Fairy Tail: All Magic Converges in One Body

Chapter 359 The Philosopher's Stone

Hope could see that the old man was in a complicated mood and understood his thoughts at that moment, but swinging was not allowed here.

The Philosopher's Stone is indeed a valuable item, but being targeted by a god for it is a bad deal no matter how you look at it; after all, it's better to live a miserable life than to die a good death.

Moreover, Duke had been killed by Ankhseram once before, and the fact that he is alive and sitting here talking now is purely because he had prepared a backup plan in advance.

And during the second forging of the Philosopher's Stone, he suppressed its aura throughout to prevent it from leaking out, and no unusual phenomena were observed until the completion.

Of course, Ankhseram might have actually discovered Duke's little tricks, but during the time the Philosopher's Stone was completed, he was being watched by a black dragon.

What if Ankseram remembers one day that there's still this one who slipped through the net and decides to stab him in the back?

Duke had clearly thought of this problem as well, which made his expression even more unpleasant.

“Senior,” Hope looked at him, “you’ve come to see us today, surely not just to catch up with Athena, have you?”

Duke was silent for a few seconds, then slowly nodded.

He took out a palm-sized box from the inner pocket of his robe. The box was completely black, made of an unknown material, and had no patterns or decorations on its surface, but the moment everyone's eyes fell on it, they felt a strange sensation.

Duke placed the box on the table and then slowly opened it.

A fist-sized, slightly imperfectly round spherical gemstone lay quietly in the box.

It didn't emit a dazzling light, nor did it have any fancy special effects. From its appearance, it was just a translucent stone that emitted a faint glow, and it wouldn't stand out among the various magical ores sold outside.

But this seemingly ordinary magic stone possessed a captivating power that drew everyone's attention to it.

It's as if this stone lying in the small box contains infinite possibilities.

This is the Philosopher's Stone.

Upon first sight, even Hope instinctively held his breath briefly, a voice in his heart telling him that the inconspicuous stone before him could help him improve his magnetic field cultivation.

The others shared the same feeling.

Erza felt that this stone could take her magic to the next level.

Mirajane believed it could help her develop more uses for the Demon Soul.

Athena and Pallas felt that this might be the opportunity for their alchemical life forms to be elevated.

Kana, however, was different. She wanted to sell the broken stone to buy drinks... After all, it was the legendary end of alchemy, and she could get so many drinks from it.

Hope quickly suppressed his desire for power and looked at the stone on the table again, sighing, "Just one glance can ignite the deepest desires in a person's heart. It truly deserves to be called the 'Philosopher's Stone'."

His voice startled the people around him.

Mirajane covered her mouth in surprise, realizing that her earlier thought was caused by the stone.

Cana glanced at Erza, who was frowning slightly, then at the two alchemy sisters, scratched her head, and said, "This thing is a bit weird."

Duke nodded with a wry smile. "The Philosopher's Stone does indeed have this characteristic. It amplifies the desires deep within the hearts of those around it. The more unsteady a person's mind is affected, the more severely they may even be controlled by their own desires."

"The Philosopher's Stone is essentially the alchemists' pursuit of miracles, so everyone sees something different in it."

"However, the Philosopher's Stone is not a wishing stone; it can only grant the user the power they desire to a limited extent."

"So what do you mean by taking it out now?" Kana stared warily at the Philosopher's Stone, afraid that she might have the urge to sell it for alcohol again, which would be too embarrassing to admit.

Duke was silent for a moment, then his gaze fell on Hope.

"I originally intended to use the Philosopher's Stone to help you deal with the Golden Dragon. After all, the Golden Dragon is a conceptual entity, and without the Philosopher's Stone, it would be almost impossible to defeat it."

At this point, he gave a wry smile again, "But I didn't expect that you wouldn't need this thing at all. The Golden Dragon had no chance to resist in your hands and was directly forged into a sword."

Hope scratched his head. "Well... I didn't expect the Golden Dragon to be so fragile."

Everyone: ......

That's the most troublesome of the five divine dragons, the Golden Divine Dragon. It's a conceptual dragon without a physical form, and nothing can harm it unless it's a treasure of the Philosopher's Stone level.

And the result? Hope used an even more idealistic enchantment to stuff it back into the building, and then used magnetic field power and alchemy to forge it into a sword.

I flattered you a bit and you actually started acting all high and mighty... Wait, it's true, then it's alright.

Duke took a deep breath to calm himself down, and then continued, "But now, I think this Philosopher's Stone should be given to you."

Everyone was astonished.

Athena was the first to react, "Lord Duke, what are you saying? This took you over a hundred years to forge..."

"It took me more than a hundred years to figure it out."

Duke raised his hand to interrupt her, a hint of weariness flashing in his old eyes. "Athena, what was my purpose in forging the Philosopher's Stone?"

"It's to fill my gaps and give me the power to defeat the dragon," Athena replied.

"Do we still need it now?"

Athena opened her mouth, but found herself unable to utter a word of objection.

Yes, the Five Divine Dragons have been dealt with.

