This necromancer is going to seduce the beautiful girls who are already dead.

"I...I'll go report to the professor!" This time, the male student didn't dare to delay any longer and rushed in as soon as he opened the door.

Inside the room, a group of alchemists were smoking and having a heated academic discussion when the male student suddenly barged in, surprising them all. The student's tutor, an old alchemist with a unkempt beard, glared at him angrily and scolded, "Maltz! Why did you suddenly barge in? Didn't I tell you to guard the door outside and not let anyone in?"

“Professor Kom, it’s not that I want to barge in, but there’s a young alchemist outside who, after just one glance at your manuscript, has derived the formula that you spent half a year finding. She even added to it and provided a method to maximize its effects! She’s asking to bring one of her companions into the room. I think it’s essential that you let her in to participate in the discussion!” the male student quickly explained.

Professor Kom, the mentor, stared wide-eyed in astonishment: "What? How is this possible? My formula is extremely complex, with each pair of ingredients reacting with the others, making it very difficult to handle. How could you possibly know what to add at a glance?"

"I don't know either..." the male student scratched his head.

"Let her in quickly!" Professor Kom slammed his hand on the table excitedly.

The male student hurriedly ran back, this time he dared not be arrogant again, and respectfully let Rebecca and Abyss into the room.

As he helped Abyss and Rebecca close the door, he inwardly berated himself. How could he judge an alchemist by their appearance? Some alchemists use potions to alter their looks. The busty beauty and the thin boy before him looked young, but they might actually be in their fifties or sixties...

……

When Abyss and Rebecca entered the room, they were met with a large, imposing crowd of alchemists.

The room was filled with smoke because of the alchemists' smoking, and many old faces were faintly visible behind the smoke. Everyone was sizing up the two very good-looking young men, trying to see through their appearance to find out who they really were.

Professor Kom looked at Rebecca, rubbing his eyes which were already somewhat blurry from age. He felt that the girl looked familiar, but he couldn't quite put his finger on where he had seen her before.

I have a feeling that she exists in a distant memory... But who is she?

Chapter Forty: Bottled Divine Grace

"May I ask where you two are from?" asked an alchemist inside the room. One of them was an elf, his golden hair now streaked with gray. Elves live more than twice as long as humans; judging by his appearance, he was at least one hundred and fifty or sixty years old.

“I am a passing alchemist, and he is my…partner.” Rebecca also gave a polite bow. “You may call me Rebecca.”

“Just call me Abyss, I’m her assistant,” Abyss introduced herself. “Rei was very curious about the alchemists’ gathering in Lavoisier, so we came here to participate in the discussion and learn about the alchemy masters.”

The alchemists nodded in agreement. Although it was hard to believe that an outsider could have such a terrifying level of skill, Professor Kom had already told everyone how difficult it was for him to research that potion before Rebecca arrived, but the girl had seen through the result in an instant. Such ability was enough to convince these experts who were obsessed with alchemy.

With such abilities, any alchemical organization in the world would open its doors to her, since no one would complain about having too many geniuses on their side.

As for Rebecca's age, everyone had already assumed she was an elderly woman who had maintained her youthful appearance with potions. Rebecca could tell from everyone's eyes that no one treated her as a junior, so she just smiled. Actually, if you think about it, if the time since her death could be counted in her age, Rebecca would already be a sixty-year-old grandmother.

“Do you have any new ideas? We can discuss them,” an alchemist asked.

Rebecca pondered for a moment. She always had a clear goal in mind when researching potions, designing them based on her own needs. Her inspiration usually came from observing and reflecting on details, which was why she enjoyed analyzing the research results of other alchemists. She did have some novel potions, such as the antidote for the Abyss and the potion to neutralize the poison in the factory in the other world, but there was no need to bring them out.

“No, I’m just curious about what you’re all discussing. May I listen in? If I have any ideas, I’ll share them with you,” Rebecca said.

"Okay, then you and your assistant can sit in those empty chairs over there. We were just discussing this, and now we can continue."

“Okay, thank you very much.” Rebecca nodded, took Abyss’s hand, and sat down with him in a corner of the room, ready to listen to the alchemists’ discussion.

It was clear that the alchemists were already engrossed in their discussion before Rebecca even entered. Before Rebecca could even settle in, the discussion had already begun. The older alchemists, shedding their aged appearance, were all full of energy, loudly expressing their opinions.

“I knew this potion was revolutionary, a precious legacy left to us by our ancestors, and it will definitely change the face of Hay Tver forever!” A dwarf alchemist excitedly tapped the table with his knuckles, his full beard blowing in and out with his breath.

"Come on, before you talk about changing the world, think about whether the Vatican will burn you at the stake and turn you into a dried-up corpse," another gaunt old woman scoffed. "I've told you so many times, don't trust those recipes taken from ancient tombs! Look at the description on this inscription, how evil it is!"

