Chapter 219 - 216: The Mysterious Philosopher’s Stone

Chapter 219: Chapter 216: The Mysterious Philosopher’s Stone

Even under the conference room’s daylight-bright lights, the mesmerizing, shimmering colors of the Magic Energy Crystal were impossible to ignore.

The Philosopher’s Stone!

It was a treasure whose name alone was enough to make one’s imagination run wild. It had appeared multiple times in historical legends and had been referenced in literary works from ancient times to the present day.

It was hailed as the greatest invention of Alchemy and was also considered a product of miraculous Magic.

It had been attributed with too many fantastical and divine powers. From the Stone-to-Gold Transformation to immortality, many powerful magical effects were linked to the Philosopher’s Stone in legends and stories.

None of the dozens of people present would have believed the Philosopher’s Stone was real before. But now...

And who had produced this miraculous Crystal? A transcendent organization with immense power, one that spanned continents and transcended history.

Thinking about it, the existence of the Dawn Association was itself a "hidden truth" outside the conventional world. So, it wasn’t surprising that a ridiculously overpowered treasure like the Philosopher’s Stone could also exist.

From the looks in their eyes, Qin Xiaoxia could tell that most of them were likely thinking of the most exaggerated parts of the legends.

"You are all elites of humanity. Surely you don’t believe the Philosopher’s Stone can actually grant immortality, do you?"

The mysterious man’s voice carried a hint of amusement and mockery. Many of them felt a pang of guilt, as that was precisely what they had been thinking just a moment ago.

"While the Stone-to-Gold Transformation is possible, it’s far too wasteful. And with your countries backing you, I doubt you’re short on gold. The true, immense value of the Philosopher’s Stone lies in its controllable energy."

The mysterious man’s gaze lingered on the Evolvers from both Hua Country and Russia—Ivan, Huang Jiutian, Lü Bing, and Koyev—before finally settling on Tao Xingzhi and Lazov.

"Especially when it is used on you so-called Evolvers!"

A slight stir went through the room.

Evolvers were currently the highest-priority human resource. Their rarity was evident from the fact that all of Russia had fewer than ten under official control. The situation in Hua Country was slightly better due to its massive military system and higher degree of civilian cooperation. However, top-tier elites like Huang Jiutian were exceedingly rare; one could even say a second one had yet to appear, though a few individuals showed potential.

Of course, the potential of an Evolver couldn’t be measured by conventional science. Even if an Evolver currently had no abilities besides a big appetite, the state would willingly invest in them—if only to use them for "breeding stock" in the future.

"Are you saying, sir, that the Philosopher’s Stone can enhance an Evolver’s Ability?"

Tao Xingzhi immediately asked. Although the treasure was intended for the Russians, he seemed even more anxious than Lazov.

This question was also what everyone present, especially the few Evolvers, was most concerned about.

Of course, as a Magic Controller who was on a completely different level from ordinary Evolvers, Huang Jiutian was just putting on an act.

It wasn’t that Jiutian’s absolute power was overwhelming, but that the very nature of his power was different.

The mysterious man didn’t answer the question immediately. Instead, he reached out and drew a circle in the air above the Crystal.

The energy in the Crystal seemed to be drawn out, flowing like ripples of water around the circle he had drawn. The entire Crystal floated up slightly, hovering in the center of the ring.

A sensation of light and heat emanated from it, causing everyone present to clearly feel their heartbeats quicken and their blood flow faster. For a brief moment, they could even perceive the state of their entire bodies, from skin and hair to their very tissues and bones, and feel a surging life force within them.

Even the Evolvers, as long as they weren’t Perception Types, were having this kind of experience for the first time, to say nothing of the ordinary people in the room.

"The Magic Energy Crystal, or the Philosopher’s Stone, doesn’t simply strengthen you. It allows you to experience a deeper connection to yourself, from body to soul. It’s a process of self-perception, self-awareness, and comprehending your own power."

"It can even, to a certain extent, influence ordinary people with suitable physical constitutions, increasing their probability of becoming an Evolver. Of course, even if successful, an Evolver created this way will most likely be a physical-strength type, unless they have another fortuitous encounter."

At this, the breathing in the room unconsciously quickened. The temptation to become an Evolver was too great.

As for the type of Evolver one might become, the major world powers’ research had already developed a preliminary theoretical framework. Aside from special circumstances and innate talent, evolutionary factors were also strongly correlated with one’s "growth environment." The most prominent examples were the United States’ Fire Dragon Baschel and the other three Fire Attribute Evolvers who survived afterward.

