Chapter 265: Equilibrium

George felt extremely frustrated in this battle. To maintain the still-unstable alliance, several Knights pressured and tempted George from one side, demanding that he must not use deadly force.

Although the Elves promised that the Divine Arts items they brought would remain safe as long as no one died, the Knights were still afraid that this contest might affect relations with the Elf Kingdom.

After all, although the scandal from last summer had gradually been forgotten in the Duchy of Nohan, for the Elves who live for a thousand years, it was as if it had happened just yesterday.

Originally, the Duchy of Nohan was somewhat at fault in this matter, but when faced with threats, they immediately received aid from the Elf clan. Although they did this out of consideration for their own interests, this was not only a supplement to combat power but also showed a certain stance.

The Kingdom of Lucia, for example, had been ravaged by Dark Elves, yet there had been no news to suggest that the Elf clan had provided them with help. Just in terms of public opinion, the Duchy of Nohan now held the advantage.

To George, killing enemies quickly and preserving oneself was the first priority for survival in this insecure world. Therefore, the attack techniques he had practiced in the past all prioritized maximum lethality. For instance, the techniques he was now struggling to learn in Nine Swords—except for those used for self-defense—were all high-output types. In his view, capturing prisoners could only be done when there was a significant gap in strength.

In normal sparring between comrades, the fighting usually stopped as soon as the point was made. Otherwise, there would be no such large training ground as the Northern Fortress. With his bruises and limited ability to restrict his opponent, George could only use his own techniques and footwork to hold his ground against the Elf.

The opponent, however, clearly had no such concerns. Not to mention the Magic Items he carried, he used Electric Claw, Cold Touch, Wild Strength, and Greater Magic Weapon in succession. If George had not been so busy fighting that he couldn’t take out the material needed for spellcasting, techniques like Touch of Ghoul would have been used on him as well.

So, under these restrictive conditions, George could be said to have disabled his own skills, and he fought in a very messy and pitiful state! The way he finally won was not very pretty either.

Of course, given this result, the beautiful Elf woman responded to George with a cold face: “This time, you win! Wait until I have fully mastered the Rune Words, and then we will fight again!”

Or perhaps, in her view, George was just a turtle-shell warrior good at defense and counterattack. Once her offensive could break through the opponent’s shell, she would definitely win. A typical Elf-style arrogance.

Facing the woman’s cold expression, George could only helplessly shrug at everyone. However, while the Elf leader had not yet left, George quickly asked: “Excuse me, what were the Rune Words you just mentioned?”

While speaking, George also gestured with his hand.

“Oh! Are you already impatiently preparing for the next contest so early? But since you made such a request, I have no reason to refuse…” The man’s handsome face was indeed hard to dislike, but it would be better if his tone were not so condescending.

Traditional Spellcasters spend their entire lives studying and mastering the various spells within their field, but this is not the only path. In stark contrast to those traditional Spellcasters who memorize spell formulas and then cast them, some have unlocked the power hidden behind magic—the basic building blocks of Magic. These Spellcasters have learned Rune Words and, through this new method, control the powerful power contained in Magic, shaping and using unique Magic.

Although their effects are roughly the same as those of other Spellcasters, Rune Word Spellcasters, or what they often call themselves Rune Mages, possess great flexibility when preparing and casting their own spells—they call them Rune Spells. Each Rune Mage learns several Rune Words and, based on certain restrictions, can link these Rune Words together to create any effect they can imagine.

Since Rune Words represent the primordial form of Magic used in ancient times, using the Rune Word system in modern times is extremely rare, and its users often tend to become masters of secret knowledge.

All contemporary Magic has developed along the foundation built by Rune Words. Although powerful, the Rune Word system lags behind contemporary Magic in many aspects. The system is flexible but lacks the precision of contemporary Magic. It allows Spellcasters to shape Magic in ways never done before, but it hinders them from producing specific, incredible effects as conventional Spellcasters are good at.

Therefore, it is not surprising that most Magic institutions and centers treat Rune Words as a classical art, teaching them only when researching other historical issues, rather than teaching this subject specifically. Those who delve into Rune Word knowledge often find themselves fascinated by this ancient art that only they can understand. Power exists within it, but every Rune Mage must explore it alone.

Perhaps for research-oriented Spellcasters, Rune Spells are too rough. But for the Twilight Blade on the battlefield, Battle Mages, or Wild Mages who need to go on adventures, this is a good choice.

After this battle, George had to wait for the Knights to pay the promised reward. However, this would take some time, as they still needed to carefully divide the proportions each would bear.

George could not get what he wanted until the other party reached a final conclusion. In this regard, the Knights always lacked foresight, so George certainly would not bother to urge them.

Moreover, the most critical point was that George still had important matters to resolve. The System, which had been silent for a long time, suddenly spoke, as if to show its presence.

