Chapter 144 –  – Phase 2 [2]


    Alchemy


    In Inner Lunatic, Alchemy is portrayed quite distinctpared to typical fantasy stories


    First, it’s able to coexist with Magic


    Second, it’s also more than just potion-making


    Third, sometimes its destructive power can be even stronger than Magic or Sword


    Most people will find it hard toprehend.


    How is such a thing possible?


    Anyway, Alchemy is a study that uses artifacts that possess a medium or transmitter as its foundation. It’s said to create something out of nothing


    Only half of these words are correct.


    Why ?


    ‘Even if you call it magic, it’s not much different from Alchemy. In fact, they are almost alike. It would be correct to say only the processes are different’


    Magic is also a study that manifests a form through a medium called Mana


    Artifact


    In other words, you can tell it apart by just seeing that the power and intensity change depending on whether it goes through a transmitter or not.


    Only inherent talent separates between Alchemy and Magic. Or it can be exined by absolute differences in the amount of mana they use


    For instance, since magic utilizes mana in physical abilities and the atmosphere, you can pretty much pull it out anytime and anywhere without a hitch


    In return, its downside is that the strength isn’t all that strong.


    But still, the ease of use ovees its weakness. A sword technique that relies on mana and magic spreads across the entire region after all


    From perspective it can grow with just sense and repetition, its difficulty level isn’t easy topare which is even more so


    But, Alchemist is different


    You’ve got to have plenty of energy along with various materials and mediums, including times. Only when everything’s gathered, Alchemy can demonstrate its results properly


    There if we’re citing in terms of academics, it demands at least a deep knowledge equal to a doctor’s


    For instance, how can we get alchemy to match Jagan’s extraordinary level right now ?


    It’s going to take at least tens of thousands of hours


    ‘It’s all possible because Jagan is a demon famous for his Alchemist. But he didn’t reach this level in the game, how the heck did this bastard manage to level up to this extent ?’


    Transmutation circle is an advanced level in Alchemy, and it seems it had gone through ‘amplification’ which is mostly covered in thetter half of the game.


    Detonating manifested mana in an instant, that’s precisely what ‘amplification’ is in Alchemy


    “Surprised? You lowly humans !”


    Jagan blurted out and continued


    Before I knew it, his purple skin and both horns had fully healed


    As expected, that annoying demonic regeneration is still intact


    “You must have thought you’d win for sure! But I also heard the recent rumors about Archduke Paimon’s death. He wasn’t someone who would die at the hands of mere humans! Do you really think I wouldn’t have prepared for this situation? Hahahahaha !”


    So that’s how it was.


    Now everything makes sense.


    Archduke Paimon


    He wasn’t supposed to die in Chapter 1, he is a character that will be revived in thetter half, regain his full strength, and emerge as an even greater cmity


    This is only natural


    Noah was weakened and Luna who had just be a sword emperor weren’t capable of stopping him.


    However, the butterfly effect happened.


    It’s exactly because I, Nox von Reinhaver ended up killing him.


    Jagan became more cautious, and to protect himself he was prepared for the situation like we’re in now


    ‘But that doesn’t mean I couldn’t stop it’


    What if I had stopped there?


    I really would’ve ended up seeing a bad ending


    Ssh!!


    Water erupts into the air.


    Countless streams of water rise from the copsed buildings and cracked ground, it’s abnormal. It just keeps spreading, easily exceeding hundreds of tons


    While the streams gather in Jagan’s hand, it’s gradually increasing its force


    I would’ve been overwhelmed by this sight without even being aware of it if he wasn’t an enemy


    My heart pounded like crazy at the sheer amount of mana


    But I couldn’t help but wonder how Jagan possessed such immense power like that


    After all, a study named Alchemy requires a sacrifice toplete it.


    The concept of equivalent exchanges exists for a reason


    You can only exchange things that have equal worth with the things you pay


    ‘However, the mana that guy is using is way beyond no matter how I see it. I need to find out what he sacrificed to stop him’


    The moment I made my judgment, it happened


    “Aaaakkkkk”


    “Wh, what is this ?”


