IWYTBW - Chapter 39

Chapter 39

Firefighters Aren't the Only Ones Who Can Save the Day.

Li Zeyu. Was he Li Zeyu?

Yi Zhen recalled his mecha, the wide-brimmed hat concealing its face, as ancient and solemn as an old monk in a Zen temple. He also remembered what She Xin had said: that Snowstorm Wanderer was the only Super S-Class mecha not equipped with thermal weapons.Many times weapons are referred to as ‘hot’ or ‘cold’, hot would be guns, energy guns, missels, etc. cold would be swords… knives…. etc

Such a person must regard doctrines and rules as things to be adhered to for a lifetime...or rather, even his bones must have grown according to the shape of doctrines and rules!

Facing him, Yi Zhen felt an indescribable discomfort.

Because of Ai Ling’s situation, he knew Li Zeyu disapproved of Rong Hongxue’s methods. He had originally thought that the Snowstorm Wanderer, known for its absolute fairness and impartiality, coupled with Rong Hongxue’s generally disliked behavior, meant that Ai Ling’s rejection from Azoth University was due to her brother’s influence.

Now, Yi Zhen hesitated over his hasty conclusion.

Rong Hongxue was a madman, but wasn’t the cold and unyielding Li Zeyu before him mad in a different way?

“Here to see Professor Gaia?” Li Zeyu spoke.

His voice was equally flat, as if emanating from a corpse. Yi Zhen couldn’t even detect the vibration of vocal cords.

“Ah, yes,” the assistant professor said, embarrassed. “Apologies, I didn’t realize it was you...”

“It’s fine.” Li Zeyu nodded. Without sparing Yi Zhen another glance, he walked past them.

Yi Zhen felt as if a bone-chilling hurricane, hidden yet forceful, had just swept across his right shoulder.

Only after the rhythmic sound of Li Zeyu’s footsteps faded did the other person, who had been speaking with him earlier, emerge from behind.

It was Ji Qing.

His expression wasn’t particularly good or bad, as if he were pondering something important. Seeing Yi Zhen again, his expression shifted. Gone was the slightly dismissive nonchalance from their first encounter. He strode over, nodded to the assistant professor, and extended his hand to Yi Zhen with a solemn expression.

“Hello, Yi Zhen. Welcome to Azoth University.”

Yi Zhen smiled back and shook his hand.

Ji Qing said, “I’ll accompany you now. Let’s talk as we walk.”

Bidding farewell to the assistant professor, Yi Zhen studied Ji Qing and initiated the conversation. “Are you feeling better?”

Ji Qing first nodded, then shook his head.

Yi Zhen remained silent, waiting for a more detailed explanation. He desperately wanted to know the effects of concept extraction on the human body.

“At first, it felt like you’d extracted my soul as well,” Ji Qing exhaled. “I felt incredibly cold...as if my heart and brain had been thrown into a glacial river. By the time my consciousness returned, I was already lying in a medical pod.”

“For the next three days, my spiritual body was somewhat out of control. To be honest, I thought I was going to be crippled. But as I struggled to regain control, I suddenly realized that my understanding and application of my spiritual body seemed to have advanced to a new level.”

Yi Zhen pondered this. By extracting the spiritual toxins, he had essentially purified them. Returning them to their owner had inadvertently helped refine his spiritual power?

“I told my former mentor about my situation. He was very interested in this case and tentatively sent my medical report to Professor Gaia, hoping to catch his attention.”

“And he did notice it,” Yi Zhen said.

Ji Qing said, “Yes, but we don’t know why Professor Gaia’s ultimate decision was to discuss gold with you.”

Of course, you wouldn’t be able to guess the reason, Yi Zhen thought wryly. It truly was a chain reaction. Two months ago, Li Wenge had relayed his question to Gaia. Two months later, Ji Qing’s mentor relayed Ji Qing’s condition to the Grand Miracle Worker, directly leading to Gaia’s interest in him. This was truly…

“Professor Gaia had already withdrawn from the public eye when I was in university,” Ji Qing changed the subject. “At that time, Mr. Li Zeyu was still the principal.”

Yi Zhen said, “I heard that Azoth University changes principals every seven years.”

“Yes,” Ji Qing nodded, brushing aside a branch that hung over his shoulder. “He stepped down last year.”

“I sense a lack of respect in your tone towards the Grand Miracle Worker,” Ji Qing said calmly. “But as a graduate of Alchemical Biology, I must say that pharmacists are a group who create miracles. Without their support, humanity’s exploration of the universe wouldn’t have reached where it is today.”

