Proofreader & Editor: Peter Pan
Su'en was also troubled by this question.
Why would Isaac and his wife choose to burn their most cherished little daughter to death?
When Sereya heard Su'en ask this question, she wasn't the least bit surprised.
"It's been a thousand years; she must be very sad."
She sighed softly and said, "Because… only resentment can prevent her soul from dissipating."
Upon hearing this, Su'en had a sudden realization.
One of the prerequisites for forming ghosts or vengeful spirits is that there must be some kind of strong obsession.
As soon as he heard the beginning, he guessed why Isaac and his wife did this a thousand years ago.
They wanted to preserve Pestoya's soul.
But… why?
Sereya's emotions became very complex, a mix of tenderness, love, guilt, sighs, and hope, all reflected in her sparkling eyes.
She revealed the secret buried in the dust of history, "That fallen angel of divine rank was defeated back then, but Isaac paid a great price. A large number of abyssal creatures invaded, and our Dawn City suffered heavy losses. The fallen angel even tried to completely destroy this spatial seal, allowing a massive invasion from the abyss… At first, we didn't think we could kill it. To prevent it from wreaking havoc after recovery, we chose to disassemble its divine body—limbs, torso, head, heart, wings… and sealed them separately in various locations around Dawn City. That way, its divine power couldn't converge in one place, greatly reducing the threat."
Listening to this, Su'en finally understood where the [Heart of the Fallen Angel] he obtained came from.
So, what was sealed in the White Monastery was also a piece of the divine body…
At this point, Sereya continued, "On the surface, gods are gods because they understand the laws of higher planes. But for us alchemists, we need to see through the appearance to grasp the essence of things. Laws are intangible and elusive, but the body of a god is very real. And having guarded this spatial passage for many years, we've also discovered that abyssal creatures have very strong physiques, and we've deduced some patterns, so…"
By now, Su'en finally knew what Sir Isaac intended to do when he captured a divine-rank creature.
They "sliced and studied" this divine-rank creature.
Alchemists are the scientists of this world, including in the fields of biology, mechanics, as well as mathematics, physics, chemistry, engineering… and so on.
A thousand years ago, the group of great alchemists led by Isaac were the top scientists in these fields. Their research in biological science had reached a level that even Su'en, a transmigrator, found inconceivable.
Perhaps because Su'en was her disciple, Sereya was very detailed, "Although we obtained some knowledge describing the divine body from ancient texts, this was our first time truly encountering a living one… We studied the blood and other bodily tissues of this fallen angel and discovered on a microscopic level the divine gene chain, which is much higher than humans; it has forty strands. And Isaac, as the strongest alchemist of the time, only had thirty-five. Ordinary non-professionals have only twenty-three…"
Hearing this, Su'en didn't know how to describe his feelings.
It turned out that ancient alchemists a thousand years ago had already researched genetics to such a thorough extent.
He didn't know if it was because Old London was a mining pit that led to some aberrant development, or if the outside world hadn't reached the level of a thousand years ago. But among the knowledge he had come across, there was not a single mention of "gene chains."
However, Sereya didn't continue on the research topic but returned to the previous discussion, "But during this research process, some accidents occurred. Although we sealed the body of the fallen angel, we didn't expect that its soul would escape during a research accident. Then, it possessed Pestoya's body…"
Hearing this, it was as if the final piece of the puzzle had been placed.
All the clues in Su'en's mind automatically connected, and he immediately understood the truth behind Pestoya's burning.
At this point, Sereya paused, seemingly recalling a memory she was reluctant to revisit.
After pondering for a moment, she continued, "That fallen angel was cunning, knowing that no matter where its soul fled, it would be annihilated. So, it chose Pestoya. By the time we discovered it, it had already entangled completely with Pestoya's soul. If we killed it, we would definitely kill Pestoya. But if we didn't deal with it in time, it would bring catastrophic disaster to our plane…"
She didn't continue, but Su'en understood.
So, they chose to burn Pestoya.
Hearing the story up to this point, Su'en also vaguely understood what the secret previously marked as "???" on the butterfly brooch was.
It was most likely the soul of that fallen angel!
Su'en knew that things were probably not that simple.
If it was about destruction, they would never leave the soul behind.
