What witch? The Deadly Pharmacist!

Then, Leon carefully recounted his experiences after leaving Arend Island and explained them to Lena. He emphasized the potion, and Lena's expression finally became serious.

"So, Miss Selene has to be turned into a witch to use this medicine?" Lena asked Leon, pointing to the medicine bottle after hearing this.

“Yes, provided that what Bishop Vess said is true.” Leon confirmed with Lena, “Is it true that only witches and monsters can consume it because the magic power is too high?”

“There are indeed such records, but theoretically, only when extremely pure magic essence is used can the potion be so potent that only witches and monsters can withstand it,” Lena said.

"What purity level would that be?" Leon asked.

“Anyway, it’s not something we can refine right now,” Lena said.

"Then it must be over 90%?" Leon asked in surprise.

The magic essence they've extracted from that earth dragon is now approaching 90% purity.

As for magic essence with a purity of over 90%, he had never seen it in the case files—at least not in the publicly available case files. He had already specifically looked for it when Lena suggested that further increasing the purity of the magic essence could improve the efficacy of the medicine.

Could it be that the raw material that Weiss mentioned, which can only be produced at the St. Rosalia Research Institute, is this?

They really can't make magic essence with a purity of over 90%. Could it be that there's a great witch in Saint Rosalia prison who can make such a thing?

“If this is an improved version of my medicine, a little analysis would reveal the purity of the magic element. However, even if we confirm it, it's probably true, as she said, that even if we get the formula, we still won't be able to make it,” Lena said.

“We need to test this medicine. We have forty days’ worth here. Can we take a portion?” Leon said.

Before administering the drug to Selena, they had to confirm that its effects were as Weiss had described before they could feel at ease.

“If we use headhunting rabbits for experiments, we only need about one-eighth of the dosage, and only one or two days' worth of the drug to confirm the effect. But it will probably take some time to obtain headhunting rabbits with salinization disease,” Lena said.

Even if you feed these organisms large doses of the crystals that cause salinization disease, it will still take some time for them to develop symptoms.

“It’s alright, you go ahead and handle it. I need to complete the succession process, which will also take some time,” Leon said.

According to Bishop Beckett, after replying to Archbishop Miller, he still had to wait for the Prophet's Church to complete the procedures, allow him to participate in the ceremony and receive the blessing, before he could officially obtain the rank of Intermediate Judge and then take over the position of Director.

"Are you really planning to make Miss Selene a witch?" Lena asked Leon.

“It’s a matter of life and death, so I’m thinking of trying to persuade her. But we’ll have to wait until all the conditions are right,” Leon said.

Without first confirming the drug's efficacy and obtaining the necessary authorization to administer it, there's no way to discuss allowing Serena to use the drug.

"So... will you continue to contact Bishop Vess after this?" Lena asked cautiously.

“She gave me something…” Leon explained the matter of the magic mirror to Lena, and said that he had hidden the magic mirror in a safe place.

"Will you be using that to contact her alone often in the future?" Lena's eyes widened in surprise.

“What if she notices your presence if you’re there? We’re not even sure if that prop is safe enough,” Leon said.

“That makes sense…” Lena muttered to herself.

But the idea of ​​a man and a woman having a long-term secret relationship... it just doesn't make me feel safe!

Chapter 131 The Blessing of the Supreme God

Southeastern Diocese of the Empire, Prophet Church.

"In the name of the Most High God, I swear on this sacred ground—"

I am willing to be the sword and shield beneath your throne, to defend your glory with my blood, and to carry out the truth you have given me.

If I have strayed from your path, please guide me back with your staff.

If I am weak and lost, I ask that you spur me on with your staff.

I will cherish Your blessings, uphold Your glory, and never turn away from Your law.

If I break this oath, may you take my life, let my name be forever shamed, and let my soul be unforgivable!

"Behold the Most High God who was, is, and is to come, may You see my heart."

Leon knelt before the statue of the deity in the cathedral and took his oath in the presence of Archbishop Miller, who was holding the sacred text. Two bishops stood guard at various points on the altar, while two knights stood guard inside the cathedral entrance.

