The Wizard: From Zero-Ring Wizard to Almighty Lord.

Chapter 243 Alchemists and Totems
Chapter 243

The first step in the Morning Star Wizards' invasion of the plane was to bewitch the native inhabitants of this world and lure them into becoming their inside agents.

This behavior is like a demon in the abyss, using whispers and temptations to drag people little by little into the abyss of depravity.

However, what the Morning Star Wizard sought was not the soul of any one person, but the civilization of the entire plane itself.

From this perspective, how different is Lynn from those abyssal demons at this moment?

At this very moment, what Lynn was doing was to quietly lock onto a person whose mind was wavering through the Star Gate.

Or more accurately, a person whose heart burns with intense desire.

Only such people would willingly reach out and accept the "devil's" contract.

Those who have no desires or wants are worthless.

……

At that moment, Viscount Layton stared blankly at the old pocket watch that was slowly moving in his palm, his pupils contracting sharply.

He clutched the old pocket watch, which should have stopped working long ago, his heart pounding wildly.

This pocket watch had been gathering dust for many years and had long since lost its ability to function, but now... it actually started working on its own.

No winding or time setting is required, yet the hands swing on their own.

what does this mean?
That whisper in my dream wasn't a hallucination! The voice was real!
A fanatical glint flashed in Viscount Layton's eyes.

He was so moved he almost cried, clutching the pocket watch and murmuring to himself:
“Grandfather…you really sensed it…you’re coming back at this critical moment for the family, to save the Mason family…”

His voice trembled, and he was agitated.

The old pocket watch trembled slightly, as if responding to his prayer.

……

On the other side of the Star Gate, Lynn stood quietly in front of the void, gazing at that scene.

Within the stargate, the room where Layton was located was clearly reflected, as if everything had been mirrored.

“This world…” Lynn’s eyes narrowed slightly, and a cryptic smile appeared on his lips, “…interesting.”

While using the Star Gate to manipulate and filter memories, Lynn also simultaneously captured fragments of Layton's memories.

It was those memories that gave him a preliminary understanding of this plane containing "level four opportunities".

On the surface, this is a world divided by countless kingdoms, with the rulers relying on cold weapons and outdated firearms to maintain their rule.

But beneath this mortal exterior, the true order of power is controlled by extraordinary individuals hidden behind the scenes.

Like shadows, they control the fate of the kingdom, influencing the ignition and extinguishing of war.

The cultivation system of this world was beyond Lynn's expectations.

He originally thought that this place might follow a traditional knight system, or a system where knights and mages coexist like in the civilization of gods, or perhaps a wizarding path similar to the wizarding world, where spirit and elements are intertwined.

But the reality is not so.

All those cultivation systems, whether knights, mages, or wizards, are essentially about tempering the individual, whether physically or mentally, and ultimately condensing extraordinary power within themselves.

But the world has taken a completely different path.

It is biased and extreme.

Although there are clear distinctions of realms and strengths here, the core of cultivation is not "improving oneself," but rather relying on external things.

Practitioners cultivate by using external objects, investing resources, skills, and willpower to continuously improve the quality and capabilities of these objects; and as these objects become stronger, they in turn generate a feedback force on the practitioner.

To wizards who value the concentration of power in one person, this system appears somewhat fragile and unsettling.

But for the dimensional explorers, this is fantastic news.

Because external objects can be taken away.

If the power of a world can only belong to an individual, even if there is a passage, it is impossible for a wizard's avatar to descend and cultivate again.

But if the source of power is something that can be transferred "external objects," then taking them away is tantamount to plundering the essence of the entire world.

"In this world... there is a group of extraordinary individuals known as 'alchemists'."

Lynn murmured softly.

An alchemist is someone who uses their superb alchemical skills to transform substances such as gold, silver, copper, and iron into totems with extraordinary powers.

Once you successfully master the totem, you will gain extraordinary power.

Lynn knew so much about it because Viscount Layton himself was an alchemist.

To become an alchemist, one first needs a large amount of resources.

Only through countless trials and failures can a true totem be created.

Therefore, the path of alchemy has an extremely high threshold; a wealthy family background is only the starting point, and talent is even more crucial.

