Wizard Alchemist

Chapter 630 Gathering Faith

Chapter 630 Gathering Faith (4-in-1)

In the blink of an eye, another half year has passed.

The new year is here.

Roy gradually learned from Shkod and others about the aftermath of Grand Duke Bernard's visit to make a wish.

After leaving the valley, they returned to their territory and immediately began to swiftly reorganize their army, select trusted confidants, and distribute armor.

In a very short period of time, the combat capabilities of the main combat personnel were improved.

Then, we will build a strong military based on this.

Meanwhile, the puppet in Bart's hand seemed to have lost its power and inexplicably stopped moving.

This greatly angered Barth, who sent men into the valley several times to search for the statue, but they were all misled by the fog and could not find it at all.

The Megan Empire, which had initially shown a sweeping momentum, immediately fell into a predicament.

As a result, the empire's war machine had to be brought to a halt, and it could only watch as Grand Duke Bernard and others rose from the dead and gradually gained a foothold.

……

"As a result, the entire continent is now in a state of confrontation."

The monk's mansion, in the main hall.

Roy looked thoughtfully at the "holographic battlefield" projected by the rune array.

The colored markings that appeared before him represented the Megan Empire, which had swiftly swept away various nations and presented a unified image.

And the Iris Alliance, which was spearheaded by the Grand Duke Bernard and comprised of numerous duchies, kingdoms, and even independent city-states.

The two sides are irreconcilable enemies, fiercely confronting each other for their respective ideologies and interests.

However, these two are not the only protagonists in the whole world.

There are also monster races that are widely distributed within their respective territories or in other remote places.

Even the fish-men and merfolk from overseas.

The territories of those non-human races were all marked in red by Roy, in different shades such as pink, dark red, wine red, and purplish red.

"Are you intentionally creating a three-way power struggle to achieve a dynamic balance between the Empire, the Alliance, and the Monsters?"

When Melius returned from his patrol, he saw Roy studying the situation on a map and walked over, asking him curiously.

"That's right, I don't want to take direct control of this world."

Roy turned and glanced at her, then said.

"This could easily lead to getting too involved and provoking fierce resistance from the world's will."

However, when using an agent, it is not advisable to completely entrust the task to one person.

This can easily lead to the agent wielding too much power, thus unintentionally or intentionally walking the path of the chosen one.

Mutual checks and balances are still the best approach.

"This sounds like they're hiding behind the scenes, acting as a mysterious force controlling the world..."

Melius frowned.

However, from her perspective as an elf, she also felt that this balanced and stable state was good for humans, monsters, and nature.

……

a few days later.

Beneath the World Tree saplings, in a field of golden sunflowers.

The new "Sunshine 88" variety is thriving.

The "Sipka Fairy" with its adorable big eyes floats on the water.

Their appearance is somewhat similar to the self-destructing creations "Pipette" that Roy created in the past, and also somewhat similar to the low-level monsters "Slimes" that are widely distributed in other worlds.

The gel-like flesh and blood constitute a simple yet complete physical structure.

Right now, they're basking in the sun, drawing energy continuously from nature.

A giant spider, over three meters long with legs extending five or six meters, ran merrily, startling the Sipka fairies into a panicked flight.

Despite their enormous size, giant spiders are agile and nimble.

In no time, they ran out of the park and into the depths of the forest.

Along the way, he also used his scorpion-like claws to grab a sipka fairy who couldn't escape in time, stuffed it into his mouth like chewing gum, and chewed and swallowed it with a few crunches.

That was none other than a giant sun-avoiding spider.

After years of research and development, Roy has finally cultivated a new type of witch beast with the most stable bloodline and the highest development potential.

After that, he focused on cultivating this lone survivor who had defeated many "brothers and sisters" almost like raising a venomous insect, and now he has the strength to rival that of a Grand Knight.

Roy even gave it a name, "Restal".

In Wiesel's context, this means "swift beast".

Moments later, the magical beast created by this bloodline magic discovered a deer grazing in the forest.

With a soft "poof," the innate spell-like ability "Spider Web" was activated.