Yi Zhen thought to himself, It’s not that I lack respect for the Grand Miracle Worker, but I am a Grand Miracle Worker myself. If I could, I’d show you my character card.

“So you majored in Alchemical Biology,” Yi Zhen said dryly. “I thought you were from the Combat Department.”

Ji Qing chuckled. “If I weren’t an Alchemical Biology graduate, I would have been reduced to a skeleton by the Sand Scorpion’s venom long ago.”

He continued, “A thousand years ago, radiation was deadly, alien soil and water were deadly, and alien species were even more deadly. Everyone said the stars were filled with treasures, that pioneers and explorers had their hands full of golden diamonds – you’re familiar with the term ‘New Star Fever,’ right?”

“Yes,” Yi Zhen nodded. He would never forget how, riding the wave of “New Star Fever,” a single antidote from the Crimson Cloak Galaxy had given him the opportunity for a complete transformation. “I know.”

“It was precisely because the exploration process was so arduous that people were so ecstatic whenever a new star system was discovered,” Ji Qing said. “It was like that three thousand years ago, and it’s still like that today.”

As they spoke, they reached a paved path. Yi Zhen asked, “Until pharmacists emerged?”

“Until pharmacists emerged,” Ji Qing affirmed. “They use their spiritual power to alter the arrangement of elements, remove toxins, modify terrain, and even control the climate. Mecha Masters conquer the native species of new stars, but pharmacists conquer the new stars themselves before the Mecha Masters even arrive.”

He looked at Yi Zhen. “All of this stems from the genius of a thousand years ago, the first Grand Miracle Worker, Meruha Dawn.”

“I know you possess extraordinary abilities. I also know that a few months ago, you were a weakling whose physique hadn’t even reached B-class. Everyone has their own destiny. I’ve met many astonishingly talented individuals. But towards a descendant of Meruha, one of the foremost pharmacists of our time, you should at least try to appear respectful.”

Yi Zhen glanced at him. Ji Qing’s words were more of a reminder than a warning, and he appreciated it.

“I understand. Thank you.”

The Academic Tower was in sight. Yi Zhen was about to step forward when he suddenly turned back. “By the way, I’m a little curious. Were you and Li Zeyu...talking about me just now?”

Ji Qing paused. “Not really. He was going to the Academic Tower to retrieve some materials. We just happened to run into each other, so I exchanged a few words with him. After all, it’s the Snowstorm Wanderer, a rare sight.”

Yi Zhen said, “I see... Okay, I understand.”

He turned and walked towards the Academic Tower.

Gaia Dawn... what had the renowned Grand Pharmacist, after six years of seclusion, seen in his question that made him suddenly seek him out?

Gold. Why gold? – Could he have also discovered the truth that the ancient alchemists sought in the element of gold?

Or was it the combination of the two events that made him sense something unusual?

Lost in thought, Yi Zhen ascended alone to the top floor of the Academic Tower.

He presented his exclusive invitation at the entrance. After his identity was verified, the heavy, ornate brass doors slowly opened, releasing a billowing cloud of steam.

Yi Zhen waved his hand, dispelling the hot white mist. His vision gradually cleared.

It was an... archaic laboratory.

He called it archaic because none of the equipment within should have existed in the era of the Great Universe, not even in the final days of Earth. It was an impossibly old, crude room, imbued with an almost magical aura.

Yi Zhen’s gaze swept from the sleek glass distillation apparatus to the antique table inlaid with golden chicken-wing wood. A mountain of paper books and scrolls of yellowed parchment overflowed from the tabletop onto the floor. A quill pen rested at an angle in a square inkwell.

The carpet underfoot was woven with a totem depicting the transmutation of the four elements. A tapestry depicted Hermes, holding a caduceus and sporting feathered wings. By the window sat three angled pure gold astrolabes. Beside a massive distillation apparatus, glass jars held sulfur, mercury, and snow-white salt. He looked up. The ceiling glowed with a brilliant light, like a captured segment of the night sky’s Milky Way, illuminating the entire top floor with a splendor that seemed to transport him back to an afternoon in the third century BC.

A figure was vaguely discernible amidst the hazy steam. Yi Zhen silently approached the long table and glanced at the titles of the books: The Corpus Hermeticum, The Dark Arts, The Cultivation of Gold, The Book of One Hundred and Twelve... All were works written by ancient alchemists in their stumbling explorations. They were filled with rudimentary science, fantastical dreams, and the desperate pursuit of understanding the universe and the stars.

Yi Zhen had only seen replicas in online libraries; he had never encountered the physical copies. He raised his head and looked at the figure.

“Excuse me...”

