Wizard Alchemist

Chapter 701 Golden Soul (4-in-1)

About half a month later.

On the far side of the desolate planet, in a frontline camp.

The sleek and shiny Domi lay on the flat rooftop of the barracks, its furry paws pawing at the magic diamond marbles, playing with them like toys.

The warriors coming and going didn't pay much attention to the big black cat. Those who occasionally looked up and saw it were only amazed by the jewelry necklace and various enchanted items and small magical artifacts it wore.

It's obvious at a glance that this is a pet kept by some important figure in the camp; it's definitely not something to mess with.

Sudden.

A hand grabbed Domi Destiny by the back of the neck and lifted her up, taking the magic diamond marble from the palm and placing it in her hand.

"So that's why Lord Roy's marbles suddenly disappeared. Turns out you took them out to play with."

"Domi, you're so naughty!"

Freya brought it in front of her and criticized it.

"Meow!"

Domi felt a little guilty and tried to get away with it by being cute, but his toys were still ruthlessly confiscated.

"Lord Roy is waiting to use it for experiments, so you can't play with it!"

Meow!
"I want this! I want this!"

Domi started to twist and turn.

"Don't even think about playing marbles anymore!"

Freya put it aside, turned and walked towards the stairwell, then went inside.

Domi stared longingly, meowing a few times in an attempt to evoke her sympathy, but to no avail.

Domi was somewhat unwilling to give up, so he tiptoed in, only to see that Freya went straight into the laboratory to find Roy.

Without a second thought, Domi followed him inside, grabbed Roy's leg, and started howling, "Meow... Master..."

Roy looked down and casually pulled out a handful of gems of various colors, which would be worth hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of magic stones in the eyes of an ordinary apprentice.

"Stop fooling around, Domi, take it and play with it, I'm busy."

He then proceeded to explain the details of the subsequent experiments to Freya.

Domi jumped onto the table dejectedly, lay down next to Roy, and started rummaging through the gems.

"Next, the main task is to promote and develop the Fran Alien Armor and the Ellen Alien Armor, and create a complete set of combat armor series standards."

Project codename: Apostle Armor.

The low-end version, at the Advanced Knight and Grand Knight stages, only possesses basic bio-armor capabilities and the "Stacking Armor" petrification enchantment, without any other configurations.

Standard configuration includes Level 1 bio-armor combat capability, "Layered Armor" diamond coating, and the ability to cast either Shadow Magic or Animation Magic spells.

Enhanced configuration, secondary bio-armor combat capabilities, and improved coating and spellcasting capabilities.

Luxury configuration, level three bio-armor combat capability, and luxurious coating and spellcasting capabilities.

The above will become the standard for widespread adoption and application within you followers, and in the world of Araghi under my control.

Freya nodded, took out her notebook, and wrote it down.

He then added with a hint of worry, "The formulation of these standards is related to whether they can be implemented on the assembly line."

This actually falls under the realm of arcane magic industry, not traditional alchemy.

Similarly, they can be used to refine medicines or craft objects.

Building factories, large reactors, and industrial manufacturing processes—that's called magical industry.

Small workshops operate by hand, rubbing the Philosopher's Stone by hand; that's called alchemy.

The biggest difference is that the former must have a complete set of strict and detailed standards, and the specific formula must also be numerically accurate.

The latter, on the other hand, can be added appropriately, in moderation, as needed, and in a timely manner.

However, the former finds it difficult to utilize personal cultivation and magical power.

Even if you have some relevant knowledge and talent, it is difficult to control all the details.

This is essentially a systemic problem; it's about getting workers to operate it.

Only the latter can utilize all their knowledge and abilities and bring out their personal strengths.

"The black, white, and yellow potions I've been concocting lately are for this process."

"Let's start by establishing a system on Fran Star, beginning with an annual production of 10 sets of advanced knight-level armor and 1 sets of grand knight-level apostle armor..."

Roy presented his own plan.

"If this goal can be achieved, in just a few years, the Aragir people can overthrow the Gnoll Empire on their own and achieve human dominance."

According to the nature of the world's will, the people of Araghi at that time were on my side; the will of the people is the will of Heaven...

Even if one truly succeeds in taking control of Alachi and completely conquers His will!

