Wizard Alchemist

Chapter 876 Katopron (4-in-1)

In a very short time, Roy overwhelmed everyone with his own strength and quelled the Hunter Association.

Everyone was completely taken aback by his immense power.

Actually, when Roy first arrived here, the monster was not strong enough, and it was even captured and sealed by Nakasen and others.

However, over the years, it has continuously absorbed and integrated the source material.

This incarnation was also cultivated.

This is all thanks to the grand plan launched by the "Mysterious Lord," which implanted extremely powerful remnants of demons from the apprentice stage to obtain the foundation for the monster puzzle.

Although he is now thriving here, it is largely due to his alchemical talent, but the power of "Tricks' Darkness" is the true foundation.

Roy was grateful for this and intended to maintain the situation here, continuously supplying similar resources to the wizarding world.

For him, maintaining stable control over the natives and Katoplong was the most advantageous course of action.

But what no one expected was that Senex, in his attempt to become a god, embarked on a path that defied control.

This time, it's not just some indigenous people with some divinity as in the past, but a true god-level life form.

If he succeeds...

The situation here is definitely not going to be good.

Even worse, Kattopron could devour Senex and gain intelligence.

So soon, Roy summoned the wizards under his command.

"Lord Roy, what are your orders?"

Roy told them, "Thoroughly investigate the Hunter's Guild, and track down Senexus's whereabouts through all the strange creatures and supernatural realms they have ever encountered or learned about!"

Previously, he had roughly narrowed down the scope using the "Interdimensional Detection" spell, and with this information, there was a considerable probability of tracing it back.

Sure enough, just the next day, Masettis reported some good news to him.

"Teacher, based on the interrogation results and the file information, it's basically confirmed that it's in a sealed place similar to Eternal Night Town... in the ruins of Ash City!"

Upon hearing this, Roy immediately ordered, "Summon the strongest warriors from all sides and begin the operation!"

This time, Roy was no longer alone; he brought others with him.

Rather than wanting those people to help him, he wanted to further maintain the overall balance and achieve his goal of "the fox dividing the pie."

At this critical moment, if I were to be sealed away again by some extraordinary treasure or special means and trapped inside, the excellent situation would definitely be ruined.

Therefore, we need to take away the powerful figures from all sides.

If something goes wrong, you can't become the one causing the trouble; none of you can escape!
Of course, this is just a precaution.

Even if Senex successfully controls the avatar of the Captoprone, it doesn't necessarily mean he'll be a match for him.

Because his own freak form also grew.

Massettis was fully aware of this, so he quickly accepted the order and began to select people according to the list prepared by Roy.

……

Early the next morning.

The Hunter Association headquarters, in the open space in front of the gate.

A group of people were already waiting there.

They were somewhat surprised to see each other arrive.

Unexpectedly, this time the Hunter Association, the United Containment Organization, the Monster Association, and other major forces, along with second-tier organizations such as the Witcher and the Freedom Group, all sent their respective personnel to participate in this manhunt.

They each used their own means to travel, and completed their assembly in just one night.

This unprecedented, grand-scale joint operation was thus organized.

"Looks like something big is about to happen!"

"We received a tip that something had happened at the Hunter Association headquarters..."

"Is there some hidden reason why they are not sending troops to support us?"

The crowd looked at each other thoughtfully.

Soon after, Roy appeared and, without any attempt to conceal anything, openly declared: "Senex is attempting to become a god by seizing the power of Captoprone..."

That's wishful thinking!
If he were to be controlled instead, it would endow Kattoplon with intelligence!
This is not as simple as an ordinary person dying at the hands of Kattoprolon and having an extra copy created.

Therefore, this gathering is also to save the world and your own home!

The crowd was skeptical.

It's not that Roy suspects he fabricated such a lie for other purposes, but rather that he finds it somewhat alarmist.

What about saving the world, saving our homeland...?

In this dilapidated world that is already on the verge of destruction, it really isn't that bad.