A jet of viscous, gelatinous substance erupted and spread out in the air, forming a giant net.

The deer was captured and immediately unable to move.

Riesdale suddenly accelerated, activating the "Charge Strike" skill, and pounced forward with astonishing mobility.

Instantly, its sharp claws clamped down on its prey, and its dagger-like teeth pierced its abdomen.

The deer let out a mournful cry, but it was unable to break free.

A moment later, it was forcibly disemboweled, then chewed and swallowed.

This is the origin of the name "Restal".

Although it also retains the spider's habit of using venom to dissolve flesh and blood, wrapping it in a sac, and slowly sucking it up.

However, in most cases, especially when food is not scarce, people still prefer to wolf down their food.

This is because the spider is actually still in its juvenile stage, which is when it is growing.

"Restal, come here."

Roy was out on patrol when he happened to see this scene and waved from afar.

Soon, Riesdale came running over happily, just like a puppy.

"Where have you been these past few days? You seem to have gotten even bigger?"

Roy tapped its scorpion-like pincers, listening to the dull, metallic clanging sound, and murmured to himself.

In previous worlds, he felt that the conditions were not quite right and it was impossible to keep such a large creature in a mansion, so he did not start breeding it.

But from now on, the entire Mtraken will become its hunting ground, and it will finally be free from restrictions and able to grow freely, just like Celine.

In the foreseeable future, it should quickly grow to stage one and then gradually develop into a mature stage two.

In this world, there are many other things that can be widely promoted, such as gem mushrooms and sunflowers, which will all be put to use.

After sending Riesdale away, Roy went back to the area where the statue was located to check on the gathering of faith power.

Suddenly, a strange sensation, as if a slight stinging pain had occurred between his brows, caused by some mysterious source radiation, washed over him.

[Alchemy talent gain in progress (78%)]

"It really worked!"

Upon discovering this, Roy's face showed genuine joy.

Since the harvest of the last world, he has gone back to the source and deconstructed the essence of obtaining innate source quality.

It is indeed related to the only fundamental thing—the soul.

And this thing can be connected to the spirit, the soul, faith, destiny...

Perhaps these are just manifestations of innate talent in different situations.

******
"Actually, this is similar to the method of using the Holy Sword to collect source matter in the previous world."

The former eldest prince, now the 'Great Emperor'...

She also has the makings of a leading lady.

There's also the Grand Duke of the Duchy of Berna, who I've heard has now been elected head of state by the Iris Alliance, and they're even planning to establish a federal state to further cooperate against the Empire.

If they can gather enough divine mandate through them, it might be another windfall!

Roy began to feel a sense of anticipation.

……

After harvesting the talent essence he had accumulated over the past few days, Roy returned to the alchemy room.

The projected avatar created by "Projection Technique" is busy inside. A golden light flashes in his palm, and as the magic array lights up, "Flamemer's Sudden Wealth" is activated.

Another standard 300-gram gold nugget has appeared.

It was then melted down and processed to create several special gold coins.

This thing isn't very useful, but it can be stored as a material.

When necessary, they can also be deployed to the mortal world to control the economy.

Just then, an unexpected surprise occurred.

During mass production, an unexpected failure occurred, turning ordinary gold coins into "cursed gold coins".

"Cursed Gold Coin (Level 0)..."

Special gold coins that grant +1 Charisma, when stacked in multiple quantities, can incite greed in intelligent beings…

Roy took a look and found that the stacking effect of this thing was even stronger than that of the "Grim Totem". It produced a huge amount of gold coins, which could even tempt the greed of a formal wizard.

This can already be considered a pretty good witchcraft item.

Whether used as an offering in a "treasure offering" ceremony or placed in other witchcraft rituals as a symbol of "wealth" or "greed," it can have a good effect.

However, Roy was more concerned about something else.

"It's gradually forming a closed loop..."

The same item is becoming increasingly versatile, and its value is also increasing.

Then, a sudden thought stirred within him.

A special effect from the original-level talent [Sage's Words] emerges.

The refining process just now provided some positive feedback, causing his soul to grow.