After responding to Archbishop Miller about his intention to join the Church of the Prophet, Archbishop Miller submitted his recommendation to the Church as promised, allowing Leon to join the Church of the Prophet ahead of the normal allocation process.

Once an acting officer, priest, or novice knight formally obtains his ordination, he will participate in a consecration ceremony at the corresponding church in the local diocese, presided over by the archbishop, and officially become a superhuman blessed by the god he serves.

"Supreme Prophet, please bless your new agent," Archbishop Miller said devoutly, bowing his head before the statue of the Supreme God.

The other prophets and knights also bowed to the idol.

Compared to the statues of the gods, the prophet statue of the supreme god actually looks exceptionally simple. The statue is dressed in a monk's robe, leaning on a staff and holding a book, looking like a hermit who practices asceticism. There is no face inside the hood of the robe.

In church creations, the Most High God has no face; his entire body is composed of countless grains of sand of time. The sculpted statues also depict the sand flowing out from the gaps in his robes, with each grain of sand clearly visible.

From this perspective, the creation of statues of the supreme god is actually the most difficult among all divine statues.

As all the bishops bowed, an invisible force flowed from the depths of the prophetic church and concentrated on the towering statue of the prophet.

At the same time, the quicksand parts on the statue that looked like part of the sculpture actually began to flow like sand in an hourglass.

Gleaming sand flowed continuously from the robes of the supreme god like a waterfall, like scattered stars, falling evenly onto the sand pile at the base, yet the sand pile never increased in size.

Then a soft, holy light began to emerge from the statue, concentrating at the top of the statue's staff and transforming into a beam of light that shone on Leon.

Leon felt a strange power flowing through his body, which felt similar to the magic of the witch's blessing, yet completely different.

“Don’t rush. Just follow your instincts and let that blessed power flow. The blessing itself will guide you. Imagine that power gathering and concentrating within you, and recall important events from your past life,” Archbishop Miller instructed Leon in a gentle tone.

“Yes.” Leon calmed himself down and felt the blessing power flowing within his body. Controlling this blessing power, which was similar to magic, was not difficult for him, and he quickly found the knack.

When that power started to operate, Leon suddenly felt many memories flashing through his mind, including his memories of his past life, like a revolving lantern.

“This is the basic blessing of the Supreme God,” Leon immediately realized.

The ability to replay past memories in one's mind, even memories from before receiving the blessing...

Leon began to try to recall the knowledge he had learned in his previous life. He discovered that even the vague parts could be recalled with a little concentration. Even books that he had not memorized but had only browsed could be reread by recalling his memories of reading them.

That's not bad. If you can recall knowledge from your past life, you might be able to put it to good use in this world with enough resources and conditions. You could even use it to have academic exchanges with academic figures like Archbishop Miller and Bishop Weiss.

"Now maintain the flow of power, turn your attention outward, and imagine that power spreading outward from your body," Archbishop Miller continued to instruct.

Leon tried to do so, imagining releasing the power of the blessing in motion, instinctively unleashing the divine magic he had acquired.

Leon felt the power being released, but he didn't notice any obvious changes. He only felt as if an invisible barrier had appeared between him and his surroundings, and the surrounding air seemed to have become unusually thick, making it difficult for him to breathe.

The uncomfortable feeling made him tense for a moment, and for a split second he wondered if there was a conflict between the blessings. But he quickly realized that the magic power belonging to Moirai within him was not reacting, and this discomfort seemed to be just a physiological reaction.

Feeling that there seemed to be no major problem, he continued to unleash his divine magic.

In the eyes of Archbishop Miller and the two knights on duty, the sand that had been flowing down from the statue of the supreme god at a constant speed suddenly accelerated the moment Leon cast his divine spell. However, in Leon's eyes, the flow rate of the sand did not change.

The speed at which the sand from the idol flows changes in accordance with the divine magic performed by the recipient, allowing the person presiding over the ceremony to observe and discern the specific blessing received.

