Ch. 5 - Conscience and Desire

CW: Graphic Depictions of Violence, Mentions of Suicide —----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Feng Li Er was fully complacent. She looked at Francis, who was lying on the ground, while wielding a dagger in her hand. His body began to disintegrate into a shapeless mass. She then smiled and said, "The victory has been decided, Francis. The scroll is now mine!"

Paladin, who was hiding behind a clump of mushrooms, was shocked when the rotting Francis managed to speak in a low voice. His remaining eye that was filled with hatred glowered at Feng Li Er.

"Feng Li Er! Do you think you’ve killed me? Is the scroll yours now? Do you think the organization will stand by and watch you steal the scroll?!"

"The organization..." Feng Li Er's eyes flashed with fear for a split second. But then, it changed into waves of passion.

"The organization treats the two of us as outcasts. Despite spending years searching for the scroll, the organization was unable to find any trace of it. What a waste! The organization has painstakingly planted spies in the Freemasons’ Association over the years, but so far, none have made it to the top!"

“Although the two of us are professors and mentors in this branch, there are still people like the dean who suppress us. A stubborn old man who refuses any benefits! We are being treated as outcasts and discarded in this branch like garbage! Do you not understand, Francis?!"

Francis' rotting body trembled. Unconsciously, he averted his remaining eye. He agreed with her inwardly.

‘That's right, what Feng Li Er said is right. The organization has abandoned us. For the past three years, there has been no regular contact. We've clearly been abandoned. Those hateful illuminati, the God-Defying Alliance of God-Defying Gods!’

Feng Li Er swung the dagger in her hand as she noticed Francis had fallen silent. With a self-deprecating smile, she said, "It's all over, Francis. For the sake of the good years, I’ll give you a happy ending. It’s ugly to die by rotting, right?” After that, Feng Li Er walked towards Francis while raising the dagger in her hand.

"Bitch! Don't even dare to think about it if I can't get it! You're going to die here with me!" Francis suddenly yelled, filled with hatred. His hand, which was on the verge of rotting, suddenly lifted and pointed at Feng Li Er. Feng Li Er's body, however, unexpectedly tried to jump to the left.

Boom! The explosion ripped a large hole in the ground where Feng Li Er was standing. Feng Li Er's body flew into the air as she shrieked and screamed miserably. With a bang, she crashed into several mushrooms and fell helplessly to the ground. Paladin jolted in surprise. He noticed that Feng Li Er's legs had been severed at the root. She was screaming incessantly while lying on top of a mushroom.

"AHHHHHH!" Feng Lier clutched her missing legs with a painful expression on her face. She could feel the strength in her body rapidly draining away.

Feng Li Er, who was extremely unwilling to die, roared bitterly, "Francis! How dare you…. How dare you!" With difficulty, she returned her gaze to Francis' motionless body on the ground. His eyes had lost their luster. Perhaps that spell just now had exhausted the few breaths he had left.

"Cut it out, old ghost. Why won't you let me go when you’ve already died…." Feng Li Er's eyes were filled with despair. Now that her legs had been blown off, even if she got the scroll, she was sure she wouldn't be able to get out. When the time was up, the seal would be reset. Bleeding to death in this ghostly place was her only option!

Tap, tap, tap!

Just as Feng Li Er was about to commit suicide, the sound of footsteps coming from behind undoubtedly lit a newfound hope in her heart. ‘But, why is someone here?!’ Feng Li Er pondered. She looked back with difficulty and immediately saw a greedy-faced young man with shabby clothes and messy hair walking towards the stone statue containing the scroll. Seeing this, Feng Li Er's pupils shrank.

She couldn't help but say, "Paladin, the slave? How did you get here….?

Contrary to her expectations, Paladin paid no attention to Feng Li Er. His attention was completely focused on the statue where the Ripley Scroll was located. He simply regarded Feng Li Er as nothing more than air.

Feng Li Er got goosebumps when she saw Paladin’s eyes. This ordinary-looking, lowly slave with no rights or freedom, had raging flames burning inside his eyes! It was a raging inferno of chaos, longing, destruction, and greed! Feng Li Er was terrified and fell silent. She could only stay there and watch Paladin walk towards the Ripley Scroll.

"Ah... is this... a power equal to a God’s?"

Paladin walked to the stone statue and picked up the scroll inside the iron box with trembling hands. He carefully spread it open. Against his expectations, except for the three ancient characters at the bottom, there was only a very strange and weird pattern drawn on the scroll. The pattern consisted of naked humanoid creatures, male and female, kneeling on the ground in agony while forming a perfect circle. In the middle of the circle, a complex magic circle with four patterns engraved on it was drawn.

Paladin, who had studied alchemy pretty thoroughly, could tell right away that this was the base of magic and alchemy, the theory of the four elements! This represented the tetrahedron of fire, the icosahedron of water, the cube of earth, and the octahedron of wind. This was what all things were made of, the four base elements! In the middle, it depicted a huge and faceless human figure with clouds above its head and the ground under its feet. No breasts, no genitalia, and therefore, no gender. This symbol was the symbol of the god!

On its chest, there was a carefully drawn heart that exuded a radiant light. exactly in the center of the circle. The ancient text was written with the most ancient characters ever. Although there weren’t many demon languages that have been deciphered so far, Paladin was self-taught himself. Plus, he also specialized in deciphering the language of demons somehow. The writing could be interpreted as “The Philosopher's Stone! The great alchemy medicine in the legend of the heretic, the fifth element, the panacea!"

Paladin's face was full of shock. Cold sweat began to form all over his body. In fact, the fabled Ripley Scroll wasn't difficult to understand, but also surprisingly simple. Paladin, who had seen many codes and riddles in the manuscripts of many alchemists, could understand how The Philosopher's Stone was made and what its function was with just a glance. As a result, he was shocked even more!

"How is this possible…. The Philosopher's Stone has the ability to disintegrate and reintegrate matter at will, regardless of the size of its mass?! This... is truly the power from God’s domain! But, I need to use the lives of countless living people to create it…. Refining countless living people as materials..."

At this time, Paladin's morality and conscience awakened and began to attack his voice of reason. Paladin couldn't help but take a few steps back, unknowingly releasing the scroll from his hand. Waves of monstrous thoughts raced through his mind.

"Man, the lives of countless people! Do I have to sacrifice the lives of others in order to gain power? Do I have the right to take away the lives of others? Is it wrong for me to do so? But this power was extremely tempting... No! I am a human, a living human being! What's the difference between me and a beast if I do those things?"

Ps: Don't be fooled by the end of this chapter.

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