After success, production can be expanded within the Araghi world itself, reaching an annual output of over 100 million sets, which will be sufficient to meet the Alliance's recruitment needs and external expansion requirements.

During the discussion, the girl's head on the nearby table opened its eyes and spoke.

"A message came from Fran Star, saying that there are some things that need to be reported."

"Oh?"

Roy turned his head away.

He knew that unless it was something important, the wizards stationed there wouldn't dare to bother him.

So when I heard about it, I immediately paid attention to it.

He then took out his communication crystal, cast a spell to receive a message, and discovered that it was related to the wounded soldiers who had been sent back for treatment.

"In Balagond's capital hospital, many mage prisoners and wounded veterans have been diagnosed with soul mutations."

It is confirmed to be related to the contamination by divine abominations, but the extent of the harm cannot be assessed at this time.

The lessons learned from the Trojan Horse massacre are still fresh in our minds. If we were to breach the war fortress with the Divine Abomination Statue and then spread the same spiritual pollution to the planet Fran in the blink of an eye, we would truly be a laughingstock.

Whether it's genuinely for the benefit of the alliance and themselves, or simply for the sake of saving face, it deserves attention.

"I happen to be going back soon to make some arrangements and go visit them."

I'll go and see for myself then.

Roy thought for a moment and then gave the instructions.

According to the news agency, the incident has been going on for some time, and there is no indication of any contagiousness yet, so there is no immediate need to rush.

……

More than half a month later, it was December, and Roy temporarily returned to Fran Star as planned.

The first thing to do was to summon Delifa to discuss the establishment of an Apostle Armor production line.

This is a systematic project involving the production and manufacturing of various potions, as well as bloodline witchcraft and enchanted alloys.

We also need to train a group of wizard apprentices or novice mages.

The tasks are quite complex.

After that, he took Delifa to see Damanifi to explain the issue in person.

In the future, he will embark on an expedition to the Central Star Region, and it will be Damanifi who remains here, not himself or Legatos.

So there are some things I still need her to take care of.

Damanifi readily agreed to Roy's request.

After that, Roy went to the hospital to personally meet with the captured mages and the wounded veterans.

Local officials came out to greet him early in the morning, but Roy ignored the perfunctory reception and immediately went to conduct an on-site inspection.

******
Shortly after.

Surrounded by a crowd, Roy stepped into the inpatient ward of the capital hospital.

There was no smell of disinfectant like in typical medical institutions; instead, there was a hint of herbal fragrance. Everywhere you looked, the windows were bright and clean, and the place was tidy and hygienic.

Besides the fact that this place was originally quite upscale, it was also clearly a temporary arrangement to welcome Lord Roy's visit.

However, the closed doors of the wards on both sides of the corridor, along with the faint sounds of low groans, intermittent sobs, and occasional bursts of howls, gave it an unusual and eerie atmosphere.

The hospital director, a formal wizard from the Seven Towers Alliance, stood beside Roy and cautiously reported, "Sir, the mutation symptoms are mainly concentrated in the mental realm."

There were both captured mages and wounded veterans, and their specific manifestations varied, but they all showed some degree of soul and brain damage.

We borrowed staff from mental hospitals and also adopted restrictive measures for dealing with mental patients..."

Roy's gaze swept over the doors and windows locked from the outside, as well as the sealing patterns that contained magical power.

He didn't say much, just nodded slightly: "Let me introduce a few typical cases."

"Yes."

The person in charge quickly went to the next room and bowed, asking Roy to come closer to the window to observe.

Inside, there was a sorcerer dressed in straitjacketry, huddled in a corner, his ten fingers digging deep into his arms. The blood that flowed from under his fingernails had long since dried, but he seemed oblivious to it.

He was unaware of Roy's observation, his eyes fixed on the white wall in front of him.

“The Skinner…the Skinner is here again…” he muttered to himself, his voice hoarse, “No…don’t come any closer…”

He started trembling as he spoke.

Roy frowned: "The Skinner?"

The person in charge said, "It's an illusion, sir."

Our interrogation records confirm that this Master Yede had worked in a biological laboratory in Yachinila.

Especially during his apprenticeship as a monk, he handled a large number of processes such as skinning and dismembering frogs.

After the formal ranks, it involves frog-like demi-humans and their corresponding monsters.

His memory seemed distorted, projecting the experimental subjects as humans.

