Chapter 191 - 190 — The Truth About Alchemy

Chapter 191: Chapter 190 — The Truth About Alchemy

Chapter 190 — The Truth About Alchemy

Elder Benton looked at Victor for a long moment.

Then he finally spoke.

"The Tower’s first major encounter with the Evil God Organization happened roughly seven thousand years ago."

Victor listened carefully.

Benton’s expression grew more serious.

"There was an incident where they infiltrated the Tower and sabotaged us. They destroyed a large portion of our alchemical formulas, research, and teaching methods."

He paused.

"And they were responsible for the deaths of a large number of our alchemists."

Victor’s eyes narrowed.

Benton’s voice was quiet.

"Only a handful survived with whatever knowledge they managed to preserve."

Victor lowered his gaze.

Something suddenly clicked.

The Tower’s alchemy.

The modern classification system.

The fact that Tier One alchemists were only expected to create potions.

The fact that pill condensation had been pushed all the way to Tier Two.

Victor finally understood.

That’s why.

The Tower hadn’t simply forgotten how to advance.

They had lost the knowledge.

Thousands of years ago.

Victor looked back at Benton.

"Then how did the Tower survive?"

Benton smiled faintly.

"It wasn’t completely destroyed."

He leaned back against the rock.

"A few survived. And the Tower Master of that era sacrificed his life to eliminate most of the organization that had infiltrated the Tower."

Victor nodded slowly.

"I understand."

Benton studied him.

"Good."

He paused.

"There is something else you need to know."

Victor focused on him.

"The Evil God Organization appears to want to destroy alchemy entirely."

Victor’s expression changed.

"They want to destroy alchemy?"

"That is what we have come to learn."

Benton looked toward the darkness surrounding them.

"And the Tower is one of the last remaining forces in the world capable of properly supporting it."

Victor frowned.

"Why?"

Benton looked at him.

"There are three primary paths through which people can grow stronger."

Victor listened.

"One is through the World Law."

Victor nodded.

"The second is through the Beast God."

Benton’s expression darkened.

"What we now call the Evil God."

"And the third?"

"Alchemy."

Victor’s eyes widened.

The pieces began falling into place.

Benton continued.

"Alchemy is a relatively young cultivation path. It began developing roughly twenty thousand years ago."

Benton’s gaze hardened.

"But it became one of the most powerful methods of cultivation."

Victor thought about everything he had learned.

The ancient alchemy he had discovered in the Library.

The difference between ancient and modern classifications.

The possibilities alchemy offered.

Benton continued.

"When you combine alchemy with the energy provided by the World Law, cultivation can advance at an extraordinary rate."

Victor nodded.

"Not as quickly as the Evil God."

Benton’s expression became grim.

"But that’s another matter entirely."

Victor sat quietly for a moment.

Then he asked the question that still bothered him.

"But why destroy alchemy?"

Benton looked at him.

"What do you think happens if alchemy disappears?"

Victor stared at him.

His eyes slowly widened.

"Only two paths remain."

Benton nodded.

"The World Law..."

Victor finished.

"And the Evil God."

"Exactly."

Silence settled between them.

Victor finally understood the larger picture.

The Evil God Organization wasn’t simply attacking the Tower because they hated it.

If they could eliminate alchemy completely, they would remove one of the three major paths of cultivation.

And that would leave only two.

Victor slowly nodded.

"I understand."

Benton watched him.

"Good."

Victor looked toward the ground.

"Thank you for telling me."

But Benton wasn’t finished.

"That is only the history of the Tower’s conflict with the Evil God Organization."

Victor looked back at him.

"Nowadays, we can only speculate about what they’re planning."

Benton’s expression hardened.

"One thing hasn’t changed. They still want alchemy destroyed. By destroying alchemy, they destroy humanitys futures.

He sighed.

"That is why we do everything we can to remove them from the Tower."

Victor gave a small smile.

"But they’re difficult to get rid of."

Benton’s expression became slightly annoyed.

"Like roaches."

Victor almost laughed.

"They never seem to disappear completely."

"Exactly."

For a moment, the tension between them eased.

Then Victor remembered why Benton had brought him here in the first place.

"Why are you telling me all this?"

Benton looked directly at him.

For several seconds, he didn’t answer.

Then he nodded.

"It seems that no matter what I say, you’re going to get involved anyway."

Victor remained quiet.

"I can already see the determination in your eyes."

Benton sighed.

"There is no point hiding this information from you."

Victor nodded.

Then he remembered the children.

His expression darkened.

"What were they going to do with those children?"

Benton’s face became serious.

"I know they were going to sacrifice them. But the children told me that the adults in their village were killed while the children were taken."

Victor paused.

"Why?"

Benton’s eyes hardened.

"Because, according to what we’ve learned, children possess purer souls."

Victor’s stomach turned.

Benton continued.

"When sacrificed to the Evil God, that purity allows the ritual to produce a greater result."

Victor stared at him.

For a moment, he couldn’t speak.

His hands tightened.

Children.

The word echoed through his mind.

Benton noticed his reaction.

"I had the same reaction when I first learned about it."

Victor took a slow breath.

He forced himself to calm down.

Elder Benton Looked at Victor.

"Anyone wearing one of those masks is considered a high-ranking member of the organization."

Victor remained silent.

There was a lot to process.

Everything was beginning to form a single, horrifying picture.

His current path was alchemy.

If the Evil God Organization succeeded in destroying it, it would directly affect him.

More importantly, innocent people would continue being sacrificed.

Victor had spent too much of his life without control.

He knew what it meant to be powerless.

He didn’t want other children to experience the same thing.

Victor looked at Benton.

"Elder Benton."

"Hm?"

"How do you know all of this?"

Benton looked at him for a moment.

"Maybe one day I’ll tell you."

Victor waited.

"But right now, you haven’t earned enough trust for me to reveal that information."

Victor nodded.

"I understand."

A faint smile appeared on his face.

"Just like there are things you don’t want to tell me."

For the first time, Benton smiled.

It was subtle.

But Victor noticed it.

He froze for half a second.

He hadn’t expected Benton to acknowledge it so openly.

They both stood.

"Thank you for telling me what you did."

He looked toward the darkness.

"If I find any clues about the Evil God Organization in the future, I’ll let you know."

Benton nodded.

"Good."

He paused.

"And I still expect you to attend the Elite Alchemy Class."

Victor looked at him.

"I believe there is someone in that class who is connected to the Evil God Organization."

Victor’s expression became serious.

"I don’t know who."

Benton continued.

"But someone is definitely hiding something."

Victor’s mind immediately ran through the faces of everyone in the class.

Benton looked directly at him.

"So I expect you to continue attending every week."

Victor nodded.

"And if you encounter something you can’t handle?"

"Tell me."

Benton’s expression became stern.

"I’ll do everything I can to help."

Victor nodded.

"I understand, Elder."

Benton waved his hand.

"Now go get some rest."

Victor turned to leave.

"You’ve had a long few days."

Victor took a few steps.

Then Benton spoke again.

"Victor."

Victor looked back.

"I expect that potion completed by next week’s class."

A faint smile appeared on Victor’s face.

"Yes, Elder."

He turned and began walking away.

The darkness of the cavern slowly swallowed his figure.

Benton remained beside the rock, watching until Victor disappeared from sight.

The next week would bring another alchemy class.

And with it—

another step deeper into a mystery that had been buried for thousands of years.