Initium Alchimistae(chapter 1)

Chapter 1

New York City, 2011. Inside a one-bedroom, one-bathroom, one-living-room apartment, there was a young currently sitting in the living room. The man was 6 feet 3 inches tall, with olive skin and bright orange eyes that lit up like a flame. He was currently holding his head as he digested the memories of his new body. That's right, the man sitting on the sofa was not the original owner of the body but rather a reincarnator who had taken over the body after the previous owner died. The previous owner, named Henry, just Henry, was a 26-year-old, single orphan man who, after years of struggle that started in his teens, was finally able to secure not only a job but also an apartment, He says he is an orphan, but he doesn't know his parents.

However, life seemed to be cruel to him. Just a week into his new life, he died of a heart attack, mysterious, allowing a soul to take his place. However, this soul was not ordinary but rather a champion sent into this world to prepare for a cosmic-scale war. He wasn't sent here empty-handed, however. [Ding!] [Congrats to the host for awakening the alchemy system. Please level your alchemy class to unlock more skills.] Seeing the floating screen, which was his ticket to becoming a god or even more, Henry sighed as his head pounded with a headache.

"Guess I could be considered lucky for spawning with a stable job and an apartment. According to Goldie, others don't even get to spawn with clean clothes, well it makes sense, I am just better" he said, then summoned his open status panel.

[Name: Henry]

[Mana: 100% (1 mana lasts for 1 minute, 1 mana can be recovered every 1 minute)]

[Class: Alchemy: lv.1 (0%)]

[Skills:

Potion-synthesis: You can synthesize two plants/materials by melting them together using mana, as long as the materials do not possess two opposing qualities, with a 19% chance of getting a second-grade potion and a 1% chance of getting a third-grade potion. Tier: 1 (0%)]

"So this is my lifeline." Inspecting his skill levels and MP, Henry nodded for a minute as he thought, "So I have 100 minutes to synthesize a potion using two materials " he mused as the system shoved how to use his abilities and the system's functions into his head, which induced another round of headaches, which he didn't complain about. "Well, this is awfully convenient," he sighed as he got up before heading to the kitchen, where he looked around at the things in his kitchen, especially the things in the fridge where he kept some of his perishable plants, yes, in the fridge.

The first plant he picked was ginseng, which, the moment he touched it, a floating screen appeared.

[Name: Ginseng]

[Grade: 1st]

[Description: Ginseng is a root plant known for its adaptogenic properties, which help the body adapt to stress and boost energy levels. It is often consumed as a tonic to enhance physical stamina and strength.]

[Effects: +10% energy boost, +10% endurance increase, +10% immune system support.]

[Deterioration Rate: 44%]

"Hmm, 1st-grade items usually provide effects that range from 0-10%, and each plant has multiple different effects. The target is for me to get the desired effect," he thought as he recalled the information provided by the system. He then looked for another item. Most of them had already deteriorated so much they were unusable before he found another.

[Name: Beetroot]

[Grade: 1st]

[Description: Beetroot is a root vegetable rich in nitrates, which are converted into nitric oxide in the body. Nitric oxide helps improve blood flow and oxygen delivery to muscles, enhancing strength and endurance.]

[Effects: +10% muscle strength, +10% endurance increase, +10% blood flow improvement.]

[Deterioration-Rate: 50%]

"Hmm, maybe I should try this," he mused as he took out a glass cup before returning to the sofa where he placed the three items down and then settled himself. "Alright, it hasn't even been five minutes, and I am already attempting to create my first potion," he smiled as he got rid of his distraction before he divided his herbs into five different portions, not wanting to waste all of the materials. He activated his MP, which caused his eyes to glow blue, "Alright, let's do this," he said as he activated his only skill, causing the portion he wanted to use to glow before they started to float.

He then stretched out his hand, moving it as if he had a ball in his hand, rotating it everywhere. Slowly, the portion of material he was using started to glow brighter and brighter before liquefying into a green liquid. However, just turning the herbs into a liquid took five minutes, and he was sweating, but the first step was done. He then had to mix the two liquids, but that was easier said than done, and the liquids weren't mixing easily, causing the two green liquids to turn black before the skill was deactivated. "Fuck," Henry cursed as he panted; just keeping his concentration took immense effort.

"Well, I wasn't expecting it to be easy," he sighed as he tried again with his second portion, which also failed after ten minutes. He tried again despite feeling tired, and failed again. On his next attempt, he finally succeeded as one small green liquid and one red combined and mixed together, forming a bigger bubble of red-greenish liquid, which he then placed inside the glass of water. "Oh, finally," a sweating and panting Henry said, holding a glass of water filled with green and reddish liquid inside as he smiled. "Well, this is what it's like being an alchemist. Although it's just a 1st-grade potion, it's a start," he laughed as he stared at the floating screen of his new potion.

[Name: Strength Tonic]

[Grade: 1st]

[Description: The Strength Tonic is a potent elixir crafted from the synergistic blend of Ginseng and Beetroot, two powerful plants known for their physical enhancing properties. This tonic focuses on boosting strength and endurance, making it ideal for those seeking to push their physical limits.]

[Effects: +10% muscle strength for the next 10 minutes]

[Deterioration-Rate: 33%]

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A/N: Well, what do you guys think of the first chapter? Hopefully, you like it. I will update daily until I run out of stock, then I will take some time to restock. So, yeah, stay tuned!