In an instant, without the six attribute gems equipped, six fist-sized phantom flames appeared behind his head.

A ring of sacred radiance adorned with intricate patterns projected six illusory flames, each appearing as a suspended gemstone.

"Six major attributes + 30 degrees!"

Roy's eyes lit up.

We've finally reached this point!

Even before that, having obtained the [Sage's Proverb], he possessed an ability that could effectively enhance the six major attributes.

However, since other equipment also has the same effect, this ability has not yet come into play and cannot show its true value.

Its value is almost negligible.

But these days are different.

After repeatedly refining first and second-level materials or finished products, as well as a large number of zero-level products...

I've finally accumulated enough attribute bonuses to surpass all the equipment and accessories I own.

"As a result, any future increases will be significant."

The only question is what the ultimate limit of this ability is.

If it can keep growing...

Roy couldn't help but let his imagination run wild.

This kind of thing is essentially an improvement of one's own soul essence.

Based on fundamental knowledge of the composition of the soul and the nature of spirituality, it is not difficult to deduce that its superposition is not a simple arithmetic addition, but rather a kind of gradual decay.

This is actually an "exponential decay model," where the contribution of each piece of equipment to the total bonus decays at a fixed ratio, quickly converging to the upper limit.

In practical terms, this means that wearing 10 rings with the same attribute has no effect.

The interaction between different systems, such as the improvement of "equipment" and "philosopher's stone", is the result of a function that "takes the larger value".

This is why it's only now that "+30 to all attributes" has truly taken effect.

Because it finally surpassed the gemstone rings that had been crafted before.

Furthermore, when it comes to equipment, the same attribute applied to multiple pieces of equipment is not simply a matter of arithmetic addition.

According to Roy's research, it is actually a "log-decay model" with significant gains in the early stages and a tendency to plateau in the later stages.

This means that when you equip the first piece of alchemical equipment that "adds a certain attribute", its effects will not be affected by other magical energies and will be fully realized.

A golden shell with +30 strength means you're literally starting from zero.

However, when you add "Power Gems" to achieve the same value, the total might only be around 47.

Working backwards from this, it becomes a mathematical formula with a decay rate of 1.

By compressing linear growth through a logarithmic function, the marginal effect diminishes, but it never stops.

This is caused by the mutual interference of magical energy particles, which can be said to be a natural law of this magical universe.

Wizards are also followers of knowledge; they cannot go against the laws of nature. On the contrary, they should make use of them.

Therefore, alchemists should avoid mindlessly stacking a single attribute and instead pursue diverse equipment combinations.

This has led to the emergence of some "alchemy paradigms".

Everyone follows a certain paradigm, each performing their own duties and avoiding interference.

Only in this way can good equipment be forged.

It's worth mentioning that the "Words of Wisdom" seem to follow a different set of rules, directly integrating certain spiritual energies into the soul.

This actually falls under the category of conceptual weaponry, and its attenuation rate is far less than that of external equipment!
All of this suggests that I may be able to accumulate very high all-around attributes through continuous alchemy!
"From now on, I no longer need these external things."

Roy pondered for a moment, then took out six attribute gem rings from his spatial ring and summoned Atedia.

"You can equip these yourself."

While it may not be easy to fully utilize its potential with your current level 1 creature template, it can still provide a decent bonus.

Artedia beamed with joy and quickly accepted the ring.

……

After that, Roy continued to personally craft various items, increasing the effect of the [Sage's Proverb] to "+31 to all six attributes".

At this point, his mental strength also increased.

In addition, there was another unexpected benefit: a deeper understanding and mastery of memory, experience, and even skills.

He gradually learned the method of refining "Soul Stones".

"These things originally fall under the category of refining the Philosopher's Stone in the 'Magic Crystal Science'."

It was only because the ultimate goal could not be reached all at once that it was broken down and transformed into memories, experiences, skills, and so on.

Its true essence is indeed approaching the 'ultimate' and 'perfect'!

And because the Philosopher's Stone is one of the ingredients for the Panacea, Roy's Potions skill level has also visibly increased.

Now, he is beginning to master the art of crafting "attribute enhancement potions".