“It’s a blessing that accelerates time,” Bishop Miller concluded with a chuckle.

Leon looked at Bishop Miller in surprise, and to his ears, the other's voice sounded unnaturally drawn out.

A blessing that accelerates time? Leon subconsciously looked around and saw dust particles dancing in the beam of light cast by the idol. In his eyes, these dust particles were indeed dancing much slower than he remembered.

The blessing of the Most High God is a blessing that controls time. Now everything around him seems to have slowed down a lot in his eyes. Conversely, this means that his own time has sped up.

He wanted to observe a little longer, but the feeling of difficulty breathing became more and more obvious.

He soon couldn't hold on any longer and had to stop the operation of the blessing power.

The light faded from the supreme statue, and the flow of sand stopped instantly. In the blink of an eye, the statue returned to its original state, with even the position of the sand exactly the same as before.

Leon suddenly felt dizzy and couldn't help but gasp for breath, his whole body covered in cold sweat from the discomfort.

"How are you feeling?" Archbishop Miller stepped forward and asked with concern. "The ceremony has been successful. You have been blessed, and from now on, you are one of the agents of the will of the Supreme God."

“Thank you for witnessing for me, Your Excellency.” Leon stood up to thank the other party and shook hands with him.

Aside from a slight physical discomfort, there were no obvious problems. It seems that Bishop Beckett's information was true; the blessing of Moirai can indeed coexist with the blessings of the Four Gods.

“I am also very pleased that you accepted my invitation.” Archbishop Miller smiled kindly, then turned to the bishop who was assisting him with the ceremony and waved.

After the two bishops bowed to him, they left the church, but the two knights did not leave; they were the church's keeper.

“Let me take you to complete the remaining formalities, please.” Archbishop Miller gestured for Leon to accompany him.

Leon followed Archbishop Miller out of the church and tentatively asked, "Your Excellency, I'd like to ask about the divine magic I acquired..."

“Oh, a divine spell to accelerate time? Don’t be discouraged. Although it’s not a very practical spell, it doesn’t matter. The spell itself is very valuable for research,” Archbishop Miller said in a reassuring tone.

"Impractical?" Leon was taken aback.

“You should have felt it too, right? The essence of your divine magic is to accelerate the flow of time within yourself. From your perspective, the flow of time around you slows down, but from the perspective of others, your time flows faster, and your actions and thoughts become more agile,” Archbishop Miller explained with the patience of instructing a student.

"Personally, I think this should be considered a fairly practical divine spell, right?" Leon asked, puzzled.

Confirming that he had obtained a divine spell that could accelerate his own time, Leon was actually quite happy. Being able to accelerate both his body and consciousness simultaneously sounded like a very suitable ability for direct combat, as the saying goes, speed is the only way to win in martial arts.

“But you yourself must have felt the burden of using divine magic, right? From an outsider’s perspective, your body is moving faster, and your breathing rate is also increasing, but the airflow around you is not speeding up. This incoordination will cause you to experience difficulty breathing,” Archbishop Miller continued.

“That’s true.” Leon naturally remembered the feeling of difficulty breathing just now; he couldn’t bear it for more than a moment after casting the divine spell.

"Moreover, the time discrepancy between your body and the outside world caused by casting this blessing will trigger a corrective effect, which will put an extra burden on your body."

Irregular heartbeat, difficulty breathing, and sudden changes in body temperature are common symptoms. Most people's bodies can hardly withstand them. If the divine magic is cast for too long or at too high an intensity, it can cause unconsciousness," Archbishop Miller said.

“Can’t we adapt through practice?” Leon said.

"By exercising a little to improve physical fitness, there might be some improvement, but the improvement would probably be negligible. Compared with the interference of natural external forces, the strength of the human body is very limited. Just like no matter how much you exercise, you can't withstand the burning of flames."

"This divine spell, in itself, is a drain on the body and carries the risk of serious consequences. It's best to use it only when necessary, and I don't recommend that you practice it haphazardly." Archbishop Miller offered his sincere advice.

