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Chapter 386: Fusion Alchemy
🕑 Added 2024-10-24 07:10:37 +0000 UTC"What… was that just now?"
Riley, following closely behind Rhett, looked up at the sky in astonishment. The crimson meteor had already disappeared.
Rhett was equally puzzled. In this world, the concept of meteors was unheard of, and the source of the crimson light was a complete mystery.
Faced with this strange phenomenon, Rhett ordered the army to stay put while he observed the night sky.
However, as the night wore on, the meteor didn’t reappear, and the search later that night yielded little success—only a few Shadowcat scouts were captured.
Of course, another important objective of this expedition was successfully completed. A soldier, "Miel Flynn"—the body Ming had possessed—was officially reported as having died in action.
In reality, Ming had simply slipped away from the group, taken a special alchemical potion to alter his appearance, and, under Pettis’s arrangements, was safely escorted back to the camp.
The next morning, at dawn.
Rhett led his forces on another search, but something unusual caught his attention—the number of orcs seemed to have decreased significantly.
According to Pettis’s estimate, the orcs' strength had surged, especially among the Shadow Tigers and Bearmen. They should’ve been more aggressive, yet they seemed to be holding back.
Worried that the orcs were planning a major move, Rhett spent the entire morning adjusting his strategy. He scattered his troops, prioritizing intelligence gathering over safety, hoping to gather crucial information.
Then, around midday, Rhett received an urgent message from the Ice Fortress command.
A Wind Element Sky Knight, riding a Stormhawk, shot across the sky like a green streak, coming to a halt above Rhett’s forces. The figure atop the hawk was a burly man, like a human tower, wielding a broad sword. He leapt down from the hawk’s back.
"Dagula, long time no see!" The man waved and smiled broadly.
Rhett returned the smile, quickly recalling from the information his sons had gathered that this must be one of the elite guards of the Supreme Commander, as the Wind Element Sky Knight riding a Stormhawk was unique along the Ice River Front.
Stepping forward, Rhett greeted him. "Koala, it has indeed been a while. But there’s no need for small talk between us. Judging by your urgency, I assume you’re here to deliver important news?"
Koala nodded, his expression turning serious. He wasted no time with pleasantries and said gravely:
"There’s a major situation—the Far North has been occupied by an unknown force. This group doesn’t seem to belong to any faction on the continent."
"Naturally, the orcs are furious about this. They’ve already begun concentrating their forces to launch a full-scale assault on the Far North, determined to reclaim it at all costs."
"Given that the newcomers haven’t fully secured their position yet, the orcs see this as their last chance. If they wait until the newcomers establish a foothold, it will be much harder for them to take the territory. So, they’re preparing for a fierce battle to seize control."
Hearing this, Rhett’s eyes narrowed. A foreign force in the Far North? His first thought was the precursor to the Ice Kingdom.
Feigning shock, he quickly asked, "Do they have a Saint-level expert?"
"Of course, there is a Saint-level expert among them. Otherwise, the orcs wouldn’t be making such a fuss." Koala shook his head. "In my opinion, this situation is just a spark. The orcs have likely been building up their strength for a while, and the situation in the Far North has merely triggered their reaction, providing a convenient excuse."
Rhett squinted slightly. "So, what are the Supreme Commander’s orders?"
"Full support for the Ice Kingdom. That barren place has never been of much interest to us, but we can’t let the orcs take it. As long as it’s not in their hands, it doesn’t matter who controls it." Koala smirked and punched Rhett lightly in the chest. "You’d better be ready for what might turn into a hundred Saint-level experts clashing. You might want to start preparing a will."
Rhett fell silent for a moment. "When do we leave?"
"Come on, don’t take it so seriously. That’s not like you," Koala replied, a bit surprised by Rhett’s solemn response. "Don’t worry, it’s not as bad as it sounds. With our level of skill, we’ll most likely be far from the main battlefield. We’ll probably handle some logistics if we win or surrender the territory if we lose."
Rhett relaxed a little, realizing he had acted too stiffly for his usual persona. He smiled and added, "You might not know this, but a large number of powerful Bearmen and Shadow Tigers have appeared recently. I’m just worried that this might affect the mission."
Koala scratched his head. "Hmm, you’ve got a point. I’ve heard about that, too. It’s definitely a headache, but all we can do is follow the orders from above and take things step by step. As for you, your unit is scheduled to depart in two days. The Arkama Kingdom’s shipyards are well-developed, and they’ll send a fleet to transport the Ice River troops."
"And what about you? You’re leaving right away, I assume?" Rhett’s eyes fell on the feathers of the Stormhawk.
Koala laughed heartily. "Of course! My trusty companion is faster than any ship, so I don’t have to wait around here."
"Stay safe," Rhett said, punching Koala lightly on the chest.
"Haha, you too!"
After a few more casual words, Rhett watched as Koala flew off on his Stormhawk, becoming a black speck on the horizon. Once he was out of sight, Rhett turned his gaze to the dark ground, lost in thought.
"Things are progressing faster than I expected. It seems the rise of the Fishman Kingdom is happening quickly, and they’ve already forced the Ice Kingdom into the Far North."
"And the Ice Kingdom has a Saint-level expert… If they’ve been pushed back like this, the strength of the Fishman Kingdom must be considerable."
Just as Rhett was deep in thought, Riley tapped him on the back and whispered, "Since the orcs have changed their plans, what should we…"
"Back to camp!" Rhett turned around, took a deep breath, and restored his calm.
He led his troops back to the camp at a brisk pace, unimpeded.
Upon returning, Rhett headed straight for the ice fortress, only to find that Pettis had already left.
A secretary in the fortress handed Rhett a set of orders Pettis had left behind before his departure.
