Chapter 1 Why So Strange?

Suren had thought it strange before: why would there be such an incongruous-looking stone tablet in this twisted space?

It seemed to be the only normal thing in this space.

But it was precisely because it was normal that it was abnormal.

But after seeing from afar that the strong and vigorous signature on the stone tablet was left by Sir Isaac, it didn't seem so out of place anymore.

To be able to come to the Burial Grounds of the Gods, even Ninth-Order powerhouses weren't confident they could survive. Only a Mechanical Alchemist like Sir Isaac, standing at the pinnacle of the plane, would have the leisure to leave a stone tablet.

Besides, the Burial Grounds of the Gods hadn't been sealed by the Daru tribe a thousand years ago, and Sir Isaac had gone to the Emerald Holy Land and signed a covenant with the Daru tribe, so the time and place were right.

On the deck of the Eternal Night, Suren saw the stone tablet from afar and turned to look at Mister Mirror beside him, "Senior Sister?"

Mister Mirror shook her head.

Clearly, she didn't know that her father had ever been here.

After pondering for a moment, she said, "That is indeed my father's handwriting. But at least before I went into hibernation, Father never mentioned this experience."

"Oh?"

Suren was slightly puzzled upon hearing this.

If Sir Isaac had been to such a peculiar space, there was no reason not to tell his daughter.

At least to warn her of the danger.

Unless he came after Mister Mirror went into hibernation, or there was some reason he couldn't say?

…

The Eternal Night slowly sailed towards that land at a leisurely pace, and Suren also constantly observed the surrounding situation, and didn't discover any danger.

And in the field of vision, the stone tablet became clearer and clearer. A stone tablet appearing on this sea of blood—no matter how you looked at it—probably concealed some secret.

If it was really left by Sir Isaac, could it have some profound meaning?

Suren didn't plan for the Eternal Night to get too close. The ship stopped a nautical mile away.

He and Mister Mirror planned to first explore that reddish-brown deserted island.

A spatial fluctuation flashed, and the two of them had already appeared in front of the stone tablet, standing in the air dozens of meters away.

However, at this moment, a magical scene occurred.

The stone tablet seemed to sense the aura of someone approaching, and a line of words actually appeared on it: [My dear Ophelia, Pestoya, are you well?]

Seeing this, Suren and Mister Mirror almost simultaneously shrank their pupils. As if being watched by some invisible force, their hair stood on end.

Ophelia was Mister Mirror's name, and Pestoya was Miss Phantom. Was this stone tablet... greeting them?

Was the stone tablet alive? Conscious?

However, the stone tablet seemed to see through their thoughts, and another line of words appeared: [Oh, I imagine you're probably quite surprised, after all, this is a greeting from a thousand years ago.]

The tone was light, like an exchange between relatives.

Seeing this, Suren's eyes flickered, and he immediately understood something.

Because the All-Knowing Eye had seen through the essence of this stone tablet. It was actually a colonial implant, precisely the [Isaac the God-Slayer] that Suren regarded as a biological computer.

In other words, it was almost certain that this stone tablet was left by Sir Isaac.

Mister Mirror frowned slightly, her eyes thoughtful.

And Pestoya, who was beside her, blinked curiously as she looked at the words on the stone tablet and asked, "Are you... Father?"

Another line of words appeared on the stone tablet: [Pestoya, my poor girl, I'm sorry, you've suffered a grievance…]

Pestoya blinked as she listened, "Father, are you in the stone tablet?"

The stone tablet: [No, I'm not here. These are just some words I left behind using alchemical colonial implants. You can only see them when you come.]

Pestoya asked curiously again, "Did you know we would come?"

The stone tablet: [Yes.]

Seeing this, both Suren and Mister Mirror appeared very incredulous.

Sir Isaac actually knew they would come here a thousand years ago?

They weren't amazed by the intelligence of the stone tablet, but the feeling of being bound by fate made them feel as if their destiny was being controlled by an invisible hand.