“Have a seat.” Gaia Dawn turned around. His voice was aged, his body frail. His white hair and beard were disheveled, and his dirty robe hinted at its former opulence. Only his eyes, his fiercely burning blue eyes, seemed alive on his gaunt face, shining with an incongruous brilliance.

Yi Zhen nodded and said cautiously, “Hello, Master.”

Gaia suddenly fixed his gaze on him.

His gaze was so intense and bright, like a child staring at a lumbering beetle in a field of flowers. Meeting his eyes, Yi Zhen actually felt the urge to retreat.

This Grand Miracle Worker’s spiritual power level was far higher than Ji Qing’s, and far higher than his own. He could sense it.

After a long silence, Gaia suddenly burst into laughter. His laughter was strong and resonant, shaking the air, starkly contrasting with his aged voice.

“I had no idea...” he said slowly, looking at Yi Zhen. “When did the Azoth Star System produce such a young Grand Miracle Worker?”

“...What?”

Yi Zhen’s first reaction was to suspect he’d misheard. His pupils trembled, and he couldn’t utter a word in defense.

How did he find out?

“Even in the ignorant past, people called the Philosopher’s Stone a Grand Miracle,” Gaia murmured. “Transmuting lead into gold, achieving immortality, altering the fundamental concepts of matter... the greatest miracle, the finger of God.”

His secret was half exposed in a single encounter. Cold sweat trickled down Yi Zhen’s back. He warily eyed the old man. Ignoring his apprehension, Gaia continued, “Of course, that’s all nonsense, fabricated stories. How could such things guide humanity forward? It wasn’t until we evolved spiritual power that we realized alchemy might not be a legend after all.”

“Grand Miracle Workers can’t compare to the Philosopher’s Stone. We can’t transmute lead into gold or concoct an elixir of immortality. But we’ve gained quite a deep understanding of laws and principles.” Gaia looked at him, chuckling coldly. “Perhaps other old fogies can’t see it, but my eyes can pierce even the clouds in the sky. How could I not see the power of rules shrouding you?”

“No wonder you asked that question. No wonder that child’s spiritual power underwent such a transformation...” He stared intently at Yi Zhen, then suddenly lunged forward, gripping Yi Zhen’s arms tightly. “You saw it, didn’t you? You saw the ‘World,’ didn’t you?!”

The situation took a sharp turn. Despite Yi Zhen’s speed and reflexes, he couldn’t dodge the sudden pounce. Gaia clung to Yi Zhen’s arms like a drowning man, with the desperation of certain death and the faintest glimmer of hope.

“Sir, I’m not a Stand user, how could I see the World?!” Yi Zhen exclaimed.

Ignoring Yi Zhen’s desperate, blurted-out joke, Gaia roared, “You definitely saw it! You grasped the essence of the World, the ultimate law! You must have seen it! That’s why you’re enveloped in the power of rules, why you’re the youngest Grand Miracle Worker to date, why you can cause transformations in a Mecha Master’s spiritual power!”

The room was flooded with brilliant light. In his agitation, Gaia’s sleeves fell back, revealing his arms. Yi Zhen, seeing them, was speechless.

Deep, crisscrossing scars covered Gaia’s bony wrists. Yi Zhen instinctively looked up and noticed similar scars on the old man’s corded neck.

“You...” Yi Zhen’s expression turned strange. These were clearly not inflicted by others. He lived in seclusion in the Academic Tower; not even a fly could get in, let alone someone who dared to attack a Grand Miracle Worker with a knife.

He had inflicted these wounds upon himself.

“Gold. Why gold?” Gaia laughed hoarsely. “Precious metal, stable composition, beautiful, brilliant color? No, that’s wrong!”

He roared, “Because it’s the key to immortality, holding the secrets of this world! Whoever understands it becomes the master of the world, whoever grasps it attains eternal life! You saw it, you must have seen it!”

Yi Zhen stared at him in shock, momentarily forgetting to struggle.

Just who was this Grand Miracle Worker? To say he had seen through the secrets of heaven wouldn’t be an exaggeration. Yi Zhen could extract concepts, so he had found the answer. But what about Gaia?

“You...what do you know?” he asked in a low voice. “Did you also inflict these wounds on yourself?”

“What do I know? Of course I know,” the old man replied, sidestepping the question with a deranged laugh. “The secret of immortality lies within pure gold, and what’s more important than immortality is how to obtain absolute pure gold.”

— Exactly. Concept extraction was the only way to obtain absolutely pure gold.

“Something pure... how can mere human effort achieve true purity?” Gaia said hoarsely. “Only by grasping the essence of the World, understanding its rules... When the true forms of all things are reflected in your eyes, you can reach out, through the ether, and grasp their true bodies, the souls of all things... then, you will become the master of the World, privy to all secrets, knowing all truths!”

