Alchemists do not need self-cultivation

It seems that all these people died during their journey through the world, because some mysterious force allows these beings to continue to exist even after they are dead.

"Never mind, it's not too late to catch them and study them later."

The shadow beneath Isaac's feet began to writhe.

Just as he was about to annihilate all the armored men in front of him in one move, a hurricane suddenly blew up.

Many armored figures were blown into the air and then crashed heavily to the ground.

"Ok?"

The hurricane was accompanied by blue lightning, clearly the work of alchemy. Isaac looked up and saw a child wearing the same red cloak as Edward from his world, with his hands on the ground.

The hurricane that just happened was created by him.

"Edward? No, that's not right..."

The moment the child looked up, Isaac recognized him.

Although he only appeared to be twelve or thirteen years old, Isaac knew that it was Edward's younger brother, Alphonse. It wasn't an empty shell of armor, but a real flesh and blood.

"That Edward kid said his brother was dead, but he's alive and well, isn't he?"

Isaac laughed, and the shadow beneath his feet rose into the sky.

The shadows scattered across the sky, transforming into countless sharp swords that pierced through the armored figures below.

"what?"

Young Alphonse also saw Isaac, but his eyes suggested he didn't recognize him.

"I never expected to see you in Rior, Alphonse."

"……Who are you?"

"I'm……"

"Corporal Isaac! Is that you, Corporal Isaac?!"

Suddenly a huge shadow loomed over Isaac, and before he could react, a burly man grabbed him and hugged him tightly.

"That's wonderful! I never expected you to be alive. It brings tears to my eyes!!"

"Alex!?"

The person who embraced him was Alex Louis Armstrong, the younger brother of his superior, Olivia.

Of course, this is only Alex in this world, not Isaac's own world.

"What a touching farewell, Corporal!"

"Let me go!"

Isaac pushed away the burly man who was hugging him.

When I looked at him again, I noticed that he was wearing a suit, not the military uniform that Isaac was familiar with.

Where is your military uniform?

“Oh, you probably don’t know, but I’ve already retired.” Alex gave a thumbs up, his face sparkling. “After the war, I dedicated myself to charity work and am currently helping with the reconstruction of Rior.”

"...You actually retired? Your sister would probably kill you if she found out."

"elder sister?"

Alex asked in confusion, "I am the eldest son of the Armstrong family. I don't have any older sisters. I only have three younger sisters."

"No sister? Isn't Olivia your sister?"

Who is that?

"..."

I'm going to die. There are no superiors in this world. I don't know how they managed to defend that place in the north.

In Isaac's view, the reason why the northern defenses were so solid was all thanks to Olivia; without her, the area would have been breached countless times long ago.

"Isaac? You're Isaac?"

"what?"

Isaac turned around and saw young Alphonse bowing to him.

“I’ve heard about you. I heard that you helped me a lot when my brother and I were traveling.”

"...Since it was all you and Edward who traveled together, why use 'it is said'? Have you forgotten about me?"

“It is indeed amnesia,” Alex said. “The two brothers traveled together for three years, but something happened after you died. When Edward rescued Alphonse, Alphonse also lost his memories of the journey. His body and memory are still at the age of thirteen.”

"……I see."

The two brothers in this world have been through a lot.

Just then, a pleasant female voice rang out.

"Isaac, is it really you?"

"Of course it is... Holy crap!"

The moment Isaac turned around, his face darkened.

Isn't this the officer's sister, Catherine, the youngest sister of the Armstrong family?

That terrifying girl who knocked herself unconscious with an upright piano in her own world.

"Thank goodness, Isaac, you're alive..."

Seeing Catherine running towards him with tears on her face, Isaac breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Even though the people in this world have the same faces as those in Isaac's world, there will be subtle differences. In this world, Catherine looks very gentle, which should be different from the superhuman woman in her own world...

Click.

The instant Catherine embraced Isaac, he heard a mournful cry from his right mechanical arm.

"Do you know? When I heard the news of your sacrifice, I felt like my heart was breaking."

"If you don't let go of me, my robotic arm will break too."

To retract that statement, Catherine in this world still possesses extraordinary strength, just like her in her own world.

If Isaac hadn't absorbed Sloth's power, that hug would probably have broken his ribs.

“Corporal Isaac… Now that you’re here, does that mean my brother also…” Alphonse asked after hesitating for a long time behind Isaac.

“Edward, he didn’t come,” Isaac said, pushing the girl aside.

"Really……"

“But I can tell you that he’s alive and well,” Isaac said with a smile. “Would you like to see him? I can take you there.”

Chapter 976: We Still Have to Fight

The familiar buildings, the familiar streets, everything around me was so familiar yet slightly different.

In Isaac's world, although Rior was destroyed, under the leadership of the military, everyone worked hard to rebuild it, and now it has become a bustling city.

The Rior here doesn't seem to have been rebuilt very well; some buildings still show signs of damage.

The army had already arrived when the armored men invaded. After removing the armor from the fallen men, the sight inside made them frown.

"Everyone inside is dead."

“He’s definitely dead. How could he survive being pierced by my shadow?” Isaac said.

"No, they must have died a long time ago."

One of the soldiers kicked the armor, and the corpse inside fell out.

The corpse's face was extremely distorted, as if it had endured immense pain. Its body was covered in blood and its surface was uneven.

Isaac: "...No wonder I couldn't sense any life force when dealing with them; they were already dead."

Alex squatted on the ground, touched the already dead corpse, and his expression didn't look good either.

"It must have been the body that was crushed by the immense force that caused the death, but the armor was completely unharmed; only the person inside suffered the consequences."

"Crossing the Gate of Truth comes at a price; forcibly opening the door between two worlds does indeed happen."

"By the way, who exactly are these armored men...?"

“They came from another world,” Isaac said. “There’s a country there that wants to transfer Amestris’s strategic resources in preparation for future wars.”

"What!?"

"Take this message to the Central Command. The entire country is on high alert. All State Alchemists are deployed to various cities for standby. If a transmutation reaction is detected... Why are you looking at me like that?"

Isaac was halfway through his sentence when he saw Alex looking at him strangely.

"Well... how should I put it, Corporal Isaac, the way you talk is a bit like a high-ranking general."

“…Oh right, in this world I’m just a corporal who hasn’t even passed the national alchemist qualification exam.” Isaac chuckled. “Then Alex, you go and report this for me.”

"But we've already retired."

"Okay, who is the current president?"

"It is His Excellency Gulaman."

"Tsk, it's that old fox."

Isaac didn't show much surprise at the news. After Kim Bradley's death, the only ones who could succeed him as president were his superior Olivia and his superior in the Eastern Command, Gulaman... and of course, himself.

Now that Olivia is no longer in the world, it's not incomprehensible that Gulaman became the Grand President.

"In short, we need to find a way to get this message out. If a dimensional war breaks out, given Amestris's current national strength, it will be no match for them unless all the national alchemists are mobilized, and the entire country will suffer incalculable losses."

"We understand. We will go to the Central Command when the time comes."

"Ah."

About half an hour has passed since the armored men invaded, so it's about time to go back.

This area must be on high alert, and Isaac also needs to ensure they don't invade again, and deal with all those who know the truth.

Sizzle————

The armored man who had been lying on the ground emitted purple light once more, and a huge transmutation circle appeared in the sky.