Some people, like Gadal before them, even harbored a secret hope that this would lead to a rebellion against wizarding rule.

However, Roy clearly had no intention of caring whether they believed it or not.

He quickly announced another part of his tactic of combining kindness and severity: "I have the Sangamar potion, which can harmonize the power of the monsters and help you control it."

There are also longevity potions and various blood-activating potions that can help you live longer!

All participants who obey orders and do not hinder the team will receive these rewards; the specific amount will depend on their performance.

Upon hearing this, everyone's spirits lifted, and their eyes instantly became much clearer.

Roy continued, "In addition, your children will be eligible to become wizard apprentices and be guaranteed admission to the Academy World."

The students recommended by me through the guaranteed admission process are different from those who get in through their own entrance exams in the ordinary world.

They could at least reach the level of elite apprentice, or be trained to become honorary wizards!

Bribing local high-ranking officials has always been a powerful tool for colonial rule.

No matter how primitive or backward a world is, it cannot be wiped out in a short period of time.

Even if one could cleverly use legendary spells like "Legendary Meteor" to destroy the world, it would still take many years.

Moreover, the direct casualties caused by this are always very limited, and the strong natives can hide and resist stubbornly for decades.

Roy himself had been to the Temple World of Agris and had organized a monastery, so he understood this deeply.

Moreover, there would be no benefit for him to do so.

Therefore, he chose a low-cost, quick-results approach.

He didn't do this right away; instead, he started with mutually beneficial trade relations and gradually got to know the situation.

He only chose foods that he could chew.

Those stubborn, inflexible individuals, or those with ulterior motives, like Senex, have long been excluded.

This time, they took advantage of the opportunity to kill Gadar and others to use both kindness and force.

That way, you won't be a sucker.

Everyone present was a world-class expert, and they naturally understood these methods. Some of them even used these methods to subdue their subordinates.

But if it were me, I would have to admit the same thing.

So they all agreed.

"Very good, let's set off then!"

Seeing that morale had been boosted, Roy gave an order and used his own domain to tear through the void and open the portal.

Everyone followed.

******
Although Roy's original intention was just to bring these people along to make up the numbers, it was soon proven that possessing the power of laws was indeed extraordinary.

These demon tamers each displayed their unique skills, handling the numerous dangers of the sealed land with remarkable ease.

This place could be considered a world-class forbidden zone, but it was quickly broken by other world-class experts.

A few hours later, the group passed through another eerie area haunted by a "ghostly figure." A group of fierce men took turns beating the little ghost and occupied its nest as a temporary camp.

"Lord Roy, my 'searcher' tells me that Senex is just ahead!"

A high-ranking official from the Freedom Group reported this.

"Great, everyone take a break."

Roy himself did not use any power and did not tire easily, but the physical strength and spirit of the others were far inferior to his.

The series of fierce battles have taken their toll.

Everyone quickly made time to recover.

During this time, I also experienced alchemical potions from the outside world, which I found incredibly magical.

These things that can restore energy and physical strength are not available in our native land.

Roy has even modified the power of the monsters using mana recovery potions as a base.

It was only then that they truly realized how profound and subtle the influence Roy had on the world was.

In this process, Roy extended the Ghost Domain outwards.

His avatar lacked powerful spiritual energy; instead, it possessed immense authority and a vast, mysterious domain.

Soon, several figures wandering nearby caught his attention.

……

"A headless ghost, and a canine-shaped evil spirit, a fat fellow covered in scabies, like a toad?"

"I don't know about the headless ghost, but that canine demon seems to be the vicious dog demon controlled by Marus, one of the high-ranking members of the Hunter's Guild!"

And that fat fellow, he's a demon controlled by Obesita, a mountain of flesh!

Soon after, within the Ghost Realm, Roy shared his discovery with everyone, and they began to discuss it.

"So it seems they were attacked by evil spirits here?"

Some people offered their opinions.

"That's not necessarily true; it could be internal strife."

Roy thought for a moment and said, "Never mind all that, I'll test them later."

Find an opportunity to separate them.

