Chapter 227 - The Wrong Ones

Somewhere on a vast continent, with many mountains high to the sky, a guy was sitting in a basement in an old and poor village. He had long black hair, a white robe, and a devastated look.

Dozens of vials and flasks for brewing potions were lying around him, along with a massive broken cauldron. 

Blood trickled from the corners of his lips, but that didn't matter to him since everything he'd worked so hard to get was ruined.

He looked at the broken wooden door and muttered, "You bastards, I hate you. Why didn't you just leave me alone...? Is it really worth despising me for such a little thing..."

Saying this, he looked at his chest. Lui Bu, like all Axalts, had Spirit. However, from birth, he was different from the others. The fire burned in one of his eyes, while in the other eye, there was silence and tranquility.

The reason was that his Spirit was double, half sun and half moon. Such a thing was unnatural to Axalts, and therefore he was despised and disliked from birth.

Some thought it was a gift rather than a curse, but Lui Bu had no outstanding energy storage abilities or martial arts abilities. All he was interested in was alchemy, but others would not help him with that.

Doing alchemy required money, which Lui Bu didn't have. Moreover, everything he had managed to buy with great difficulty had been destroyed by others. 

At that moment, Lui Bu no longer had the strength to continue, but deep down, he still wanted to practice alchemy.

Just as the hatred fueled this flame, he felt. However, with each passing second, this flame was slowly dying out. As time passed, Lui Bu ran out of strength and desire to continue fighting the fate that had decided to differentiate him from the rest.

Lui Bu took one of the shards of glass in his hand and was about to do the inevitable, but suddenly the sign on his forehead shone brightly, and he heard a strange voice. 

With each passing second, it grew louder, and Lui Bu seemed like some dark silhouette was beginning to appear in front of him.

"What is it? What is that voice?" Puzzled, Lui Bu muttered.

Gradually the voice in his head became clearer and louder, and when Lui Bu fully heard Wain's call, his heart began to beat faster. 

He realized that this was his last chance to separate his life from death. Lui Bu was obliged to seize this opportunity.

"I want to go with you! Give me a sign!" Lui Bu shouted, realizing that not a second should have been missed.

...

Thanks to his skill, Wain heard his words. He smiled and muttered, "Well, at least I've made contact with one. Now I need to give him an invitation, right?"

Wain thought and concentrated. His Seal of Darkness glowed brightly, and an icy shard appeared before him. It was an invitation into his Void.

Crackle.

Suddenly the shard shattered into many pieces. Wain was shocked, but something happened that he could not have expected. He had seen something like this once before, at the very beginning of his journey.

Out of the darkness came several black bony arms that forcefully opened a portal. It was like an endless, snow-white passageway, the only way out through the infinite darkness.

"What is this...?" Lui Bu muttered, looking at the portal and the bone hands.

He was shocked but delighted. Lui Bu looked at his ruined room and suddenly laughed, "AHAHAHA, it looks like a path to the abyss. This is incredible! I thought I was going to hell today, but I guess I was wrong."

Lui Bu smiled and stepped forward.

...

At the same time, Wain's words reached the second challenger. Wain constructed his speech so that the disillusioned, talented alchemists in life could hear it, but only from two races. 

Wain wasn't sure if he had done it right, but his scheme certainly succeeded.

The second person his call reached was a girl lying among the mechanical wreckage. She was a Construct. She had long, pale blue hair and blue eyes. She was dressed in simple clothes and wore bulky mechanical boots on her feet.

She had recently attempted to create a potion, but she had failed due to poor equipment and lack of resources. She had a triangle-shaped sign on her chest, but it was broken, which gave her the stigma of scum.

No one would listen to her ideas or wishes, as she also had the lowest blood purity, only 3%.

"What is that voice...?" Edena muttered.

She thought it was a glitch in her system, but the voice grew stronger over time. At one point, it even hurt. It was like a call from hell.

Whoooooosh.

Suddenly, black bony hands appeared in front of Edena, opening a portal for her. She didn't think for long. The voice in her head worked like hypnosis, forcing her forward. Moreover, she had no other choice anyway.

"Looks like I'll have to endure another test of fate..." Edena muttered and stepped forward.

...

At the other end of the path, Wain was waiting for them. He didn't know who was coming or how long it would take, but he decided to take measures for conspiracy.

The Ring of Damned glowed brightly, and a white mask appeared in Wain's hands. There was a small, black smear on one edge of the mask this time. Wain paid no attention to this and put the mask on to hide his identity.

...

After a while, Lui Bu and Edena reached the end of the path. When they entered the spatial rift, the portals closed behind them. 

In front of them stood a tall man in a long blue cry. A mask concealed his face, and an eerie aura emanated from him.

Lui Bu and Edena looked at each other. They were surprised and puzzled by this encounter, for they still did not understand anything.

"Welcome, you are here because you responded to my call." Calmly said Wain.

"So that was your voice?" Lui Bu asked cautiously.

"Yes, answer me one question. What prompted you to practice alchemy?"

When Wain asked this, Lui Bu and Edena relaxed a little. They were now certain that this was not all a trap or a deception. They had come here because the voice needed alchemists.

Lui Bu decided to be the first, "My reason is quite trivial. The only person who supported me was my aunt. She taught me the basics of alchemy, but some bastards killed her one day. One day, I want to create a potion that can resurrect her."

"What about revenge? Don't you hate these people?"