Does that mean that as long as one's physique surpasses that of a human, there's a chance they can withstand it? Leon's heart skipped a beat.

Bishop Miller continued his explanation: "If the goal is simply to increase physical agility, the Blessing of the God of War would likely be more practical, as it also increases strength. Furthermore, accelerating time doesn't necessarily mean an increase in actual relative speed. For example, if you accelerate your fall from a height, from an outsider's perspective, your landing speed appears to increase, but the impact you experience remains unchanged. This might be a bit difficult to grasp..."

"In other words, from the perspective of an outsider, after using this blessing, the time parameter in the observed superhuman's motion state shows a regular change, while the actual momentum does not change. So this divine spell actually changes the externally observed motion phenomenon?" Leon tried to analyze.

Archbishop Miller looked at Leon with surprise.

Leon suddenly wondered if he had gone too far with his nonsense.

“You have a good understanding. Have you read the Pope’s essay ‘On Time’?” Archbishop Miller suddenly said with an admiring look.

"Well, I'm really not very knowledgeable, I haven't read it yet..." Leon said apologetically.

"So you figured out this line of thinking yourself? It's very similar to His Holiness the Pope's theory. His Holiness the Pope proposed that time is just a reference point defined by observers to describe changes in things, and the nature of the power of the Supreme God may be a kind of interference with observed phenomena. The blessing of time acceleration is very valuable for research in this regard..." Archbishop Miller began to discuss academic matters with Leon with great interest.

However, at this moment, a different thought came to Leon's mind.

If the problem with the divine spell of time acceleration lies primarily in the fact that ordinary people's bodies cannot withstand it, then can werewolves, who are known as immortal, break through this limitation? Now that it has been confirmed that the two blessings can coexist, can they be used simultaneously?

To say that the ability to accelerate time is not practical seems premature.

Chapter 132 The Combination of Two Blessings

Several days later, at the deepest part of the Arend Island labyrinth, at the Temple of Moirai.

Inside a huge, partitioned tent, Leon, transformed into a werewolf, panted heavily like a real wild beast, adjusting his breathing, his body radiating heat.

After completing his ordination ceremony in the Grand Parish, he returned to Southport County without delay. After dealing with many miscellaneous matters, he returned to Arend Island and went to the most secluded and safe temple in the depths of the labyrinth to test the power of the blessing he had received.

After a brief trial, he discovered that, just as he had imagined, even after transforming into a werewolf form with the blessing of Moirai, he could still draw upon the power of the Supreme God's blessing to grant himself the ability to accelerate time.

With the physique of a werewolf, their tolerance for the physiological burden caused by time acceleration far exceeds that of an ordinary person.

Under normal circumstances, even if one only speeds up their movements by about 1.5 times, according to the timer, they can only last about seven seconds. If they increase the speed to more than twice the normal speed, the time will be greatly reduced, and they won't be able to hold on for more than two seconds. Of course, from the perspective of the person accelerating, it is about four seconds.

If used in combat, it would basically only be a contest of gun-drawing skills, but guns of this era were not very practical, and afterwards, due to the corrective effect mentioned by Archbishop Miller, one would suffer intense discomfort.

In comparison, the God of War's blessing, which directly and significantly enhances physical abilities, is indeed more decent.

But now, with the physical support of his werewolf form, his basic physical abilities alone surpass those of a typical God of War Blessed One. And when he activates the double speed boost, he can last for more than thirty seconds, which I subjectively feel is more than a minute.

This speed can be further increased, but the duration it can be maintained will be significantly shortened.

The key is that the burden brought by the corrective effect is completely bearable. The werewolf's physique recovers very quickly, which means that after a short rest, it should be able to use it again depending on its physical condition.

Leon adjusted his breathing, feeling the intense pounding in his chest. Each time he used the time acceleration ability, his heart rate would change drastically due to the correction effect, but fortunately, his werewolf form could withstand it.

The strong pounding of his heart reminded him of the blood flowing through his body, and a thought suddenly occurred to him.

Leon tried to scratch a wound on the back of his hand with his claws, letting blood flow from the wound.