The Alchemist's Guide to Flesh and Blood Ascension

The rain was still drizzling, and before the blitzkrieg had even begun, Yunefube led Iseria as a "scout" team to explore the ground once again.

A crisp sound came from a manhole cover sealed with mud. Water from the ground seeped in through the crack and evaporated into barely perceptible vapor before landing on the black-robed alchemist.

"Iseria," Yunevo pulled the pale-haired girl behind him out, calling her name softly, before stating his request: "Could you use ether to let me 'see' a little more clearly?"

"Is it... your ability?" The latter tilted his head and added, "The ability you used to sense and transmit information to me when we were in Morse?"

Yoniv nodded.

"Okay... I know what to do then," Iseria said, her fingers interlaced in a prayerful gesture as she guided the flowing etheric elements, allowing them to slowly attach to Yunefu's side.

【Roots of the Sands】wafted with a faint sky-blue light, drawing an aerial view of the entire city in Yunefu's mind, but also causing his face to gradually turn pale.

This ability is supposed to be most effective in desert or underground environments...

If the [Root of the Sands] is activated on a bright surface, the burden on the mind is similar to, or even greater than, that of [Spiritual Vision] without a medium.

A warm, watery sensation began to emanate from Yonivore's nasal cavity, and even the whites of his eyes gradually became bloodshot, while the tinnitus grew increasingly sharp...

But it was all worth it.

The sixth brother handed him an unfinished topographical map of Hart City, stained with blood.

"This is Lin and his cronies..." Before the short, fat ratman could finish speaking, he covered his face with the tablecloth that had been used since Starmoke and sent the two away.

Yonivore unfolded the topographic map, which was covered by a transparent waterproof cloth, and the overhead view projected before his eyes slowly overlapped with the rough lines...

"The landing points all match up," he said, turning to look at Iseria. "The three-layered encirclement here feels like we're trapped like turtles in a jar."

"No, it's not just catching a turtle in a jar," the black-robed alchemist tried to see the red-glowing nodes more clearly, but the beige-haired girl behind him gently shook him.

"Hmm...we have to go back first!" Iseria's ears twitched, as if she had caught a completely discordant note in the sound of the rain. "It's the voice of the heavily armored cultists!"

Tap! Tap!

A ray of platinum light peeked out from around the bend first, followed by the gradually clearing, rhythmic, and muffled footsteps!

Yonivore glanced back and caught a glimpse of the leader's attire—aside from the standard heavy armor commonly worn by the church, the lantern in the man's hand was the most conspicuous feature.

"The magic-forbidden stone lantern..." he murmured.

That thing used the principle of the anti-magic stone to display the abnormal direction of the magic source call on a specially made compass on the top of the lantern.

In other words... it can identify any creature that naturally regenerates magic or uses magic!

This must be the first filter placed by Uleb... using those paladins who are almost cannon fodder to sift out the "low-end combat power" on this battlefield.

"The concealment potion is useless," Yunevo frowned. "The creatures of 'Root' are already in a state of chronic lack of magical nourishment, and once they come to the surface..."

He didn't continue speaking, but simply led Iseria through the pipes—according to Seth, Uriel had set up three carefully prepared "lines of defense."

"Outer city, inner city... core," the black-robed alchemist followed his memory as he emerged from an abandoned well, skillfully navigating the trigger-activated magic-suppressing lasso above it.

"Ptooey... The air here is so bitter," Iseria fanned the air in front of her, but she couldn't alleviate the "bitterness" that was assaulting her brain in any way.

"It seems that Uriel's 'gift' prepared using the giant stone-shelled worm as raw material is almost ready," Yunefu breathed in the air, which had no bitter taste, and continued to use [Root of the Sand Sea] to sense every detail of the outpost.

The twelve fortresses, personally guarded by elite Templar Knights and elite Holy Priests, are also twelve "nails" firmly anchoring the lifeline and future of Hart City.

This is an ingenious "beast trap," and it is also the core that stabilizes the entire Cathedral of Holy Light—even if Eunicev directly demolishes the foundation of the entire city, the cathedral will not be affected in the slightest!

Above this, countless golden and silver rays intertwined and shimmered.

Upon closer inspection, they were indeed groups of three or five church members stationed around the clock!

And deep within this fortress, inside that sacred cathedral…

Yet it exudes an aura that makes even the "Unquenchable Sands" instinctively loathe it.

"The core area of ​​the anti-magic zone..." Yunefu could feel that the [Root of the Sand Sea]'s perception of the inner layer had been completely severed at this moment.

"There..." Iselia began to formulate the words to describe it.

"It's like sticking a bunch of living, rotten flesh together."

……

The Cathedral of Holy Light has three underground floors.

Countless dark purple magic-suppressing chains were tightly wrapped around the translucent container in the center.

Inside this container, the carapace that once belonged to the giant stone-shelled insect has completely lost its original shape, replaced by a "deformed mummy" with a twisted spine and a featherless wing.

Uriel stood before the desiccated corpse, still wearing his deep red and gold bishop's robe, holding an exquisite obsidian bottle in his hand, the metallic liquid inside faintly visible.

A pure "liquid soul," an alchemical creation that touches life... this took a lot of his energy.

Those homeless poor people, hateful conservatives, and even high-ranking clergy on their own side.

"Heh," he sneered, unfolding a book in front of him called "Experimental Subject No. 03's Diary," "With this soul as a blank template, the plan for Wayne Forest can also be carried out simultaneously."

"Human nature, thought..." the bishop gritted his teeth, his mouth almost stretching to his ears, "It's not as convenient as a controllable weapon that has given up some of its power."

"Your Excellency, once the initiation ceremony begins... it can, through its status as a 'controllable god,' take over the 'rules' of the entire Hart City!"

A middle-aged man dressed as an alchemist knelt on the ground, his voice filled with undisguised excitement.

"Alright, go down..." Uriel divided the "liquid soul" into two parts, sending one part to the Wayne Forest via a delivery array.

The other portion was poured directly into the "culture tank" of the device...

This crucial step of "infusing the soul" must be performed personally by this powerful bishop.

Om-!

It was as if an ancient will that transcended time and space had descended out of nowhere!

The alchemist, who was about to leave, suddenly felt his knees buckle and his body twist uncontrollably!

The sounds of bones shifting and dislocating due to excessive twisting echoed one after another, and in the blink of an eye, he was along with everyone else around him...

They all knelt before the "dried corpse" that exuded a sacred aura.