Wizard Alchemist

Chapter 733 The Teacher's Funeral (4-in-1)

"Is the teacher's life coming to an end, and is he preparing to sleep peacefully?"

Roy stood up, recalling what he knew about the land of the stone carvers.

That was the world ruled by the Stonemasons' Guild, which was said to have once been a divine kingdom in an outer dimension.

After the great wizards hunted down the gods, they divided their divine offices and divine status among themselves, and transformed them into the world will of the Stonecarver Kingdom.

Since then, a peculiar custom called "stone burial" has emerged in the wizarding world.

Some wizards who sense that their lifespan is coming to an end and that there is no possibility of extending their life will go there in advance and have their souls engraved into statues.

Immortality is the relentless pursuit of the powerful and wealthy. Even before his transmigration, Roy had heard of the technology to freeze himself and preserve his physical body.

Those wealthy and powerful people, like these wizards, are hoping that someone will step forward and reawaken them once technology advances.

The project was managed by the Stone Carvers, an organization under the Stonemasons Guild. They built a cemetery and provided maintenance services.

To date, there is no means to resurrect or reawaken the soul, and this grand vision remains an ideal.

However, in modern times, there have been more cases of people signing contracts with the land of stone carvers, making it their final resting place after death, and using it as a secret method for souls.

As a senior member of the Stonemasons' Guild, Roy also enjoyed this benefit: in the event of a certain death, he could transfer his main soul there and prolong his life as a remnant soul.

"When the teacher was promoted to a higher level, it seems that he used some special means, which resulted in a lack of corresponding growth in his soul's lifespan. He is a mediocre wizard with congenital deficiencies."

Judging by the timeline, it's definitely almost time to end it now.

Roy sighed helplessly, gradually accepting the fact that his teacher was about to die.

The girl's skull told him: "The funeral will be held on December 1st of this year."

It's only late March now, eight months ahead.

Roy nodded.

A funeral that is known in advance certainly allows ample time to prepare.

After that, he began to make arrangements to return to the Witch Tower and go to the Kingdom of the Stone Carvers to attend the funeral.

During this time, he also specially brought along his prized disciple Ingenium, as well as Schall.

He also intended to pass on his skills and introduce his disciples, whom he deemed suitable, to the organization, thereby gaining control of some of the trading channels.

Like the previous Frosifs, he was qualified to make a recommendation as a high-ranking wizard.

As for what benefits one can gain from this platform, that depends on individual fate.

……

More than half a year later.

10 month 3 day.

The Stonemasons' Guild is a nation of stone carvers.

Roy led Freya and the others out of the teleportation array.

A light drizzle is falling here, and dark clouds cover the sky, shrouding the distant mountains in a misty haze.

The damp air carried a slightly somber, earthy smell, and the temperature felt a little chilly.

The apprentice deacons, dressed in long black robes, stood respectfully in the rain to greet Roy and the others, and then directed them to the temporary lodging of the "dying."

Roy then summoned the three-headed dragon Trekepharos, which carried everyone in that direction.

During this time, someone had already informed him of his arrival.

Frosif then came out to greet them along with several old wizards who looked similar in temperament.

"This is your disciple, Roy?"

"So young, yet so powerful..."

As the saying goes, birds of a feather flock together.

The old wizards were all mediocre, but when they saw Roy, who was so young yet already possessed an intensity of around 3000 degrees, their eyes lit up.

Following behind them were Igor, Tinas, and others, who couldn't help but feel a deep sense of emotion.

"Roy is even stronger than before!"

Tinas saw Roy on Fran Star, which is less than 40 years ago, so the feeling isn't that strong yet.

But Igor hasn't seen Roy in over 150 years since the beginning of the world of Tyrell.

Even within the nearly thousand-year lifespan of a second-level wizard, this is equivalent to a long period of more than ten years for an ordinary person.

He was immediately shocked.

Back then, Roy was a junior who had just been promoted to the second tier.

And now...

How times have changed!
Most of the other disciples of the same generation who followed were in the same situation.

Most of them had never seen Roy, but they had vaguely heard that such a person existed.

"teacher."

Soon, Roy descended and bowed slightly in greeting.

Then he looked at the crowd.

