Janka's breath quickened as his understanding was shattered. "How is this possible? How did you comprehend the profound essence of fire?"
Rhett smiled and said, "Help me with something first, and I'll tell you."
"Speak your request! Even if it means facing death, I will carry it out for you in the depths of hell!"
Janka's voice was resolute. After all, he had finally seen a glimmer of hope to step into the legendary realm. To say he wasn't excited would be a lie.
More importantly, if Rhett's claims were true, and the path of elemental mastery could indeed continue, then the hope of defeating the Blood Demon was no longer just a distant dream. Although the path might be exceedingly difficult, at least there was now a glimmer of hope.
And if Janka didn't fear death, why should he fear hardship?
"Haha, it's not that serious!" Rhett waved his hand and, putting on a more serious expression, said, "But this task isn't simple either. I need you to assist me with some alchemical experiments and solve a few problems."
Hearing this, Janka's expression relaxed. So, it was related to alchemy.
He smiled confidently and said, "You may not fully understand my alchemical expertise, but in today's world, few can match me. Only a handful can compare."
Rhett smiled slightly. Although Janka's words seemed arrogant, coming from him, they were backed by solid ability.
Suddenly, Rhett thought of something and asked curiously, "How do you compare to Hypast?"
Janka frowned dismissively. "Each alchemist has their own field of focus, and the more advanced you are, the more specialized it becomes. I've heard that the Circle Tower is particularly known for its mastery of alchemical potions, and they are unmatched in that field. But in the realm of human anatomy, I am absolutely second to none!"
Rhett stroked his chin. "Hmm, I believe in your abilities. I hope you can collaborate with one of my colleagues. He'll guide you on what needs to be done."
"Is he also a Saint-level alchemist?" Janka asked in surprise. "I'm familiar with most Saint-level alchemists of this era. Who are you referring to?"
Instead of answering directly, Rhett turned to the small red light hovering by his side. "Come out, Manu."
As Janka looked on in confusion, the light rapidly expanded, condensing into a fiery red figure.
Janka, already numb from the series of incredible events, twitched his mouth and asked, "What... what is this?"
Rhett smiled without answering, while Manu stepped forward. "Greetings, I'm Manu. In the coming days, I'll need to use your laboratory to assist me in completing some research."
Janka took a deep breath and agreed.
If it were any other Saint, they might have been baffled beyond comprehension by these strange events. But Janka, having some knowledge of things beyond this world, found his thoughts running wild.
—Could this also be an otherworldly entity? Could it be from the Underworld as well?
He made a mental note of this. After all, there would be plenty of time in the future to communicate and learn more about this being. Janka, who had endured for a millennium for the sake of revenge, was naturally patient.
Afterward, Rhett observed the two exchanging alchemical knowledge, both amazed by the other's expertise. They quickly developed a mutual respect.
Finally, at Rhett's urging, they made their way to a hidden cave within a massive mountain range several dozen kilometers away.
Janka activated a concealed switch, and a deep passageway appeared before them.
The cave was damp, with droplets of cold water dripping from the ceiling. The environment was somewhat chilly.
At the end of the passage, Janka used his mental strength to trigger a mechanism, causing the rocks to rumble as they rearranged themselves, revealing a large door.
Bright lights illuminated their faces, allowing them to clearly see the interior of the laboratory.
Aside from the faint smell of blood and the numerous blood stones scattered around, Janka's private laboratory was vast, spanning thousands of square meters. It was filled with advanced alchemical instruments and stocked with a wide array of materials, test samples, and half-finished projects.
Manu's eyes swept across the lab, immediately recognizing it as a top-tier alchemical facility, containing nearly all the instruments he needed.
His heart raced with excitement, eager to dive into his work.
But at that moment…
"Hurry, Manu, let me see that signal whistle you mentioned earlier!"
As soon as Janka returned to the lab, he couldn't wait to ask Manu for the signal whistle. After hearing Manu explain the alchemical fusion system, it felt as though a new world had opened up to him. He had never imagined alchemy could be approached in such a way.