In Layton's memory, the hierarchy of alchemists was clear and strict:
Black Iron Level 3, Brass Alchemist, Silver Alchemist, Gold Alchemist... progressing step by step from the bottom up.

Lynn easily identified the corresponding relationship with just one glance:
Black Iron Stage 3 ≈ Wizard Apprentice Stage;
Brass Alchemist ≈ Level 1 Wizard;
Silver Alchemist ≈ Level Two Wizard;

Golden Alchemist ≈ Level 3 Archmage.

……

A completely new worldview gradually took shape in his mind.

Viscount Layton is a Black Iron Level 3 alchemist.

In the eyes of ordinary people, this is already a powerful being. With just the release of totem power, one can fight against a hundred people and be invincible in conventional armies.

In Lanyu Province, he possessed both the noble status of a viscount and the hidden strength of a level three black iron alchemist. This combination made him an important figure that the entire province had to take seriously.

Even the highest ruler of the province, that count, treated him with great courtesy, which speaks volumes.

However, the trouble Layton is now facing does not stem from a struggle for power in the mundane world, but from a deadly threat from the supernatural.

That was from his youth.

At that time, Layton had not yet inherited the title. With a yearning for the extraordinary, he went out to study and became an apprentice of an alchemist.

Unfortunately, his talent was limited, and he was stuck at the third level of Black Iron, unable to inscribe his extraordinary power onto the brass totem.

Knowing that his future had come to an end, he bid farewell to his mentor, returned to his hometown, and proceeded step by step to inherit the title, get married, and have children.

Under his rule, the viscountry developed year by year, with increasing harvests and a harmonious and efficient society, achieving great success.

However, it was precisely behind this period of tranquility that the seeds of his current misfortune were sown.

Not long ago, he received a secret letter, a special communication method used only by alchemists. The letter contained very little, but it was as shocking as a thunderclap:

"Your teacher is accused of murdering a Golden Throne and is being hunted down."

The Golden Throne refers to the Golden Alchemist, who stands at the very top of the entire alchemy system.

Layton simply couldn't believe that his former teacher, who was only at the Bronze level, would dare to plot against a Gold-level expert.
He instinctively wrote back to defend his mentor, stating that he knew little about the matter and was not involved.

But soon, he received a devastating response: numerous clues pointed to himself. Layton was stunned.

At that moment, he finally understood that he had become that teacher's "scapegoat".

That person may have already fled to another place, but set up a trap, leading all the clues to him, making him a "pawn" to shield him from disaster.

No matter how much he denies it, he will only be seen as an accomplice who is burying his head in the sand.

The eyes of the extraordinary world have already fallen upon him...

As for the cost, it goes without saying.

That's the Golden Throne, a throne that can establish a nation with a single word.

Provoking an existence of this level will only lead to one outcome: death.

He, the esteemed Viscount Leighton, was implicated for "harboring a suspect."

Forget about being disgraced; even having your family wiped out is the lightest price to pay!

How could Viscount Layton accept this?

Firstly, it was to clear his name, and secondly, it was to prevent his entire family from being wiped out in his hands.

So he went around seeking help, using all his personal connections, while repeatedly denying that he had any connection with that "teacher".

Unfortunately, the charge of "plotting to murder the Golden Throne" had already scared everyone away.

His friends and allies had long since quietly severed ties with him.

No one wanted to get involved in this inevitable storm.

Just when Layton thought he had reached the end of the road and was on the verge of death, he never expected that a trace of mercy from the "devil" would ignite a spark of hope in his desperate situation.

At that moment, he looked tremblingly at the worn-out pocket watch in his palm, his heart surging with emotion, unable to calm down.

He never doubted that the dream was deliberately designed by someone else.

The power required to silently invade the dream of a Black Iron Stage 3 alchemist and lure him to this strange space far exceeds his imagination.

Even a Silver Alchemist couldn't do this easily; and the Golden Throne certainly wouldn't personally try to "fool" a marginal figure like him.

Such beings are incredibly precious, so why would they waste their time on a nobody like him?
The only point of doubt was that he had never heard of the existence of "ghosts" or "spirits" in this world.

As an alchemist, his research and perception of the "soul" were far more acute than those of ordinary people.

