Wizard Alchemist

Chapter 643 The Fairy Tale Kingdom (4-in-1)

"Absolutely amazing!"
The problem was solved so quickly!

After going back.

In Deirdre's palace.

Princess Torad held her hands to her heart and expressed her heartfelt praise.

"As far as I know, there are several similar demon nests. Let's deal with them one by one."

Roy suggested calmly.

Deirdil readily agreed.

After that, Roy cleared out several places in succession, and in just over two months, he completed 70-80% of the tasks he had taken on.

Next comes the cleanup work, such as removing the corrupted egg sacs and closing any remaining cracks.

Small groups of demons posed no threat to him whatsoever; his main concern was the large-scale Abyss Legion and the machinations of Fassus and his ilk.

However, seemingly worried about being trapped in this world and unable to escape, Fassus made a transfer early on.

Roy continued his campaigns against monsters, but he never encountered him again.

"That guy's got a clean break!"

Roy was also deeply impressed by this.

They just left without a second thought, without any hesitation!

Besides Fassus, another thing he was interested in was the various toy soldier remains he found along the way.

"Master, we have found a few more remains, and we can now piece them together to form complete bodies..."

There are still a few intact 'doll hearts'!

After once again eradicating the source of the monster invasion, the girl's skull floated to Roy's side and reported something to him.

Then, the Mushroom Demons following behind carried over the remains of several puppet soldiers.

Roy stepped forward and took a look.

The blocks form the hands, feet, and body.

Like a Rubik's Cube, a fist-sized, block-shaped object appeared before me.

These "Rubik's Cubes" are not all the same color, but they all seem to have the same specifications as mass-produced items.

Under the illumination of the Eye of Hermes, gray and white magical light emerged.

"Doll's Heart (Level Zero)..."

The heart of the doll soldier from the Toy House combines a power engine with the function of thinking and calculation..."

"Puppet Heart" is a broad term, and this kind of doll-like heart is one of them.

There are also many magical puppets, and special control keys such as "wind-up" mechanisms.

They respectively serve as the "heart" and "brain" of the puppet creation.

Of course, there are also integrated cores that combine both major functions into one.

These are generally low-power integrated products that do not require additional assembly, and are commonly found in both low-end and high-end products.

Mid-range products are more commonly assembled separately to achieve richer functions and superior performance.

Thinking about the basic knowledge he had learned, Roy picked up one of the gray-black "doll hearts" and instructed the girl's head, "Take out the intact parts you've collected before. I'm going to reassemble them!"

At multiple mission sites, numerous pieces of wreckage were discovered, and before they knew it, they had pieced together complete parts.

After Roy quickly identified the model and specifications, he successfully disassembled and then reassembled the parts.

The other person seemed to awaken from a deep sleep, and upon seeing the unfamiliar surroundings, felt a slight sense of fear.

"Who...who are you people?"

Soldiers, soldiers...

"Help! Someone come quick!"

"..."

Roy stared at it silently for a while, then twisted his hair behind his head and forcibly subdued it.

"It seems like she still retains her memories."

"The girl's skull said."

"But that's normal, the implanted heart wasn't damaged."

"Just reinstall the system."

Roy stretched out his hand, his five fingers seemingly piercing through the water, and pulled out the doll's heart.

The puppet soldiers, who had just been screaming in terror, froze instantly, as if they had lost their lives.

But soon, a strange light emerged from Roy's palm.

An AI agent derived from the Mushroom Demon was injected into it.

A spark mixed with [mechanical life].

A brand new, peculiar alchemical soul, closely resembling natural life, was born.

Its essence still belongs to the category of intelligent agents, but it possesses a more complete and more human-like alchemical soul, and can already be considered a high-level artificial intelligence.

The material used was the very essence of the souls of the two battle mages they had killed earlier.

Roy didn't capture all their souls, but just a small fraction of their fragmented spirits was enough for his purposes.

"Aside from some behavioral habits and underlying life logic that may still need modification, the vast majority are universal..."

If there's an opportunity in the future, we might develop a new branch here...