"These are..."

"Some old friends came to see me off!"

Frosov smiled with delight.

……

In the days that followed, everyone reminisced, kept in touch, and interacted.

Wizards are pragmatic people, and such occasions are also places to negotiate interests and build connections.

Roy is definitely one of the top figures in this circle, and he is so young that he could even be considered a potential great wizard.

Everyone revolved around him like a star surrounded by the moon.

During this time, Frosif also introduced him to several first-level and second-level wizards.

He was qualified to take on apprentices for a short period of time, but during his time in Knightland, he did take on several rounds of disciples.

Errant, Tina, Roy, and others were in the same group.

But there were several other batches before that.

However, compared to Roy, who has already advanced to level three, they are just some mediocre level two wizards who are still struggling.

Those who excel among them may have the opportunity to be promoted through special means at the end of their lives, hundreds of years from now.

Then he followed Frost's old path, living for several hundred more years, but still did not reach the 3000-year lifespan of a truly high-level wizard.

Those who were less remarkable died in their 300s and 1000s.

During this time, Roy spotted an old acquaintance: "Lunia, Podka!"

"Lord Roy, it's been a long time."

Both of them had worked as butlers in Knightland, and both were introduced to the job by Roy.

"That is indeed the case, more than 150 years ago."

Roy spoke with them with a touch of melancholy, vaguely sensing that thousands of years from now, they would all become someone whose memory was not very clear.

"Lu" and "Bo" could roughly predict that outcome, but they were still very happy to chat with him and build rapport.

Lunia discussed the current situation in Knightland: "After Lord Frosif steps down, the Alliance may replace him with a more powerful high-level wizard to launch a counterattack against the orcs."

We may have to get involved.

"Oh? Well, good luck to you then."

After thinking it over, Roy decided not to just talk the talk but to gather everyone together and prepare for a small internal trading meeting.

"I have a batch of war supplies and combat puppets that may be useful to you, as well as all sorts of knowledge and treasures!"

We're all on the same side, so let's switch places casually.

******
In the land of stone carvers, in an ancient castle.

Upon hearing the news, the crowd arrived, filled with excitement and anticipation, ready to participate in the trade fair convened by Roy.

Roy is, after all, a high-level wizard. Even if his accumulated experience is not as profound as that of other high-level wizards, the resources he can access and utilize are far beyond what they can compare to.

It's rare to find a high-ranking wizard, who is related to you, willing to open his own personal shop.

This is definitely a rare opportunity.

As a result, everyone was shocked when Roy showed them the long list of redeemable items.

This isn't because their accumulated experience is inferior to other high-level wizards...

This is simply looking down upon all living beings, surpassing everyone else!

"Star Antimony, the corpse of the Iserne warrior, Ose clay artifacts, the Masata Stone, and the Bataria Magic Crystal!"

"Homemade Apostle Armor, captured Fran Alien Armor, Allen Alien Armor..."

And the mage's magical armor!

"Starship Guard, autonomous surveillance machinery... magic-powered guns and hypersonic cruise vehicles!"

"Matan Demon, Matan Elixir, Chakra Techniques, Celestial Martial Arts!"

"The waters of the Moonwell, the Orb of Deception, the Cloak of Shadows..."

"The Seeker's Sword, Fortress Guard Set..."

"Aesthetic jewelry, Zabik magic gold, elemental spellcasting potions, highly poisonous potions, magic diamond armor plates..."

From level three to level two to level one, from technological creations to alchemical artifacts, and then to magical treasures.

For warfare, self-defense, communication, and support...

There were all sorts of useful things, a truly dazzling array.

Lunia looked at the things that might come in handy with a hint of surprise.

"Next, I might go to the main world of the Osis plane, the orc world!"
The enemies there are mainly orc heroes, but there are also some shamans who maintain their spellcasting abilities.

This Apostle set suits me better!

Podka said, "These mushrooms that can be implanted into one's own body might save my life in a critical moment. I think I'll buy some to have on hand."

The others also each picked out some items.

However, these were all "poor relatives".

Each person spends a few hundred thousand to exchange for some rare and desirable items, and then they stop there.

This is also the living condition of ordinary wizards.