He knew perfectly well that, to this day, no Golden Throne had ever dared to assert that the undead did not exist.

The debate over whether the dead exist has always been divided into two camps in the supernatural world:

Both proponents and detractors have their theoretical basis, and neither can completely disprove or prove them.

As a result, the theory of the dead has long been in a state of chaos characterized by "dualism".

Viscount Layton, on the other hand, was one of those who tended to believe in the existence of the undead.

In his view, the souls of certain plants and animals can still be refined into totems after they die.

Then why can't the human soul exist after death?
The fact that human souls cannot be forged into totems due to unknown rules does not mean that they do not exist.

It was out of this belief that, in his despair, he sought help from his ancestors in a dream.

Unexpectedly, this "thought" was captured by the "Gate of Stars," which in turn attracted Lynn.

And so, the gears of fate quietly began to turn.

Just like the gentle turning of the hands of a pocket watch.

The next moment, the hands of the pocket watch trembled slightly before pointing steadily in a certain direction. Viscount Layton's expression hardened, and he immediately strode forward following the direction of the hands.

He passed through the dark basement, stepped onto the first floor of the castle, and walked along the corridor. Finally, guided by the pocket watch, he entered his alchemy laboratory.

As a Black Iron Level 3 alchemist, Viscount Layton's laboratory was naturally quite large, with a rigorous and professional layout.

In one corner of the laboratory, a wide variety of black iron raw materials are piled up—these are the core materials for refining black iron totems.

The central area is divided into two functional zones:
On one side is a heavy, solid alchemical furnace, used specifically for smelting ores and separating elements.

On the other side was an operating table covered with inscriptions, on which sat an exquisite and complex instrument. Precision gears turned slowly within it, as if composed of hundreds of parts. The craftsmanship was so ingenious that it could be called an art.

In the area against the wall, there are also finished totem pieces that he created himself.

Totems, these mysterious and ancient alchemical creations, might have been nothing more than insignificant objects before being crafted by alchemists:
Roadside grass, snails in the corner, and domesticated dogs can all be used as materials.

But once the refining is complete, these ordinary things will be transformed into totems with extraordinary power!

In essence, a totem is a kind of "reinforcer".

The stronger the raw materials themselves, the stronger the power of the totem.

However, powerful totems require matching spiritual strength to control, and not all alchemists can manipulate them at will.

Therefore, what alchemists pursue is not blindly the strongest, but a totem that can be controlled and grown.

More importantly, totems are not static; they have a gradual evolutionary path that can advance from black iron to brass, or even higher levels, as the alchemist's skill improves.

If a totem appears powerful in the Iron stage but cannot evolve, then it is ultimately useless to the alchemist.

Viscount Layton had studied under an alchemist, thus the totem lineage was orderly and the evolutionary path was clear.

The totem he chose as his natal symbol was a violet flower.

This violet has already undergone two advancements in his hands, and has now reached the third stage of Black Iron.

It was the culmination of his years of painstaking work, possessing extremely high spirituality and compatibility.

On the laboratory wall, a blooming violet stood out, its petals trembling as if it were breathing slowly.

Amidst the shadows of the flowers, a faint purple glow seemed to drift, signifying its extraordinary nature.

There was a reason why Lynn guided Viscount Layton to the other side of the Star Gate.

After capturing Viscount Layton's memories through the Star Gate, he naturally also learned about the other's totems and extraordinary knowledge.

Although it was only a very short time, Lynn was at the level of a third-level archmage, coupled with his talent of hard work paying off.

Therefore, his current understanding and knowledge of totems even surpasses that of Viscount Layton.

For example, the other party has cultivated the Brass Alchemist path multiple times, but has been unable to complete the evolution according to the totem evolution route.

Lynn had already noticed something amiss.

"One would need to reach at least the level of a Level One Being, which is equivalent to a Bronze Alchemist... to have any chance of withstanding attacks from those extraordinary beings..."

Lynn manipulated the Star Gate and the worn-out pocket watch, pointing them at the violet totem on the wall.

The violet totem on the wall is large, with meticulous details: stems, branches, petals, flower centers...

At first, Viscount Layton was puzzled, but after looking at each item indicated by the pocket watch, he froze in place...

(End of this chapter)