"I didn't bring it with me, but I know its crafting process, the necessary materials, and the instruments required. That's why I need your help," Manu explained with a shrug.
"No problem!"
Upon hearing this, Janka eagerly requested a materials list and began searching his laboratory.
Meanwhile, Rhett was left to the side.
However, he didn't mind. He wasn't particularly interested in alchemy, and didn't have much time to devote to such endeavors. Having competent people handle it for him was far more convenient.
He found a quiet room and quickly entered a state of meditation.
Sitting on a stone bed, Rhett focused his attention on the surrounding elemental forces. The earth and fire elements seemed to gather into two vast oceans, each evolving its own extraordinary power.
Though both forces were powerful, they remained distinctly separate, with no sign of fusion.
Rhett closed his eyes, emptied his mind, and began analyzing the situation, considering several possibilities.
It seemed that all Saints, even those who had mastered profound forces, did not truly merge those powers within themselves. Instead, their mental energy was their own, and they merely drew upon the world's primal essence.
As he contemplated further, it became clear: mastering the profound forces gave one access to a higher level of power, as though the world's primal forces had opened their doors to them.
In the past, Rhett had believed this was the highest level the world allowed—comprehending and using profound forces.
But now, he realized this wasn't necessarily true. If the path of fusing profound forces truly existed, merely holding access to the current powers would never lead to that next step.
One had to not only use the profound forces but also alter them!
Yes, to achieve fusion, one had to modify the profound forces. Rhett had gradually come to understand that the fusion of elements did not exist naturally within the world's primal essence.
As the master of his homeland, Rhett had once observed the projection of the world's primal forces, yet he hadn't detected any traces of elemental fusion. What he did grasp was a clearer understanding of the earth and fire elements' profound powers.
"But... is this something that can truly be achieved by human effort?"
Rhett opened his eyes, a trace of uncertainty flashing across them.
Altering the profound forces would be like going against the flow of nature, an almost inconceivable challenge. Worse, there was no guarantee that the end of this path would lead to what he sought.
After pondering in place for half an hour…
"Hah, if I can't rely on changing the outside world for elemental fusion, I'll just have to try and channel all that power into myself…"
Rhett took a deep breath, the confusion in his expression giving way to steely determination.
Failure wasn't the worst outcome; losing the will to fight was. That would mean abandoning all hope of success.
Endless streams of mental energy flowed outward as Rhett continued to comprehend the profound forces, attempting to pull them within himself.
Trying to internalize the profound forces was nothing short of absurd.
After all, the world's primal forces were rooted in the elements. How could one possibly bring them into the body?
At first, Rhett had thought it was impossible, never even considering such an approach. But then, an idea had suddenly struck him—he recalled the extraordinary power within a knight's body: the various forms of battle energy, which were a miraculous fusion of the body's own strength and the world's primal essence.
He hadn't forgotten that at the dawn of the world, knights could also harness battle energy. However, in the absence of the world's elemental essence, their energy was pure and milky white, devoid of any elemental attributes.
Once the world's elemental essence came into existence, the energy produced by knights naturally took on elemental properties.
This led Rhett to wonder—if knights could internalize the world's primal forces, why couldn't mages do the same?
This thought spread like wildfire in Rhett's mind, and he couldn't suppress the excitement it stirred within him.
In the vast darkness of his exploration, this idea became a beacon of hope, a guiding light pointing the way forward.
There were no other viable paths to try, so Rhett fully committed himself to the idea of internalizing the world's primal forces.
Time in the simulated world flowed as naturally as it did in reality.
Originally, this simulation was meant just to see Nicole. But with her growth being a long process, there was a long wait ahead…
He couldn't simply sit idle.
During this period, Rhett continuously pursued the path of elemental fusion, seeking answers and insights.