It was like a play, from opening to closing, the ending was destined by the script.

No matter how wonderfully the actors performed, it wasn't their own will, but were being guided by the will of the script.

To Suren and Mister Mirror, who were now in this top professional domain, this feeling of being controlled made them very uncomfortable.

However, what followed was an even more outrageous scene.

The stone tablet seemed to know they would have such doubts at this moment, and directly displayed a line of text: [Seeing such words appear on the stone tablet, I know you're probably very confused. Do you feel that fate is magical, but also feel frightened? As if you're being pulled by an invisible rope, unable to get rid of the shackles of fate? No, don't think that way. Fate is magical, but it's not what you think. It's not a shackle, but a fundamental rule of the universe.]

[Fate isn't as mysterious as you think. It's like the rings of a tree. Time will leave traces on all things. If you have a high enough understanding of the rules of the universe, then by deducing according to those traces, you can naturally discover some secrets hidden in the past, present, and future... This is fate.]

[So, I knew you would definitely come.]

…

Suren and Mister Mirror exchanged glances, seeing the surprise in each other's eyes.

The words on the stone tablet were simple, but upon deeper thought, it seemed like there was some kind of profound guidance.

Sir Isaac's talent was [S-003 - Fate Controller]. This was a god-level talent whose effects were almost unknown, filled with mystery.

Its sequence ranking was even before Suren's Reaper of Death.

Just hearing about the ability of "fate" was enough to make people feel terrified.

Before the two could think about it further, words appeared on the stone tablet again: [My dear daughters, you were able to come here, so someone must have collected the five notebooks I left behind, right? Don't be surprised. The notebooks involve some laws of fate, which prevent them from being buried by time and dust. When someone can collect all five notebooks, it also means that his knowledge and strength have reached the apex of the alchemical plane. Correspondingly, the secrets of this plane will become fewer and fewer in your eyes. But standing at a high place, you will find that you haven't lost your doubts, but will have new doubts, deeper reflections on the truth. So you will inevitably keep searching for some higher clues to explain the doubts in your heart. For example... the seas of the Far West Dragon Kingdom, or this Burial Grounds of the Gods. So, you came. Sooner or later, you would have come.]

So that was it.

They understood, but it seemed they didn't understand either.

But when Suren and Mister Mirror saw these words, they inexplicably felt relieved, and that inexplicable discomfort of being controlled disappeared.

The stone tablet revealed again: [You have the qualifications to touch this secret because you have seen the contents of the five manuscripts I left behind. That's right, this secret is the ultimate alchemy—the Emerald Tablet!]

Suren and Mister Mirror's expressions suddenly became solemn upon seeing this.

The "Emerald Tablet"—a term that only existed in legends.

Countless ancient books recorded only a few words about it. No one knew what it was, only that it recorded the ultimate secret about the origin of alchemy.

When Suren met his teacher, Serreia, in the Dawn Ruins, he learned that the destination pointed to by the five notebooks was the "Emerald Tablet."

Unexpectedly, today he had finally touched this secret.

However, Suren's expression was slightly strange.

He had worked hard to research these past two years and had indeed discovered the final secret of the five notebooks, but what he found was just a piece of random gibberish. He didn't know what those random codes in the notebooks were for, and he hadn't been able to decipher them.

Seeing this stone tablet, he immediately understood that there was still a part of the secret right in front of him.

The stone tablet showed again: [Rather than saying it's my discovery, it's better to say it's a treasure that the seniors of the Dawn Era left to the alchemy civilization. Ophelia, are you wondering why I never mentioned this secret to you? Because it cannot be shared. Once it's known, then it may be known by a higher existence. It's like the beautiful seashells scattered on the beach. They can easily be seen and picked up by passing fishermen. Only by burying them in the sand can they be preserved. This is the wisdom of the predecessors. Alchemy has given us a pair of eyes to discover the truth. Only by searching carefully can we see its existence. Only by coming to this space are you qualified to touch this secret.]

Suren and Mister Mirror understood upon seeing this.