“Advance reward compensation completed. New task ‘The Contest of Swords and Runes’ reward issued…”

“Advance reward compensation? Could it be consumed when I finished learning the Nine Swords techniques! This is too much of a scam. No wonder there were no hints after so many battles!” George immediately figured out the reason. However, taking advantage of a gain and acting humble is human nature. His first priority now was to return to his room for meditation.

Entering the Tower Reaching the Sky, which he had not visited for a long time, he found that it had changed significantly. However, he had no mind to focus on these things, because a book had appeared on the altar before him.

It was a large, thick book with hard leather covers. Emerald fragments were inlaid on the spine. The cover depicted four empty altars, symbolizing the four gods who appeared in different forms under different cultures, while the back cover featured a Ouroboros ring representing reincarnation. The inscription on the title page read: “True and Unfalse: As Above, So Below, By This the Miracle of The Great One is Accomplished.”

When George touched it, the first thing that came to his mind was the introduction of this book, “Equilibrium”—this book is the classic of Alchemy, said to be the fragment of “Emerald Tablet,” the source of all Alchemy and the principles of matter, in the mortal world.

This book preserves the purest path of ancient Alchemy thought, symbolizing the balance, fusion, and sublimation of all things. It speaks of the purity of matter in the realm of spirit and soul and its unity with truth, hinting at the essence and immortality of matter. The Alchemy within has transcended the conceptual shackles of creating real gold, pursuing the final fusion and return of matter to The Great One.

However, even though George obtained this book, it was still only a fragment. It only recorded the most basic chapters: Rain, Spring, White Bird, and the second-stage chapters: Ram, Iron, and Magic Wand. Nevertheless, its value could not be denied.

In the world before his transmigration, Alchemy was a philosophical thought and ancestor of medieval chemistry, the prototype of chemistry. Its goal was to transform base metals into gold through chemical methods, create the Elixir of Life, and prepare the Elixir of Immortality. However, here they were a magical technology. First, the basic principles of Alchemists entered George’s mind.

Alchemists loved to use colors to distinguish different objects. When starting the transmutation—that is, turning base metals into noble metals—they first worked to create “dead matter.” Only this kind of matter could accept the form they wished to obtain.

A piece of “dead matter” would lose most of its metallic properties, turning black, that is, becoming lifeless and devoid of color. The process of creating this substance was called Nigredo, or blackening.

The next step was Albedo, or whitening, of course, sometimes also called Silver. Then came Citrinitas, or yellowing—that is, becoming gold. It was said that in the incomplete lost chapters, the final step was mentioned, also called Purification. Purification could be explained as making the gold take on a violet-blue hue. The final product of this step was called “Coral Gold,” considered the last step of transmutation. However, records about it were quite scarce.

But generally speaking, Alchemists liked to use abstract images to pass on their knowledge. Or they encrypted the formulas they had researched. Of course, if later generations could truly crack the encryption, they would not mind passing on such knowledge to them.

First, George saw seven paintings depicting the basic principles of Alchemy.

Dragon and Child—the Evil Dragon drank the Philosophical Mercury, grew wings, and swallowed the child. The child symbolized the Prima Materia, the cause of all matter.

Three Doves—the white, red, and black doves were fighting. They were the three principles in Alchemy theory, namely Mercury, Sulfur, and Salt, or called Soul, Spirit, and Body.

Three-Headed Eagle—only when the three principles fused into one could the perfect Philosopher’s Stone be produced. An eagle with three different colored eyes formed a whole, which was a three-headed eagle.

Three-Headed Dragon—a three-headed dragon, with three heads of three different colors. This symbolized the blackening stage of the Alchemy process, where the original matter had not yet been completely decomposed, and impurities had not yet been fully removed.

Peacock’s Tail—the beautiful peacock’s tail represented the stage between blackening and whitening in the Alchemy process. The Philosopher’s Egg displayed colorful hues.

White Queen—the White Queen symbolized the following whitening stage, and also symbolized the product of the whitening stage—the white Philosopher’s Stone.

Golden King—the Golden King symbolized the yellowing stage after whitening, and also symbolized the product of the yellowing stage—the Philosopher’s Stone.

The Philosopher’s Stone is a mythical substance—the Holy Grail of Western Alchemy for a long time—believed to be able to turn ordinary base metals into gold or create the universal elixir that grants immortality. Other titles include the Stone of the Philosophers, the Stone from Heaven, the Red Elixir, the Fifth Element, etc. Due to the Alchemists’ relentless pursuit of this substance, it was also given titles like the Great Miracle, the Great Creation, etc.

Among Alchemists, such a saying often circulated: “People call the Stone of the Philosophers the Philosopher’s Stone. It is the oldest, most mysterious, or least known. In nature, it is the most incomprehensible, and it is the blessing and holiness of Heaven. Therefore, the Stone of the Philosophers is real, and more certain than certainty itself; it is the mystery of mysteries. It is the power of morality and the gods, but it is hidden from the ignorant. It is the limit and purpose of all things under heaven, the final and inconceivable result of all sages’ operations. It is the perfect essence of all elements, an indestructible object that no element can harm or destroy, the Fifth Element. It is a double, living Mercury with its own spirit, capable of handling all unstable and imperfect metals. It is eternal light, the elixir that can cure all diseases, the immortal Phoenix that blesses the glory of Heaven, the most precious treasure among all wealth, and the important property of the entire nature.”

