1 Chapter 1

Under the cliff, there was a boundless amount of deep blue water with some silver reflection appearing and disappearing under the rays of the sun.

As Alex's gaze wandered towards the horizon he could distinguish less and less the sea from the sky until this frail fringe completely disappeared in the distance.

He turned around.

An old man was busy creating some sort of potion. Wrinkles on his face were as numerous as the signs of the erosion of time on the nearby cliff but, despite advanced age, his hands were quick. His movements - precise.

Suddenly he raised his head fiercely sending his deep blue hair backward. There were some silver-colored strands among them. Alexander also had the same particular hair color.

"Done." – In his hands, there was a test tube filled with some sort of shining greenish liquid which he immediately poured on the ground behind him. – "Come here, Alexander."

"Grandfather." – Respectfully said the skinny youth as he got near his grandfather.

Meanwhile from the spot where the liquid was poured started growing a small sprout filled with infinite vitality. – "What family are we from, Alexander?" – Asked the old man completely expressionless. His grey eyes were focused on the youth's face.

Alexander, as he knew where this question will lead, sighed but solemnly answered. – "Floranne." – And after a quick deliberation added. – "Children of the Skysea."

The old man nodded slowly and answered the untold lamentation expressed by the earlier sigh of the youth. – "Whatever you want it or not, somethings must be said at certain points of life." – He frowned. – "For example, right now, as I send my grandchild towards his Alchemic Path while knowing that he will probably never return home."

The frown became even deeper.

Alexander sighed again. – "Come on Grandpa, you have many other grandchildren…" – He paused as if to say something else, but the air never left his lungs. He simply smiled warmly towards the old man.

Floranne. The name, famous in myriad worlds, the name of one of the most ancient families of the Skysea world. As prestigious as it was, not even its descendants could avoid being sent towards the Old Void in search of their Alchemic Path.

As one child turned thirteen, he was sent towards a random world in the infinite cosmic space known as the Old Void. Many outsiders think that this is too much, but due to many reasons, Skysea only needed the strongest and could not sustain the weaker ones.

It had too many ongoing wars and many people wanted to enslave them for their abilities.

Only after the children reach the point in their Alchemic Path when they could travel among the different worlds and return home, only then they were qualified to become true Skysea Alchemists.

*Cough* - "What was I saying…Ah, yes." – His face returned to complete seriousness. – "We, Florannes, are the children of this sea. It is our mother. It is our father. And no parent lives one's child with no possibilities. Your talent…" – He paused. – "…is the worst I have ever seen. Something that not even hard work alone can overcome in my opinion. If you try to advance to the second Minor Step your body will be crippled or will directly crumble…"

Alexander just continued to smile. His grandfather was frank and merciless in his judgment, but he was just stating facts. Alexander was not such a petty individual to be offended by the harsh reality. And he already had some ideas about how to overcome this…condition.

"But…" – The old man continued. – "There is a reason why the Alchemic Path has such a name. It implies possibilities. It is flexible and with infinite variations. If your grimoire is with you, you will always have tools, and if you can use well that thing above your shoulders, these tools will never stop working. Will never stop opening your new and original path."

Alexander nodded. He knew that this was not a generic farewell. His grandfather meant what he said.

The words 'New and original' path placed Alexander on the same potential height as the all-King, Skysea's ruler, and strongest alchemist. It was said that his Path was unique and not limited by thirteen steps as everybody else's.

This comparison was arrogant, but what grandfather does not home for their descendants to reach the peaks themselves could not.

*Thud* The old man suddenly placed his hands on Alexander's shoulders. The youth immediately felt enormous pressure slowly crushing him. – "Also, never forget. If we fall…"

Alexander continued. – "Then we will rise."

"If we bow…" – The pressure rose quickly. Alexander's muscles were in pain and bones were tense

"…then nothing can be above us."

"Without freedom…" – His body was about to be smashed.

"…only death awaits!" – Said the boy through the gritted teeth and suddenly the pressure disappeared, and the old man smiled warmly. – "Good. Never forget."

Alexander was gasping for breath and could not answer properly but what he was thinking was already reflected in his grey eyes.

'I will not, grandfather.'

What was only a newborn sprout a few minutes ago now already grew into a mature and robust plant. It naturally formed a structure similar to a gate. Seven flowers had already bloomed on its internal part and the other three buds were already mature and about to open too.

'Floral Gate potion.' Thought Alexander. He has seen it already a few times before. It was one of his grandfather's original potions derived from his Alchemic Path. Its main use was to create a gateway to another point in space… 'Or, to another world.'

As the final, tenth, bud bloomed the old man threw some king of powder towards the gate. Immediately the flowers started moving as if they were alive and, in response, ejected some sort of pollen.

'Grandfather threw the catalyst to activate the gate. It should be… [White Dragon's Bone Powder]?' – He frowned as he could not remember the reagent.

"It's [White Dragon's Bone Powder] permeated with one drop of [Floral Blood]." – Grandfather explained. – "Without [Floral Blood] the gate…"

"…has not enough life force to connect to another world." – Alexander completed the sentence. The old man nodded.

A mirror-like membrane formed inside the gate and the tenth flowers started withering quickly.

"Now go. I hope that you will return safely and strong enough to…"

"I will Grandpa, I certainly will."

With that, he stepped inside the gate. As his skinny silhouette completely vanished the remaining flowers withered at once and the gate slowly crumbled.

The old man stood there for a few more minutes thinking about something then vanished on the spot.

[…]

'What…!?' – As he stepped inside the portal, immediately he wanted to scream. More from panic than from an actual danger.

But no scream could leave his mouth.

There was even no mouth at all. 'What…is…what is happening…' For a second his mind became sluggish. He completely could not feel his body.

He was surrounded by darkness.

'Calm…calm down…it…it is just as described by books…' – He slowly became more accustomed to his current condition. 'But far more impactful.'

'Since I am not even at the first minor step of my Alchemic Path, I normally would not be able to survive even a split-second trip through the Old Void.' Some memories and knowledge he read surfaced in his mind. 'Floral gate isolates the mind from the outside world, and protects the body…Grandfather once told me that unless one becomes Spirit Grimoire Alchemist, one could not even withstand looking at the Old Void…I can only wait until I arrive at the destination.'

'Who knows if I will be able to even get to the Bronze Grimoire level…with a body that cannot withstand even one complete Major Step…well…will think about it after getting to the first Minor Step.'

'What kind of world will I get in…who knows. The most important things to understand are the society and power structure of the world and the presence and distribution of the natural resources…Hope for something a bit uncivilized…with many plants…animals…ores…'

Many random thoughts were flooding his mind as his body was drifting towards the unknown direction. Just e few millimeters above his skin there was a thin green membrane that protected the youth from virtually any harm.

'I will quickly find my path…return to Skysea…and will be as powerful as the all-King…the last step of the Alchemic Path…'

He couldn't see that but, in the distance, appeared a giant landmass. It was impossible to distinguish anything but the generic colors…brown, red, yellow…black…

Three huge suns were slowly rotating around the landmass completely illuminating it at any moment of the day. Above the ground, one could already distinguish some huge flying objects which resembled…cities.

Alexander still hoped for a natural paradise as the landmass drew closer and closer.