The Wood Dragon died, the Earth Dragon died, the Gold Dragon was forged into a weapon, the Flame Dragon was personally subdued by the Black Dragon Acnologia, and the Moon Dragon and the Water Dragon also chose to coexist peacefully.

Athena and Pallas, having received Hope's magic and the power of the Golden Dragon respectively, have completed their respective deficiencies and no longer need the Philosopher's Stone.

Duke looked at the silent Athena and his tone softened, "My greatest achievement in this life is creating you, not because you are some 'ultimate weapon that pierces through the dragon race,' but because you are my child."

"As for the Philosopher's Stone..."

He looked down at the unremarkable stone in the box on the table, his voice tinged with self-mockery, "It does represent the pinnacle of alchemy, but it has also brought me disaster. More than a hundred years ago, it killed me once. And now, it is still a hot potato."

"So you want me to take over this mess?" Hope raised an eyebrow.

"How can this be a mess?"

Duke smiled slyly, "I wanted to give it to you because you solved the threat of the Five Divine Dragons and saved Giltina from dire straits. I have no way to repay this kindness."

"Although the Philosopher's Stone attracts the attention of the gods of life and death, it does possess unimaginable 'miraculous' power. Only in the hands of an unparalleled powerhouse like yourself, who fears no gods, can it truly unleash its power."

Duke's praise was like fine wine to Hope, intoxicating her.

"Then what else is there to say? I'll accept this."

Hope reached out and picked up the Philosopher's Stone. It felt warm and smooth to the touch, like a piece of jade warmed by the sun.

He weighed the Philosopher's Stone in his hand, then casually tossed it into the dressing space, his movements as casual as if he were putting candy into his pocket.

This action made Duke's eyelids twitch.

That's the Philosopher's Stone, the ultimate pursuit of alchemists, something countless alchemists dream of but never even dare to dream of, and you just casually toss it away?

Oh well... it's already been sent out anyway, it's Hope's business what he does with it.

Chapter 360 Give him a punch for me

With the weight lifted from his heart and the troublesome issue in reality resolved, Duke breathed a sigh of relief and stood up.

“In that case, I won’t disturb you any longer, Athena, Pallas, you…” He paused, his gaze lingering on the two children for a moment.

"You all need to take good care of yourselves."

After saying that, Duke turned to leave.

"Lord Duke, aren't you coming with us?" Athena's voice came from behind.

Duke paused, his voice a little hoarse, "This old codger won't trouble you any further. Besides, I have a lot of things to take care of in Philanthropic City, so I can't leave."

"But......"

“Athena.” Duke turned around, a smile appearing on his wrinkled face. “You don’t need me anymore. You have friends, companions, a sister, and you have your own path to walk.”

"And I, this old man, will just wait here for you to come back. You can come back and visit me occasionally."

"As for the teacher... he will understand me."

Athena remained silent, but still respected the creator's choice. After all, the Alchemy Guild Lead Vulture, which he had founded, was located in Philanthropic City. Compared to the Magic Array Dragon, this was his true home.

Moreover, Duke is probably worried that Anxelsen's petty nature might affect people important to him.

Seeing Athena's sadness, Pallas stepped forward and took her sister's hand.

Duke took one last look at them, then smiled and turned to leave. His back looked somewhat hunched and lonely, but his steps were light.

As he reached the door, Duke suddenly stopped, turned around, and said, "Hope, could I trouble you for one more thing?"

“No problem.” Hope became serious.

"If... if you really encounter that god, please give him a punch for me."

After saying that, Duke left the hotel and disappeared into the streets of Philanthropy.

Hope removed the isolation magic circle, but the surroundings remained quiet. Finally, Kana broke the silence, saying, "This old man... he's got quite a personality."

“Yes.” Mirajane sighed softly, “A person carried a secret for over a hundred years, hiding from the gaze of a god, just to forge a stone to make their child whole.”

"It turned out that it was no longer needed."

Erza picked up the now-cold tea, her expression somewhat complicated. "But Senior Duke still gave away the Philosopher's Stone, not just for Senior Elevseria and Athena, but for... to fight against the god who made him afraid to reunite with those important to him."

Hope didn't speak, but leaned back in her chair, her gaze deep.

There's another reason to get rid of Ankseram.

He had a premonition that this day might not be too far away.

"Alright." Hope stood up and used her crushing magic to wipe away the sunflower seed shells on the ground, leaving not a speck of dust. "Don't think too much about it. If the sky falls, the tall ones will hold it up. If the tall ones can't hold it up, there's always me, who's even taller."

Everyone stared at him in silence.

Although it sounds incredibly rude, it has to be admitted that Hope, that shameless guy, does have the confidence to say it.

"Where do we go next?" Erza asked.

Hope thought for a moment, "Let's spend another half day in Philanthropic City, then head back to Elmina. Natsu and the others should be finishing up by then, and besides..."

He glanced at Athena and Pallas. "I wonder what Elefseria's expression will be when he sees his 'granddaughter' turn into two."

Athena paused for a moment, then lowered her head, a faint smile curving her lips.

Pallas was somewhat bewildered; where did this alchemical robot get a grandfather from...?

......