It takes a lot of concentration and focus to melt the Life Crystal without having it transforms or morphs into a Fire Crystal.
Too high temperature, and it will do just that. Too low temperature, and it will refuse to liquify.
And I need it to be in liquid form to save Thomas. Not for him to drink the damn thing as that will just speed up his monsterification. The energy stores within the Life Crystal is far too much for anyone to consume safely, and for me to get the correct diluted state right now is kind of impossible.
Not because I am terrible at Alchemy. It is because I do not have the necessary tools with me. Alchemy is not exactly science, as that is called Chemistry.
Understanding both Alchemy and Chemistry allows for some interesting creations.
While it is possible to perform Alchemy without being an Alchemist, it is insanely difficult. The System corrects any mistakes that an acknowledged Alchemist might made as well as granting them skills and abilities belonging to their class. Not so much for me, since I am a Merchant, not an Alchemist.
"What are you doing now, Zan?" Alex questions after he finish checking out the whole area. Since both side of the tunnel are blocked, there is not much to explore.
"You sure ask a lot of questions, Alex. Why can't you be like Alice there, watching me and learning by observation?" I response and continue to maintain my attention at the pot. Alex seems to understand, as he stops bothering me. Instead, he watches what I am doing.
Once the Life Crystal liquify completely, I remove the pot from flame and let it cool down. Once it is in that state, it will not return to its original state. The same if it is in gas form like the Fog of Evolution.
Magic items do not follow the law of physics, at least not completely. Despite that, their behaviors do follow some sort of set rules. Otherwise, doing anything will lead to chaos.
I take a rest afterwards and check my backpack for some snacks. It has been a long day, and I need to fill my stomach. Alice has her own backpack. Alex as well along with Jessica and her brother. The only one who does are Debra, Teressa and Cindy, as they join the group too late.
Of course, Jessica shares some of her foods with them. Alex and Alice also did. I decide to do so as well even thought I want to charge them for it.
"Eat, Jessica. Being all gloomy will not do anyone good, and you will need your strength for whatever happens," I advise her while finishing my can of soup. It feels kind of strange having to eat once more now that I have returned to the past. I have not eaten anything in a long time, so the taste is very, very powering.
"Whatever happens?" Jessica questions. "Please save my brother, Zander. I will give you whatever you want from me."
"Hmm…" I murmur. "I will not promise anything, but I will try my best. Now, do what I tell you since I do not want to deal with your brother when he wakes up."
Jessica heeds my words and tries to eat something. While she does that, I pay attention to Alice since I haven't pay attention to her as of late. Simply because there are too many stuffs on my mind.
"Here, Alice. This tastes pretty good," I offer her my food, and it instantly makes her cheerful.