Early the next day, while having breakfast, Light asked Boggin to teach him Alchemy!
Boggin respectfully agreed but warned Light that learning Alchemy was not safe, and accidents were not uncommon.
"Is it very dangerous?" Light frowned and recalled that the books he had read mainly introduced the principles of Alchemy with few practical cases.
"Of course, it's dangerous. Generally speaking, Alchemy can be divided into two categories! Ancient Alchemy and Modern Alchemy!"
"Ancient Alchemy is mainly based on extracting life - force and transforming substances! Many evil magical rituals and even The Three Unforgivable Curses originated from it."
"All the Dark Magic Spells props that are currently in circulation were made using the ancient method of Alchemy. They are relatively easy to make, but the risk of backlash is very high."
"What about Modern Alchemy?" Light pondered for a moment and then continued to ask. Although Boggin was definitely proficient in making Dark Magic Spells props, Light didn't want to go in that direction.
"Modern Alchemy was proposed by Nicolas Flamel. It is based on magical scripts and directly engraves Spells on objects, thus eliminating the need for the casting process."
"However, when making Spells props, if you make a mistake in depicting the magical scripts, an explosion will occur!"
After Boggin finished speaking, he stopped waiting for Light's decision.
Light had to admit that Boggin had the qualities of a good teacher. After listening to his explanation, he immediately understood the differences and risks between the two schools.
"Well, which one are you better at? Do you have any suggestions?" Light thought for a moment and then threw the question back to Boggin.
After a brief consideration, Boggin shared his thoughts:
"I'm better at Ancient Alchemy! But I also know something about Modern Alchemy! If you're a beginner in Alchemy, I suggest you start with Modern Alchemy."
Boggin's answer didn't surprise Light too much. However, he became curious when he heard the last part.
"Why do you suggest beginners learn Modern Alchemy?"
"Because Modern Alchemy is more controllable, and there are enough references in the literature. There shouldn't be too many problems."
"On the other hand, Ancient Alchemy is too unpredictable and requires a high level of expertise. Moreover, many precious books have been collected by big families or destroyed."
Boggin spilled all the beans about what he knew.
"Okay, then I'll start with Modern Alchemy and get the basics first." After listening to Boggin's suggestion, Light quickly made a decision.
After a hasty breakfast, the two headed towards the basement, and the shop was closed!
Instead of going directly to the working area, Boggin led Light in the dark to a secret book - storage room and gave him a key.
"This is the key to the book - storage room. All the literature you need to study and refer to is in there!" After that, Boggin took Light to another more secluded room.
Light followed Boggin to a small door in the corner and watched in astonishment as he unlocked multiple security locks and took out a large slate!
Light watched as Boggin gasped while carrying the half - human - tall slate on his back and suddenly seemed to understand why he was hunched.
Light helped Boggin carry the stone slab to the workspace. Looking at Boggin who had finished taking a rest, he asked curiously, "What is this? Didn't you say you'd teach me Modern Alchemy? Or is it related to this stone slab?"
"Indeed, it is. The Spells in the modern magical system are mainly constructed with Latin! This is because the Ancient Magical Scripts have been lost, and we can only use this inefficient way to cast Spells."
Saying this, Boggin tidied up his clothes and then said solemnly.
"The inscriptions on this stone slab are the third - generation magical scripts, which can be said to be the oldest script still existing in the wizarding world and also the most precious heirloom of our family."
Light was at a loss for words for a moment, looking at the serious and solemn Boggin.
"Can you explain it to me?" Light couldn't help speaking up after seeing Boggin showing off his pride for a long time.
Hearing Light's words, Boggin snapped out of his proud state and respectfully replied.
"Boss! I've mentioned before that the modern magical system is composed of Latin, and its expressions are often less precise than those of ancient scripts. There's a higher chance of accidentally hurting oneself when casting Spells with Latin!"
"The same goes for alchemical items! Using ancient scripts can reduce the risks when making alchemical items to a certain extent!"
"We can arrange the Ancient Magical Scripts in a specific way to achieve more precise effects than modern Spells."
"Moreover, learning the magical scripts will be very helpful for learning Ancient Alchemy in the future."
Boggin sincerely explained the function of the stone slab and the purpose of taking it out.
"How can I interpret them?" Light looked at the sparse hundred or so ancient characters on it, feeling a bit of a headache.
"Boss, the key is already in your hands! There are the achievements of several generations of our family in the book - storage room!"
Boggin looked at Light with burning eyes, very satisfied with his decision to disclose his family's secrets.
Feeling his eager gaze, Light couldn't help shrinking his head and said guiltily:
"So I have to memorize the translated characters of your family first, right?"
Boggin kept nodding and also praised Light's intelligence. This made Light feel even more guilty!
"What's next?" Light interrupted Boggin's flattery of him awkwardly and guiltily.
Boggin also came to his senses, stopped flattering Light, and continued to talk about the next steps!
"The second step is to engrave the Ancient Magical Scripts that can operate stably on the items."
"Finally, arrange the Ancient Magical Scripts to make it cast Spells stably. The missing characters can be filled with Latin."
While talking, Boggin led Light to the book - storage room and took out dozens of translations of the Ancient Magical Scripts!
"There are unexpectedly many!" Light watched as Boggin used a small cart to carry the books.
"It can't be helped. After all, each character needs definite information to prove its effect, otherwise it's very dangerous!"
While looking for books, Boggin explained to Light why there were so many books to explain just a hundred or so Ancient Magical Scripts.
Boggin pushed the cart full of books and followed Light towards the workspace.
"Boss! Let's start learning!" Boggin stood in front of the stone slab and began to explain the meaning of the Ancient Magical Scripts!
"This inverted cross has a horizontal line cutting off the bottom part, representing that a thing is interrupted at the very beginning. It can be used to make defensive props."
"This character is narrower at the bottom and wider at the top, representing the expansion of an event. It can be used to make enhancement-type props."
"This character..."
...
During this week, with Boggin's dedicated teaching and Light's enhanced talent and unremitting efforts, Light finally learned and understood all the Ancient Magical Scripts.
At the same time, Light also received a message from the stone stele: "Skills: Ancient Magical Scripts: 2".