NO_NAME
patreon
Chapter 384: The Genius Alchemist Appears
🕑 Added 2024-10-23 06:57:32 +0000 UTCThe aura radiating from him was as deep as the vast ocean. Rhett knew immediately that this had to be the commander-in-chief of the battlefield.
But his gaze flickered with uncertainty—why had this figure fallen into such a state? The armor on his body was battered and broken. Could it be that he had just experienced a fierce battle?
Taking a deep breath, Rhett stepped forward with a heavy expression.
When he was just three steps away, the blue-armored figure withdrew his gaze from the window and fixed his eyes on Rhett. In a soft voice, he asked, "Lost a battle, didn't you?"
Rhett remained silent. When he had returned, he had only brought back a little over two hundred soldiers, all with broken armor, clear signs of defeat. It was no surprise that the commander noticed right away.
He clenched his fists, his chest rising and falling as if in frustration, and replied, word by word, "It’s all because of those damn White Bearmen!"
The blue-armored Saint placed a hand on Rhett’s shoulder and said calmly, "To survive against such a large number of White Bearmen, you've already done your best. You haven’t failed anyone."
"No, we were only saved because the Tiger Hunter Corps arrived in time. Otherwise, the entire army would have been wiped out..." Rhett shook his head with a bitter smile, then his gaze locked onto the large bear paw print on the commander’s chest. Worry crept into his voice as he asked, "What happened to the wound on your chest? Did you encounter a Bearman elite? Were you ambushed or..."
"I was ambushed," the blue-armored Saint’s face darkened slightly. "From the reports on other battlefields, it seems that the orcs have been blessed by some mysterious power. Both the White Bearmen and Shadow Tigers are showing signs of atavism—a resurgence of pure royal bloodlines, greatly boosting their combat power!"
Hearing this, Rhett’s pupils contracted sharply. He exclaimed, "Atavism? How is that possible? Where is this power coming from?"
"Hmph, everyone wants to know where this power is coming from!" The blue-robed Saint punched the ice wall, creating a hole that was quickly patched up by the ice elements. He calmed down and continued, "I once heard rumors that when the orcs first emerged, they were at their most powerful. They could fight multiple opponents of the same rank, and even those who had comprehended Profundities could be crushed by them. But this power was fleeting and wasn’t passed down. I used to think it was just a myth, but now, it seems there may be some truth to it."
"What? Does that mean the orcs' power is going to surge again?" Rhett asked, his face filled with shock.
"It’s hard to say..." The blue-armored Saint rubbed his temples, deep in thought. "For now, there’s some good news. The signs of atavism among the orcs don’t appear to be ongoing. It seems that only a fixed number of powerful individuals have emerged, and no further incidents have occurred recently. Additionally, the atavism is limited to the White Bearmen and Shadow Tigers, with no signs of it affecting other orc tribes."
"Shadow Tigers too..."
Rhett suddenly understood. No wonder the Shadow Tigers he encountered on the way were so adept at hiding, and their combat abilities were astonishing. They were also showing signs of atavism.
However, compared to the White Bearmen, the Shadow Tigers didn’t exhibit many external changes, likely due to their inherent stealthy nature...
"In light of these unpredictable changes within the orcs, the strategy of the Glacier Frontline will be adjusted—we will consolidate our forces and focus on defense. We will wait and see how the orcs respond to their newfound power before making our next move." The blue-robed Saint’s face turned icy. "The orcs might seize this opportunity to attack the Glacier Frontline. This area is crucial to the ownership of the northern continent. For the orcs, it’s a prize we cannot afford to hand over."
Rhett nodded solemnly. "Understood!"
"Dagula, take this opportunity to rest for a couple of days, but be ready to respond at any moment," the blue-robed Saint said thoughtfully. "We’ll wait for Toru to return, and he’ll make the final decision."
"Understood, Commander Pettis!"
Rhett replied formally, finally learning who the two Saint-level commanders of the Glacier Frontline were.
Although he had already gathered the names of the two Saint-level guardians, Toru and Pettis, before, he hadn’t known what they looked like. It would have been strange to ask, so he had to piece the information together slowly.