That would be even more perfect!

After inspecting it for a while, Roy said with satisfaction.

What pleased him even more was that these toy soldiers were actually categorized as "mechanical"!

This allows for the direct use of [mechanical life], instead of starting with "soul forging" and then gradually creating an intelligent entity.

Although the ultimate goal is to create alchemical souls, their spirituality and future development potential are still different.

The spark bestowed by the [Mechanical Life] is closer to the form of natural life and has the potential to advance to the Silver level in the future.

This is already at the lowest point for humanity.

Perhaps, when my alchemy and witchcraft become more advanced in the future, I will be able to create dolls that are comparable to real humans?
After watching for a while, Roy put the doll's heart back into the soldier's body.

In an instant, the soldier who had been lying dead just moments before turned over and stood up, raising his hand in salute.

"Commander of the Musketeers, Lieutenant Aquibuz, reporting for duty!"

This is the virtual personality that Roy created for it. From this moment on, it is the commander of the musketeer squad among the puppet soldiers, a second lieutenant officer.

Even at the moment it revealed its identity, magical energy altered the block's paint job, revealing silver single-star epaulets on its shoulders and embroidered stripes on its cuffs.

"I played with something similar when I was a kid..."

However, they are real toys, not magical creations.

Seeing this, Nisha was deeply moved.

Roy glanced at him: "I didn't expect your childhood toys to be these kinds of things, not stuffed animals or anything like that?"

"Hmph, I am the princess who protects the kingdom of Sare, and I am proficient in all kinds of martial arts and combat skills!"

Nisha proudly declared.

Roy remained noncommittal, then examined the other doll remains again, piecing together several more "private", "corporal", and "second lieutenant".

This thing comes with a magical array that "shrinks objects," making it very convenient to transform into a small toy a few centimeters tall and put it in a box.

When you have nothing to do, you can take it out and play war game simulations, which can be described as both educational and entertaining.

Roy pondered whether he should ask Deirdre to exchange a portion of the compensation materials for supporting technology.

******
"Obtaining this technology can effectively enable mass production."

However, this only applies to the zero-level stage, because advanced creations are built using a block-based method, which is clearly not cost-effective.

Generally speaking, few advanced materials are used in this field; instead, relatively inexpensive, low-grade materials are employed.

The girl's skull, having learned of Roy's intentions, analyzed the situation.

Roy said, "That's enough."

Although I already have the Mushroom Demon, getting this would be a great addition.

Moreover, knowledge is priceless; you never know when it might come in handy.

He himself implemented a policy of streamlining administration and reducing personnel, and in fact did not rely much on this creation.

However, as an alternative to the Mushroom Demon, this thing still has considerable potential.

After Roy had thought it through, he returned to the city and spoke with Dildeliti.

Deirdil looked slightly surprised, but told him that this was not the technology she possessed, but rather that of her mother.

"Queen mother?"

"She lives in a 'fairytale kingdom' some distance from here, ruling over the earthly kingdoms, including the various city-states of my sisters and me. She is the queen of all laws and the mysteries of life..."

"Although I don't understand it very well, it seems very impressive."

Roy gave a perfunctory reply.

But in his heart he was wondering if she was a witch, or some other female follower.
Wizards are well-traveled and knowledgeable, having traveled to various worlds, and may also meet all sorts of people of the opposite sex.

Before meeting the other party, he was hesitant to make any assumptions about race.

Therefore, it can only be described as female, not necessarily as a woman.

……

A few days later, Roy followed Deirdre's reindeer-drawn carriage to the fairy tale kingdom, ready to meet the "Queen Mother".

This is a place full of childlike wonder: pointed-roof houses with candy patterns, winding streets with rounded animal paw prints, carved wooden windows with plant patterns, and huge wind chimes that creak and sing...

Even the streetlights are shaped like mushrooms wearing copper caps.

Along the way, all sorts of quirky toys, building blocks, dolls, and other "subjects" live in the area, each one vividly lifelike.