As soon as she finished speaking, Yede suddenly screamed, turned around and lunged at the wall behind her, her fingernails scraping against the white plaster with a piercing sound.

"Don't come over! Don't come over!"

Two medical staff rushed in, quickly restrained him, and injected him with a sedative.

Roy watched as Yede collapsed, a thoughtful look flashing in his eyes.

"The projection of fear..."

The power of the divine abomination destroyed his will…

"Yes, sir," the person in charge quickly confirmed.

Roy left the window and went down to a room with a plaque that read "Frandi the Mage".

It's quiet here.

The monk Franti, also dressed in straitjackets, sat on the edge of the bed with a smile on his face, as if he were talking to an old friend.

But there was no one opposite him.

“Yes, yes, those tactics lessons were really ridiculous…” He chuckled, then suddenly his expression froze, his pupils contracted sharply, “Oh… no! How did you get here? You shouldn’t be here!”

He suddenly reached out and grabbed at the air, as if trying to grasp something, then his hand fell limply to his side, and he sobbed softly, "You're dead... I saw it with my own eyes... You were eaten by a monster..."

The hospital director whispered, "He claimed to have seen many people being eaten alive by a monster that looked like a blood-red sludge monster, and he could even name each person and provide details..."

However, according to our investigation and evidence collection, those classmates and colleagues are either still alive or died in the siege at that time, but their remains have been found.

Some people didn't even come to the Ellen Starfield; instead, they were sent elsewhere or remained in Achinira.

The person in charge said in a low voice.

"He probably didn't lie on purpose; his memory is just messed up."

After briefly examining the next few mage prisoners in similar situations, Roy went to the area of ​​the wounded veterans.

In soldier Andrew's hospital room.

The once-powerful lizardman warrior now huddled in a corner of a hospital bed, a thick blanket tightly wrapped around his body, revealing only a pair of terrified vertical pupils.

The windows of the ward were sealed shut, not even a breath of wind could get in, and all the lights were off, making it pitch black inside.

Roy and the others were outside, observing the scene inside through a magical crystal ball.

The hospital director opened the medical record and explained, "He was ambushed by the Thornwood Demon during the Star Gate Battle and suffered serious injuries. After that, he was almost strangled to death by the roots of the Withered Vine Demon."

Now, anything made of wood, even the trees in the yard, triggers his panic.

At the same time, fire, light, snakes, and thunder will also cause him fear to varying degrees, which may correspond to fire elements, cannon fire, and other things encountered on the battlefield.

But according to our investigation, this person was previously an extremely brave warrior, repeatedly charging into battle without fear.

Next, Roy inspected several prisoners and wounded soldiers.

For those with milder symptoms, we even went out to talk to them, and had close contact and communication with them.

The commonality among these patients was that they all exhibited typical symptoms of mental pollution caused by the "fear demon".

In addition, there was the impact from the power of faith, which led to the insertion of some disordered memory fragments.

The severity levels, from lowest to highest, are: dissociative identity disorder, mental pollution, and then mutation.

But either way, it's quite troublesome.

After all, anything involving the soul is complex; even a head transplant or brain transplant usually preserves the original brain.

Even for high-level wizards or archmages, it is not easy to completely extract a soul and store it in a soul gem.

Only Roy, with his exceptional talent, could do it.

"This one, this one, and these medical records..."

Leave it all to me.

Roy plans to conduct research on these topics in terms of "soul science" and brain anatomy.

As for the others, we can only regretfully give them up.

Their destination will be an asylum.

The truth is that there is no way to solve the problem, but each one requires a lot of time, energy, and resources.

The price is too high.

"Finally, there's a rather special case..."

After Roy finished speaking, the hospital director continued.

"A lizardman warrior named Adira exhibited traits that were completely opposite to many of the previous cases."

He lost many emotions and memories, but his will became exceptionally pure and unwavering, making him immune to level one spells like "Fear" and "Sleep," level two spells like "Mind Gaze," "Symbol of Fear," "Aura of Terror," and "Domination of Man," and even level three spells like "Higher Fear"—a whole host of spells that disrupt the mind and instill fear!

******
Upon hearing this description, Roy frowned slightly.

This may not necessarily be a good thing.

To speak of pure and unwavering willpower, even immunity to spells like "Fear Spell"...

