After leaving the Forest Station, the three spirits assisting Tenjo Hikari couldn't continue traveling with them.
The relationships among spirits from different regions weren't that friendly.
In regions like the Healing Zone, where as long as there's no destruction, you can seek healing from the Aromage Masters, are rare at the Critical Point.
Therefore, they could only wait for Tenjo Hikari and the others outside the area.
However, that was fine, because upon reaching the regional junction, they could take a train from Kaiba Company to other regions.
Tenjo Hikari didn't make them wait long, telling them to head straight back to the Knight Zone, while they boarded the Kaiba Company train.
"Recently, this area is undergoing renovations, and you students can stay at the base for a while." When Tenjo Hikari and the others wanted to go to another region, the people from Kaiba Company stopped them, informing them they could stay near the Kaiba Company station.
Kaiba Company provides free dormitories for students, and even has spare classrooms for students to review their courses.
Duelists can even wait at the station for those duelists with "Marks" to arrive, then challenge them, thus directly obtaining the Mark and saving travel time.
The competition spans half a year, so Kaiba Company has made all the necessary preparations.
At the station, there's even a large dueling arena prepared.
And since the competition lasts six months, Tenjo Hikari didn't need to rush. After a brief discussion with his two companions, they stopped at the Forest Station to review their courses and also teach Serena alchemy.
Serena was quite confused about alchemy.
After Teacher Daitokuji's passing, Duel Academy no longer taught students alchemy, but Tenjo Hikari thought if Serena wanted to learn it herself, it would be quite necessary.
After all, in this world, "alchemy" is an "external manifestation of fusion."
Judai, with his extraordinary alchemy talent, could create all sorts of new heroes through fusion, while Tenjo Hikari could use alchemy to selectively create some low-level monsters he needed.
Serena didn't have plans to change her deck, and she wasn't entirely committed to the "Path of Fusion," but she was currently in a state of uncertainty about what to do, making it easier for her to learn new types of things.
A simple introduction to see if she was interested. If she was, they'd continue teaching. If not, Tenjo Hikari wouldn't force her.
After all, alchemy requires tremendous talent.
Interestingly, Serena seemed to possess some talent.
However, unlike Judai's natural alchemy talent or Tenjo Hikari's integrative talent, Serena's talent wasn't "strong," but was more about reconciliation and coordination.
An incomplete soul, huh.
Tenjo Hikari observed Serena, recalling what Tierra had mentioned to him.
Serena was fiddling with a few experiments, tapping on a metal rod, which emitted a glowing green light, and she showed a delighted expression before excitedly looking at Tenjo Hikari, holding the item with trembling excitement.
Tenjo Hikari applauded and praised her performance, acknowledging it well.
Of course, her "incomplete soul" wasn't like Dinosaur Lyuzaki's case but rather that her soul was inherently less than other humans.
Although she far exceeded her peers in "strength," "quantity" seemed less.
Tenjo Hikari knew this.
In the original work, Serena was a fragment of "Ray" split in the Fusion Dimension.
As someone in the original world who could split human souls through cards, and even split worlds, her talent was unquestionable.
However, she might need to compensate gradually, unlike Tenjo Hikari or Judai, who were efficient.
So, teaching Serena alchemy was truly a very correct decision.
Initially, losing her direction and remaining with only the "Fusion Department seniors" and "dueling," Serena finally developed an interest in something new.
"Why do these two things glow when mixed, Master?"
Having never seen such interesting experiments from childhood, either wandering or learning dueling in a confinement room, Serena witnessed the surprising phenomenon and was filled with curiosity, showing the innocence and inquisitiveness appropriate for her age.
"Ha... Alchemy, isn't it marvelous?"
Tenjo Hikari explained the principles while chuckling, much like Teacher Daitokuji had taught him before.
While teaching her, Tenjo Hikari also pondered his studies.
After completing the "Dimension Gate" and "improving the Dimension Gate," Tenjo Hikari naturally couldn't put alchemy aside, continuing to delve into the Emerald Book, never forgetting the goal of discovering the "Mage Domain."
During this period, Tenjo Hikari also solved two "riddles" and connected with two old acquaintances of Teacher Daitokuji.
Although not Ah Lai, it was still considered a good thing.
However—
Lately, Tenjo Hikari's research hit a snag.
Because his current research topic was arguably the most challenging yet, even more so than mastering Super Polymerization to some extent.
The foundational process of alchemy is destruction and re-creation, purification and enhancement.
Tenjo Hikari had perfected destruction and re-creation, and he could achieve purification and enhancement during duels.
But what Tenjo Hikari most wanted to accomplish was...
While Serena was once again fiddling with a distillation experiment, Tenjo Hikari took the opportunity to retrieve two cards from his pocket.
Armityle the Chaos Phantasm and Raviel, Lord of Phantasms.
Unlike Armityle, which was fully materialized, Raviel's card appeared quite fragmented, devoid of vitality.
Perhaps because of the Fusion Army's failure, Akaba Leo couldn't feed the Phantasm bodies in the short term, causing this replicated card's condition to be poor.
Of course—to Tenjo Hikari, it didn't matter.
Tenjo Hikari never forgot that Armityle was fused from "Lord of Searing Flames," "Lord of Striking Thunder," and Serena's drawn "Hex-Sealed Fusion."
That card held special significance!
Indeed.
No mistake!
Tenjo Hikari's next subject is—destruction, re-creation, purification, enhancement... an Ultimate Fusion Card.
Compared to other experiments and attempts, all related content of this alchemical subject was Tenjo Hikari's first experience.
Because for Tenjo Hikari's alchemy, all Fusion Monsters were "gold!"
He hadn't even succeeded in creating a Fusion Monster Card himself!
Ha...
So, this endeavor was nearly equivalent to creating the [Philosopher's Stone]!
He became a new-school alchemist, as Wanrong claimed, disregarding gold, seeking the "Philosopher's Stone."
He shook his head and put the cards away.
The project was extremely difficult.
His current alchemical knowledge, application, and practical performance had reached their peak, and he could even use the Emerald Book to achieve special alchemical abilities like changing his appearance, essentially surpassing limits.
In other words, he now could only break through from other domains, like previously observing the D-wheel.
Such as teaching others, or watching how others achieve polymerization.