The second season of Alchemy of Souls wrapped up its 10-episode arc by addressing whether Naksu and Jang Uk would finally find happiness together or sacrifice their dreams for a greater cause.
Naksu and Jang Uk’s relationship has been fraught with challenges since the beginning. Naksu’s identity as an assassin who practiced forbidden magic marked her as a tragic figure.
Secrets unfurl in a magical realm where destiny reunites lost souls (Photo: Alchemy of Souls/Studio Dragon)The first season saw her soul inhabiting Mudeok’s body. However, by the season finale, Mudeok, under Jin-mu’s control, stabbed Jang Uk and then drowned herself in the lake where Jin Bu-yeon had uncovered the potent ice stone.
Season 2 reveals long-held secrets and reunites Naksu and Jang Uk
As season two emerge, it was disclosed that Mudeok was, in reality, Jin Bu-yeon, rescued by the Jin family with assistance from Senior Mage Lee.
He chose to keep this truth hidden for three years. Yet destiny ensured Naksu and Jang Uk crossed paths again. Their realization of the truth about each other emerged in the eighth episode.
Naksu’s sacrifice takes center stage in the season’s story
Residing in Jin Bu-yeon’s body, Naksu resolved to vanish silently by entering a magical prison. However, fate intervened, and she returned unscathed. Jang Uk, now aware of her true identity, decided to remain by her side as her soul slowly faded.
Jin Bu-yeon prophesied that the world would descend into chaos if the fire bird was unleashed from its confines. Only someone with Jin Seol-ran’s unique abilities, the founder of the Jin lineage, could halt such destruction. Accepting this dire reality, Jang Uk recognized the impossibility of Naksu’s survival if he were to save the world.
Jin-mu’s return sparks a climactic showdown
Jang Uk prepared to part ways with Naksu, believing the danger had passed with Jin-mu’s imprisonment. However, the King, fearing Songrim’s dominance, betrayed them.
Jin-mu found a vacant ice stone within the prison and used it, alongside his dwindling magic, to transfer his soul into Seo Yoon-oh’s body. This move secured him the King’s approval and support from the Unanimous Assembly, who saw awakening the fire bird as a means to strip Jang Uk of his power.
Faced with this catastrophic threat, Jin Bu-yeon, revealed as the reincarnation of Jin Seol-ran, allied with Jang Uk to counter Jin-mu’s schemes.
With assistance from the crown prince and Songrim, they minimized the damage caused by the fire bird. Their combined efforts led to triumph, yet uncertainty about Naksu’s fate lingered.
A resolution brings closure and a new beginning
In the closing moments of episode 10, Jin Seol-ran relinquished control of Jin Bu-yeon’s body to Naksu after the fire bird’s defeat. With the approval of the mages of Jinyowon and Songrim, Jang Uk and Naksu began their lives together as a married couple.
Entrusted with the duty of tracking down escaped relics from Jinyowon, they embraced a new chapter, balancing their responsibilities and newfound happiness.