A chill ran down Yi Zhen’s spine. Gaia gripped him so tightly that, if not for the Jade Alchemy of the Eastern Sea protecting him, his arms would have been covered in dark purple bruises. Even so, Yi Zhen knew that to break free, he would have to snap the old man’s fingers one by one.

Gaia’s face was shrouded in a dark aura, but his eyes burned even brighter – they were the only part of him that still seemed alive.

He stared at Yi Zhen, his voice trembling. “What are the rules and essence of the World? Life and death are the rules of the World, reincarnation is its essence. To approach them, I constantly searched for that dividing line, wandering in the gray realm of near-death... what about you? How did you see through them? Tell me, tell me! I’m willing to exchange everything I have for your answer: wealth, honor, power, my flesh and blood, my life! Tell me!”

By the last word, he was howling.

By now, Yi Zhen had gradually calmed down.

“You’re desperately seeking this answer. Why?” he asked softly. “Do you also desire immortality?”

Gaia’s eyes widened, and he let out a sardonic laugh.

“Immortality...haha, immortality?”

His thin, withered chest seemed to rumble with thunder. “The truth! I want to know the truth! What is the ultimate goal that alchemists throughout history, they, we, all of us, have pursued? The ancient alchemists saw the answer but lacked the ability to achieve it. Now, humanity has evolved spiritual power, but we still can’t reach that tantalizingly close yet infinitely distant goal...there’s nothing new under the sun!”

Yi Zhen looked at him, at this crazed, filthy old man, a sage revered by the world, a pioneer who should be guiding the era.

Two tears streamed down Gaia’s aged face, unnoticed by him.

“Every time I seek the truth from the world, it’s like walking through a fog. A force constantly obstructs me. Why, why is it that the more I know, the more I suffer, the more I fear? But my heart compels me to overcome this pain and fear, to seek the ultimate, the truth... as if a voice whispers to me, ‘You are the Master, the wisest of all, you should know everything.’ And I did, I truly sought to know everything, but the World obstructed me, it held me back...”

At this moment, he broke down, sobbing uncontrollably.

Yi Zhen’s throat tightened. He understood everything.

“The wisest person, knowing everything” was the character setting the World had assigned to Gaia Dawn. But when he truly sought to know everything, the rules of this “book” wouldn’t allow an insignificant supporting character to do so.

In his extreme confusion and despair, Gaia turned to the ultimate goal of alchemy: refining pure gold.

How to obtain absolutely pure gold? By obtaining the concept of gold.

How to obtain the concept of gold? By understanding the rules and essence of the World.

Life and death were the beginning and end of all things, the cycle of reincarnation was the norm for all things to grow and develop. So he used self-harm, bordering on suicide, to experience the process of near-death, hoping to “see” the boundary of life and death, the boundary of reincarnation. But without exception, he failed.

Then, Li Wenge sent him Yi Zhen’s question: Why gold? This coincided perfectly with his own research. Subsequently, Ji Qing’s spiritual transformation caught his attention once more, leading him to Yi Zhen, the protagonist of this world.

Upon meeting Yi Zhen, his eyes, capable of perceiving laws, immediately saw his extraordinariness – this astonishingly young man was, like him, a Grand Miracle Worker.

The ecstatic joy of finding hope in despair had driven Gaia completely mad.

What to do?

Yi Zhen was speechless, not knowing where to begin.

At this moment, their roles weren’t that of a Grand Miracle Worker and an unknown ordinary person. It was a clueless supporting character begging the center of everything, the protagonist of the World, for the answer he had sought his entire life.

Yi Zhen shook his head. He could only shake his head.

“I’m sorry, I...”

Gaia’s expression turned ferocious. “I asked you to answer my question...why are you apologizing?!”

Madness was consuming him entirely.

The agony of unfulfilled desires, the repeated brushes with death, and the burning anxiety of finally confronting the answer made this Grand Pharmacist seem less than human. He resembled a ravenous, man-eating demon!

The light from the ceiling intensified, like an omen before an explosion.

Yi Zhen was startled. He was about to exert his strength to break free when everything suddenly went black.

As if midnight had abruptly descended upon their ball, Tai’a urgently announced: [Detected key plot character! Player, prepare yourself!]

Simultaneous with Tai’a’s warning, a male voice, incredibly familiar to Yi Zhen, rang out, low and laced with killing intent.

“—Let him go.”

Gaia’s desperate grip on his hands suddenly loosened, falling into the abyss of darkness.

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