When Roy and his companions passed by, they saw the Nutcracker Soldier, the Wind-up Bird, the Porcelain Maid, and the Tin Soldier Band.

Domi, the big black cat, lay on the edge of the magic carpet, completely mesmerized by the sights.

Soon after, an envoy composed of animated objects such as dolls, cloth monsters, and playing cards led the group alighting from their vehicles and stepping onto a long red carpet into the main hall.

Roy then discovered that the "Mother" that Deirdre spoke of was a mechanical puppet with a distinct mechanical structure and an appearance like a puppet.

Inside the magnificent palace, she was dressed in gorgeous clothes and placed on a tall throne like a porcelain doll.

Her pale, wooden face was sculpted with delicate features, and her cheeks were painted with rouge that would never fade, but the seams between the stitches were still visible.

The lips were also carved into the wooden face and covered with glazed lip gloss.

The corners of her mouth turned up slightly, forming a dignified, yet somewhat stiff, smile.

A purple glow shone in all directions, displaying a distinct high-level radiance within the Eye of Hermes.

The surrounding thrones, scepters, and robes all radiated the same purple glow.

Under the illumination of these lights, golden threads seemed to fall from the dome and attach to the joints of the puppets.

When Roy first saw her, she was still a wooden doll.

But the next moment, the sound of gears, like mechanical transmission, came from the void.

The puppet came to life, its gem-encrusted eyes casting a questioning gaze.

"who are you?"

The images of Roy, Domi, Prandtse, and others were reflected in her pupils.

There's also Alice standing behind Roy, and the human head Alice is holding in her hands.

Deirdiri quickly stepped forward, lifted her skirt, and curtsied, saying, "Mother, this is Wizard Roy..."

“Roy the Wizard…”

The puppet queen murmured softly.

"I see. Young man, what brings you here from afar?"

"I want to change the terms of the agreement in exchange for the building block technology to make toy soldiers."

Roy touched his chest and bowed, as if addressing a true high-ranking wizard.

This is because it is very likely a miracle created by the Nabian wizard with his life's work.

He had already judged from the magical aura that the opponent's level was not low, and the golden threads even faintly carried the texture of divine power.

Upon hearing this, the Puppet Queen nodded slightly: "Knowledge can be copied and spread, so I shouldn't be stingy with it."

But knowledge is priceless; any wizarding knowledge that transcends the mortal realm is a precious treasure.

How could such a precious item be exchanged through a mission commission?

If you really want it, offer up some knowledge you possess to impress me.

Roy thought about it for a moment and realized that what the other person said made sense.

However, there is some difficulty in considering what technology to use for the exchange.

He himself possesses a considerable amount of knowledge.

Some of them can even be considered precious inheritances at the level of secret techniques.

For example, turning black or white.

However, these are not unique in the witchcraft world. The Nabian witch may have already mastered them over the course of 2000 years.

Even if you were to actually present it, it might not necessarily move the other person.

The ability to separate elements and refine matter is a natural talent ingrained deep within the soul.

Therefore, he was in a bit of a dilemma for a moment.

However, the arcane knowledge of mages, which evolved from the "Catalogue of Various Learnings," might be worth exchanging.

Just as Roy was pondering, the Puppet Queen's eyes suddenly lit up.

This is the true meaning of eyes shining.

Roy felt a powerful spiritual force shining on him.

Amidst surprise and doubt, the puppet queen exclaimed in an exaggerated tone, "What a beautiful child..."

Ah, please forgive my poor eyesight, I didn't see it clearly just now.

It's incredible.

When I was still human, I accompanied Lord Nabia on his travels through many planes and worlds, and I have never seen a child as beautiful as you..."

Perhaps because she sensed the beauty of Roy's soul, the Puppet Queen's attitude suddenly became much more friendly and enthusiastic.

This is a treatment that ugly people would never receive.

Princess Deirdiri, standing beside Roy, nodded repeatedly, expressing her strong agreement.

They were not ordinary beings and did not care much about worldly appearances.

Only the extraordinary charm of the soul and spirit is the true nature of an extraordinary life.