However, in many Alchemy formulas, it is often used to refer to the final product. This kind of abstract metaphor is sometimes as confusing as the Yellow Sprout, Dragon and Tiger, or Water and Fire in Taoism.

Just like a doggerel poem once muttered by an ancestor: “The Sun represents Gold, the King also represents Gold; The Moon represents Silver, the Queen also represents Silver. The Sun does not represent Gold, the King does not represent Gold; The Moon does not represent Silver, the Queen does not represent Silver. The Altar represents steaming, dismemberment represents purification, death represents the start of a new cycle. This is Alchemy.”

Then, several patterns with annotations appeared in George’s mind: The Shield of Art—under the brilliance of the Sun, it is the crown and shield symbolizing Alchemy. The author here emphasizes that the Philosopher’s Stone forms naturally under the sun like a plant, and Alchemists use Alchemical Art to assist this process.

The Philosopher Holding the Philosopher’s Egg—an old man wore a red hat, a red robe, and a black cloak. He held the Philosopher’s Egg of Alchemy in his left hand and pointed to the egg with his right hand. The motto on the ribbon read: “Let us seek the essence of the Four Elements.”

The Meeting of the King and the Queen—the Queen had a full moon on her head and stepped on a crescent moon. The King stepped on the fire of Alchemy and had a red sun on his head. “Decompose it until it sublimes, then distill and condense, let it rise, fall, and dry.”

The Miner Chiseling Stone—”When heaven and earth meet, it will be the end of the world.” The materials for Alchemy come from nature. Alchemy work is simply speeding up the natural process.

The Knight on the Double Fountain—the knight stood on a pool gushing yellow and white spring water, with seven stars on his head, holding a knife, shield, and armor colored black, white, yellow, and red. On the red shield was carved: “Combine the two streams into one, … and you will multiply the Philosopher’s Stone.”

The Philosopher Under the Tree—the Tree of Life hid a crown, symbolizing the universe and all things. Alchemists often called themselves Philosophers. Standing under the tree, it implied that Alchemy was indeed the art of creating all things.

Hermaphrodite—Yin and Yang, Mercury and Sulfur combined to form a strange hermaphrodite. He possessed both Yin characteristics and Yang properties, thus being more perfect.

Beheading the King—a person held a Longsword, killed the King, beheaded him, and dismembered him. This symbolized the decomposition stage of Alchemical operations.

Steaming Flesh in a Vessel—”I command my retainers to transform flesh into Spiritual Qi through decomposition, and then give form to the Spiritual Qi through steaming.” This was the re-fusion after decomposition.

The Black Sun—in Alchemy, the black shadow of the Sun also represented all base metals—the impure parts of lower metals, which must be purified.

The Playing Child—representing that in the Alchemy process, Alchemists often had to wait for a long time for changes in the Philosopher’s Egg, during which they had nothing to do. The playing child appearing together with the washing woman also symbolized the masters’ familiarity with Alchemy.

The Washing Woman—the whitening stage after blackening was often represented by the washing woman. But here it also seemed to mean that if one mastered the secret of Alchemy, the Alchemy work would be as easy as washing clothes.

The Drowning King—at the start of the Alchemy work, the King drowning in the river in the distance symbolized dissolution. Death and rebirth were a mysterious and wonderful idea in the art of Alchemy.

Resurrection in the Marsh—the King resurrected from the marsh. He removed the black impurities and presented a perfect golden color. An angel sent him golden clothes, and the Philosopher’s Stone was about to be born.

The City Under the Dawn—the red Sun spread its wings and radiated light. The Philosopher’s Stone was born. It caused base metals to transmute, granted people immortality, and made all things flourish.

Of course, this was just the most basic material interpretation documents in Alchemy. It was like learning alphabet and pinyin before learning Chinese characters. Only by understanding this could one possibly understand what notes written by Alchemists actually meant.

Of course, this did not mean that George could now read the ancestors’ materials. It was like a primary school student unable to see a university professor’s paper. Although he understood the meaning of each word separately, when put together, it was like a book without words.

Moreover, there were Alchemists who were not well-intentioned and set traps in their notes and formulas. Quite the opposite, there were quite a few such people. After all, no one liked their research results to be used by others for free, right?

This was like every school in Taoism having different explanations for the same word. Alchemists also had schools of inheritance. Of course, if an outsider with extraordinary talent could crack the secret without inheritance, then relative to the risks he took, he could naturally get a rich return—this was also equivalent exchange.

“I never expected it to be this kind of thing. It doesn’t look like something I can use at all!” George’s expression was clearly disappointed.