Sereya said, "I've lost some memories and don't know what happened afterward. But your appearance means that Isaac's plan succeeded."
Su'en listened quietly, knowing that someone like Isaac, who had mastered [Fate], wouldn't have such simple methods.
He asked, "Teacher, did you preserve Pestoya's soul to resurrect her?"
Sereya replied, "Yes. There's no parent in the world who would want to watch their child be burned alive, but to ensure she had enough resentment, we didn't tell her the truth. We set up some measures in Storm Manor to preserve her soul. But compared to a deity, a human soul is too weak. The fallen angel could easily erase Pestoya's soul. So, this plan would last at least a thousand years. Only when Pestoya's soul was strong enough and the two could no longer be separated… could we act."
As she spoke, her face showed the fierceness of a mother harming her child's enemy, "Hmph, so-called gods, to survive, only resort to such despicable tricks."
Su'en now fully understood the whole course of events.
It was far from being as simple as it seemed.
It was a grand scheme.
A scheme that had been planned for a thousand years!
At the same time, a thought crossed his mind.
No wonder the title page of [Isaac's Alchemy Manuscript] had that slightly emotional phrase: Gods are but higher-grade materials.
There was this level of hatred involved.
And… contempt!
A master of fate's contempt for divine-rank powerhouses!
***
Relieved by this explanation, Su'en could at least give Pestoya an answer next time they met.
Otherwise, always deceiving the girl without fulfilling promises would weigh on his conscience.
Su'en then asked, "Teacher, is everything Mr. Mirror is doing for that god's soul?"
Thinking this way, the purpose of Mr. Mirror, who had lived for a thousand years, became clear.
Sereya said, "Yes, but not just that. Her survival is for the deity within Pestoya's soul and also for the legacy of Dawn City. After all, your appearance means that disaster has already occurred, and Dawn City must have been destroyed."
Su'en had always been curious about what caused the destruction of Dawn City and Old London.
He directly asked, "Teacher, what exactly was that disaster?"
"My memory is incomplete."
Sereya shook her head, indicating she didn't know either, "I don't have Isaac's talent for fate and can't deduce what will happen in the future. But it's likely that there was a problem with the abyssal seal. According to what you've said, the plane hasn't fallen, so Isaac must have prevented the disaster from worsening. After all, the purpose of building the 'Black Tower' was as a last resort when things got out of control…"
The Black Tower had that effect?
Su'en pondered as he listened.
Suddenly, he thought of the powerful being capable of hunting deities and asked, "What about… my grandmaster?"
"Him?"
When talking about her husband, Sereya's face showed a tender smile, and she said, "Isaac once said that the laws of this plane are flawed, and to break through to divine rank, one must go to a plane with more perfect laws. I think he probably went to the 'Abyss'…"
She paused, her eyes filled with love, and continued, "He's always had a dream, to travel through various planes like the great alchemists of the Dawn Era, to probe into the ultimate mysteries of alchemy…"
***
Now that Su'en understood the truth of the past, most of his doubts were resolved.
The atmosphere of their conversation became very relaxed.
At this moment, Su'en looked at the books on the shelves in the room and asked, "Teacher, may I take these books with me?"
He had long coveted these things; this alchemical knowledge was the true priceless treasure.
But he had not dared to touch anything.
The plot in the cursed space seemed to be an infinite loop.
But in reality, if something was taken away, some energy would be lost.
A few books might not have a big impact, but they could also cause a "butterfly effect," changing the entire plot of the cursed space.
Su'en had previously encircled and ambushed two major families and the 'Coroner' Severus Gerald, and to prevent the plot from deviating, he didn't take away anything more than necessary.
Now he had no such concerns.
Sereya readily agreed, "Of course, I don't have time to teach you. These books, you'll have to study on your own."
Saying this, she pointed to the bookshelf, "The first two rows are the basics of alchemy, the third row is knowledge of runes, and at the very top… oh, right! Almost forgot, taking you as a disciple, I should also pass on the heritage of my 'Puppeteer' lineage…"
She remembered something, and the eight-armed spider spear took down several notebooks from the top.
Flipping through, it turned out to be manuscripts on puppet alchemy.
The books in the cursed space must be read and remembered by the main character of resentment to appear.