External appearance can be changed at will; even ordinary people have various medical techniques for cosmetic surgery.

Only beauty enhancements at the soul level are truly fundamental.

However, Roy gleaned another important piece of information.

"Were you once human?"

******
"I was originally a mortal, but by chance, I was favored by Lord Monabia, who refined my soul and infused it with eternal creation, which is why I have the form I have today." The Puppet Queen spoke calmly, as if she were only mentioning a trivial matter.

Roy nodded.

The ethics, morality, and various concepts of extraordinary beings are indeed different from those of ordinary people.

If you really meet a lover you adore or a satisfactory follower, but the gap between you is too big to stay together, you might indeed seek such a solution.

“I think I understand your needs. In fact, besides the ‘Puppet Soldiers,’ I also have a series of puppet creations derived from living witchcraft, such as ‘Candy Fairies,’ ‘Cloth Monsters,’ ‘Porcelain Dolls,’ ‘Clay Figures,’ ‘Card Guards,’ and ‘Wind-up Puppets.’”

Although most of them were just low-level gadgets, with the infusion of the life energy of the fruit spirits, they were still somewhat worthwhile.

As he pondered, the Puppet Queen took the initiative to introduce the witchcraft she possessed.

Upon hearing this, Roy couldn't help but sigh.

This is not just a matter of "having some merits," but rather a matter of being far more versatile than my teacher who is just a living fossil!

However, upon hearing that most of them were only at level zero, he realized that they were still far from being comparable to his teacher.

Even the creations of high-level golems still have their merits.

This puppet queen is skilled in the more refined processes of soul infusion and intelligent settings.

Perhaps because of her fondness for handsome young men, her attitude suddenly became much more friendly, and she even said to Roy, "If you can master the puppet soldiers, you can probably learn other skills as well. I might as well teach them all to you."

But I have one requirement: that these skills be truly inherited and mastered, not just something done out of a fleeting interest.

"This……"

Hearing him say that, Roy became even more perplexed.

Because his wizarding motto is based on equivalent exchange, such a whim is indeed more suitable for a cash-on-delivery transaction with no entanglement.

Roy had no intention of going deep into this area; he only intended to explore his own revitalizing magic and extend its branches.

If you delve deeper into this field, you might actually become a master, or even forge your own unique path.

But the time, effort, and lifespan required are unimaginable.

The puppet queen was clearly not looking for a casual enthusiast, but rather a true disciple who could master witchcraft and pass on what she had learned.

This actually put him in a bit of a predicament.

The other party's identity, his own maxims and moral standards, and other factors made it impossible for him to deceive them. He decided to get the technology first.

He could only tell the truth: "I'm sorry, but I cannot agree to that."

"Is that really the case..."

A faint hint of disappointment appeared on the puppet king's face, and his attitude quickly turned cold.

But because Roy was a level two wizard and a guest who came to help, she still waved.

A toy doll that looks like a fox but has anthropomorphic features and walks on two legs came forward.

"Take the guest to my library to retrieve information on the toy soldiers..."

Give him a copy.

Information and knowledge, among other things, have a common surface layer, but also contain true secret methods passed down through generations.

The Puppet Queen apparently agreed to provide some basic information about the puppet soldiers.

This is enough to teach Roy the basics and for him to figure out some ways to do more in-depth research.

This can be seen as a tacit agreement to his request.

However, since Roy did not agree to her conditions, a deal on the core content could not be reached for the time being.

……

Shortly afterward, in a huge building behind the palace.

The fox plush toy hopped and skipped ahead, leading Roy and the others to the reading area.

"Please wait here for a moment, I'll be right back."

The fox plush toy gave a soft, childish reply, then turned and left.

During this time, various living beings with different appearances came over, with a hint of curiosity and awe.

Roy turned his head and looked around, and found that they were all dolls, fairies and other whimsical things.

Being surrounded by these living, talking creatures that seem to possess a simulated soul truly gives one the feeling of being in a fairy tale world.

Just then, a sharp, sarcastic voice rang out.