******
"Great God of Wishes, I pray to gain handsome looks and the favor of women..."

One day, the guards of the Megan Empire missed an adventurer who had ventured into the mountains.

This was due to the empire's repeated defeats, resulting in instability among the troops, even causing the morale of the elite soldiers stationed here to waver. Roy, without any deliberate guidance, somehow managed to get away with it.

The level zero treasure offered by the other party was a dragon blood crystal from the kobold tribe, which possessed a trace of pseudo-dragon bloodline.

Roy readily agreed to the other party's request and took the opportunity to conduct an experiment.

"This is a charm-enhancing potion..."

Drink it, and you'll become incredibly charming...

Watching the mortal joyfully depart in the light screen, Meurius couldn't help but say, "That person's wish was clearly to have a 'handsome face'..."

"In my understanding, it's similar to a significant increase in charm."

I happened to have a Charisma Enhancement Potion on hand, so I used it according to my own understanding.

If everything is left to the person making the wish, instead of me, the 'God of Wishes,' wouldn't that be tantamount to handing over the 'final interpretation right' to someone else?

Roy smiled slightly.

This actually stems from the flexible terms of a devil's contract, which facilitates sophistry afterward.

It is also a way to reasonably apply the rules without violating the principle of equivalent exchange.

Melius was unable to refute this for a moment.

Upon returning to the mage's mansion, the girl's skull floated over and reported the information she had sensed remotely.

"We've begun receiving biological information from the mushroom spores; after that person drank the charm-enhancing potion, their hormone secretion has changed..."

"Continue to monitor closely, and give me a detailed report when the time comes."

Roy gave the order and began designing a "mental enhancement potion" for himself.

This will be a divine potion with the power of faith as its main ingredient, belonging to the high-end level three magic potion category.

However, since I am currently unable to master or handle overly advanced potions, I need to dilute them and use them at a lower level.

Ultimately, the goal is to utilize the spiritual crystallization collected from the statues of deities.

The essence of this thing is similar to the blessings of a sacred lake, totem stones, and the like.

It has already been verified.

"No wonder all sorts of gods, demons, and sorcerers are vying for souls and faith..."

This is truly a core resource!

Thinking of this, Roy couldn't help but sigh.

Some of the secrets of the "property owners" can only be understood by experiencing them firsthand.

No matter how powerful or skilled an ordinary wizard is, he can only serve others.

Only when one reaches the point of being able to capture, manipulate, and utilize souls can one be considered truly mature.

However, he had mastered "soul alchemy" from the very beginning, and quickly created Soul-Stealing Crystals and golems.

No wonder he is considered a super genius by his teachers.

Even if learning the "shrinking technique" took some years, it wouldn't diminish this image.

This made Roy even more eager to explore the mysteries of the gods, and he finally understood why those great wizards would be so audacious as to travel to other worlds to impersonate or even capture gods.

With this in mind, Roy sought out Melius to discuss the matter.

Recently, he sent his followers out.

Among them, Prandtse was tasked with finding advanced materials such as uranium ore.

Nisa, on the other hand, infiltrates the human kingdom to seek out extraordinary people and events.

Windsorbell took Freya on a tour of various countries to investigate the feasibility of promoting the faith.

This also serves as a long vacation for them and allows Freya to broaden her horizons and gain more experience.

Even Domi was dragged along.

Artia and Beryl searched for ley lines near the basin and deep underground to gather data for the next step of base development.

Only Melius, who remained, was able to communicate with them.

However, Roy is a man of principle.

Elves have a belief in gods.

To portray, or even capture and dissect, deities is a blasphemous topic.

Instead of speaking to the elves directly, he indirectly discussed the knowledge of "religious studies."

"I've heard that the gods worshipped by elves are actually evolved from legendary heroes or ancestral spirits, and are of the 'ancestral spirit' type?"

"good."

"Then do you think we are qualified to become gods in this world?"

"Ok?"

As expected, Meurius showed a shocked expression.

"In the study of religion, deities can be divided into several categories according to their origin, such as ancestor worship, natural phenomena and mountain spirits and monsters, and abstract concepts of human society."

