The Alchemist's Guide to Flesh and Blood Ascension

Chapter 155 Surge and Deprivation

Construction was not explicitly prohibited in Hart City late at night, and the clanging of steel mixed with the roar of the drainage system continued throughout the night.

But the idea of ​​building fortifications had long been ingrained in the hearts of every living being. Rather than saying they were tormented by the noise every night, it would be more accurate to say that the noise had long become a unique "lullaby".

Yunevo didn't sleep either. He lay flat on the bed on the third floor of the apothecary, one hand pressed against the [Alchemy Turbine Engine] on the side of his chest, listening to the white noise of the engine idling, and looking at the stars outside the window.

But this brief tranquility was abruptly shattered at 3:15 AM by an unusual sensory feedback—

[Unquenchable Firewood] trembled violently on the left side of his chest, as if he sensed an upheaval approaching across the horizon!

The black-robed alchemist rolled out of bed, the soft sound of his boots hitting the cold iron floor easily penetrating the room and crossing the entire corridor.

"Ugh—Yonev?" Iselia rubbed her eyes and got up on another bed not far away.

"I'll go check on Lilith. I have a feeling something's not right," the black-robed alchemist said, pushing open the half-closed door and scanning the empty living room.

He pushed open the slightly ajar door, his gaze sweeping across the empty living room. Lilith, who should have been lounging on that specially made high chair—

Missed.

Yunefu frowned, and through his [Spiritual Vision], he could only see a faint, lingering line in the air, carrying the smell of burnt forest, leading to the open-air balcony.

Lilith stood there, appearing both sacred and eerie in the cunning moonlight of the night.

She had changed into a white lace dress that Iseria had chosen for her at some point, and her back was ramrod straight. She didn't look at the newly built crystal tower of the mages, nor at the flickering lights.

Instead, he stared intently southward, towards the direction of Wayne Forest.

"Lilith?" Yunevo stepped forward.

But the silver-haired girl didn't turn around, seemingly lost in some kind of "self-forgetfulness," and the scarlet light in her eyes was even more intense than usual—

In an instant, a very faint sound rang out, sending chills down Yoniv's spine.

The buzzing sound spread throughout the silent night, crashing against the surrounding metal pipes and producing a chilling echo!

In Yunevo's vision, the dark golden light within Lilith's body was in a state of violent boiling, surging towards her heart, which had finally calmed down!

The black-robed alchemist's pupils suddenly contracted.

The red threads that were wrapped around Lilith's joints, which should have been lifeless, began to undulate like snakes!

Yunevo pinched his cheek, but couldn't help thinking about the unusual events that had occurred in the Wayne Forest in recent days—

Whenever a periodic fluctuation of magical pressure occurs deep within that cursed forest, the red lines on Lilith's body will physically "contract"!

This red thread is no longer a sewing tool!

In that "materialization of God" plan, it had long since become an "umbilical cord" that was connected to the core of the mother body and was difficult to sever!

Meanwhile, the mutated creatures and rampant desires in the forest are trying to drag the main carrier, which has already escaped control, back into an abyss of no return!

"Boss—there—Yuri—"

Lilith seemed to be making an extremely difficult struggle against the red thread, with deep marks on her pale neck and faint golden "blood" seeping out!

The heavy body was leaning back slightly, and under that invisible pulling force, it was about to fall off the balcony!

Seeing this, Yunefu suddenly activated [Extreme Overload], quickly took a step forward, and pulled Lilith to the inner side of the terrace. "Lilith!" He gently shook the silver-haired girl's shoulders, repeatedly calling her name.

But the red thread only tightened further, and at this moment, wisps of dark purple demonic smoke began to emerge!

This is not something that an alchemy array can easily cut.

What it binds is obsession, the last yearning of those who died on the operating table or in the forest.

"Anchoring of this nature—this is the second time I've ever seen it," Yonevo murmured, looking down at his palm.

No wonder the monster tide is moving slower.

They are greedily absorbing the purest life force from the heart of this god through Lilith, this "node"!

Lilith turned her head and looked at Yunevo.

In those deep red eyes, besides Yunevo's extreme calmness, there was more of the bewilderment and confusion similar to Iseria's.

"Does it hurt? Yuri, it hurts a lot, doesn't it?"

She asked the question again, but her voice sounded particularly helpless.

Those red threads were digging deeper and deeper, and perhaps—before Lilith fully comprehended this world—they would be enough to completely crush all her joints.

If they don't go to the Wayne Forest and completely destroy that lingering "mother"—this silver-haired girl will probably be dragged back into that rotten mud sooner or later and turned into nourishment.

Iseria, wearing a nightgown and barefoot, ran up the stairs. Her sleepy look instantly cleared up when she saw Lilith.

"Yonev, Lilith's life is being stolen—" The pale-haired girl's expression also became solemn. She turned her head to look south, at the purplish-red clouds that obscured the starlight.

"Forest—" she murmured.

A ruthless glint flashed in Yonivo's eyes.

Even though Uriel had been dead for several days, there was no sign of the mess he left behind being cleaned up; the rotten and greedy aura still crept in inch by inch through the air.

"We still need to go to the Wayne Forest, Iseria."

Before the pale-haired girl could respond, Lilith reached out her trembling fingertips and, imitating Iseria, gently tugged at the hem of Yunefu's clothes.

"Yuri—no—I won't go, okay?" Her voice was weak, and the red thread wrapped around her neck began to make a series of crisp cracking sounds.

"It's too late. I've found a reason I have to go," Yunevo patted Lilith's head, handed her over to Iseria, and instructed, "Keep an eye on her. I'll be right back."

"Are you alone again?" Iseria looked at Yunevo and tugged at the corner of his clothes.

"I'm just going to gather intelligence, Iseria. I'll be right back—" The black-robed alchemist waved his hand and continued, "Our focus remains on defending the city. Only after that—will we seize the opportunity to launch a counterattack."

"Even if I can withstand battle after battle, the lives of all the people in Hart City clearly cannot."

"To survive is something that can be very difficult for me, or it can be very simple."

"But for them—it's very difficult."

He turned to Lilith and asked softly, "Before I leave, I have a hypothesis that needs to be verified—may I?"

The latter looked puzzled, but nodded slightly.