As a second-level wizard, Igor was considered one of the wealthiest among them, possessing a fortune in the hundreds of millions.

Gritting his teeth, he exchanged a small piece of star antimony with Roy, intending to combine it with the Heartless Ones' Secret Techniques obtained from the Tailin World to create something similar to the "Golden Shell".

Roy had been incredibly kind to him, not only giving him Star Antimony for free, but also providing him with information on his past work in refining "golden shells".

However, at this moment, he also received an unexpected reward from Igor.

"Is this the secret technique of the Heartless Ones of the Kingdom of Mogor?"

"That's right. After being ravaged by war, Mogor was completely destroyed. We searched through the treasury of the former royal court and obtained some things."

I don't know if this will be helpful to you.

Roy glanced at it briefly and realized it wasn't very useful to him.

But Nisha is a princess of the Kingdom of Sare, and she also has considerable experience in the cultivation of the Heartless.

This might inspire her, and could even help her activate new psychic abilities and achieve Level 3 life!

After Roy thanked them, he ended the trade fair and returned to the mage's mansion with a wide variety of traded items, handing the information over to Nisha.

Nisha, true to her word, exclaimed, "It's actually the 'Secret Source of Thought' from the Kingdom of Mogor!"

Roy said, "I've heard that this is the result of research conducted by the pioneers of the Tylin world on the power of Tylin."

Their initial intention was to try to find the essence of this strange power, but because they did not venture out of the sea of ​​stars, they fell into the misconception of the blind men and the elephant.

However, after years of trial and error, we eventually made some progress.

This so-called "secret source of thought" is the foundation upon which the Mogor Kingdom was founded.

"That's right, this is one of the few ways to control the power of Tailin through one's own will and become a powerful, heartless being."

There are even rumors that they can awaken supernatural abilities on their own!

Before the wizards' invasion, that kingdom was once the most powerful, and even after the wizards' invasion, its resistance was tenacious, no less than that of the Kingdom of Sarre, which relied on the power of demons.

However, beset by internal and external troubles, it eventually perished.

Nisha didn't say much; she could never go back to that homeland.

Even the precious martial arts techniques that were once only heard of but never truly seen were now being circulated as spoils of war.

She held the copy and sighed softly, then began to read it carefully.

This thing can't guarantee her promotion either.

But it will still be of some help!

……

Before we knew it, more than a month had passed.

The day of farewell has arrived.

The funeral was held on time, and everyone gathered at the cemetery.

This is a garden at the foot of the mountain, planted with many tall trees. The trees seem to be magical plants, cultivated using special methods, and all of them are as white as snow.

Various small white flowers grow under the tree, adding to the solemn and tranquil atmosphere of the place.

At a glance, thousands of statues stand like real people, neatly arranged in the open space at intervals of tens of meters.

They are all high-ranking wizards who have chosen to rest here throughout the ages, whether they are as mediocre and ordinary as Frosif, or as brilliant and exceptionally talented as Roy.

Whether they lived a peaceful and leisurely life in a secluded corner or traveled to various places and experienced a magnificent and legendary life.

In the end, they all gradually reached the end of their lives and became ordinary members of this place.

Only in front of the statue, on a small tombstone, are inscriptions recording each person's name and life story, with slight markings.

According to the stonemasons' guild's official explanation, this was to facilitate patrols and management, but in reality, it was for the purpose of commemorating and honoring the dead.

The true path to immortality remains elusive, and these people are unlike followers or believers in gods, willing to abandon their independent personalities and soul essence to depend on other powerful beings.

So, in the end, I chose to rest here forever.

The statue dedicated to Frosif was also ready, and Roy turned his gaze toward it.

The statue, meticulously replicated at a 1:1 scale, faintly radiates a purplish-red aura within the Eye of Hermes.

At the same time, golden light, like fine threads, faintly emanated from it, demonstrating the blessing of divine power.

"The Statues of the Sleepers (Level 3/4)..."

These are special magical stone statues sculpted with painstaking effort by the stone carvers. They possess the power to preserve souls and freeze states.

The moment a soul enters it, the sealing power within will be triggered, causing the soul to fall into a long slumber.