But now, seeing this man wield water elements, it became clear—Toru commanded the dark elements, while Pettis controlled the water elements.
"Take this with you."
Just as Rhett was preparing to leave, Commander Pettis pulled out a lollipop-like object from his helmet. It had a clear, slender stick with a red, oval-shaped bead at the top. He handed it to Rhett.
"What is this..." Rhett accepted it without hesitation but looked puzzled, raising an inquisitive brow toward Pettis.
"I met an interesting alchemist a while ago during an expedition. His alchemy seems to have its own unique flair. This is a communication device I acquired from him. It contains traces of wind-element Profundities." Pettis praised the craftsmanship but then his expression darkened, as if recalling an unpleasant memory.
"A communication device?" Rhett exclaimed, "Such a treasure exists? What is its principle?"
He turned the ‘lollipop’ over in his hands, examining it closely. As an outsider to alchemy, he could only recognize that it was a piece of alchemical equipment with integrated magic arrays, but its design was more intricate than anything he had encountered before.
He was puzzled. If communication devices existed ten thousand years ago, why hadn’t they been passed down to the future?
It didn’t make sense...
In the future, although there were simple communication devices, most could only transmit pre-set signals. They were extremely limited in comparison to the object in his hand!
Suddenly, a figure popped into Rhett’s mind. Could it be him?
—The Genius Alchemist!
Unable to suppress his excitement, Rhett quickly asked, "Commander Pettis, where is that person now? Could you tell me where to find him?"
Pettis rubbed his chin, giving Rhett a curious look. "Oh? You seem quite interested in him. Can I ask why? You’ve never shown much interest in alchemy before."
"Ahem, it’s nothing special. I just think that anyone who can create such a communication device would be invaluable on the battlefield. He’s clearly the kind of talent we need! I was hoping to visit him and see if we could invite him to join the Glacier Frontline. Even hiring him as a consultant would be a great help!" Rhett maintained a natural expression but showed just the right amount of enthusiasm and eagerness.
"It’s useless. I’ve already tried. If I could’ve recruited him, he’d already be here at the Glacier Frontline," Pettis shook his head. "In truth, that man is eccentric beyond belief, and this communication device can’t even be mass-produced. Acquiring a few of these cost me a great deal. You’d better keep it safe. If you lose it, I’ll hold you responsible!"
Rhett’s face showed a trace of disappointment, but he nodded. "Understood..."
In the end, he couldn’t help but ask, "Could you at least tell me his name?"
Pettis seemed a bit impatient, waving his hand. "Heisenberg! Honestly, even if I told you, what good would it do? You’ll probably never meet him in your lifetime..."
Rhett scratched his nose, not daring to argue with his superior. After a brief moment of thought, he said, "Commander Pettis, I have one more thing to report."
"Go ahead and say it. I have to keep an eye on the movements of the White Bearmen and Shadow Tigers. I won’t be staying in the camp for long, so tell me everything at once."
"It’s like this—during my near-death experience, I had an epiphany and developed an advanced spell. If it could be widely spread, it would undoubtedly enhance the combat capabilities of our earth-element Archmages and improve our overall tactical flexibility."
"An advanced spell?!" Pettis exclaimed, the impatience on his face vanishing, replaced by shock. "Show me!"
Rhett smiled slightly and, along with Pettis, walked outside the castle. They continued up the mountain until they reached an open slope.
"Here should be fine. Just give me a brief demonstration, but don’t damage the environment of this snow mountain," Pettis cautioned, though he clearly believed in his subordinate’s words, trusting their established rapport from past cooperation.
Taking a deep breath, Rhett pretended to recall the steps, then quickly gathered his spiritual energy and cast the Rain of Spikes spell!
In an instant, a small patch of yellow-brown clouds formed in the sky, churning with the power of elemental storms.
In no time, several spikes shot down from the sky, creating a series of sonic booms as they fell.
But halfway down, they were dissolved into mist by a surge of water vapor.
Against a Saint-level opponent, a single Rain of Spikes spell wasn’t even a threat.
Pettis widened his eyes, stunned as he watched the remaining traces of earth-element energy dissipate. In his heart, he was already convinced that this was a fully developed spell with little room for further refinement.