Su'en had been somewhat worried that the content would be missing, but upon picking up a book, it was filled with dense text.
Although it was a manuscript, the handwriting was very beautiful, like print, and even the draft design sketches had the feel of perfect works of art.
Sereya's face showed the affection of a teacher looking at her disciple, and her tone was somewhat melancholic, "As a teacher, I haven't had much time to instruct you. Once that heart is refined successfully, the energy of this cursed space will be exhausted, and I will disappear."
Su'en listened intently, his expression slightly changed.
Sereya flipped to the last few pages of the notes and introduced, "This [Alchemy Golem Notebook] is the summary of my life's research into puppetry. It's also the design concept of the most perfect puppet in my heart. I wanted to create an alchemical creature with invincible defense that could also possess some intelligence…"
Su'en looked at the design named [Gargoyle], his eyes slightly complex.
The founder of the Puppeteers actually wanted to create an "alchemical creature" that didn't need strings for control and had its own consciousness!
However, the technical level of this thing was too advanced; Su'en couldn't understand it yet.
What excited him more was his learning efficiency.
Before, he always needed to suppress other emotions in his heart.
It was like watching a soccer match while worrying about tomorrow's exam questions.
Having become accustomed to it, he didn't notice anything different.
Only after letting go did he realize how great that pressure was.
Now, with those negative emotions completely released and his mental faculties constrained by secret techniques, he no longer needed to be distracted, as if the whole world had become clearer.
A burden lifted.
At this moment, Su'en also experienced the benefits of a 5% increase in brain domain development.
Truly reading ten lines at a glance.
It wasn't about reading fast, but that the content that entered his eyes could be processed quickly by the brain, simultaneously.
It was like upgrading the processor of a computer, with both the reaction speed and the amount of information processed increased exponentially.
And no longer needing to read line by line as before.
However,
Even though his brain could process more information,
Looking at these high-end alchemy knowledge, Su'en still felt his scalp tingle.
He could foresee that these few notebooks would be the content of his research and study for many years to come.
Seeing Su'en's slightly furrowed brow, Sereya smiled and said, "The purpose of giving you these books is not for you to walk my path exactly as it was. A true Puppeteer is not about how many puppets they can make, but about truly understanding why they do it. This is also the essence of alchemy."
She continued, "Study Isaac's manuscript carefully. The content that progresses from simple to complex is not just to teach you how to refine [Isaac's Alchemical Heart] and other alchemical prosthetics. It's about a way of thinking that sees through appearances to grasp the essence. Only by fully understanding the structure of all things can you truly understand the supreme law of alchemy, 'equivalent exchange,' and go further on your future path. Only then will you have the chance to touch the truly top…"
***
"I've told you a lot, some of which Isaac told me, the concepts that truly lead to divine rank. Although I'm still understanding them, I also pass them on to you, my disciple…"
Perhaps because she felt there wasn't much time left, Sereya spoke a lot.
But there was little about technology; instead, she imparted to Su'en many top-level concepts only visible from the perspective of top alchemists.
Su'en also discovered his own misconceptions, or rather, had entered some wrong paths.
He used to care about how many spells, how many kinds of puppets, how many skills he mastered, and how much his combat power would increase…
But that was just the surface, diverse but not refined.
In the realm of low-rank professionals, it might be very strong, but in the realm of high-rank sorcerers, "understanding" is the real difference between the true masters and the ordinary.
Just as Sereya had previously seen him use spatial abilities and said it was easily broken by high-rank sorcerers.
That's what she meant.
In the eyes of sorcerers at her level, the essence of "equivalent exchange" is the understanding of the world's myriad things.
Everything else is just stepping stones to understanding this principle.
Indeed, as Sereya had said before, an alchemist must be learned.
Su'en suddenly understood the realm of Mr. Black.
It's nearly impossible for ordinary people to master multiple elemental spells simultaneously.
But if one truly understands, that's the real "diverse and refined."
Sereya's words were enlightening for Su'en, leaving him deeply moved for a long time.
Like a ship sailing in the dark sea at night, someone had lit a lighthouse for him, and the path ahead was no longer a darkness that needed to be groped for.
This would save him from taking too many detours and entering many wrong paths.
Heading towards "understanding of all things" and "equivalent exchange," he could reach a very high level.
A godly level.