Even fanatics can do it!

Undead and machines are completely immune to mind-based magic; unless they are imbued with divine power of level four or higher, the corresponding spells will not take effect.

If someone is a fanatical follower of an evil god, that will mean trouble.

But after glancing at the person in charge, he knew that as a formal wizard, the other party had some judgment.

If they were truly dangerous individuals like followers of evil gods, they would probably have been dealt with long ago.

The meritorious warriors of the Fran aliens are nothing to the wizards.

"Let's wait and see," Roy said after a moment's thought.

"This way, please." The hospital director quickly led the way.

In stark contrast to the somber and negative atmosphere of other wards, this place was quiet and solemn.

The lizardman warrior Adira was silently doing push-ups, his movements as precise as a machine, every muscle contraction perfectly conforming to the standards in the training manual. Upon seeing Roy and the others enter, he immediately stood up and gave an impeccable military salute.

"Sir, combatant Adari salutes you." His voice was steady, his eyes firm, without the slightest fluctuation.

Roy asked, "Do you know why you're here?"

“Mental pollution screening, sir,” Adela replied. “But I’m perfectly healthy and ready to return to the battlefield at any time.”

The hospital director leaned closer to Roy and transmitted a message telepathically: "Apart from his mental state, all his physiological indicators are indeed normal..."

But it's too normal!
There was no fear response, no traumatic stress, and even the heartbeat was unusually steady!

Roy's gaze fell on Adela's pupils, and what he saw within them was a machine-like unwavering determination and steadfastness.

"The Divine Fiend is the ultimate weapon that destroyed the war fortress, and it is also somewhat dangerous to the lizardmen."

"Follow orders and stay in the hospital for observation."

"Strictly obey orders."

Adari's expression remained unchanged, and he responded immediately.

……

Soon after, at the end of the corridor.

Roy stopped in his tracks.

"Most cases involve distorted memories and amplified fear, consistent with the 'fear contamination' characteristic of the divine abominations."

But this Adira... is not corrupted.

"Not contaminated?" The person in charge was somewhat surprised and subconsciously asked, "Then..."

Roy said, "He was 'torn apart'."

The person in charge was astonished and suspicious.

"His soul exhibited a phenomenon of being forcibly plundered and torn apart by a higher-level being."

In fact, some other prisoners or soldiers also exhibited similar symptoms.

But that led to a broken soul and a split personality.

He is an exception to this phenomenon, as the part that was torn apart does not involve the main body of his personality.

Or perhaps, it is that all the emotions that could cause him fear and panic, the cowardice and apprehension inherent in the instincts of intelligent life, have been cut off from his personality.

Theoretically speaking, this achieves a kind of sublimation, similar to "wizard maxims."

Roy recalled what he had just witnessed, but what he didn't tell everyone was that he had actually used the Eye of Hermes to see golden light in the eyes of that Adari!
"Absolute obedience, fearlessness of death...the perfect soldier, the perfect puppet!"
This is a kind of sublimation, akin to that of a saint or a sage!

He is now a pure warrior, like all the legendary heroes in history who possessed noble qualities and pure souls, with a mind free of distractions and pure clarity.

This is indeed a phenomenon similar to heroes, paladins, or even fanatics.

Heroic spirits...

The heroic spirits of the warriors!
Perhaps this existence best reflects the characteristics of his soul now.

Roy made no secret of his admiration for the native fighter, and suddenly he understood why the heroic spirits in those epic tales ascended to heaven and received divine favor.

The soul rank of ordinary intelligent beings is silver level.

But after being tempered and refined, under certain chance circumstances, it will be transformed into gold!

……

After that, Roy took away Adria's files and related medical records.

The first thing to do is to check his achievements.

"This Adari has also made quite a few contributions in battle."

He actually rose through the ranks from a low-ranking knight to a high-ranking knight, and then to a great knight.

He can truly be called an inspirational role model!

Thinking of this, Roy took out his communication crystal ball and sent a message directly to the wizard in Gonde Tower who was in charge of reviewing merits.

"Assess Edrali as a Golden Dragonman and promote him directly."

“Edrari? Lord Roy, this lizardman was previously detained and sentenced to three years of hard labor for resisting us…”

The person in charge hesitated.