"it is good."

Everyone present was an experienced demon tamer, and they immediately understood Roy's intention.

Sometimes, combining different forces can create a wonderful chemical reaction.

It is easier to deal with evil spirits (monsters) by separating them.

Once everyone had rested enough, Roy got up and launched a probing attack.

As a result, this action successfully separated the people from the evil spirits.

But the headless ghost suddenly changed its body, transforming from a black figure filled with a viscous, oil-like liquid into a form with lenses embedded all over its body.

"Mirror Ghost?"

Even Roy was somewhat surprised.

He suddenly realized that this thing was not simple.

"Could it be that it's something that Senex has transformed into?"

Because of his extensive knowledge, he could even see through the other person's train of thought at a glance.

"Using some special, strange power, one can cut off their own head and still maintain a connection with their body, achieving control over it..."

However, at the same time, his body was corrupted by Katopron and transformed into its avatar.

This allows them to control the power of Captoprone to some extent!
"Wonderful! This has a touch of lich modification about it, and it's also somewhat similar to the Soul Stone I'm currently using!"

Although it is unknown how the other party did it, the difficulty of this method is equivalent to a high-level spellcaster sealing their own soul in a life box, thereby transforming into a lich.

This can be achieved in the third stage.

In this world, because of their strange powers, some naturally gifted individuals find it even easier to do so!
His own freak form was constructed in a similar way.

It is truly remarkable that an indigenous person could think of this and even adopt such a rudimentary method.

In the blink of an eye, the mirrors surrounding the headless ghost suddenly emitted a dazzling light, like the glittering lights of a nightclub.

Countless distorted phantoms emerged from it, which were actually clones of various dead humans.

Although they were weak, their numbers were too great. Their densely packed figures filled the Ghost Domain, and even Roy felt that the Ghost Domain had become heavy and its operation had slowed down.

Roy snorted coldly and forcefully activated his power to suppress the other party.

At the same time, several thick tentacles emerged from the void, slamming down on the headless mirror demon's body with a whistling sound that tore through the air.

This is a tactic that has been successfully implemented before; the Mirror Ghost is not immune to physical attacks.

Of course, the prerequisite is to suppress the Ghost Domain first!

However, just as the tentacles were about to strike, several afterimages suddenly flashed through the air.

Several human corpses emerged, their bodies radiating a powerful and monstrous force, which actually managed to block the attack.

The power they possess seems to be directed at spatial abilities and physical attacks.

"boom!"

The tentacles collided with the corpse, making a dull thud.

Although the corpses were shaken back several steps, they still firmly protected the Mirror Ghost and successfully repelled the tentacles.

Roy's pupils contracted slightly: "They're selectively using physical defense-type monster clones..."

As expected, you are Senex!
Did you truly manage to control the avatar of Captoprone using your own methods?

The mirrors on the headless mirror ghost's body flickered simultaneously, as if mocking it silently.

At the same time, more clones emerged from the void, including clones of the previous canine demons and flesh mountain demons.

The others happened to arrive and, seeing this, were greatly surprised: "We clearly destroyed it..."

"We've successfully trapped them!"

However, they soon realized that no explanation was needed.

Above the headless mirror ghost, black smoke billowed and coalesced into a giant mirror out of thin air.

In the center of the mirror, a group of blurry human figures can be vaguely seen coalescing.

The outlines of those human figures bore a striking resemblance to Roy and his group.

"It can even project images onto living people?"

Everyone was shocked; this was an ability that even Katopron had never displayed.

"It's alright, it's just a false illusion. They contain the power of other monsters and should be able to use some of our abilities in a simulated way."

But it's all ambiguous, achieved in its own way!

Roy saw right through it.

This is somewhat like a "real illusion" in the magical realm, only expressed through the strange power of the Mirror Demon, albeit in a different way.

As they spoke, the hazy figures emerged from the mirror one by one, bearing the same faces as everyone else, and swarmed forward like a zombie horde.

