Chapter 1 The Black Market

The "Shadow Alley" black market had many good things; the treasures in the various shops dazzled the eyes.

But Suren didn't plan to stay long.

The black market has its own survival rules, and naturally there are "rats" living in the shadows. Before coming, Kai had specifically told Suren. Some wandering gangs often loiter around the black market, and they like to do things like killing people for their goods. Even members of the three major gangs weren't safe from those guys.

He had just bought tens of thousands of yuan worth of materials, and his wealth was exposed.

For people in the outer city, this was already a fortune that could incite murder.

After leaving "Rosen's Alchemy Shop" and passing a bookstore, Suren casually picked up a few introductory alchemy knowledge books and took them with him: *The Book of Secrets*, *Natural Things and Secret Things*, *Basic Alchemy Knowledge*...

In the outer city, knowledge is expensive. Apart from antiques from wasteland hunting, all books come from the inner city, especially alchemy books, which are even more expensive and belong to the category of true luxury goods.

Although Suren had previously extracted some alchemy knowledge from corpses, it was fragmented and completely unsystematic.

He even lacked a lot of common knowledge.

He knew very well that if he wanted to go further in alchemy in the future, his need for knowledge would only increase.

…

Suren left the black market and took the steam train back to Grin Street.

He wanted to find a place where he wouldn't be disturbed to set up the alchemical array for his class change, only to realize that the gang hadn't arranged accommodation.

Probably because they thought it wasn't necessary.

After all, for most gang members, taverns and brothels were their "homes". Even if accommodation was arranged, those guys wouldn't be there for more than a few days a month.

In the end, Suren found a hotel.

The walls were not soundproof, and strange noises came from the left and right: the rhythmic creaking of the steel bed, the moans of the girls, the crack of the whip...

Suren automatically shielded himself from these alluring sounds, pursed his lips and said, "It's really dirty..."

Looking at the room again, the corners of the walls were damp and dilapidated, and there was a gray-white bedding on the simple iron bed. There were some stains on the sheets that looked like blood. Under the bed, there was a thick layer of years of dust, cigarette butts, and hair.

The room always made people feel an lingering musty smell rushing into their noses.

But it didn't matter, Suren didn't plan to sleep anyway.

As an ordinary gang member, as long as he wasn't stupid, he wouldn't be so high-profile as to find a super luxury hotel to spend the night. He just wanted to find a place where he wouldn't be disturbed to set up the conversion ritual.

He pushed the bed away, swept the bottom of the bed with a broom, and cleared an open space about three meters in diameter.

Then he took out the alchemy materials he had bought in the black market.

Using six white crystals as fulcrums, he arranged a hexagram pattern. Then, he mixed red copper powder and lizard powder in proportion, and used the powder as ink to draw a circular pattern, and then used mercury salt liquid to draw the Ouroboros and Libra symbols...

The alchemical conversion array required for the "class change" is the most basic alchemical array, with simple runes and uncomplicated materials. As long as the specific materials and patterns are placed in the correct position, it can produce a wonderful magical reaction.

Suren carefully arranged it, and after about half an hour, he completely drew the conversion array.

"Huff... A slightly more advanced basic alchemical array costs tens of thousands, no wonder there are so few 'Old School' magic alchemists. It's purely a money-burning profession..."

Suren was slightly emotional.

In his impression, alchemists of the ancient magic system needed to set up similar alchemical arrays every time they cast a spell to convert elements.

Casting a spell is actually equal to burning money.

There is also a saying circulating in the alchemist world: In this world, there is nothing that alchemy cannot do; if there is, it is because there is not enough money to burn.

He didn't think too much about the past. Being able to become stronger made all the effort worthwhile.

Suren took out the wooden box containing the [Rune Golem] and opened it without hesitation.

The most important thing to become a professional is the "class change material".

…

The essence of "class change" is to allow the extraordinary characteristics in the material to be fused and transferred into the human body through a conversion ritual.

There are also various class change materials sold on the market, which are not too expensive, with a market price of about 100,000 Lisos.

Those materials are generally extracted by wasteland hunters who hunt down magical creatures in the catacombs, then extract materials with cursed characteristics from the magical creatures, and then use specific magic patterns to create alchemical objects.

Suren now also knew that the materials sold on the market were all black iron materials.

But in fact, there are also higher-quality "silver materials."

But silver-quality class change materials are "controlled goods", and can hardly be seen except in large commercial banks in the inner city, and they are also rare items. These are things monopolized by large families and chaebols.

This is almost the best class change material that alchemists in Old London can make.

But in fact, the best class change material is not silver material, but "cursed objects" passed down from ancient times.

That kind of thing that can only be encountered but not sought is called "gold material".

Just like the golden-quality [Cursed Object - Rune Golem] that Suren obtained.

Because all class change materials that can be eroded by time are of extremely high quality. They are often left by the best of the ancient alchemists, allowing people to awaken some special abilities and rare professions.

For example, the mystic Golemancer.

…

"That long-lost sense of anticipation..."

Suren took out the rune golem, with a hint of excitement on his face.

The "class change" ritual is not completely without risk. Failure means being backlashed and deformed by the cursed characteristics in the class change material.

But for Suren, he didn't have to worry about this problem.

The All-Knowing Eye (Quan Zhi Zhi Yan) identified that the magic circle he drew could be used normally, and the compatibility between the class change item and the body was also very high, so there was no reason to fail.

He stood in the center of the hexagram array, placed the golem doll in the center of the Ouroboros pattern, and then chanted a spell: "Following the law of equivalent exchange of all things, praise the glory of the original creator, and witness the miracle of creation with alchemy..."

The content of the spell is very simple. It is not a spell like that of a magician asking a certain god to grant power, but merely a short phrase like a maxim.

It is said that it is actually okay not to recite it.

Saying this sentence is only for a greater "sense of ritual."

Because alchemists do not believe in any gods. In their eyes, even the so-called gods are just higher beings who have mastered certain high-level laws, and they must also follow the principle of equivalent exchange.

If they really want to believe in anything, alchemists only believe in the "original creator", which is the beginning that created everything in the universe.

Suren was not careless, he still followed the procedures that should be followed.

As expected, when the spell fell, the conversion array lit up with a dazzling blue light.

The six white crystals gathered the magical energy of the entire array, and then became brighter and brighter, and the mysterious power became stronger and stronger.

Suren looked calm. He watched the golem doll on the ground melt in the light, and then gradually merged into the hexagram array.

Then, that dazzling light wrapped around him like vines, and visible light particles窜 entered his skin.

That mysterious power gradually merged into his body.