The Merchant and Alchemist's Gate

"The current Astronomical Society, I'm afraid it has activated the Earth-Moon defense system, right? Maybe there are some super sci-fi weapons aimed here, and then-"

In the illusory temple, Tong Ji gestured with a pistol and said with a 'snap': "There is nothing left." ”

Zeus looked up, "Don't you care about your contractor being crushed to pieces?"

"No, if anything, it's more confident in the Bureau's conservative bureaucracy, right?"

Tong Ji shrugged: "If it weren't for the most critical situation, they would definitely not take irreparable measures, and now, maybe they are still waiting and seeing." ”

"Heh, mortal after all. ”

Zeus sneered disdainfully: "Waiting for what? Waiting for a miracle?"

"You can't say that. Tong Ji held her chin, blinked her eyes, and smiled: "'Wait' and 'hope', but it's the most beautiful thing in the world, isn't it?"

"Mortals pray for miracles, but to the gods, miracles never work. Zeus remained cold: "Even if the miracle is on their side, it will not be useful." ”

As a source of power, stigmata is essentially the embodiment of a 'miracle'.

But miracles don't work for the gods, and the gods never expect miracles to appear around them.

For miracles are nothing but their reflections on earth, and the essence of the gods is already an existence above miracles, beloved by the present world!

Relying on that kind of thing against the gods is tantamount to hoping that the shadows on the earth will defeat its essence.

It's a joke.

Publius doesn't need other powers at all, because even if he only has an empty god position now, he still has an invincible mode like a 'cheat'.

The only thing that can harm a god is another god, or an authoritative relic forged by a god, or even ...... After having the wedge of the gods, it is equivalent to the [natural enemy] of the god's position!

In addition, compared with the gods, everything else is just the moon in the mirror and the flowers in the water, which is less than a sun.

Sadly, on Helios today, none of these things are there!

Even Helios himself was under the control of Publius.

"Could it be that I have lost my eyes?"

Zeus asked, "What kind of god is that contractor of yours, who has the identity of a demigod and is able to touch the realm of the gods and cause harm to Publius?"

"It's too hard for a strong man, isn't it?"

Tong Ji shook her head and couldn't help but feel helpless: "He's an ordinary human being, although he is a little weird, he can always pick up very strange things, and then he is unlucky, but no matter how you look at it, it doesn't look like he can kill gods." Do you have any unrealistic expectations of my contractor?"

Zeus's expression became more and more strange, "Or are you going to sacrifice the wedge of the gods that you now rely on to protect their world?"

"Are you thinking about what peaches to eat?"

Tong Ji's eyes widened, and she slapped the table angrily: "What went into my pocket, when did you see me go back?

As a result, Zeus's expression became more and more complicated.

It's like seeing a ghost alive.

"It's not, it's not that......" he asked, "and you're not going to lose?"

"That's not it, isn't it that you haven't lost yet?"

Tong Ji sucked the happy water in the pink teacup, and the straw seemed to sizzle happily: "Have you forgotten the most important question, Zeus?"

The most critical question.

The least known secret.

That part of history buried in the past.

What is the crux of the problem that has been ignored by everyone......

"That thing—"

Tong Ji held the straw in her mouth and smiled, "The thing that was made." ”

"Is it really 'Apollo'?" she asked.

For a moment, Zeus, fell silent.

There was no answer.

But this is the most critical place!

From the very beginning, everyone, including Publius and Garand, felt that when performing a ritual in Helios, the secret ritual pointed to the sun god, and it was only natural that Apollo could be recreated!

However, here's the problem...... If they had pointed to the gods of other realms, they would have succeeded!

But they chose the most difficult direction.

It's not because Apollo is the strongest, it's not because Apollo is special, and it's not because of any other messy limitations.

The real reason is that the sun god known as 'Apollo' died long before the fall of the gods!

Whether it was 'death' or 'fall', in short, he, along with his other companions, finally died at the hands of this woman in front of Zeus.

Crisp, thorough, irretrievable, not even the scum left, dead!

Although she called it an 'immature past', her methods at that time were quite mature and complete, leaving no luck or loopholes.

It's an artistic murder.

Leave no future behind.

If there is a 1 in 10,000 chance of recurrence, Zeus and they are afraid that they have already done this, where is the turn to get Publius?

So, now the question arises......

Tong Ji smiled and asked faintly, "At this moment, which sun god has descended?"

At that moment, in the midst of the blockade and captivity, Grand Master Garland raised his cloudy pupils.

Gain, the time has come!

But in the blink of an eye, more blockades and repressions came.

Hedi held the Seal's pivot in his hands, injecting it with new changes and variables, allowing Garand to react in any way.

He had been keeping an eye on Garland's every move.

Now, even the slightest disturbance will not allow Garland to take advantage of anything.

Even if Publius had succeeded!

"Are you overly cautious, Hedi?" asked Garland, "Are you so afraid of me?"

"Who can't be afraid of the Great Grandmaster?" Hedi retorted indifferently: "Be a spectator with peace of mind, Garand, you have already withdrawn, and your plot is over." ”

He paused, and his eyes became mocking: "Or do you expect that hench of yours to help you? ”

"You didn't kill him, that's what surprised me the most. Garland asked, "If I'm not mistaken, I'm afraid Rachel also received orders from you to spy on me, right?"

Hedi did not speak.