By impersonating a deity and becoming a false god, it is a clear path to collect divine power and obtain divine authority.

Many powerful magical beasts and spellcasters use it.

Roy explained calmly.

Everything he said was the truth.

Of course, what wasn't told to Melius was that it was usually evil monsters like Quetzalcoatl, or certain evil mages and wizards, who did this.

In many planes and worlds, this is considered an act of "blasphemy," belonging to the category of "extreme evil."

However, this is legal in Wizel.

This can be understood as different countries having different customs and laws, resulting in different regulations for the same behavior.

In many planes and worlds, "false gods" are called "extremely evil beings," and their actions are "blasphemous."

That's because the struggle for faith infringed upon the interests of the gods.

However, this is something that spellcasters who are truly determined to advance to a higher level must do.

In Roy's understanding, it was nothing more than a case of "the one who steals a country becomes a king, while the one who steals a hook is executed."

You cannot become a god, so these actions are of course the greatest offense and sin.

And if you actually ascend to godhood through this, then congratulations, we might establish diplomatic relations with you.

Melius, being a clever man, combined his knowledge with his own and began to discuss the matter with him.

Ultimately, the conclusion was that Roy did indeed possess the qualities to play the role of a deity here.

Moreover, the scale and variety can be expanded, allowing followers to also play the role and become false gods.

……

Late May.

Iris Alliance.

The grand ceremony took place after the traditional rituals, and the Alliance's leader, Grand Duke Bernard, appeared before everyone in full regalia.

"By God's grace, we resisted the invasion of the evil Megan Empire."

Now, with immense excitement, I announce to you the titles and names of the goddesses who assisted us in battle and bestowed upon us blessings and grace.

They are...

Goddess of Light, Your Majesty Windsorbell!
Golden Envoy, Your Majesty Artedia!
Nemesis, Your Majesty Prandtse!

Your Majesty Freya, goddess of knowledge and wisdom!
Her Majesty Nisha, guardian of power and wealth, goddess of nobility!
Your Majesty Beryl, Goddess of the Forest and Hunting!
Your Majesty, goddess of nature!

Rejoice! Celebrate! From this day forward, our faith has found its anchor…

"what?"

Windsorbell, Artia, and Freya, who were hiding in the crowd and attending the celebration under a false identity, looked astonished.

"We...we've become gods?"

******
Soon after, the Duke of Bernard displayed an icon above the city gate.

That was a soul painting created using "soul pigment - golden yellow" combined with black and white.

Mysterious magical energy radiated from it, and the power that seemed to reach straight to the heart, touch the soul, and resonate with it deeply shocked everyone who witnessed the holy statue.

Large groups of people knelt down, expressing their joy with great excitement.

In the frenzied atmosphere, a hazy white light enveloped the holy statues.

Soul paintings absorb a great deal of spirituality, becoming increasingly mysterious and profound.

At this moment, those in the crowd wearing the "Apostle Set" unleashed the only divine magic they knew.

"Blessing Spell!"
This is a priestly spell that can boost morale and dispel fear and confusion in people's hearts.

Although it is not particularly powerful in practical terms, its application in mortal warfare is nothing short of miraculous.

In previous wars, the Iris Alliance relied on this divine spell to boost morale and successfully turn the tide at crucial moments, achieving victory after defeat.

Now, even ordinary people are deeply feeling the psychological changes brought about by the divine power, and they can't help but become more fanatical.

As specks of white light gathered, the power of faith coalesced on the painting.

However, since Windsorbell, Artedia, and others do not yet possess true divinity, they have no way to actively collect and utilize these powers. The power of faith can only be condensed within the holy image, becoming part of the soul painting.

In the future, with the promulgation of the Alliance Law, the construction of churches and the creation of idols in major towns will all be based on their respective objects.

This forms an area resembling a "sacrificial pit".

……

"False gods have no divine status. If they want to collect and utilize the power of faith and transform it into divine power, they still have to come in person."

This is really not an easy task.

It's no wonder that most false gods are powerful magical beasts with physical forms, or living people, worshipped by one or two tribes.

