Alchemy (Heroic Chronicles)

"What? You thought that just because I merely altered the surroundings to my fancy, that I have nothing to lose? Don't be a fool! The sheer fact that I did so was done out of sacrifice, something that couldn't be avoided. Though I may gained something, I also lost something of equal value. That's the basis of all alchemy, no exceptions."

- An Alchemist explaining the price of utilizing such an art, alluding to one of its core principles.

Alchemy (錬金術, Renkinjutsu), also referred to as the Natural Reforging Method (然鍛造式, Zentanzō-shiki), is a highly-advanced form of casting that's said to be as ancient as the Ancient Magics of the Thirteen Otherworldly Virtues; it's considered to be one of the first known methods of controlling energy — specifically, the various atoms and particles making up all of creation, allowing its users to synchronize and manipulate their surroundings through unnatural, and sometimes dangerous means. It's later integrated and utilized in various sciences, allowing for further development of human society; most scientists and philosophers are considered to be such users, employing its various benefits with their theories and practices in order to create something extraordinary.

Though supplementary in nature, this is also used as a form of combat — re-organizing the environment to suit their fancy. Practitioners of this art are commonly referred to as an Alchemist (錬金術師, Renkinjutsushi). Interestingly enough, one must have immeasurable talent in spellcasting in order to employ Alchemy due to its complexity; due to this, it's considered to be a rarity in the modern era and such users are highly-valued in society.

Overview
"To gain something, another of equal value must be lost. That is the principle for Alchemy, and to an extent, the way we live our lives."

- An Alchemist explaining a core principle of alchemy.

Trivia

 * Most of the information here is based on the anime/manga series, Full Metal Alchemist — one of the author's favorite series for various reasons: one of which is that it's just so fucking awesome =w=
 * This article was created because of the author wanting to theorize the principles behind Mass Manipulation; he saw that it had some parallels with the concepts in the aforementioned series, and decided to expound on it as much as possible for more sensibility.