******
The numerous phantoms that invaded all demonstrated the power of "simulation".

At first, everyone dealt with it quite easily, and soon they used their strengths to defeat the first wave of mirror images.

"It seems that's all."

Someone wiped their sweat and said in a relaxed tone.

If it were only this level, one or two of them could easily handle it, not to mention that there were so many powerful companions around.

But just as everyone breathed a sigh of relief, strange ripples suddenly appeared on the mirror.

More clones emerged from around the headless mirror ghost, more than double the number before!
"Damn it!"

"Is this never going to end?"

Everyone exclaimed.

Roy also noticed that the newly emerging mirror images were not only more numerous, but also significantly stronger.

"It seems these mirror images are endless!" He discovered that the defeated mirror images did not truly disappear, but instead turned into black mist and returned to the mirror surface.

At the same time, the body of the headless mirror ghost is very likely connected to the global ghost realm created by Katopron, which contains all the beings killed on the planet over the past thousand years.

That is a profound foundation that includes a large number of ordinary people and demon tamers at all levels!

"Hold on for a bit, I'm going to attack it directly!"

Roy decided to capture the leader first.

Just then, a team member was entangled by multiple mirror images at the same time. One of them, which seemed to be a copy from hundreds of years ago, reached out to him and made a gesture as if to take something from him.

"what!"

The screams rang out, then abruptly stopped.

A bloody hole suddenly exploded in his chest, and his heart was gone.

Next, the eyes, liver, kidneys...

He was successively plucked away by an invisible force, and his whole body instantly became an empty shell.

His companions gasped in shock, but could only watch helplessly as his body fell to the ground.

"Is that the power of the Heart-Piercing Demon?"

Upon seeing this, a member of the Freedom Group, Fri, exclaimed in surprise.

"That was a demon controlled by one of our predecessors who disappeared hundreds of years ago; it had already reached S-rank strength!"

After the mirror image committed the murder, a faint bloody light appeared on its body, as if it had drawn some kind of power from the deceased.

The black mist in the mirror churned even more violently, and soon condensed into the shape of the dead.

"Oh no, Odom possesses the power of the Dice Demon, he can gamble with people's lives!"

A team member who recognized the deceased suddenly remembered something and his expression changed drastically.

The people present were all world-class top experts, and the reason they had not reached the level comparable to demon gods was mainly due to their own limitations.

But the supernatural are different; they lack the self-preservation instincts of life and are not subject to various restrictions.

Powers like the Dice Demon, which inflict 800 damage on themselves but inflict 1000 damage on their enemies, are actually more suitable for them to utilize.

As expected, the mirror copy unleashed its full power without hesitation, completely disregarding the consequences.

As a large die appears above his head, another team member is locked in by mysterious threads, plunging him into a great crisis.

The man was completely paralyzed and swallowed hard in shock.

He recognized it as the power Odom possessed in his lifetime, which, when fully activated, had a 50% chance of instantly killing an enemy!

If the number rolled on the dice is greater than three, the deadly trickery of the Death Realm will be triggered!

At the crucial moment, Roy made a move and suddenly threw out a rag doll.

A powerful, invisible force tore at the threads, attaching them to the magically created substitute before completing the final lock.

This technique originated from the Queen of Puppetry, which Roy perfected and is now applying to the realm of the supernatural.

As expected, they successfully altered the judgment of imminent death.

The dice landed and rolled a "5".

With a thud, the rag doll fell over and shattered into countless pieces without warning.

Finally, the ghostly realm moved forward, and the pitch-black sky transformed into countless strands of hair, writhing wildly as they blocked the many monsters behind it.

"This can't go on, Lord Roy."

"This mirror ghost is connected to the original space, and it contains many strange creatures from the past!"

"If we suffer further casualties, it may take away our power!"

The crowd, tinged with worry, began to discuss the matter.

Roy didn't say much, standing still, his long, black hair stretching outwards like silk threads, disappearing into the void.

Because of Trix's darkness being stronger than other monsters and demons, these strands of hair are extremely tough, and the power of ordinary ghost realms or other monsters cannot truly destroy them.