The power of the divine kingdom will ensure that the statue itself is immortal and unaffected by the erosion of time.

(Note: True immortality is difficult even for gods to achieve, therefore it is pseudo-immortality.)

******
"Caw! Caw!" As Roy pondered, the crow cawed a few times in a hoarse voice and landed on the crow on the statue's shoulder.

The carvers not only sculpted Frosov's image so lifelike, but even added a corresponding raven on his shoulder.

That was Frosveh's magical pet.

It is connected to its master's soul, sharing life and death, and cannot live on its own after its master, Frosif, dies.

Therefore, this time, it will also accompany Frosov, with the mysterious ritual of "stone burial" to allow his soul to rest here.

"Gentlemen, I'll be taking my leave now!"

Frosov glanced around, his gaze slowly sweeping over everyone, as he sent messages to each of them, bidding them farewell.

Finally, it was Roy's turn.

"Roy, you are the most promising and accomplished of all my disciples."

Perhaps one day in the future, I might actually become a great wizard.

I won't be able to see it.

However, I don't regret it, because most other wizards don't even have such a thought.

Roy was slightly moved: "Teacher..."

Frosif waved his hand and continued, "My legacy will be handled by the Alliance. According to the long-standing tradition of the wizarding world, it will be returned to the wizarding tower from which I was born."

Add to that the fees required to move into a cemetery, and the expenses are quite substantial...

For the past century, I have been working hard to save money for my funeral, and I have almost nothing left.

Since that's the case, I won't embarrass myself by showing it to you.

While I still have some freedom to use my magic and knowledge, you've already surpassed me by a great deal. You've already taught me "Diamond Skin" and "Saturans Chess," but it seems you don't have any other useful secret techniques to impart...

These are all the notes and reflections I have. I already gave them to you a few days ago.

Roy nodded silently.

But deep down, he wondered what the meaning of life truly was.

Perhaps life has no inherent meaning, and there's no need to prove to the world that you've ever existed; living well in the present is the true path.

This can be seen from the numerous statues present, almost every one of which depicts a prominent figure from a certain era or place.

Throughout history, there have been many high-level wizards or high-level spellcasters from other factions.

The final destination chosen by one's own will varies widely, but it generally falls into one of the following categories: eternal sleep, reincarnation, or becoming a follower of a powerful being.

"It's almost time."

While Roy was pondering, Frost turned and leaned back, entering the stone coffin that had been prepared beforehand.

The next moment, he released his soul on the spot, turning into a semi-transparent phantom and entering the statue.

The crow also stiffened, its body disappearing into the stone carving on its shoulder.

The cemetery attendant quickly caught it, carefully placed it into the stone coffin, and began sealing the coffin for burial.

The bodies and souls of high-level wizards often possess terrifying radioactivity and require proper handling.

Roy watched this scene from beginning to end using the Eye of Hermes.

Suddenly, I noticed that the suffix on the statue had changed.

"The Sleeping Stone Statue of Frosif (Level 4)..."

"It actually turned into Level 4 at this moment?"

"In this cemetery, there are so many statues, all of them level four, each sealing the soul of a level three wizard..."

Roy also briefly looked at the contract signed between Frosif and the Stonemasons' Guild and found that in addition to obligations such as management and maintenance, the organization also had the right to urgently conscript and use them in combat.

If an alliance or organization encounters a particularly urgent crisis, it can use "Revitalization" to temporarily awaken these sleeping beings and transform them into angel-level golems.

This is what is known as organizational foundation.

However, prolonged sealing and slumber can cause the soul to fall into a state of death, and since the sleepers were originally old wizards who were about to die, the cost of reburial was also high.

Therefore, the conditions for triggering such an emergency mobilization are very strict, and it is impossible to call them up and cause trouble for no reason.

Although in some worlds there is a custom called "Returning the Corpse Festival", in which the remains of deceased relatives are taken out of the grave, cleaned, dressed in new clothes, and even photographed with the corpses and "walked" with them, etc., as a memorial activity.

But tormenting the souls of old wizards in the wizarding world is extremely immoral and expensive.

I probably won't have many opportunities to see my teacher or communicate with him again in the future.

With a touch of sadness, Roy laid flowers in front of the statue.