    “Damn it! What the hell is happening?! All blood .. on my body is ..pletely . .”


    The nobles who had been standing on the transmutation circle Jagan had set up earlier, not only nobles, along with many more ves who couldn’t escape, started to have their life force and blood slowly drained by the ominous red glow of the transmutation circle


    As their blood were sucked out by magical reaction, the victims’s bodies shriveled


    What surged up next was a massive prison created from a blend of blood and water


    While creating a whirlpool, soon bing a single sphere. Literally, the prison of water began to expand its scale


    I am quite familiar with it


    This was part of alchemy and magic that emergedter on


    ‘That’s … a restraining form of alchemy. No one can stop it here’


    While looking at the alchemy unfolding before me. I began to calmly collect my thoughts more than ever


    The prison is floating above Jagan’s hand.


    That’s not an ordinary sphere.


    It’s actually an antlion trap that doesn’t stop even after the caster dies, and it wouldn’t vanish until the target is dead.


    ‘The problem is figuring out how to break that skill’


    I thought so


    While ruminating over one of thetter half episodes where this water prison is used, I was troubled over how to solve this


    First, the water prison.


    It’ll keep expanding until it kills everyone in this ce.


    There’s only one situation where this skill force weakening


    Exactly when someone trapped inside


    ‘But that’s..’


    My eyes turn cold


    There’s a straightforward way for yers to clear this.


    And that is precisely . .


    the death of arade


    After forcing one of yourrades to sacrifice themself, you head into the boss raid to wrap this up.


    If you do it like that, this water prison’s expansion will halt,


    and boss fight will be much easier


    But,


    Of course it’s not easy to kill a character you had developed with affection.


    Some might ask


    is there another way ?


    However I’d like to tell them this


    At least in the 27 times I’ve yed this game, no one has ever escaped this water prison without at least sacrificing one person.


    This time likely wouldn’t be different as well


    But I had to stay calm


    I quickly ran through calctions in my head, and began to explore that opening


    There might be one way . .


    There might be one path that even I, a veteran yer haven’t discovered yet.


    If not, there is no other way except to create one in this ce


    ‘I have to do this’


    Since it wasn’t too different from magic, it wasn’t that impossible. The talent I grant to Nox von Reinhaver can even break through this situation


    A talent to immediately understand what technique the opponent uses at first nce.


    ‘Whether I can stop it is another matter though’


    ‘I can’t afford to make a mistake here’


    “We shouldn’t let him go wild”


    Luma seemed to think the same


    Krrrrr..!!


    Jagan didn’t stop there.


    To prevent others from interfering, he released the monsters and chimeras from the undergroundb, and began to burn his surroundings.


    While demonstrating his alchemy to the extreme, he breaks a huge dam and the water tanks that were prepared in advance and creates a massive sphere of mana.


    The water prison gradually expands its force.


    Shwaat!


    Luna and I stood back to back, in the darkness where the white moon shattering. We each began to cut through the darkness before our eyes


    The dying beasts, chimeras. But that number seems endless


    “…. You get out of here, neer”


    Luna said


    It seemed she had realized just how dangerous the situation was.


    I hesitated for a moment.


    What would happen if I lost arade named Luna, the leader of Lunatic ?


    Jagan probably will target her with his water prison


    If so, then she without a doubt will die


    But even If I end up in such situation, I wouldn’t be able to stop Jagan


    To deal with all these chimeras around us and still pull that off, I’d have to at least get through the middle part of Inner Lunatic.


    I thought to myself.


    What is the value of Luna, the leader of Lunatic ?


    ‘She’s strong, of course, but her efficiency definitely falls short.’


    It’s an extremely logical judgment, but it’s not wrong


    Compared to other characters I’ve personally raised, Luna is harder to control, and her importance is rtively lower.


    Besides, I can’t even tell if she’s my ally or enemy at this point.