After calming himself, Pettis pondered for a moment, realizing that such a large-scale spell would be a powerful weapon on the battlefield.
If it were to be adopted by the military, it would undoubtedly increase their deterrence on the front lines!
"Dagula, you’ve earned yourself a huge merit this time!" Pettis cast Rhett a satisfied glance, a wide smile spreading across his face. But then, he frowned again, deep in thought. "But... what should I reward you with?"
At that moment, he felt a twinge of regret.
—If I’d known, I would’ve waited to give him the communication device. If I suggested using it as a reward now, it would seem cheap.
As Pettis was mulling over this, a sudden round of applause echoed from behind.
His expression changed instantly. Water elements condensed into a freezing chill, and the air became ice-cold. How could someone have snuck up on them without being detected?
But when he turned around and saw who it was, his expression became strange. The elemental energy he had gathered gradually dispersed, and he spoke in surprise:
"Heisenberg? What are you doing here? Don’t tell me you’ve been following me!"
Rhett’s heart skipped a beat. Heisenberg—wasn’t that the genius alchemist?
A surge of excitement welled up inside him. He had been wondering where to find this elusive figure, and now he had appeared on his own. Rhett knew he had to seize the opportunity to establish a connection.
The small figure of Heisenberg stood atop a protruding dark rock. He was only about one and a half meters tall, with messy black hair that looked as if it had just survived an explosion. He wore a black mage's robe and stood with his back straight. His bright eyes sparkled as he gazed at the sky, marveling:
"What an ingenious creation. Fascinating concept. To have created such a spell in this era is quite impressive!"
Rhett cleared his throat and modestly replied, "Mr. Heisenberg, this spell is nothing remarkable. It pales in comparison to your alchemical expertise."
"Heh, of course it does. Magic is nothing compared to alchemy," Heisenberg responded in a high-pitched, casual voice, completely ignoring the awkward look on Rhett’s face as his humble remark fell flat.
"Hmph, you..." Pettis twitched slightly, rubbing his forehead. "Alright, tell me what you’re here for. You refused to be our alchemical consultant before—have you changed your mind now?"
"Wishful thinking!" Heisenberg chuckled strangely as he glanced around the sky. Then, with a puzzled expression, he muttered, "How odd... I’ve been following a strange mental fluctuation all the way here, but it suddenly disappeared."
"A mental fluctuation?" Pettis frowned. "Could it be another Saint?"
At these words, Pettis furrowed his brow even more deeply, lost in thought. Only a Saint could radiate mental energy with such intensity. Yet, from what he could sense, there were no other Saints nearby aside from Heisenberg and himself.
Heisenberg’s next words eased Pettis’ concerns: "No, it wasn’t a Saint. The mental fluctuation was quite weak, which is precisely what made it so strange—it was weak but highly refined, possessing a remarkable level of purity. It didn’t seem like the mental energy of a normal person. It has a strong connection to some of my recent alchemical research. I must find it! Whether it’s a person or something else!"
Hearing this, Rhett was momentarily stunned, deep in thought. Could he be talking about Manu? Given how much time had passed, Manu might have hidden himself to avoid detection...
"Perhaps I can offer some useful information," Pettis said thoughtfully.
Rhett remained outwardly calm, though his heart raced slightly. Could Pettis have discovered Manu’s whereabouts?
Heisenberg’s eyes lit up as he rushed forward. "Tell me quickly!"
Pettis savored the sight of Heisenberg’s eagerness, a slow smile creeping across his face. He calmly replied, "I will, but in return, you’ll have to agree to work in my alchemy workshop for a while, guiding my subordinates in crafting high-quality alchemical tools."
"Oh no, that’s absolutely impossible! I will never share my alchemical insights with those 'diluted' people. They don’t deserve it! You can forget about it!" Heisenberg shouted as if someone had stepped on his tail, his face flushing with frustration.
Then, as if regaining his composure, Heisenberg’s expression shifted to one of pride. He lifted his chin and sneered, "Concentration is key! Only a body like mine can contain a great and pure soul. The rest? Hmph, they aren’t worthy of studying alchemy!"
Previous Chapter | | Next Chapter