Years passed, but the time was far from wasted. Under the expertise of Manu and the Blood God Cult Leader—both accomplished Saint-level alchemists—and with the assistance of the reliable Mingge, they achieved remarkable breakthroughs after more than ten years of research!
In Twilight City.
At the Begonia Chamber of Commerce.
While quietly browsing in the chamber, Rhett suddenly felt a slight tremor in his chest—a summons.
"Sir, may I help you with something?"
A pleasant voice sounded. The young Begonia Chamber of Commerce president, Britney, with her purple hair, tilted her head slightly as she watched the customer who had been browsing without buying anything for half a day. A standard smile graced her lips.
"Is today your grand opening?" Rhett asked casually.
"Yes, we're holding a three-day grand opening event. Everything is 50% off!" Britney extended her hand, showing five fingers.
"Hmm… got it." Rhett nodded and, without another word, turned and left.
"Leaving already? That's strange…"
Britney watched his back disappear through the door, puzzled, before turning to attend to other customers.
After leaving Twilight City, Rhett stopped in a field on the outskirts, pulling out a tool shaped like a brick.
This object originated from the simulation thousands of years ago, derived from his discussions with Heisenberg about crafting signal whistles. After months of experimentation by Manu and the Blood God Cult Leader, they had successfully replicated it.
Now, more than a decade later, the tool in Rhett's hand had evolved beyond its initial design.
At Rhett's request, the two had made some adjustments to its appearance, transforming it from a microphone-like device into something resembling an old-fashioned brick phone.
It wasn't that Rhett preferred this bulky design—technological limitations had prevented them from compressing the materials further. This was the smallest they could make it.
The version he held was the most advanced model, far superior to the original signal whistle Heisenberg had given him.
Back then, the signal whistle had a maximum range of ten thousand miles. But with Manu and Janka continually pushing the boundaries of alchemical fusion—and borrowing from Heisenberg's peak creations—their fusion techniques had surpassed early Heisenberg's work.
After over a decade of optimization, the signal whistle could now cover a range of hundreds of thousands of miles, making international communication a breeze!
The signal had already stopped vibrating, but Rhett called back, speaking into it, "Hey, Janka, what's going on?"
A reply quickly came through:
"Good news, Rhett! We've finally made a breakthrough in plant modification. Not only have we perfectly replicated the improvements to Dark Blade Grass, but we've also deciphered some patterns regarding plant trait changes. We're currently working on modifying other plants!"
It was Manu's voice, using Janka's signal whistle, which had caused Rhett to think it was Janka contacting him.
Rhett's spirits lifted. "Well done, Manu! Wait for me in the lab. I'll be there soon!"
After hanging up, Rhett's eyes shone with joy.
Although this simulation had been long and had nearly drained his destiny points, the gains were immense.
Not only had they made major strides in alchemical fusion, but the fact that the signal whistle had reached such a high level was proof of their incredible progress.
Moreover, though the current world hadn't evolved enough to allow research into blood energy crystals, breakthroughs in plant modification could indirectly support the future creation of blood energy crystals, making this research crucial.
Late at night, the moon quietly climbed above the treetops.
Rhett, traveling alone, crossed seas and plains. After three days, he returned to Janka's laboratory.
Upon entering, Manu noticed Rhett's presence and looked up from the cluttered workbench. "Did you manage to see Nicole?"
Rhett shrugged. "Of course. But luck wasn't on my side. She went to visit her aunt and will be staying for a while. I barely got a glimpse of her."
"But let's not talk about that. I'm here to inspect your results. Where's the Dark Blade Grass?"
Manu walked to the corner and retrieved a leaf that looked like a dark blade from a row of culture dishes. "Here's the modified Dark Blade Grass. It's identical to the one Hypast used in his blood energy crystal experiments, and we've even managed to ensure that its traits carry over to the third generation. Although the probability is still low, it's a huge breakthrough!"
Rhett took the leaf, gently rubbing it between his fingers, carefully sensing its properties.
Its energy felt familiar—just like the material he had seen Hypast toss into the crucible during those past experiments.