    Also, in this situation, unless a miracle happens, it’ll be tough for us to kill that demon bastard.


    Jagan is strong.


    Luna is strong too, but today the opponent already honed his de in advance


    But,


    Even so, I shook my head


    “No. I am not leaving”


    why, though?


    As I said that, I looked ahead.


    Not to the side, not behind. Just forward


    Luna chucked helplessly


    “I knew you’d say that, but you really don’t care about your life, do you? You know you’re disobeying a leader’s orders right now, right?”


    “That just makes it even more impossible for me to leave, not before we get rid of that trash.”


    Cooly sharpened Luna’s [Cold Moon]


    And, My Stormbringer that shows its fang


    The chill and the damp sweat I felt between our backs were all tangled up together


    Next, I can see myrades in the distance


    “Nox!”


    “Noble Sir! What in the world is going on?!”


    “Young master!”


    Talia and Paracelsus. Next, I could hear Zitri’s voice


    Suddenly their faces came before my eyes.


    As expected, these units are as capable as they look, If raise them properly, they’ll bring many victories in future battles.


    But not now, not in this battle.


    What’s the chance of them winning against Jagan that already getting stronger ?


    Close to zero


    I understand


    In this worst-case scenario caused by an unexpected variable, In the end, we can only go forward and stop the flow with another variable


    “You all wait there”


    “But you…!”


    “Of course, I’m not telling you to just sit still. Do what you can. And…”


    I gritted my teeth.


    I didn’t y the gamecently, but If only I had done a bit better


    sh!


    The situation might’ve been better.


    Even the blood spraying from the beasts in front of me gets sucked into that massive water prison. The purpose of the spell is crystal clear.


    To trap someone.


    And I knew.


    In this situation, where countless chimeras are swarming, can I really take them all down? Even if I use Genius’s time, can I really do it?


    No, I can’t.


    Huu . . Along with a low sigh, my white hair, matted with blood, gradually absorbed the colors around it.


    Turning quite red and stiff


    But I act as if it doesn’t bother me at all and say


    “Watch closely. Clearly engrave it in your minds. Because one day, I’ll need you. No one else but you all.”


    Luna’s eyes narrowed, and then the water prison quickly rushed towards her.


    Luna btedly took a stance with her legs, but it was already toote.


    In that fleeting moment, as it always is in battle,


    the oue is decided


    “Please stay back.”


    After saying that, I pushed Luna away.


    “Huh?”


    A dazed voice echoed in my ears. Naturally, it was Luna’s.


    But there was nothing else I could do.


    I just looked at Luna,


    Imagining the worst possible oueter


    “Let’s just consider this a pass for disobeying orders.”


    “Neer!”


    Boom, boom, boom!


    The massive water prison instantly expanded and swallowed me whole.


    Along with paint as if my breath stopped, the world flipped upside down


    That’s right.


    I was trapped in a water prison, unable to even breathe.


    In that ce where no words or shouts could be heard, I made my first sacrifice since arriving in this world.


    It’s foolish. It’s stupid.


    Even though I repeated that to myself over and over, I couldn’t help but chuckle.


    Am I devastated? No


    There is still one method for me


    It was just something I thought of a moment ago, an improvised n.


    But it was the only option I could think of.


    Of course, whether it would work or not wasn’t up to me.


    Along with that, like a fment that couldn’t withstand the heat and burned out, my consciousness briefly flickered and faded.


    “Neer…!”


    I thought I heard Luna’s voice faintly echo in my ears.


    But it must’ve been my imagination.


    Luna, the Luna I know, doesn’t make a voice like that.


    At least, the Luna in the game was aloof and beautiful, admired by everyone.


    Her refined figure and capabilities when cutting her enemies in an instant without wavering were just natural, she even held the title of the youngest Sword Emperor.


    A main character from Myth whocked nothing.


    So, I must’ve imagined it.


    Feeling Luna’s voice tremble,


    It was just my desperate wish . .