"Looks like I'm guessing pretty much, let me guess again-"

Garland continued: "The reason why he was not killed was partly due to the need to keep the contract, but there were many more reasons...... It's because he's too weak, right?"

The Great Grandmaster stared at the alchemist in front of him, who was far weaker than himself, and said calmly, "Because he is too weak to pose a threat to you, it doesn't matter if you leave it alone."

So, you didn't kill him, did you?"

Hedi turned his head abruptly, but still did not speak.

"It's too late to give the order now, Hedi. On Garland's old face, the corners of his mouth were slightly hooked: "You actually make the same mistake as me?"

Hedi still didn't speak.

Beyond the ruins of the Tower, in a remote corner of the Land of Dusk, in front of Rachel's cage, the guarding creatures of hell slowly drew their blades.

In the cage, Rachel, whose face was gloomy, raised his head, looked at the assailants, and shook his head in self-deprecation.

"It's useless to kill me, you think too much. ”

As if he had already adapted to his own incompetence, he said numbly, "I can't save the Great Grandmaster...... No one can save him. ”

Because, the time has come.

At that moment, in the seal, Garand's eyes suddenly widened, and he vomited hot blood in a big gulp, and his breath began to decay rapidly.

Death.

Death is rapidly approaching, descending, and quickly destroying all his life!

Coming to an end –

Hedi's face changed suddenly, and he stretched out his hand, trying to contain it, but it didn't have any effect at all!

All means of healing and soothing injuries are useless!

In front of Rachel's cage, the face of the Lord of the Great Flock suddenly distorted into the angry face of Hedi, and he angrily asked, "What have you done?"

"I didn't do anything. ”

Rachel gave him a blank look, with difficulty, and squeezed out an expression that was no better than a smile: "I just chose not to do it anymore." ”

When the time came, he chose to stop.

No more, no more, no longer maintaining one's duties as a doctor.

On the back of his hand, Hermes's twin snake staff totems quickly dimmed.

That is proof that the oath has been broken.

He broke the Hippocratic oath he had made and poisoned the patients he treated!

"You were poisoned?"

Hedi was incredulous and incomprehensible.

What kind of poison can escape his own eyes and poison a great grandmaster?!

“...... You're looking too highly of me, aren't you?"

Rachel's expression twitched, and he didn't know whether it was anger or relief, whether it was smugness or anger, but it was as if there were countless expressions mixed together, making it impossible to distinguish.

"You're just underestimating my level of incompetence," he said. ”

[Incompetence].

Since becoming an alchemist, such words have always surrounded him, stuck to his body, lingering, following him like a shadow, without a moment of separation.

As the inheritor of the school, he can't even grasp the secret recipe of the advanced elixir.

He wants to do good, but he can't cure those patients who ask for help, he doesn't even want to do evil, his poison is just a mortal thing, a joke.

Whether it is the right way or the evil way, they all shut him out, no matter how much he longs for himself to achieve something.

The only thing that is useful is such a life-sustaining secret instrument that can only be used once in a lifetime.

Treat your life as a consumable, continue with the other party, and burn your future in exchange for a glimmer of life for the dying at this moment......

"Don't you understand, Hedi?"

Rachel spread out his hands, showed his palm prints, which were no different from those of the Grand Master, and told him, "Actually, the Garandion you saw is already dead!"

Long before the ascension to Helios.

Long before leaving the present world.

Grand Master Garland, he's dead!

He existed as a physician not to treat him for a growing blood fever, nor to restore him to health, but to keep him alive.

As an additional life reserve, it supplies Garand's survival.

It doesn't matter if it can only be like the walking dead.

Even if it's still dying......

"Grand Master !!"

At that moment, Rachel took a deep breath and roared into the distance with all his strength, "The contract between us is complete!"

As if seeing those eyes full of resentment, in the seal, Garand slowly bowed his head.

"Yes, that's right. ”

He hereby acknowledged: "Our pact is fulfilled. ”

"Thank you. ”

In his dying, Garand expressed his gratitude: "Thank you, Rachel. ”

I promise: your sacrifice will not be in vain.

In the name of the Grand Master, I promise you that the schools and workshops you have inherited will continue under the protection of the Stone Cauldron Society until your successors are able to take charge of themselves.

"Stop!"

Hedi angrily reached out and grabbed Rachel's throat and pulled him out of the cage: "Stop, immediately!"

"I, I don't!"

Rachel's expression twitched, not at all like a man, he actually cried under duress, but when he wept, he showed his ...... Grin.

It's like, deeply, proudly smiling.

"I am, a man with no talent, but ...... Those kids, they still have ...... Future ......"

Yes, the future.

is different from himself, a waste teacher who is misloved, that belongs only to them, a bright future.

Rachel raised his head proudly, and with the last of his strength, told him:

"For the sake of ...... They, let me do anything!"

It doesn't matter if you lick someone else's boot like a dog.

It is not a pity to lose all dignity.

So......

Even if it's 'dead', it doesn't matter!

At that moment, Rachel smiled, breathing, completely cut off.

A mediocre alchemist, who eventually died from the poison of his own mortal things.

If there is a gain, then let yourself be the one who is abandoned. In exchange for his own death, he will exchange the death of the great master.

Putting yourself at the expense of your students for a future......

This is the waste alchemist Rachel, the last alchemy.

And then, a miracle came from the 'Crucible'!