The Alchemist's Guide to Flesh and Blood Ascension

"The manifestation of divinity... even having the slightest blasphemous thought is punishable by execution? Shouldn't it be heavily guarded? Why is this place just full of rotten fish and shrimp?"

Yunevo frowned as he flipped through the subsequent entries in the journal.

"...How could an element of absolute freedom like ether willingly be bound? No wonder the progress got stuck on 'making her obey' after simulating the memories of an independent personality."

A bunch of delusional geniuses who dream of controlling the fundamental laws and becoming creator gods—no wonder the client withdrew their investment and shifted their focus, especially with laws that, if provoked, can truly kill…

Moreover, humans are always the most complex beings in terms of emotions, and these extraordinary people have essentially created a "paradox".

Yonivore looked at the "double-edged sword" in front of him and lightly tapped the barrier with his fingertips... This matter concerned the church; this little girl could be both evidence and a weapon.

Since the benefits outweigh the drawbacks, let's take it.

He activated [Spiritual Vision] at this moment, and the complex nodes of the entire device were transparently presented in front of Yunevo, losing their color as he operated it.

A sharp headache struck, and Yunevo, having finished his operation, quickly ended [Spirit Vision]. The consumption of this combat skill without a medium was simply deadly.

The pressure relief valve emitted a series of gases, and the colorless liquid was slowly drawn away. The girl then slowly fell down and gently lay at the bottom of the device.

Her slightly heaving chest symbolized the awakening of life, and she opened her gradient blue eyes that reflected the clear sky.

His expression seemed to be filled with the bewilderment and observation of a newborn, and then he looked at Yonivore standing in front of him.

"Hello, Iseria."

The name comes from the transliteration of the word "ether"... and the girl in front of him didn't show any sign of disagreement...

Instead, she shrank back, instinctively putting her hands in front of her, her eyes fixed on Yonivore without blinking.

But Yunevo possessed a completely different aura, an aura that seemed to belong to another world, much like "ether."

This made Iseria lean forward again.

"You... hello?" Her voice was ethereal and charming, and she tilted her head uncertainly.

Yunevo nodded slightly in response to Iseria, noticing that the azure veins on the girl's body were slowly fading as she awoke.

The last bit of colorless liquid was drained, and the entire transparent barrier of the device unfolded. Iseria awkwardly moved her body and sat down to the side, swinging her legs.

Even though her soaked white dress clung to her body, she showed no discomfort. Instead, she moved her fingertips, personally experiencing the feeling of "presence" and "contact".

Then, Iseria, who had been keeping her head down, looked at Yunevo with a somewhat confused expression and asked softly.

"They call me the perfect creation, the vessel, a god, but I know... I am not any of those."

Fluent but emotionless words passed through Yunevo's ears as he met Iseria's clear blue eyes and answered.

"Ultimately, it is you who defines yourself... and all I know is that you are Iselia."

Iseria froze, unsure where to put her hands. She just kept repeating her name as the implanted memories flooded back, merging with her present state as a "result of the experiment."

"You... are different from them," Iseria said, rubbing her head.

"You have a 'south' feel to you, like freedom... or something else."

She might be referring to Yonivo's identity as a time traveler, or perhaps his unique way of doing things...

But this made the black-robed alchemist decide to take her away.

"You may call me 'Yonev'," he said, placing his hand lightly on his chest. "I am an alchemist who seeks the truth and occasionally plays the role of the church's mortal enemy."

Iseria instinctively puffed out her cheeks, a sudden realization flashing in her eyes. "So, that was you... who broke this glass ball? The cage?"

"Thank you..." she then gave a pure and innocent smile.

Yunevo glanced at the cold corpses around him, then looked at the blank-skinned girl before him, and sighed, "No need to thank me so soon..."

Iselia tilted her head, clearly unable to understand what Yunefu was saying. After pondering in vain, she looked down at her slightly trembling fingertips.

"I know those memories are fake... so I really want to see what the 'real' thing is."

"But I can't open that glass ball, and they won't let me out..."

"Because they're afraid of you, afraid that if you go out, you'll turn the whole church upside down," Yunefu squatted down, bringing his gaze level with Iseria's.

"Want to see real sunlight?"

Iseria's eyes sparkled with starlight, a starlight that almost illuminated the entire dim laboratory.

She then nodded emphatically, but seemed somewhat cautious.

"Will they...will they agree?"

"Of course," Yunevo said, forcing a smile that Iselia couldn't quite understand. With his other hand, he pointed to the corpses lying haphazardly on the ground.

"Does anyone object? If you don't speak up, I'll take that as a yes."

"Look, they agreed."

Eunerv found clean boots and put them on Iseria, then wrapped bandages around the small, azure lines on her arms.

On his outstretched hand, dried bloodstains and traces of acid corrosion were still visible; the knuckles were distinct, and the hand was steady and strong.

Iseria stared blankly at the hand, then looked at Yunevo's dark eyes, which held a hint of weariness.

A strange feeling sprouted from her chest, spreading with warmth to every part of her body.

"Can I... come with you? I'll be very quiet."

Iseria seemed to be talking to herself, for she had placed her slightly cool and trembling hand in Yunevo's palm.

Eunice gently pulled her down from the edge of the device, then released her, his voice low.

"You don't need to worry about waking them at all; they are sleeping very peacefully."

Iseria stared blankly at her empty hands for a moment, then gently tugged at the corner of Yunefu's black robe and clumsily followed behind him.

"Of course, as a matter of courtesy, I will present you with my sincerest 'gift' before I leave."

"Oh, a gift?"

Many of the rooms in the narrow tunnel that Yonivo had just passed through were locked.

It's like an archive room storing a lot of documents... or a room displaying collections.

Whenever he thinks of the little cards turning back into the black and white that belong to "those who do not own them," Yonivo, who has a bit of a collecting obsession, feels a surge of anger rising to his head.

Although the church has shifted its focus, it is clear that... they still have a bit of a "say one thing, do another" attitude.

Now, the blond-haired guy who kidnapped the "goddess" is definitely going to be the one.

He's determined to be the "good guy" who dismantles the entire lab!