"Take care... teacher!"

Just then, as if sensing something, Roy felt a slight sting between his brows, sensing a tremor from the depths of his soul.

A familiar sense of enlightenment emerged, followed by a semi-transparent, illusory panel.

[Alchemy talent gain is in progress (88%→97%)]

Could it be that they're absorbing the teacher's soul essence as a consumable and converting it into talent?
This is too hellish!

After a moment of inexplicable guilt, Roy quickly realized that the truth was not so.

This energy did not originate from the statue before them, but rather from the energy generated by the mutation of the Sleeper statue when the burial ceremony was initiated.

This is related to the will of the entire world.

Legend has it that this world was once the kingdom of ancient gods, but after being hunted down and divided by great wizards, it was transformed into what it is today.

It was originally a divine function that included carving, so it is not surprising that it contained alchemical essence.

To put it bluntly...

The teacher's soul is not yet sufficient to be transformed into his own innate talent; there is no matching in terms of status!
Realizing this even more hellish truth, Roy felt relieved and began to explore its true origin.

The unexpected discovery was that, after leaving the teacher's statue and moving to other places, there were some broken stone statues.

They seemed to have lost the protection of magical power; some had broken necks, exposing honeycomb-like stone cores; some had half their faces collapsed, with flat noses and blind eyes; and some were even split in two from the waist, with moss or mold covering the wounds.

This is by no means the form a statue of the Sleeper should have; it is simply a sculpture made of ordinary stone.

Because of this, there are also some deeper areas that have collapsed under the wind and sun, completely turning into piles of rubble.

"these are……"

"It is with great regret that some of the long-term sleepers who were once conscripted have been injured..."

The cemetery steward explained in a low voice.

"However, adhering to the principles of fairness and impartiality, we randomly selected individuals in batches according to their burial time..."

Strive to preserve the fresh soul as much as possible.

Your teacher will find peace and quiet here, undisturbed, so please rest assured.

Roy remained noncommittal, simply walking silently among them.

[Alchemy talent gain is in progress (97%→98%)]

[Alchemy talent gain is in progress (98%→99%)]

[Alchemy talent gain is in progress (99%→100%)]

The moment it was completed, the panel seemed to freeze for a moment, as if it were stuck.

******
"This feeling……"

Roy frowned and thought carefully for a moment, then suddenly realized something.

Generally speaking, ordinary minor talents are something you get and that's it; you don't really feel anything special about them.

Those who possess this kind of feeling likely have a relatively high level of talent.

Moreover, drawing on his own experiences over the years, he has nurtured many students at the Academy of Archademia, which aligns with his legendary destiny.

Unconsciously, a large amount of chaotic source matter has accumulated that can be used, but it has not manifested because it has not crystallized.

Now, having come to this cemetery for those who have rested throughout history, and just in time for the ceremony, it is not surprising that one would gain something.

If I had come here at a different time, I might not have been able to acquire such talent.

This was an unexpected bonus.

Ultimately, it represents a significant improvement over the past.

Roy felt he quickly digested the source energy and incorporated it into his soul.

The semi-transparent virtual panel reappeared.

[Alchemy talent gain in progress (100%)]

Hermes' Seal (Primal Level)

[Mastering the arcane mark that possesses the power of the "Sealing" law, once applied, time seems to freeze; items will not deteriorate or decay, nor will they undergo any other changes. The specific range and duration of the effect depend on the magic level.]

"This……"

Roy's body trembled slightly, almost imperceptibly.

"It is indeed related to the power possessed by this divine kingdom!"

……

Soon after, the group returned to the castle.

Someone suggested having a big feast to celebrate and dispel the somber atmosphere of the funeral.

Everyone agreed, so they happily held a small gathering within their circle.

Fortunately, the Kingdom of Stonecarvers prohibits foreign creatures from freely entering and leaving; otherwise, they would probably have to summon several groups of succubi to hold a grand party.

Even without the succubus, Roy's mood improved considerably after the party, shaking off his previous sadness.

He finally had the mind to think about other things.

"The sealing technique used on the statue of the Sleeper we saw earlier seems to be a high-level secret technique of the Stonemasons' Guild?"