As the Deputy Commander, Rhett's base of operations was the first-floor hall. He sat at the war table, scanning through the two pages of orders.
The main content was that, for the next two days, Rhett would have full command of the Ice River Front. Additionally, the list of those being sent to the Far North had already been finalized and distributed to the various camps. Rhett’s primary role was to maintain morale and oversee the troops' logistics.
Not even a single Saint had been left behind, a sign of how dire the situation in the Far North was. The entire continent’s top forces seemed to be converging there, making it a battle of monumental proportions.
Rhett rested his chin on his hand, gazing at the map on the war table for a long time before sighing. He closed his eyes and began meditating.
At that moment, he once again felt how limited his current strength was, how it had made everything more difficult. If only he could break through to the Saint level, many of these challenges would be much easier to handle.
He focused inward, sinking into his spiritual sea, where the familiar yet distant barrier to his breakthrough loomed.
In his unconscious meditation, his growing spiritual energy collided again and again with the thick bottleneck.
Normally, this process took time, relying on a person’s talent and effort to slowly wear down the barrier.
But for Rhett, who had already experienced breaking through to the Saint level, he knew a method that wasn’t quite a shortcut but would allow him to accelerate the process.
Under normal circumstances, meditation would distribute newly gained spiritual energy evenly throughout the spiritual sea. Since the spiritual sea’s capacity was full, the extra energy would naturally begin chipping away at the bottleneck.
This process was difficult to rush, but Rhett’s previous breakthrough had taught him that the bottleneck to the Saint level was unique.
Unlike other stages, there was no visible progress when breaking through to the Saint level. The bottleneck always seemed vast and insurmountable, leaving one feeling as if they were staring into an abyss.
At earlier stages, from mage to magister to grand magister, one could always roughly gauge how much further they had to go. But with the Saint-level barrier, there was no such sense, which made it a test of not just talent and effort but also mental endurance. Before the breakthrough, it always felt like an impossible leap.
When Rhett chose to possess this body, he could see from his omniscient perspective that this individual had already worn down the bottleneck to an extreme degree. If any grand magister were to become a Saint, it would undoubtedly be Rhett.
During meditation, Rhett’s spiritual energy instinctively chipped away at the bottleneck.
Under his expert control, the energy was more focused, targeting the weaker points of the barrier like a pair of invisible hands guiding it.
He could sense that the rate at which the barrier was being worn down had increased significantly thanks to his precise control.
However…
After a full day and night of meditation, the pressure around his spiritual sea remained vast and unfathomable, showing no sign of nearing its end.
Rhett opened his eyes and sighed inwardly. How much further? Ten years? One year? One month?
With the expedition to the Far North looming, as the Deputy Commander, he couldn’t afford to focus solely on cultivation.
Thinking about Ming’s new role in the alchemy workshop, Rhett felt a twinge of curiosity. After assigning his daily duties, he left the ice fortress and made his way to the workshop.
Before long, he arrived at a grand estate adorned with interconnected gears. Inside were numerous towers, each part of the alchemical workshop complex.
Rhett’s rank allowed him to easily enter Heisenberg’s tower. In the top floor’s deepest chamber, he found Heisenberg, dressed in black mage robes, and standing behind him, Ming.
The entire alchemical lab held only the two of them—just the two.
On the way up, Rhett had learned that ever since Ming, under the alias "Mil Flynn," had demonstrated alchemical skills on par with a master, Heisenberg had lost interest in all the other alchemists. His eccentricity meant the entire workshop had to adapt to his whims.
Ming had followed Rhett’s advice, adopting an arrogant demeanor and taking pride in his short stature, often making bold statements. This had only further endeared him to Heisenberg.
As for how far Ming had progressed in becoming Heisenberg’s apprentice, Rhett hadn’t heard anything specific, so he decided to see for himself.
"Petra, your rune-carving skills are atrocious. They don’t match your knowledge of alchemical pharmacology at all. It seems you’re severely imbalanced in your abilities."
Standing on a small stool, Heisenberg looked down at Ming and scolded him in a sharp voice.
As Rhett stepped into the room, Heisenberg turned and raised an eyebrow in surprise. "It’s you? The one who created the 'Rain of Spikes' spell? I hear you’re the one who sent Petra here?"
"You flatter me. He would’ve been discovered eventually, even without my help," Rhett said with a slight smile as he pushed the half-open door wider.
"Don’t be modest. This may be the greatest thing you’ve ever done in your life—helping to shape one legendary alchemist into another!" Heisenberg declared proudly.
Rhett suppressed the urge to make a sarcastic comment and instead forced a smile, asking casually, "So, how does Timus compare to you in alchemy?"
"Oh! No! Don’t mention that stubborn old fool!" Heisenberg's face turned red, his voice rising in anger. "He’s dragging alchemy down a dead-end path. No matter how knowledgeable he is, he’ll never make alchemy great again!"
Rhett was taken aback by the outburst. It seemed Heisenberg and Timus had quite the rivalry, with deep ideological differences.
"My apologies. I shouldn’t have brought it up." Rhett coughed lightly, then asked, "I’ve heard you excel in fusing alchemical pharmacology, equipment, and runes. Have you made any breakthroughs in healing injuries?"
Heisenberg raised an eyebrow. "Not bad. It takes a mind like yours to ask such a question."
"Indeed, the fusion of those three disciplines theoretically maximizes healing capabilities, far surpassing the effects of simple potions. It’s one of my current research focuses, but I haven’t made any breakthroughs yet."
"However, my research into fusing alchemical equipment and runes has just hit a bottleneck. I’m thinking of trying a new direction to see if I can find some inspiration."
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