So it wasn't that Sir Isaac didn't say it, but that the time wasn't right, and it couldn't be said.

Without reaching a certain level of strength, they wouldn't even have the qualifications to touch that secret. Saying it would be meaningless.

At this moment, the stone tablet finally showed a line of text: [I also want to remind you when leaving this stone tablet that this is a seal. This is the true core of the Burial Grounds of the Gods. It's very dangerous beneath the seal. There are terrifying existences that will bring disaster to the entire plane. I can't describe what that is. I can only say that it is an existence beyond human comprehension. If you don't know how to break the seal to enter, then you are not qualified to enter. The contents of the notebook are also existences that you cannot currently contact... Little-]

Then, there was no more text.

…

Suren actually didn't need to see the last line of text on the stone tablet. The All-Knowing Eye had also seen that this was a very clever seal.

It was just that the scale of the seal was very large, and he hadn't seen the whole picture before, so he hadn't identified it at a glance.

And this stone tablet was the linchpin of the seal. It had been operating for thousands of years, providing the energy required for the seal to operate.

Suren and Mister Mirror landed on the ground, standing in front of the stone tablet at close range.

Apart from the stone tablet, this "deserted island" was just sandy land, barren and bare. Stepping on the ground felt like sand, slightly soft.

Suren didn't know why, but a piece of text from the stone tablet flashed in his mind: [Seashells on the beach?]

He poked his foot on the ground, peeling away the soft sand, and then saw that the ground was actually shimmering with metallic luster.

"Living Silver Rock Ore?"

Suren identified it with a glance, and his expression immediately turned shocked.

After looking at it more, he then discovered that the entire island was actually Living Silver ore!

"So much!"

Even Suren, who was used to seeing big scenes, was stunned at this moment.

He didn't expect the surprise to come so suddenly.

The materials he had used to make gargoyles before were obtained from the Mountain Dwarf tribe. Although the quantity was considered the largest in the alchemical plane's treasury, it was still stretched thin for making golems. As a result, the vast majority of Suren's more than 30,000 gargoyles were inferior products made with the addition of many other metals.

The limited materials directly limited the upper limit of the gargoyles' grade.

Suren had always wanted to get some more, and he had arranged for people to secretly mine in the Mafa Beast Mountains.

But the output was too low.

They couldn't mine even a few kilograms a year.

It was purely good luck before. That was the Mountain Dwarf tribe's stockpile mined over countless years, and it was gone after a wave of looting.

Because the amount of Living Silver in ordinary rock layers was very small. A silver content of about one in ten thousand was already considered a rich ore layer.

But in front of him, the silver content of this island was probably more than 70%!

The rocks of the entire island were this kind of super-rich ore. With a little refining, he could directly manufacture the most perfect quality gargoyles!

Legend had it that Living Silver was a special ore formed after the fall of gods, when their flesh and blood stained the land. The higher the level of the gods, the higher the purity of the Living Silver after their fall.

Suren had thought that this kind of divine ground might form ore, but he didn't expect such a surprise! If he could dig all this away, wouldn't that mean he wouldn't have to worry about materials for making any more gargoyles in the future?

Mister Mirror, who was next to him, also saw the silver color on the ground and understood something. A flash of joy also passed through her eyes.

But obviously, now wasn't the time to mine. What they had to do was something else.

The black stone tablet no longer displayed any other text.

The two observed the island for a while.

Suren said directly, "This seal formation is very advanced. It has reached the pinnacle of the plane. But if I use the Uroboros Time-Space Ring, I can go in."

He had already identified that the specifications of this seal had almost reached the ceiling of the alchemical plane. It could be said that it was impossible to enter without reaching demigodhood.

But he happened to have a broken artifact like a "cheat device" in his hand that could ignore any spatial restrictions.

Mister Mirror listened, seeming to be thinking about something.

They could enter, but the big problem was what would happen after they entered.

Judging from the words left on the stone tablet, the monsters they had encountered before were just appetizers. Beneath this seal was the real dangerous place.