“Indeed,” the divine kingdom deacon who came to meet them replied respectfully.

Are there any channels through which I can learn this?

Roy asked with some interest.

"It's very simple, just exchange knowledge."

"Approximately what level of knowledge is required?"

Roy briefly explained what he could offer.

As expected, the Stonemasons' Guild was quite interested in the items from the Ellen Starfield, since it had only recently been conquered by the Seven Towers Alliance and many things were still new.

By successfully using his knowledge of mecha applications, Roy obtained information about the Sleeper Statue.

Although it only includes the general parts and does not involve the core technology, it is enough to allow one to thoroughly understand the basic principles of this witchcraft.

"As expected, it's something from the Sigiron Tower... It's somewhat similar to the 'Liquidus Sealing Technique' I learned before."

However, the effect of "Liquidus Sealing Technique" is to keep objects in a liquefied state.

The Stonemasons' Guild's Soul Sealing Technique works on the soul!
This seems to involve some secret techniques related to the realm of time, requiring the aid of remnants of demonic gods or the power of laws to complete!

Roy made a rough estimate.

Without alchemical talent, it would be quite difficult to master such a thing with my current soul energy and various resources.

Moreover, even if you learn it, it is still difficult to imitate without the necessary materials.

"However, it doesn't seem as reliable as the [Hermes' Seal] that I just obtained."

The technology possessed by the land of stone carvers seems to have some flaws, and there is still much room for optimization and improvement.

With these concerns in mind, Roy specifically sought out a senior director of the Stonemasons' Guild for a detailed discussion.

"Due to the limitations of materials, it is indeed impossible to achieve perfection."

In fact, even the Sleeping One statue, which is blessed with divine power, does not truly exist here eternally.

After all, even this divine kingdom itself is not truly eternal, so how can anything exist eternally?

The senior council member who was called in was named Relig, and he answered some of Roy's questions.

“I completely understand that…”

I don't demand anything eternal, but perhaps we could make some improvements?

Roy said.

Relig didn't say much on the surface, but he secretly found it amusing.

You're just a lowly level three wizard who's only been here once for a funeral, yet you dare to spout such nonsense.

Little did they know that this cemetery was completed at the beginning of the Dark Age, after the end of the Star Sea Era.

In the early stages of the millennium, there might have been some oversights that were not easy to detect.

Even the great wizards who divided up the divine kingdom back then could not achieve perfection.

However, as time went by, more and more of the original stone statues developed problems, so some people made improvements to them.

Then, the stonemasons built the "Land of the Stone Carvers," and the "Stone Carvers," who existed in the form of prayer beings, took over the creation of these long-sleeping stone statues.

This operating mechanism has essentially matured.

Roy could roughly guess what he was thinking, so he didn't say much and quietly provided the valuable information.

His knowledge of the subject came from his alchemical talent, the Hermesian Seal.

I figured I might get something in return if I gave it to them, so I gave it to them generously.

"This is……"

As a senior council member here, Relig is also a high-ranking wizard, so he is quite proficient in business-related matters.

With just one glance, I could sense the extraordinary quality of the valuable information Roy provided.

"This magic array might be improved by using this method."

There is also a way to enhance something by utilizing the power of laws.

In addition, there's the part about maintaining magic power...

That's about it. "

Some things are innate, and Roy has no way to popularize knowledge about them.

All I can say is that those who understand will understand, and there's nothing that can be done about those who don't.

But Relig was still awestruck, staring at him in shock for a long time before he came to his senses.

"This could extend the lifespan of the soul inside the stone statue by at least tens of thousands of years, combined with its original divine power..."

That's a really good improvement!

I immediately reported this to the organization and requested that the high priests investigate it!

After thinking for a moment, he added, "We will also try our best to give priority to your teacher!"

"it is good."

Roy nodded.

Such matters don't yield results quickly, so Roy didn't wait. About two weeks after the funeral, he left the Land of the Stone Carvers and returned to the Witch Tower.

The next step was to conduct a series of studies on the newly acquired "Hermes' Seal".

No matter what, this is an existence that contains the power of laws and can bring out the advantages of its high-level soul.

He quickly realized that it was indeed quite practical!
(End of this chapter)