"I know, but that's all in the past. Doesn't this better demonstrate our magnanimity and our meritocracy?"

Moreover, don't give him ordinary potions, but dragon vein sorcerer potions.

"This is!"

After a brief hesitation, the person in charge immediately responded firmly.

In fact, normally speaking, meritorious personnel like Edrari who participated in the Stargate campaign and returned alive would be qualified to become the lowest-ranking Argonian-level "Golden Dragonman".

This rank was originally set up for guards, butlers, servants, and the like.

The total number is in the millions.

The meritorious soldiers are fully qualified for the assessment.

However, the potions used are mostly highly diluted ones.

Its main characteristic is staining, with only changes in the color of the skin and scales, or other external features that make it easy to distinguish from lizardmen.

The person in charge hesitated because they still wanted to "put some pressure" on this person for some reason.

But when he heard that Roy actually wanted him to skip the knight-level potion and grant him the bloodline of a warlock, he knew that this person definitely couldn't be controlled.

He has already gained the favor of the higher-ups and is destined for a meteoric rise.

……

as predicted.

In the month or so following the New Year.

On Fran Star, a world-class media machine was activated, with major news outlets, newspapers, television, and other platforms publishing lists of meritorious soldiers and their deeds in the Stargate War.

The large-scale rewards for merit were realized.

More than 20% of these outstanding individuals became Jinlong people.

Roy and Damanifi personally attended the ceremony and gave important instructions.

Then there are various heroic deeds and the promotion of inspirational role models.

This process is already very familiar to the wizards.

By promoting heroes among the indigenous people, it is possible to demonstrate fairness and justice and effectively appease the people.

Then, relevant policies should be formulated quickly to ensure that benefits are distributed in one place.

Just like in the Wizard Tower, nothing is as important as the apprentice-level advancement.

The lizard people, having witnessed that hard work could lead to advancement and even membership in the ruling class, all bowed their heads and strived towards this goal set by their superiors.

******
Another day.

Franstar, Balagond.

A giant television screen hangs high, covering the entire west wall of the central square, directly opposite the statue of the Golden Dragon God.

The screen is playing a special feature of the documentary "Heroic Epic: The Battle of Stargate"—"The Will of the Golden: The Edrari Chronicle".

In the scene, the Adari, dressed in simple armor, fights alone against dozens of enemy elemental beings in the ruins of a desolate planetary fortification on the Stargate battlefield.

Ice and fire intertwined, and various elemental energies wove together to form a deadly net around him.

However, Adari was brave and fearless, skillfully maneuvering against them, demonstrating extremely high combat wisdom and tenacious will.

"Look! It's a battle recording of the Special Class Hero Edra!"

A young lizardman in overalls pointed at the screen, his voice trembling with excitement: "My cousin was in the nearby trenches at the time. He said that Adari held the entire fortification alone for two hours!"

The crowd gathered in the square exclaimed in admiration and began to discuss it.

"And then there were his previous merits: slaying apprentice mages, guarding machines, and the Ellen alien armor!"

"Thus, he made one merit after another and was promoted to Golden Dragon!"

"That's incredible! I heard he was sentenced to three years in prison for resisting the wizard!"

"I know him, he used to work at our factory!"

The other lizardman workers proudly puffed out their chests.

On the screen, the documentary switched to footage of Adelairi receiving his medal.

Roy and Damanifi sat on the high platform, witnessing the congressman pin a gleaming gold medal to his chest.

The camera zooms in, revealing a serious expression on Adrari's resolute face.

The golden light shimmering on his skin and scales indicated that he had become a member of the "bloodline aristocracy" of this planet, a member of the Golden Dragon people.

……

at this time.

Inside the Gonde Tower, in the laboratory.

The newly crowned hero of the Fran aliens, Edratri, who has become a dragon vein sorcerer, is dressed in a simple white lab coat, lying on the operating table like a giant white mouse.

Roy stood in front of the alchemy table, skillfully and quickly manipulating the magic array on it with his mental power, bringing up a complex soul fluctuation diagram.

The girl's skull reported from the side: "Everything needed for the experiment is ready, we can begin."

"Alright, execute the soul transfer spell immediately."

Beside her, Freya, who was acting as the experiment's assistant, reported: "The soul stabilizer has been injected, and the consciousness stripping process has begun."

