The Alchemist's Guide to Flesh and Blood Ascension

Barlow's pupils trembled, and his breathing somehow synchronized with the wooden figure's rise and fall.

His Adam's apple bobbed, forcing out a broken voice, "How could Wayne Forest have become like this in such a short time..."

Their team hadn't even officially entered the shallows, which were the areas where Bronze and Silver level hunters made a living.

The mutations at the edge layer alone sent chills down his spine. His years of hunting experience told him that he would die!

But Barlow took a deep breath and gripped the musket tightly again. "Let's keep going."

Regardless of life or death, he had to at least bring Bap out of this quagmire. He looked at the silent Yunevo, a glimmer of hope flashing in his eyes.

This mysterious alchemist... is far more complex than he appears on the surface, at least in his own eyes.

"Keep the torch burning," Yonivore said, looking up at the vines swaying away from him. "At least they still think they're fire-averse plants."

"Simon, do you want to walk behind me with Barlow?"

Byron sheathed his sword and lit a torch. "You look terrible. Don't let Eunice see you make a fool of yourself..."

"I know you can only spend money if you're alive. All my equipment is made of fine iron, with top-notch defense!" He raised his voice, seemingly trying to calm the somewhat disordered thoughts of the team.

Simon nodded, pulled his robes up slightly, and glanced at Eunice without making a sound.

Their eyes met, but they quickly parted ways, and the team set off again.

In Yunevo's memory, the Forest of Veen had always been known as the "Warm Forest".

Although there are many monsters in the shallow and middle layers, most of them do not have a strong desire to attack.

Hunters might accidentally die, but they would never see this scene of corpses strewn across the land.

"Barlow, can you still tell who those people are?" Yunef paused. "From their still relatively intact clothing..."

"Most of them are from the church, and the rest are probably just casual monster hunters," Barlow quickly replied.

But new questions arose.

"The people in the church are smiling..."

Could it be some kind of cult ritual? Yunefu frowned.

Although the vines left deep marks on those people's bodies, the real cause of death was not there...

"The signs of battle ahead are fresh, and there's still the lingering scent of unresolved magic," Simon suddenly said.

"It should be Wilkins' squad! Let's hurry over there," Barlow exclaimed. "In this godforsaken place, we'll have to put aside all past grudges and new grievances for now!"

After rounding a bend, a smell of weeding wafted over.

In the open-air environment, violently cleared, lay the three injured Vilkin—the mage was the most seriously wounded, lying unconscious by the campfire.

Byron let out a low, gloating laugh, before Ionefu patted him on the shoulder, reminding him to tone it down.

After sending Balo to negotiate, Yunevo surveyed the small, sapling-like monsters that had been almost completely wiped out around him.

He half-squatted down, pressed his palms to the ground, and quietly traced the outline of the decomposition array in the soil with his fingertips.

Alchemists have different understandings of substitution, decomposition, and synthesis, and the magic circles they draw will naturally differ as well.

In his drawing, a circle with a cross appears symmetrically, and two snake-like lines connect the two.

The mercury and coarse salt fell together, the emblem flashed for a moment, and the sapling monster disintegrated, leaving only a golden-gray skin-like substance lying among the weeds.

Yonivo reached out and picked it up, just as the system notification sounded in his ear.

[Obtain new material: Ironwood Bark]

[Properties: Slightly hard, mildly toxic, and has some hallucinogenic properties]

[Uses: Crafting the lower-grade potion "Bark", sewing inner armor, and creating plating]

[Further uses will be added after the host develops them...]

"Fine... Who told you to be just an auxiliary system?" Yune got up and walked back.

Barlow, still speaking in a low voice, tried to persuade the impatient Wilkins, while Byron rested with his eyes half-closed. Everyone was enjoying the calm before the storm.

"Listen to Ballow! If it weren't for the fact that she's a level three mage, we would have left already!" Wilkin grabbed Ballow by the collar and said through gritted teeth.

"So you've been waiting here... so we can take over?" Yunevo interrupted the stalemate, his tone somewhat playful.

"Old scholar, we're in a forced partnership now!" Wilkins released Barlow and muttered under his breath, "It's utterly rotten..."

"This young mage, could she be someone sent into your team by someone from a higher-up for training?"

In Yonivore's mind, magic was almost entirely in the hands of the nobles.

Even in the nine-member mage council, six elders were from noble families…

Although he upholds truth and fairness, and is on friendly terms with the Alchemists' Guild...

Yunevo thought of the dire situation his side was in and sighed helplessly.

"Vilkin, Ballow, gather all the sapling monsters we've found recently. They might come in handy," he paused, his tone serious, "they could save our lives in a critical moment..."

Eunice seemed to sense the former's reluctance, so he changed the subject.

"For a noble lord to die in a newbie village... what a disgrace to the family!"

Although Wilkin didn't understand the actual meaning of "newbie village," he guessed that Yunevo's tone wouldn't be pleasant either. He snorted and got up to do as he was told.

In the blink of an eye, the iron core tree piled up like a small mountain in front of Yunefu, and as his decomposition array was activated, it turned into a stack of thin bark.

"Alchemy is that simple?" Virgin's eye twitched, looking somewhat incredulous.

"Is it just a few simple symbols stacked together?"

"Almost there," Yunevo pulled out a few pieces of bark and had Balo remove his protective gear, placing them on the newly drawn synthesis array.

"To work in this line of work, you have to be well-versed in the principle of equivalent substitution."

"The chips are simple; they might just be the things you cherish most."

He glanced at the dazed Wilkins, a look of morbid amusement on his face.

"Honor, power, money, authority..."

"Furthermore, with your understanding of alchemy, you will be able to create your own unique magic array..."

A faint light appeared, and he held up the leather armor, adding, "No matter how talented you are, you can't share a set with someone else."

"...Just for the so-called truth?" Wilkin looked at the faint bark patterns appearing on the soft armor and pursed his lips.

Is it worth it?

Yonivore used two fingers to lift the corners of his mouth, revealing a smile, and answered without hesitation.

"Of course, it's a huge win so that future generations can avoid making the same mistakes."

Vilkin fell silent. He took off his armor and handed it to Junevo.

"Nolay's awake," the priest's reminder brought a sigh of relief to Wilkin.

"...As agreed, you will take care of Nolay for the time being. Zane and I will go first," Wilkin stood up, but was suddenly stopped by Barlow.

"Byron and Simon will follow behind you to look after you, while Eunice and I will take care of this young mage."

Yunevo frowned slightly, glanced at Balo, and had no choice but to take out a few bottles of concealment potion and hand them over.

"I hope... your honor will sustain us as we walk out of this damned forest."