Therefore, using this as a tentacle, it reached out in all directions.

Soon, he was surprised to discover that the void here had a strange, layered structure.

This is not an ordinary mirror world, but a kaleidoscope reflecting an infinitely overlapping and mutually replicating space!

"how could this be?"

He ignored the crowd's attempts to back down, and instead calmly and simply described what he had seen before asking questions.

Have you ever seen this kind of kaleidoscope-like mirror space?
Has Captoprone ever displayed a similar form of power before?

"No……"

"Never heard of it, nor have I ever seen it."

Everyone shook their heads.

In fact, Roy himself had received confidential files from various parties and knew that this was indeed the case.

"Could it be that……

Is this a man-made creation?

After confirming this, he became suspicious.

"Lord Roy, what do you mean by that?"

"The Monster Association's Palaria asked."

Roy said, "I suspect that the headless mirror ghost is Senex!"

"what?"

"How could that be? He doesn't have that kind of strength!"

Everyone was greatly surprised upon hearing this.

"No, it's really possible!"

At this moment, a high-ranking member of the Hunter's Guild stepped forward and told them.

"We once obtained a treasure that could separate a person's head from their body..."

It's a decapitation sword that can't kill people!

If he were to receive assistance from other demons to combat the corruption of Captoprón, it might actually be possible for his headless body to transform into a demon while retaining his consciousness...

I just don't know how he can be sure of that?

"Is there such a thing?"

Everyone was greatly shocked upon hearing this.

"You guys actually secretly kept this kind of good stuff for yourselves!"

The Hunter Association's higher-ups said with a wry smile, "But that's very dangerous. No one can guarantee they can withstand that power!"

In his view, Senex was not desperate enough to be so crazy.

"No, he doesn't need to be sure of that at all. He can easily seize the power of Captoprone, as well as the many clones hidden within it..."

With thousands of strange and varied patterns and characteristics, there is always a certain probability of finding a suitable way to save one's life.

He could have gotten on the train first and bought the ticket later, taking a gamble on the chances of success!
If we're lucky, there's a chance this will solve the problem of soul corruption!

Roy suddenly said.

******
"Huh? Is that so?"

Everyone was shocked to hear this.

Roy suddenly understood Senex's thinking completely.

There was a similar case in the history of the magical world.

That's the story of someone who once invented the "Ascension Technique" and briefly gained the authority of the goddess of magic.

Although this feat ended in complete failure, in that brief moment he did indeed ascend to godhood, becoming a great deity who controlled the magic network.

This incident is, of course, presented as a negative example in later textbooks, serving as a warning to future generations against blind folly.

However, another view holds that this person was extremely talented, but was simply unlucky and did not acquire enough divine power to instantly change himself.

If the power of the goddess of magic can instantly transform one's body and soul, and one can successfully control this power before collapsing and disintegrating, then this "ascension to godhood" is actually valid.

Roy simply told the story to everyone, but his purpose was not to encourage them to do so, but to make them aware of the risks involved.

"First and foremost, we need sufficient strength to narrow the gap..."

Over the years, Senex has probably been secretly absorbing a large number of monsters, developing resistance to them...

It was at least very effective in resisting the erosion of the Katoplon.

Then comes targeted classical texts, involving extensive reading of historical documents to search for and discover things that might be useful to oneself...

In addition, there is the assistance of the world's will...

The inherent strength of Captoprón itself!

These are actually very discouraging objective conditions; each one is an insurmountable obstacle for an ordinary strong person in their lifetime.

This made them realize that Senex was not actually guaranteed to win; he was taking a huge risk.

"The most urgent task is to find his head and verify this hypothesis."

Then, seal it away.

After calmly analyzing the situation, Roy gave clear instructions.

Upon hearing this, the crowd gradually withdrew from their previous inexplicable fervor, each harboring their own thoughts.

They could tell that Roy wasn't bluffing, but genuinely had a plan.