Abyss immediately perked up at the mention of the ancient tomb. He looked up and saw the old woman holding a piece of paper about a meter wide, covered with ancient writing rubbings from stone tablets. As a sorcerer who frequently used ancient languages ​​in his spells, Abyss was naturally familiar with this script. It read: "This medicine can store divine miracles. Pray to the nine gods and ask them to heal your ailment. Hold this medicine, and when divine grace descends, its power will enter the medicine. Drink it when the time is right."

"How is storing divine miracles evil!" The dwarf took a deep drag on his pipe, arguing loudly while exhaling thick smoke. "It's merely delaying the use of the gods' blessings! If we can figure it out, our alchemy will surely make a huge breakthrough!"

"Since this potion can preserve miracles, it must be related to the sorcerers of the Papacy back then. But why does nobody know about the existence of this potion now, and why has the Papacy blocked the news?" the old woman asked with a sneer. "Where do you think the people who made these things back then went? A bunch of people of unknown origin left these formulas in their graves, and you're really going to be stupid enough to learn them?"

Rebecca found it increasingly strange. She was undoubtedly the most talented alchemist in the world, but even she had never heard of any potion that could be combined with divine magic.

The vast majority of potions operate on the principle of magic, achieving their effects by guiding magic within the body or by helping the body absorb magic from the outside. Therefore, the science of potions is strictly linked to the mechanism of magic, which is why they are called potions. Only a small number of potions work purely on their medicinal properties; these are mostly used in the medical field.

But why would a magical potion work with divine magic? Rebecca was very knowledgeable and could naturally understand the contents recorded on the paper with ancient writing printed on it. It was indeed written at the top that it could store miracles, which seemed to be the storage of healing spells, turning magical potions into healing potions with divine power.

"Excuse me, could you tell me what they're arguing about?" Rebecca whispered, patting the shoulder of an alchemist beside her.

The alchemist turned around: "Ah...you mean them. That dwarf, Horst, led his disciples to explore ancient ruins and unearthed a stone tablet in an ancient tomb. It recorded the recipe for a potion and said that this potion could preserve miracles—but the problem now is that the ingredients in the recipe are hard to find, and everyone is worried that if the Church finds out about researching this kind of thing, paladins will definitely come knocking, and then everyone will lose their lives."

"There's such a potion? Is there any other evidence to prove that this potion is effective?" Rebecca asked curiously.

“That’s all. The owner of this ancient tomb is unknown, and the exact date is also unknown. There’s just a clueless stone tablet.” The alchemist shook his head. “I’m really looking forward to them changing the subject. This topic is just too dangerous, and this thing obviously requires the cooperation of the Holy See’s divine sorcerers, which is impossible to achieve. Where are we going to find such obedient divine sorcerers?”

"Ah, thank you." After hearing the man's story, Rebecca immediately stood up from her seat, raising her hand to attract everyone's attention. "Mr. Horst, may I see the recipe for this ancient potion?"

Chapter 41 Rebecca's Insights

The alchemist named Horst, with the typical dwarf's generosity, agreed to Rebecca's request: "Ah, no problem. I've copied down the recipe on that stone tablet verbatim, and I even have a translation if you need it—but first you have to answer me, what do you think of this potion that can store the power of divine magic?"

Rebecca thought about it carefully for a moment, and then replied, "I think this kind of thing has both advantages and disadvantages. First of all, its benefits to us are self-evident. The absolute power of divine magic is far superior to that of magic, and I believe everyone here is aware of this. If the power of divine magic could be preserved in potions like the power of magic, the world's alchemy would experience a great leap forward."

The dwarf alchemist was very satisfied with Rebecca's answer, narrowed his eyes, and nodded with a smile.

“But…” Rebecca suddenly changed the subject, “But is this potion only good for us? I don’t think so. If we really set off without thinking to find those supposedly hard-to-obtain materials and then make it, we might cause trouble, and that’s a responsibility we can’t afford to bear.”

Horst waved his hand dismissively: "That's not a problem. We are all top alchemists on the continent. We can use our influence and wealth to get some of the clergy of the Holy See to pray for a cure for us without telling the Holy See. Although no one has tried it yet, I think that the Holy See is so big, there must be a few clergy who are not willing to tattle on everything."

The old woman beside her immediately retorted, "If it were an ordinary matter, those sorcerers might keep quiet after receiving a small bribe, but our potion is no small matter. I don't think any sorcerer would be foolish enough to keep a secret of this magnitude for us..."

“That’s not the problem,” Rebecca said. “The problem isn’t with the Holy See, but with the people it serves—the Nine Gods.”

The two people, who were about to continue arguing, stopped talking and looked over when they heard Rebecca's words.