With the help of a distant informant, Roy learned what had happened at the Iris Alliance and sighed with genuine emotion.

However, this is also the problem of all false gods.

Many true deities are beings that exist across dimensions, simultaneously collecting faith in multiple dimensions and worlds. Their divine kingdoms can transcend time and space, reaching far and wide.

This is not a skill he can currently use to stage an accident; he'll have to find another way.

"As expected, we still have to use the 'source material container' to solve this!"

Thinking about this, Roy had the idea of retrieving "Ms. Edwin" to verify his conjecture.

With his thought, a golden light shot straight into the sky from Mtraken.

A moment later, the sword feathers unfolded, revealing a streamlined, strange object made entirely of gleaming gold, nearly two meters long, and shaped like the Chinese character "个" (ge).

That was a remote-controlled machine that Roy had created in imitation of the mage's Sky-Survey Shuttle, named Zofiel, which means "God's Scout".

A moment later, the shuttle shot forward, breaking the sound barrier at an astonishing speed and entering supersonic cruise.

It followed closely behind, continuing to accelerate until it reached Mach 4.

Wizards are not actually good at this kind of technology, but Roy made full use of the long-range communication brought by the gem life, as well as the spatial storage of ether, the liquid hydrogen jet propulsion device and other technologies.

In addition, the use of the shimmering gold material, combined with the wind-avoiding magic array, provides a simple and direct solution to many problems related to air friction and aerodynamics.

As the saying goes, great effort can create miracles.

He actually managed to create an exquisite replica of himself using witchcraft.

Of course, there is only one.

It won't be easy for him to replicate his success in a short period of time.

Because many of the key components here utilize the mystical probability of "luck".

Roy couldn't guarantee that he could easily replicate a second one.

This already falls into the category of a level two puppet, and it only took a little over 10 minutes to reach the capital of the Kingdom of Megan, which is more than 800 kilometers away.

Inside the mage's mansion, a massive light screen unfolded before Roy, with the girl's skull floating beside him, announcing: "We have arrived in the capital of Megan, Holberg."

"Issue orders to bring Ms. Edwin back."

"Yes!"

With Roy's command, "Zofir," hovering above the capital, transmitted a spiritual signal.

This is actually a relay command, created by a gem life form with long-range communication capabilities, which was created by chance.

……

At this moment, in the imperial palace of the capital city of Meghan.

Bart was listening to reports from the Prime Minister and ministers in a spacious room inside.

In order to realize his ambition of world domination, he is drawing on domestic resources as much as possible and digesting the territories he has previously conquered.

However, the situation is not optimistic.

"The Iris Alliance is planning to establish a federation and quickly integrate into a brand new nation..."

It is said that this was all suggested by Lady Grace, the wife of the Grand Duke of Beaune.

She was a true polymath, not only proficient in music, dance, and performing arts, but also possessing remarkable political acumen and foresight.

"Yes, in just a few years, the Duchy of Berna has undergone several changes, rapidly assimilating the knowledge and treasures it received from the God of Desire!"

Bart listened, his expression turning slightly somber.

Could this old man be secretly implying that I lack political ability and foresight, and that I've squandered all the good cards I had?
And that damned God of Wishes! I sent people in again and again to search for the statue, but I still couldn't find it!

Bart's fear and resentment intensified upon thinking about this.

He wasn't quite sure if it was just his imagination, but he had a feeling that the other person was deliberately avoiding him!

Suddenly, a gasp rang out from outside.

"Report! Your Majesty!
That divine puppet...it flew away!

The trusted guard pushed open the door, looking somewhat flustered and flustered, and said something that seemed a little out of sorts.

This kind of thing should normally be kept secret and reported quietly.

But Bart quickly walked out the door, looked up at the sky, and then understood why his trusted guards were in such a panic.

There's really no need to keep it a secret anymore.

The "puppet of God" simply swaggered away.

Anyone who isn't blind can see it.

"The trial service has ended. If you wish to make further prayers, please go to Mtraken to renew your subscription in person."

A strange message was transmitted directly into Bart's mind.