They even suspected that even if Senex's scheme succeeded, the wizards would still have ways to suppress him.

It just comes at a huge price.

In that case, it's truly unpredictable what desperate measures the enraged wizards might take to replenish their losses.

"Is there anything we can do to help?"

The powerful figures, knowing their place, asked the question.

"All you need to do is hold the body back when I find his head."

Roy thought about it and decided to trust them and assigned them tasks.

Next.

Strands of hair weave and dance everywhere, like agile tentacles, traversing the void layer by layer, penetrating deeper and deeper.

When the Labyrinth Demon was guarding the sealed land, Roy demonstrated his ability to fill the space with strands of his hair and find the exit.

Now its power level is higher, its power is more fully integrated, and it has even incorporated the power of the "tentacle monster," giving it a certain level of perception.

As it climbs and extends through space, its ability to erode others' domains becomes even stronger.

Finally, after more than an hour of perseverance, Roy found a place that had not been discovered before.

Sure enough, Senex's head was inside.

It floats in the air, its neck and below are ethereal shapes like smoke.

What appeared before them was a giant light screen, composed of several huge lenses, resembling a starship holographic screen.

The external scene is being refracted through layers of space by light.

However, at this moment, most of the images are filled with jet-black hair.

Roy's demonic body had already filled all the space he could see and perceive, blocking the escape route.

"You finally found it!"

Senex spoke in a deep voice, a look of resentment on his face.

The power of the kaleidoscope is clearly so strong, replicating the void from the void, layer upon layer...

But after being corroded by hair, it cannot be replicated!
This would mean losing the attribute of "infinity".

Ultimately, it is still a kind of "pseudo-infinity".

Roy used his ethereal domain to teleport in: "Seneca, your plan has failed. It's time to end this."

"Damn it, so close..."

It was so close!

"No, in fact, the mysteries of the spirit and soul are far more complex than you imagine."

You can only control it, master it, but that doesn't mean you truly own it.

Just as the brain doesn't have internal organs or limbs, a king doesn't have all his subjects or the country's resources...

It can be replaced, imprisoned, or even eliminated!

Seeing his reaction, Roy had no choice but to tell him a harsh reality.

"Therefore, from beginning to end, your plan will not succeed."

"what?"

Senex was struck dumb upon hearing this.

Didn't you understand?
What I mean is, even if you successfully control and master Captopril, I will only need to spend more effort to defeat it, then find your spirit and will and seal it away.

You are you, and it is it.

Roy told him.

Of course, the rule of boarding first and buying a ticket later still applies.

He also didn't tell him the way to truly become powerful.

Only a complete cultivation system can make his self stronger, even stronger than Katopron!
"No, this isn't real..."

It's not true!

Senex muttered to himself.

Reason told him that Roy was not lying.

But he absolutely cannot accept it emotionally.

Because it means that all his previous efforts and schemes were nothing but the wishful thinking of a frog in a well.

My starting point is too low. Even when I have a flash of inspiration, I am still limited by my limited perspective and vision, and I cannot see the truth of the universe.

Everything we've done is still meaningless!

Just as he was feeling lost and confused, Roy suddenly struck, his hair tangling and instantly destroying his skull.

With a loud bang, a phantom of a soul appeared, and in the blink of an eye, it was swallowed up by a soul stone that shimmered with golden blue.

That was the prison Roy had prepared for him beforehand, a way to preserve his experiences and memories.

The experience of successfully controlling the mirror ghost is actually quite useful.

Roy was very interested in this method of "getting on the bus".

Because the witchcraft community has a way to "buy a ticket"!

But contrary to what was expected, everything would end there.

The Kaleidoscope's mirror space still exists, and the Kattoplong avatar in the outside world also still exists.

"what happened?"

Roy suddenly looked around.

Countless figures appear in the layers upon layers of mirrors.

They stared at him with eerie expressions, like wild beasts.

"Kato...Pron!"

Roy murmured softly, revealing the true identity of this mysterious will.

(End of this chapter)