“We don’t know what the Nine Gods’ attitude is toward this potion,” Rebecca said definitively. “The Nine Gods that the people on the continent worship are not the false gods that the primitive people of ancient times made up based on natural phenomena, but true gods that actually exist in the divine realm. We must understand that the divine magic used by the priests of the Holy See does not come from their own power, but from the privileges bestowed by the Nine Gods. We do not know whether this potion is good or bad in the eyes of the Nine Gods.”

Everyone fell silent. They had been discussing the benefits of this potion to people's lives, and at most, whether the Holy See would allow its existence, but no one had considered the Nine Gods.

Abyss watched their discussion quietly. He knew perfectly well that these people ignored the Nine Gods not out of arrogance, but because the Nine Gods truly never concerned themselves with mortal affairs. At most, they would transmit vague commands to the Papacy through oracles, leaving them to carry them out. This was why these alchemists subconsciously overlooked the Nine Gods and did not consider them a nuisance.

What is the Nine Gods' attitude towards the technology of storing divine arts? Although Abyss didn't know the exact answer, he could guess roughly.

These nine unambitious laborers value "balance" above all else. Why must the prayer spells require the prayer to pay a physical price, and why are the spells with stronger effects more demanding? It's for the sake of balance. The nine gods do not want any mortals to be able to arbitrarily use power beyond their own rank.

Once this potion is created, mortals can store divine magic within it, and damage to their bodies from praying for divine magic can be healed… This could lead to potions imbued with divine power circulating among mortals after a period of time. Even if the Holy See takes measures, no one knows whether the Nine Gods will be willing to give mortals this chance to repent.

Historically, the Nine Gods have never directly intervened for mortals disrupting the balance. The Abyss deduces that there must be some rule preventing them from intervening arbitrarily. While somewhat curious about what it would be like if the Nine Gods did intervene, the Abyss is still able to discern the seriousness of the situation.

Sooner or later, we'll have a chance to see the Nine Gods make their move. After all, if the Abyss continues like this, it will inevitably threaten the Nine Gods' position—and then the beloved creator god will take over.

Upon hearing Rebecca's words, Horst, who had been flushed with excitement moments before, sat quietly in his seat, deep in thought. The other alchemists in the room also seemed to be pondering something.

“Hmm… Lei, you’ve considered things more thoroughly than we have.” After a long silence, Horst finally raised his head, stroking his thick beard, and said, “You’re right. We not only have to consider the issues with the Holy See, but also whether the Nine Gods would allow us mortals to do these things. I’ve decided to give up. This formula will be kept secret. As for that ancient tomb with its unknown purpose… I’ll find time to eliminate it.”

As he spoke, he glanced at the other alchemists around him. Everyone agreed with his idea of ​​dismantling the ancient tomb, and some even nodded in agreement.

“Before that, may I take a look at the recipe?” Rebecca said with a smile, “if you trust me.”

Although Rebecca had only been on the scene for a short time, she had already become the focus of attention with her outstanding talent and meticulous thinking. While these veteran alchemists didn't believe that an unknown outsider could be better than them, they at least didn't doubt that Rebecca was a boastful fraud. Therefore, everyone agreed to let Rebecca read the recipe; after all, everyone in the room had already seen it.

Rebecca took the original ancient text from the others, read it carefully for a while, and exclaimed in admiration.

"My God... Ancient people actually had such ideas... In an era when alchemy relied entirely on luck, someone was able to create something like this..."

Abyss leaned closer to look at the text on the recipe. Besides some extremely rare medicinal herbs and some strange biological organs, there was something else that interested him—a vague description: "an item imbued with divine grace."

If this formula were given to other alchemists, they might be completely baffled, but when Abyss saw it, he immediately thought of what could be used to serve as a so-called "item imbued with divine grace".

He doesn't worship any deity, and he naturally doesn't have divine grace, but he does know a girl whose divine magical talent is so strong that even her personal belongings are naturally imbued with divine power.

Chapter 42 Whose Future Belongs to the World?

After solving the problem of this potion capable of storing divine magic, the alchemists began discussing other issues. From their subsequent conversations, Abyss and Rebecca both realized that many of the topics they discussed were quite dangerous, and a single misstep could incur trouble from the Holy See. While this potion capable of storing divine magic was unprecedentedly significant, in the absence of its potential, its status was similar to other potions.

In just half an hour, this group of the world's top alchemists had decided to shelve a transformation potion that could permanently turn a person into a goblin, and a hallucinogenic potion that would plunge the drinker into an endless state of euphoria. In addition, many of them had come to exchange ideas and seek inspiration; Rebecca moved among them, and a casual remark could instantly enlighten someone.