"Hey, isn't this my sister, Deirdre?"

"They've actually come to read in Mother's library! What a rare guest!"

Everyone turned around at the sound and looked over, only to find a woman in palace attire with exaggerated body proportions, resembling a large-headed monster.

She resembled an ugly witch from a fairy tale, standing less than a meter tall with her head taking up more than 30 centimeters. A large crown perched atop her head, she lacked the majesty of a princess and instead appeared somewhat comical.

Her face was pale, her skin looked like it had been coated with putty, and she had large blushes on it.

Around him were all sorts of animated monsters, mostly strange and grotesque creatures like rascal frogs, platypuses, and jelly fish.

These are all rag dolls.

"Who is this……"

Roy looked at Deirdre with a hint of doubt.

"My sister, Valissa!"

Deirdil clearly showed some apprehension, but also some helplessness.

"Huh? Why are there outsiders here?"

"Dildeli, how dare you bring them here?"

Suddenly realizing that Roy and the others were not subjects of Deirdre, the big-headed princess named Valissa cried out in alarm and questioned them somewhat nervously.

However, before Roy and Deirdre could answer, their eyes suddenly lit up as if they had discovered a new continent. They rushed to Roy's side and looked him up and down carefully.

Her eyes widened like saucers, reflecting Roy's incomparably handsome face, her expression filled with disbelief.

"Oh my God!"

Valissa cupped her hands to her heart, and the blush on her face seemed to deepen.

"What a handsome and beautiful person! He is simply the prince of my dreams!"

"Sir, may I ask your name?"

She tugged at the hem of her skirt with a slightly awkward manner, performed a ladylike bow, and then, as if realizing that her shouting earlier had been somewhat impolite, quickly apologized.

"I'm very sorry, I just thought you were accessing the site illegally..."

"My name is Roy."

Unsure of the other person's temperament, Roy had to be cautious in his words and actions.

"Lord Roy!"
I, Valissa, the seventh princess, am honored to have fallen in love with you at first sight!
Would you be interested in staying in the fairytale kingdom and living happily ever after with me?

Valissa, however, showed no sign of letting him off the hook, and once again cupped her hands around her heart, looking extremely shy.

******
Roy remained expressionless: "Sorry, I'm not interested."

"what!"

Princess Vallisa was struck dumb, completely stunned.

Seeing her sister frozen in place like a statue, unable to move, Dildiri covered her forehead and said, "Sister, you are so rude!"

Coming to her senses, Valissa's eyes welled up with tears, and she looked aggrieved.

No, from childhood to adulthood, you have always been good and beautiful!

Everyone always goes easy on you and flatters you!
I have nothing!

Even the visiting wizards admire your beauty, while they sneer at me!
You even called me rude!

"No, sister, that's not what I meant..."

Deirdil was momentarily flustered.

But Valissa wouldn't listen at all. She wiped away a tear in frustration, turned around, and ran away.

"your Highness!"

The rag dolls beside her, including the rascal frog, platypus, and jelly fish, quickly chased after her.

"What's going on?"

Prandtse whistled, a hint of amusement in her voice.

Roy didn't say much.

This was just a minor incident.

Valissa is just being childish and throwing a tantrum.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Roy, my sister was very rude…”

Deirdil's face was flushed, and she lowered her head to apologize, seemingly lost in thought.

"It doesn't matter."

Roy didn't take it to heart.

……

"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

These documents haven't been looked at in a long time, and I couldn't find them right away!
Speaking of which, there seemed to be some noise just now, did something happen?

After more than half an hour, the waiting crowd finally saw the Fox Minister return, accompanied by several half-meter-tall animated wind-up puppets with springs inserted.

Each of them held several large, thick-covered books in their hands, which were exactly the "Book of Doll Soldiers" that Roy needed, along with related knowledge such as "The Heart of a Doll," "Mechanical Engineering," and "The Theory of Building Blocks."

……

After thanking him, Roy took the book and went home satisfied.

"Although I didn't get the real core secret techniques, these are enough for me to learn a lot!"

