

"I... I want to open an alchemy shop!" Avia finally said, after considerable thought.

It was a modest yet fulfilling aspiration. She envisioned crafting and selling her creations, honing her skills while funding her alchemical research.

Just imagining it filled her with a quiet joy—a sense of grounded, peaceful happiness beyond the reach of her turbulent life to date.

"An alchemy shop?" Wang Yu stroked his chin. It was a simple yet practical dream, and he was more than happy to help Avia achieve it.

She couldn't keep using her mentor's lab forever, after all. She would need her own workshop, equipped with a range of tools. That alone would be a massive expense. Then there was the shop itself. A central location in the city would be ideal, but it would also be incredibly expensive. With Avia's talent and skills, Wang Yu wasn't worried about the shop being profitable, but still...

He shook his head, amused. Just when he thought he had sufficient funds, he found more and more expenses on the horizon. He'd have to find ways to earn more.

"Wait," Wang Yu suddenly said, his eyes lighting up. "Do we have to set up in the city center? Considering the circumstances, there's a place that might actually be more suitable for you, Avia."

"What do you think of the capital's shadow?" he asked.

Wang Yu realized that the capital's shadow might actually be perfect for Avia. While its chaotic environment could be daunting for most people, Avia, under the divine protection of the Lady of the Night, would undoubtedly be safer there than on the surface.

Besides, one of the main underground industries involved large-scale assembly-line alchemical production, with extensive use of steam technology. This was a unique kind of industrial revolution, giving the capital's shadow a competitive edge in many areas of alchemy.

In contrast to the mass-produced products of the underground city, Avia's high-end creations would undoubtedly carve out a significant market.

Moreover, as a member of the Nightblades' special ops team, Wang Yu could potentially leverage his connections to the Nightblades to sell Avia's alchemical products to them without issue.

Thus, from Wang Yu's perspective, founding Avia's alchemy shop in the capital's shadow was an idea well worth pursuing.

Avia's eyes sparkled with curiosity. "The underground city you mentioned before, where void and reality mix to some extent?"

"Yes. The Lady of the Night is also there, so you would be well-protected. However, compared to the surface, it's darker and more chaotic," Wang Yu cautioned.

"That's fine, Wang Yu! I've been curious to see it for myself given your description. The unique environment and opportunities for alchemy... For an alchemist like me, this is a chance I can't miss!" Avia said excitedly.

Her enthusiasm reassured Wang Yu. "In that case, it's settled. I'll speak to Sieg and get you an application. There shouldn't be any issues."

Wang Yu nodded. This would be far more convenient for him as well. They already had an underground base. With some renovation and expansion, it would easily be able to serve as a workshop and alchemy shop alike.

Furthermore, the Lady of the Night's presence would attract customers while promoting her influence. It was a win-win situation.

"Once the renovations are underway, I'll take you down there to check it out. You need to plan out how your own lab will be structured, after all!" Wang Yu said.

"Great!" Avia cheered, suddenly overflowing with joy.

"Oh, by the way, Wang Yu," Avia suddenly said. "I wanted to ask you something. My mentor's recent research has been... strange. It seems like he's studying something related to resurrection. I asked Wendy about it, but she wasn't sure either. Do the Nightblades oversee this kind of thing?"

"Resurrection? I don't think so. I've read the Nightblades' guidelines. Necromancy isn't regulated, and apart from maintaining city security as a secondary role, we only handle void-related incidents,"

Wang Yu said after some thought.

"Resurrection is considered taboo in alchemy because it disrupts the balance of life and death. It's an unspoken rule within the field," Avia said, her concern evident.

"Progress in science and technology shouldn't be stifled. Remember what I told you about nuclear weapons? They killed a lot of people, but would you stop their invention if you could? I wouldn't. If resurrection is just a technology, why not use it? If I had the chance to bring Reynard back, I absolutely would. Those so-called costs and consequences—might not be so bad after all," Wang Yu finally concluded.

Wang Yu's perspective was always straightforward—if something was good, then it was good. There was no need for unnecessary doubts or paranoia to hold him back; in his view, such hesitation was nothing but foolishness.