After witnessing Rebecca's alchemical skills firsthand, the alchemists began inviting her to become a regular guest at their meetings. If Rebecca were alone, she might have readily accepted, but considering her future adventures with the Abyss, she politely declined their invitations, promising only that she would visit sometime in the future.

"It would be a shame if you couldn't come here more often. We often have people coming here to chat, but a meeting like this where everyone gathers together only happens once a month. If you want to come in the future, remember to come on this day of the month. We welcome you anytime."

The dwarf Horst spoke sincerely to Rebecca.

“I thought you guys gathered here every day.” Rebecca was a little surprised. Before she came, the girl who claimed to have run errands here told her that the alchemists gathered here every day.

“We would like to get together like this every day. These meetings allow us to share our discoveries and gain new inspiration, but everyone is very busy. It’s not easy for everyone to take one evening a month to come here specifically for this purpose,” the elven alchemist said. “However, I still have a question. Lei, who invited you here? It seems that you don’t know the people in this room.”

The girl who brought the Abyss and her group here and revealed that the alchemist's gathering had explicitly said not to expose her, Rebecca could only smile and shake her head: "I can't say that, but you can trust me, I'm just an ordinary alchemist who likes alchemy, and I won't affect your communication or work in any way, nor will I cause you any trouble—I can guarantee that. If necessary, I can even swear to the Nine Gods."

"Hmm... no need for oaths, we shouldn't be so formal with each other." The old elf waved his hand. "Most of us alchemists work in the academy teaching, and are therefore protected by the emperor. Ordinary people can't touch us. If you really have ulterior motives, then you're just a spy trying to steal our achievements, but clearly, your strength is already on par with ours, so there's no need for you to do such underhanded things."

Rebecca smiled and nodded: "Then thank you all for your trust."

She wasn't actually on par with these alchemists in terms of skill; she just didn't deliberately try to show off.

“Don’t mention it. Your mind is much more agile than ours. I’m sure many of you have gained something unexpected today. I’m curious about your background, but I’m sure you won’t tell me, so I won’t ask.” The old elf stood up from his seat. “That concludes today’s gathering. Tonight’s discussion has been very valuable, and I think everyone is now eager to return to their laboratories to verify their new ideas. So, everyone, let’s adjourn.”

As the old elf, who appeared to be the highest-ranking among them, announced this, the alchemists rose from their seats and headed outside.

"Wow! What a great day!" Rebecca exclaimed as she walked out of the room with Abyss, amidst the friendly gazes of the other alchemists. "Honestly, if there had been gatherings like this before, I might have invented so many interesting potions!"

“I thought your inspiration was endless,” Abis laughed.

“Of course I have a lot of inspiration, because my mind is several times more active than the average person’s. I used to even do alchemical experiments in my dreams. But these inspirations are a mix of good and bad, so I have to judge and distinguish them. It’s foolish to work in isolation. Only by stepping out of the laboratory, exchanging ideas with others, and seeing the outside world can you come up with truly good ideas,” Rebecca said earnestly to the Abyss. “My working style is quite different from that of you magicians, isn’t it?”

Rebecca was right; mages didn't need these kinds of opportunities for intellectual debate. Abyss didn't mingle in mage circles, but his master had told him that high-ranking mages mostly just quietly concocted spells on their own, then proudly showed them off within the circle. Anyone who dared point out a flaw would be challenged to a fight, unless they were thoroughly humiliated and rendered speechless. Any criticism would be fiercely debated, sometimes to the point of red-faced arguments. Mages were mostly arrogant and self-important; their circle was far less harmonious than that of alchemists who simply enjoyed exploring the ocean of knowledge.

“I think it’s really good that you alchemists are like this. Don’t be fooled by the fact that mages are still the pinnacle of power on the continent right now. In the future, alchemy might create a glory just like magic,” Abyss said sincerely. “The vitality among alchemists is something that mages lack.”

“You’re the first mage to praise me like this.” Rebecca brought her face close to the Abyss, a gentle breeze carrying a sweet fragrance. “Most mages don’t respect us alchemists; they just consider alchemy a scrap of magic.”

“I am not an ordinary mage either,” Abyss replied directly.

“Hehe, that’s true.” Rebecca turned her face away again. “Alright, I think we can go see Leona and the others. They should be having a lot of fun now. The alchemist’s bar has lots of fun drinks; Leona will definitely like them.”

“Okay, let’s go see them now.” Abyss nodded. “But speaking of which, where exactly is the library in this place? I’ve been to several floors since I came in, and I haven’t seen anything like a library. To be honest, I’d really like to go in and look at some books.”

“The books here are all about alchemy. What’s so interesting about them? I know them all and I’ll teach you later.” Rebecca took Abyss’s hand. “Let’s go upstairs. I’m in a good mood today, and I’d like to have a few drinks.”