Especially the way blocks are built and assembled!

At this moment, Roy naturally relies on the abilities of [Skilled Worker], [Craftsmanship], and [Artisan] from his alchemy talent.

In addition to these, there are other factors.

For example...

"Celine, help me build an analytical model, list the knowledge graph and the corresponding techniques."

He is trying to use a more explicit approach to summarize and analyze.

Learning ability is actually an important component of a wizard's talent.

This kind of thing is often implicit, and is regarded as enlightenment and wisdom.

But there are actually many techniques involved, which can be mastered through practice.

Roy developed a set of methods while continuously developing his alchemical talent.

Among them, the most effective is the knowledge system concept built by combining the "Unexpected Joy" and the "Catalogue of Learning".

The biggest difference between him and other wizards is that he seems to have a vague concept of a "skill tree" or "talent tree" in his mind.

The knowledge structure itself is implicitly contained within it, and one concept can be logically derived from another, developing into a vast network like constellations.

When the brilliance of these "constellations" shines, even the most complex and profound things can be understood and comprehended.

Therefore, although the Puppet Queen did not teach him the true core secrets.

However, Roy felt that with his own abilities, he still had a chance to get a glimpse of it.

This process itself is also a way to improve oneself; he did not fixate on seeing the standard reference answer immediately.

……

Several more months passed quickly.

April of the new year.

In the city-state of Deirdiri.

Roy silently copied some documents at the front of the table, and soon after, he stretched and yawned.

"Meow?"

Noticing the commotion, Domi, the big black cat who was lying nearby resting with its eyes half-closed, cast a concerned glance at them.

Seeing that its owner seemed to have some free time, it leaped down from the windowsill and landed on the table.

What comes into view are complex texts and formulas, and a dense array of magical formations, which contain the core secrets of the building block doll.

"This thing is actually driven by something similar to a combination magic array!"

The main goal is to find a general solution for synthesizing similar rune arrays, enabling a comprehensive plan for arbitrary combinations!

Over the past few months, Roy first made full use of his "craftsmanship" to establish the basic concept of modular design.

He did not attempt to develop his own methods, but instead followed the established procedures set by his predecessors and diligently studied several basic specifications and transmission principles.

The results showed that this involved the implementation of mortise and tenon joints, mortise and tenon joints, universal joints, and ball joints.

While these things sound simple, there are many ingenious techniques involved in enabling the building blocks to carry the maximum amount of energy from the activated magic.

I can't fully master it in a short time, but it's more than enough to get the basic structure at the beginner level.

Next, just follow this path step by step.

"However, compared to that, such a small part as the heart of the doll seems to be more difficult to make!"

It contains the secrets of "soul science" and also contains soul formulas similar to rose angels and beast-like evil spirits!

To create this level of toy soldier, you need the corresponding 'block soul'!

The building block dolls that have mastered this secret technique have a soul; those that haven't have a soul are just ordinary intelligent entities, like artificial intelligence.

It's that simple.

As for how to achieve the soul of the building blocks, Roy guessed that it might be related to something like the fruit spirit.

This is probably the core mystery of the Torrad world.

"The Soul Recipe..."

Forget about that for now, let's try making a few using the method of creating animated golems!

Anyway, I have the spark ability of [Mechanical Lifeform], so maybe I can replace it, or even do it better!

Roy went to the next room on his own and gave orders to the projection avatar that was busy there.

"Make another batch of parts!"

The projected avatar nodded and, without saying a word, immediately got to work.

A few hours later, 100 building blocks of various kinds were completed.

Roy assembled them himself and quickly created three level-zero puppet soldiers.

"Puppet Soldier (Level Zero)..."

A private's ordinary soldier is assembled from 28 building block parts, consisting of four categories: head, torso, arms, and legs, as well as three categories: helmet, rifle, and tactical backpack...

Special skills: None…

With the infusion of "animation magic," the boxy doll soldier immediately came to life.

Just then, Roy suddenly jolted.

"【Words of Wisdom】..."

Attribute +5!

(End of this chapter)