"You're right. The advancement of alchemy shouldn't be restricted. If alchemy can achieve resurrection, then it should be embraced. I don't see anything wrong with that either!"

Avia ultimately nodded, agreeing with Wang Yu's conclusion. The progress of science and technology shouldn't be hindered.

"Still, it's bound to be incredibly difficult. Resurrection has been a pursuit and desire of humanity throughout history, but even miracles involving true resurrection are rare and often hard to verify. I genuinely doubt your teacher can succeed. What I'm more concerned about is that he might fall into obsession and go astray..."

"Mm..."

"Wang Yu! Are you there? Hey, Edward, lift me up! Yes, that's right. Ow—why are you moving so fast? You hit the wall! That hurts! Ah, I see Wang Yu now—hey, Wang Yu!"

"Charles, stop moving around while you're standing on my shoulders. If you keep this up, I'll pinch your legs. Otherwise, you're definitely going to fall."

"Don't, don't! I'm sorry!"

Wang Yu and Avia's conversation was interrupted by two voices that appeared out of nowhere. Charles' head popped up over the courtyard wall, swaying back and forth, accompanied by his and Edward's playful banter.

Wang Yu stared at the swaying head for a moment, thinking that Charles really didn't look much like a noble. Was Charles really a genius? Compared to Avia...

"Anyway, Wang Yu, we'll be in your care from now on. We've been stationed at the God of Light's favorite tavern on Redmaple Street."

"The Golden Azalea, you mean."

"Why do you care so much about the name? The owner put up a sign claiming it's the God of Light's favorite. Just go along with it!"

"Suit yourself."

"Right, so we were just keeping an eye on that damned lighthouse in our assigned zone—what a headache! Staying there too long makes your brain buzz. It's awful," Charles grumbled.

"Then, suddenly, the Professor told us to join a few senior Nightblades and station ourselves at the Golden Azalea on Redmaple Street. We don't know why, but since we heard you live nearby, I thought we'd drop by and say hello!"

"Where's the Professor?"

"The Professor? He sounded pretty annoyed in his message. He told us to be careful and said he and the captain were off to deal with some unruly organization. Some people are overreaching, apparently."

"But isn't he just an admin? He's probably just tagging along to help out a bit. Poor guy—he's not cut out for this!" Charles laughed, sounding a little like he was rejoicing at Sieg's misfortune. Clearly, the strict Sieg must have made things rather stressful for the laid-back Charles in the past.

"An admin, huh?" Wang Yu raised an eyebrow. That assassin's demeanor when facing Sieg... Her wariness and fear wasn't something one could fake.

"Oh, and who's this lovely mage?" Charles belatedly noticed Avia standing beside Wang Yu.

"She's my friend, Avia. She might be opening an alchemy shop in the capital's shadow soon."

"Oh, hello, Miss Alchemist! I'm Charles, and this guy down here is Edward. If we come to buy something later, would you give us a discount?"

"Hi, Charles. Are you Wang Yu's friends? Of course, I'd be happy to!" Avia smiled warmly and waved politely.

"Haha, Wang Yu, I really envy you for having such a cute friend. Right, Edward? Remember how you were staring at that catfolk lady at the flower shop? Ah, hey, hey! Don't shake me! I'm just being honest—you can't do this to me!"

"Arghhhh!" Charles' scream echoed as he fell off the wall.

Avia, a bit stunned, poked Wang Yu. He shrugged in response. He hadn't introduced his two colleagues to Avia before, so it was only natural for her to be caught off guard by Charles' unreliable demeanor.

After a while, there was a knock at the door. When Wang Yu opened it, he saw Edward carrying Charles under his arm like a sack of potatoes, ignoring the magician's feeble struggles. Edward spoke to Wang Yu as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

"Wang Yu, the Professor contacted a knight instructor at Stevenson Academy and arranged for us to have some time off for free training there. We're heading over now. Want to join us?"

"Sure!" Wang Yu grabbed a bottle of invigorating potion and downed it in one gulp. The slight drowsiness in his mind vanished instantly. The potion wouldn't harm him; with his constitution, he didn't even need to sleep every day.

He couldn't wait to get stronger.