"Huh, sure, I want to tear them apart and make their blood boil in the cauldron of hell. Honestly, sometimes I don't know what I want more revenge or resurrect my aunt. I just hope there's more good in me than bad."

"Good and evil are pretty relative concepts, but I hear you." Proclaimed Wain and looked at Edena, "What about you? What's your purpose?"

"Isn't it obvious? Knowledge is already a worthy goal, isn't it?"

"Of course, you're right, but you lie pretty badly. If you don't want to talk, that's your choice. Honestly, it's not that important."

Edena frowned. She didn't think Wain would be able to figure out so easily that it wasn't her true reason.

"You asked us the question. Now it's our turn. Right?" Lui Bu asked.

"Of course." Wain nodded. He looked at Lui Bu's chest and wondered, 'Sven said that Axalts, the sign on their chest could only be in the form of the sun or the moon, but this guy has it all together. It looks like I found someone special.'

Likewise, Wain was surprised that the module on Edena's chest was broken. They were different, and that was exactly what Wain needed.

"Do you really need us as alchemists?"

"Yes, if it weren't for your desire and potential, we wouldn't have met. I don't care how strong you are in combat. All that matters to me is your skills."

"You own a Void?" Edena asked.

"Of course, my zone is just developing, but all great things have a beginning."

"Honestly, I don't have any other options than to join you anyway. I won't go into details, but even if you have few resources, it's better than nothing." Proclaimed Lui Bu.

"No need to worry. After this introduction, you and I will have a thorough discussion. I understand that as alchemists, you need resources and conditions. I will listen to your wishes and suggest solutions."

Lui Bu merely nodded. The mysterious stranger was more benevolent than he had imagined.

'There's a creepy aura coming from him, but he doesn't seem to be lying. He acts on the side of practicality and efficiency. What's more, this girl... she's a Construct. He knows that among our races are the best alchemists. It can't be a coincidence.' Lui Bu pondered.

"What about you? Are you coming with me?" Asked Wain looking at Edena.

"Your offer is attractive, but I can't trust someone who hides his identity. You can see our faces, and we can't see yours. You know, it looks pretty suspicious."

"If I see fit, I'll take the mask off, but not now. You have two choices. Either trusts me and do alchemy with my resources and my zone or go back."

Edena frowned. She understood that, in this case, Wain was risking nothing. She could not return since she had come here because she wanted to escape her past life, and Wain understood that.

"I give you ten seconds to make a decision. Go back to hell or take the chance that fate itself has given you." Wain said menacingly and released part of his aura.

Lui Bu and Edena were in First Chronicle, but they were pretty weak. They were no stronger than an evolved zombie who would die in one blow than Wain. 

Wain was at the peak of First Chronicle, and they felt it. The pressure he was putting on them was immense.

Time passed, and Edena still hadn't given her answer ten seconds later. Wain didn't wait any longer. Instead, he swung his hand, and a massive ice gate appeared behind him.

The temperature around him dropped drastically, and the gate opened with a flick of his finger. A blizzard burst out of them.

"What's your name?"

"Lui Bu."

"All right, Lui Bu, welcome to my world," Wain said coldly and extended his hand forward before turning around and stepping into the gate.

Lui Bu nodded and followed him. Every step he took was the last countdown for Edena. She was hesitant and didn't know what to do in this situation. She was not used to taking risks, and this situation was exactly that.

When Lui Bu reached the gate and practically entered it, Edena decided.

'To hell with the past life, nothing was waiting for me there but disappointment and endless failures. If it's a trap, I'd rather die that way than rot among the scrap metal.' Thought Edena and ran forward.

Wain smiled, 'Good girl.'

Snap.

When they were all in the territory of Frozen Land, Wain snapped his finger, and the gate closed, then disappeared.

They found themselves among the icy caverns in the main hall. Immediately after they appeared, dozens of monsters emerged from the caves and stared intently at the newcomers. 

Edena and Lui Bu became alarmed. They thought it was a trap, and Wain had lured them here.

Crackling.

Then they heard loud footsteps coming from one cave. Looking there, they saw the Ice Knight with two swords at his back and a Mimic walking behind him with a creepy open mouth.

Lui Bu and Edena shuddered with fear and prepared for battle, but no one attacked them despite their suspicions.

"No need to worry. These monsters are not your enemy. On the contrary, you will soon become friends, and they will be your faithful helpers. Especially goblins, these guys are simply indispensable."

"Are you serious right now?" Unsurely muttered Lui Bu.

"Of course, as I said, I don't care how strong you are. Only your mastery matter." Mumbled Wain and then looked at Mimic, "Black Rabbit, I hope you still have your tea?"

"А? Of course! My supply of tea is huge! I have a whole collection! It's my pride!" Mimic exclaimed.

Edena and Lui Bu were puzzled. They were not particularly strong, and this was the first time they had met a monster who could talk.

"I agree. His tea is actually quite delicious." Suddenly Frigus said.

'Another one?! Edena and Lui Bu thought at the same time.

"Frigus, if you would just once drink your tea hot instead of cold as ice, you would like it even more. I'm sure you would."

Frigus shook his head, "I'm fine with it. I don't want to experiment."

"Okay, enough talk." Said Wain, "Black Rabbit, pick the best tea you have for our guests."

"Are we going to have tea?" Edena asked, puzzled.

"Huh, sure, it's pretty cold out here, isn't it? What's more, you and I have a lot to discuss."