Therefore, if there was a way to create Evolvers, scientists could impose external experimental conditions during their "growth process" to artificially simulate the "foreign object influence" that comprised the second major category of Evolvers.

At the same time, it should also be able to accelerate the "gene selection" process of the first major category.

As for the third major category, "awakened evolution," although the probability was relatively low and the classification was vague, this would at least provide a new direction for experimentation.

What they didn’t know, however, was that while this was a possibility, the probability wasn’t actually that high. After all, it was much easier to come into contact with a Magic Energy Crystal within the Dawn Association, yet no ordinary members had become Evolvers. Or rather, the effect wasn’t as pronounced as Magic Power modification or the miraculous fruits of the Tree Shepherd.

Seeing their reactions, Qin Xiaoxia knew they were basically sold on the idea.

"But I must remind you of one thing. As one of the world’s rare treasures, the Philosopher’s Stone’s power, though pure, is far too strong for the fragile human body. If the amount is not properly controlled, it can easily cause harm."

The Dawn Association dared to use the Magic Energy Crystal as a key to open the Door to Magic Power for its members not only because of Qin Xiaoxia’s own monstrously powerful guidance and Magic Power control, but also because of a lengthy process of borrowing Magic Power to increase adaptation, tempering their physical bodies, and then using Mumu’s enchanted fruits to slowly strengthen their bodies and souls.

Most critically, there was also the power of Doudou’s Wish to harmonize everything in the final step.

Not a single one of these elements could be missing, which was how the Dawn Association was able to create its unique Magic Controllers.

And even when all these conditions were met, not everyone could successfully awaken their Magic Power. Su Su and Huang Jiutian’s success could only be attributed to their innate talent. Even Baru had failed when he attempted it later, though the failure merely pushed his development in a different direction.

As for Russia’s Guardian force, their desire to use the Magic Energy Crystal to optimize their Evolvers’ Abilities or create new ones would be much less difficult than Qin Xiaoxia directly helping members awaken their Magic Power, but it would still not be easy to control.

So, Qin Xiaoxia had to give them another warning.

"My advice is to use cutting instruments to break it into smaller particles. Distribute these to the necessary personnel to carry on their person. They should constantly sense its presence with their minds and slowly guide the Crystal’s energy to seep into their bodies. Although you will inevitably lose some of the Crystal’s energy in the cutting process, it is a relatively safe method."

A military researcher among the Russians immediately asked a question.

"Excuse me, sir. How much energy is lost during division? Is there a rough quantification?"

"Take cutting it in half, for example. Without a Magic Controller to manage the process, you will lose about one-tenth of the energy. If you cut the remaining two halves in half again, they will each lose one-tenth of their energy, and so on. Of course, this isn’t necessarily precise, just a rough figure. Perhaps you can find a better method."

One-tenth. To the researchers, this was a considerable amount.

Lazov also realized this, but such matters were up to the researchers. He couldn’t interfere.

"Then this one Philosopher’s Stone... how much energy can it provide? How many people can it cause to evolve, or how many existing Evolvers can it strengthen?"

This, it could be said, was the most critical question.

The mysterious man tapped lightly on the Crystal, causing its energy to recede and subside.

"If absorbed smoothly, and assuming no waste in the process, it could probably induce evolution in 20 to 30 qualified individuals. If used to strengthen existing Evolvers, the number would be between 10 and 15."

Of course, this number hadn’t been prepared beforehand. Qin Xiaoxia had deduced it on the spot by averaging the physical conditions of the Evolvers and ordinary people present.

At this point, the meeting no longer had much to do with the Special Security Team. The main decision-making power was in the hands of the Guardian force.

About ten or so minutes later, the late-night meeting at the Guardian Base finally concluded.

As for the result, they naturally agreed to the exchange.

This was not only because it was difficult to realize the value of the Akenis Ear Monster, but also because they wanted to do the Dawn Association a favor.

Of course, the main reason was that the Philosopher’s Stone was immensely valuable from both a research and practical standpoint.

Such a resource was likely only in the hands of Dawn at present. How it was produced and whether continuous trade was possible were topics that would require deeper communication in the future.

Meanwhile, the Special Security Team seemingly got nothing out of the deal, yet their relationship with the Dawn Association had progressed significantly thanks to this opportunity. This was evident from the fact they had finally learned a bit of historical information. Although the Russians had also benefited from this, who could complain when they were the ones holding the bargaining chips?