The machine's voice announced: "Execution in progress, stripping initiation..."

Above the operating table, a dozen fleshy tubes, resembling octopus tentacles, extended down and clung to Adari's body.

A moment later, the suction cups on these tentacles sucked it in, and tiny golden threads, only one-tenth the diameter of a human hair, extended inside.

Various probes, neural connections, and various indicators of brainwave data are displayed on another screen.

Roy observed for a while, then reached out his hand.

A walnut-sized enchanted diamond lay quietly on the tray, handed over by the ghostly maid beside it.

These are crystals he made himself.

After numerous attempts, Roy gradually began to grasp the method of crafting soul gems at a lower cost.

Even so, such a high-quality enchanted diamond costs nearly a million in resources.

This is only considering the material itself.

This includes the cost of inscribing the magic array, as well as the labor costs incurred by this high-ranking wizard...

And a whole series of surgical expenses.

In fact, the figure could be as high as hundreds of millions!

There's a reason for such a large investment...

As he cast the spell, suspending the gem 30 centimeters above Adari's head, a ray of golden light naturally emanated from between his eyebrows, as if focused light.

Inside the diamond, faint golden veins begin to appear, gradually forming a flame-like shape.

The girl's skull reports: "Consciousness fluctuations have reached a critical level, soul upload in progress..."

Freya quickly reviews various data.

As he lay on the operating table, Adari's eyelids suddenly twitched violently, and his facial expression twitched slightly, as if he were experiencing some unspeakable pain.

But these are all just physiological reactions.

His consciousness actually withstood the pain of this soul being ripped away.

"Current progress 30%...40%...50%..."

The golden patterns inside the enchanted diamond became increasingly dense, and they increasingly resembled the texture of flames.

Freya kept a close eye on the data stream, occasionally fine-tuning the parameters.

"90...100%...Transfer complete!"

Several minutes passed.

Suddenly, Edrari's soul was completely ripped out!
However, under the influence of the "Level 3 Activation Technique" and various magical potions and equipment, it exhibited a vitality akin to that of the living dead.

Her assistant, Freya, immediately made corresponding modifications to him, injecting him with various enhancement potions and potions to stimulate the potential of dragon vein sorcerers.

Roy, however, was performing operations in the realm of the soul.

The enchanted diamond burst forth with dazzling golden light before stabilizing, revealing a pure and bright golden flame within.

Roy reached out and held it in his palm, feeling the spiritual energy emanating from it. He felt as if it were vibrating slightly, as if it had a life of its own.

Under the light of the Eye of Hermes, the gemstone emitted a rich purple glow, interspersed with translucent and pure golden light.

"The Soul Stone of Edrari (Level 3)..."

Capacity limit: 3500…

Durability: 100%...

Sanctification level: 95%...

With some satisfaction, after examining the gem for a while, Roy pressed it onto Adari's forehead and silently activated the activation spell.

This dragon vein sorcerer's physical body was like a lump of clay, and he swallowed the gems.

……

The next day, when Roy visited Adari again, he had fully woken up and was undergoing various tests under Freya's guidance.

"Lord Roy!"

Upon seeing Roy enter the laboratory, Freya quickly came forward to greet him, reporting with a hint of delight.

"All indicators are perfectly in line with expectations; his soul has withstood the wear and tear of the transfer."

"This is exactly the kind of performance that a golden soul of heroic spirit level should have."

Roy pondered silently.

But the words on the virtual panel appeared in my mind.

Heroic Spirit Warriors (Heroic Spirits)...

(Gold-grade Soul Recipe)

Spiritual composition ratio:
Bestiality: 24.8765%
Human nature: 25.1234%
Divinity: 50.0001%
Attribute configuration table:

Instinct: Weak
Mood: Medium
Emotion: Strong
Wisdom: Strength
Divinity: Strong

This is a soul formula derived from the soul of Adari at this moment.

Unlike ordinary intelligent beings, such as humans, whose various indicators are close to the average level of 33%...

His animalistic and human nature have been reduced to about 25%.

But its divinity is as high as 50%, and it's exactly 0.0001% more!

This mysterious proportion, seemingly created by nature, gave birth to the heroic spirit of this Fran alien hero, and also provided Roy with a wealth of knowledge and experience related to "soul studies"!
Even... creating gods!

(End of this chapter)