But beneath it was also the "Emerald Tablet" about the ultimate secret of alchemy.

As alchemists, especially alchemists who had reached their level, the opportunity to glimpse the truth was an irresistible attraction to them.

If they were given a few more decades, they might have been more confident in exploring this dangerous place.

But now the plane invasion was imminent, and they no longer had time to wait.

If possible, even if it meant taking some risks, they had to try it.

The two exchanged glances.

Suren could see what Mister Mirror meant. He couldn't restrain that idea himself. He suggested, "Senior Sister, let Crow Grandfather go down and take a look first."

Mister Mirror nodded, looked at the black crow on his shoulder, and said politely, "Then I'll have to trouble Crow Grandfather."

Crow Grandfather seemed to be very pleased with these words and accepted happily.

Suren didn't hesitate. He notified the Dawn members on the Eternal Night not far away, and then pinched a warlock seal, and a spatial rift appeared in front of him.

The space ring directly bypassed the restrictions of the seal, opened a rift in the space below, and the black crow plunged into it.

However, at that moment, an unexpected change occurred!

As soon as this spatial rift appeared, the black crow instantly collapsed. At the same time, a terrifying pressure surged out of the gap like a dam bursting.

This was divine might stronger than any monster they had encountered before!

Suren's expression suddenly became stern.

He quickly changed his spellcasting, trying to close the rift again.

However, at this time, a terrifying hand suddenly stretched out from the rift like lightning, blocking the rift from closing.

The entire space trembled violently as the large hand appeared.

The large hand was tearing at the rift, looking like it wanted to tear it open and then drill out of the sealed space.

Seeing this, Mister Mirror immediately raised her hand, and several sharp mirror lights cut towards the large hand. However, it had little effect. Such a sharp attack only cut out a few cracks on the large hand, and didn't stop the monster at all.

If this monster continued to block the exit of the spatial rift, the spatial rift couldn't be interrupted, which might attract more and more monsters.

Suren saw the details of this monster in his eyes, and made a decisive decision, shouting sharply, "Pull it out!"

Almost as soon as the words fell, Mister Black's ten thousand-warlock corps took action: "Corps Skill - Dragon Power!"

As soon as the corps spell formation was condensed, an invisible dragon claw condensed by the domain force immediately grabbed the large hand in the spatial rift.

The monster wanted to struggle out, and with this great force, its entire body burst out.

Upon closer inspection, the creature had no body, only a hundred-meter-long [Demonic Hand of Briareus, the Hundred-Armed Giant King]!

Seeing this, Suren quickly closed the spatial rift, cutting off contact with the sealed space.

This monster was immediately isolated and helpless.

Although it was powerful, the Dawn corps also had the top-level combat power of the plane.

In that instant, Mister Mirror split into nine, and a large-scale nine-pointed star magic circle lit up beneath her feet. The ten thousand-warlock corps in the distance also changed their spellcasting, and holy light chains locked the giant hand...

There was only one monster, but as long as it hadn't crossed the boundary of the god rank, it wasn't an existence that the current Dawn corps couldn't deal with.

Everyone began to cooperate familiarly, with various controls, scorching with the Fire of Death, and piercing with the Eye of the Gods...

The experience of killing several large monsters before allowed the members of the Dawn corps to deal with it without any panic. Although the battle was fraught with dangers, this giant hand monster was ultimately outnumbered and killed on the spot, and finally refined into a large number of threads of rules by Suren.

…

Although the sudden appearance of the monster made the Dawn corps panic for a moment, after killing it, Suren also discovered a new idea!

Ice fishing?

Dig a hole in the thick ice and then fish out one by one?

The combat power of the monsters under this seal was very terrifying, but correspondingly, the number of threads of rules extracted was also very ideal.

Drawing them out one by one would also minimize the risk.

And if he fished out all the monsters below, wouldn't that mean the danger would become lower and lower?

Perhaps there would be an opportunity to go down and see what the ultimate secret of alchemy was?