Seeing the frost creeping along the edges of the room, Arya pulled the quilt tightly around herself and curled up, hoping to trap whatever little warmth remained. Unfortunately, the quilt was no warmer than the air outside it. The cold seeped through mercilessly, wrapping around her like invisible ice.
Annoyed, she clicked her tongue and threw the quilt aside.
"This is unbearable…"
She quickly got out of bed, shivering as her feet touched the cold floor. Dressing in a hurry, she layered on whatever clothes she could find before heading downstairs. When she checked the time, she found that it was already past four in the morning. Dawn was still nearly two hours away, which meant she had only slept for three or four hours at most.
"Ah ha—"
She yawned deeply, rubbing her eyes. Any lingering desire to sleep vanished instantly.
Instead of forcing herself back into bed, Arya went straight to the bathroom and turned on the hot shower. Steam quickly filled the space, and as the warm water washed over her skin, the numbness slowly faded. By the time she stepped out, wrapped in a towel, her body finally felt alive again.
Once dressed, she sat down at her desk and opened the chat channel.
The moment the messages loaded, complaints flooded her screen.
"Damn it, why did it suddenly get so cold?"
"I lit a bonfire inside my shelter and barely managed to sleep for two hours."
"You wouldn't believe this, but I was literally frozen awake."
"Does anyone have cotton clothes or a cotton quilt? I'll buy them at a high price!"
"I had a cotton quilt earlier… sold it. Biggest regret of my life."
"What kind of cursed weather is this?"
"Luckily I chose a fireplace when I hit Level Two. Sitting next to it feels amazing."
"Bro, where's your shelter? I'm coming over."
"Get lost."
"I dragged my bed next to the fireplace after fighting the cold all night. Good night, everyone."
"Good night? More like good suffering."
Arya chuckled softly and shook her head.
"Tsk."
Seeing someone brag about choosing the fireplace made her feel a twinge of envy. But there was nothing she could do about it. As an Alchemist, she had no real choice back then. When the opportunity arose, choosing the Alchemy Workshop had been inevitable.
After all, how could an Alchemist survive without one?
In addition, facilities like the terrace and the storeroom were essential for her line of work. Alchemy required space, ventilation, and storage. She couldn't imagine operating without them.
"Dedicate everything you have to the cause of Alchemy," she muttered to herself, smiling faintly.
Even now, she believed her choice had been the right one.
Still…
Staring at the desk in silence, a thought suddenly crossed her mind.
Since she was an Alchemist, why not solve the problem herself?
Albert had once said that Alchemy was omnipotent. If that was true, then this freezing cold shouldn't be an unsolvable issue.
As soon as that thought surfaced, ideas began to flow rapidly through her mind. Though she was still just an apprentice-level Alchemist, she already possessed a basic understanding of potion theory.
One idea was an oral potion that could temporarily increase frost resistance. Conveniently, she already had most of the materials needed—many of them overlapped with those used to make Frost Potions.
Another idea was a self-heating item, something small enough to carry in a pocket or place under a quilt. A kind of "hand warmer," powered by alchemy. The theory could be adapted from luminous potions.
Potions generally fell into two categories: oral and external.
Both were consumables, and each had its own advantages.
The real question was which would be easier to make and more practical.
Arya leaned back in her chair, thinking carefully. She didn't want to spend another night freezing and unable to sleep. The cold was already affecting her focus and efficiency.
After a brief hesitation, she stood up and headed to the storeroom to take stock of her materials.
After completing the inventory, she came to a simple conclusion.
Since she was an adult, why not have both?
In Arya's view, these were basic daily necessities. Since both items would only be E-grade, the cost wasn't prohibitively high. Manufacturing both would give her flexibility.
The oral potion could be used while hunting or gathering resources outdoors.
The external heating item would be perfect for warming the body or placing under the quilt while sleeping.
Each served a different purpose. By producing both, she could satisfy multiple needs—and multiple customers. It was, in her opinion, the most efficient and profitable approach.
With her plan decided, she opened her communication channel and sent a message.
"Arya: Send these items to me after you wake up."
She attached a checklist of materials.
To her surprise, Roy replied almost immediately.
Roy: "Is this about the temperature drop?"
Arya: "Yes."
Roy: "Alright. I'll take care of it. Some of these items are a bit scarce right now, so it might take longer."
Arya glanced at the checklist again. Many of the materials—such as blood coral and wind-proof shells—had to be collected from the shallow sea.
Under normal circumstances, this wouldn't have been a problem. But in the current freezing weather, convincing people to dive into icy waters would be far more difficult.
Roy was clearly warning her that the labor costs would increase.
Arya replied without hesitation.
Arya: "The cost will be passed on to the customers."
She understood his meaning perfectly. Higher risk meant higher pay. Once the potions were completed, selling them at a higher price would easily cover the expense.
Besides, she herself would be the first beneficiary.
To be honest, the entire project was motivated by one simple desire—she wanted a proper night's sleep.
Once Roy delivered the materials, Arya immediately began working in the Alchemy Workshop.
Her main focus was the self-heating "hand warmer" item. Developing something new required experimentation, adjustments, and repeated failures.
In contrast, the antifreeze potion was much simpler. Its formula was already recorded in Potionology. She merely needed to refine it.
Moreover, these potions could serve as wages for the collectors willing to venture into the sea. With antifreeze protection, their efficiency would increase dramatically.
After hours of brewing, refining, and testing, the result finally appeared before her.
[Apprentice-Grade Antifreeze Potion (E)]
Effect: Increases frost resistance by 10 points for 10 minutes.
Description: A standard apprentice potion. It provides temporary resistance to cold environments. However, it is not a cure-all—know your limits.
By the end of the first day, Arya had successfully produced a thousand vials.
For comparison, the crude-grade version only increased frost resistance by 7 points. Arya tested both versions personally. Even the crude potion was usable, though its duration was noticeably shorter—sometimes lasting only a few minutes.
Since she had never personally collected materials in the sea, she wasn't sure whether this duration was sufficient.
To clarify, she consulted Roy.
According to him, since most materials were located in shallow waters, ten minutes was more than enough for experienced collectors to work efficiently.
Satisfied, Arya handed over the potions to Roy shortly after one in the afternoon.
In exchange, Roy sent her an old-fashioned kerosene stove along with more than ten liters of kerosene.
Roy: "This just came into my hands. The tank holds about 4.1 liters and can burn continuously for roughly fifteen hours when full. It should heat an area of about eleven to seventeen square meters. That should be enough for you."
Arya blinked in surprise. She hadn't even mentioned her sleeping problems, yet Roy had clearly guessed the reason.
Roy: "Kerosene is in short supply. What I gave you is all I have for now. I'll try to get more later."
He wasn't exaggerating. Originally, he had intended to keep the stove for himself. But considering Arya's importance as a researcher, he decided she needed it more.
After all, a well-rested Alchemist was far more valuable.
As for himself, he still had a charcoal stove with a chimney. It would be colder, but manageable.
Arya didn't dwell on it too much. Kerosene didn't exist naturally in this world and was most likely obtained from supply boxes.
Still, if coal and iron ore could be mined, then oil should exist somewhere as well.
The real question was—
Could Alchemy extract it?
With the kerosene stove warming the room and new potions ready for distribution, Arya leaned back in her chair, feeling a rare sense of comfort.
For tonight, at least, the cold would no longer be her enemy.
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