"What … is that?"
Huai Shi was stunned and murmured softly.
For a moment, Huai Shi suspected that he had not woken up from the nightmare.
But when he determined that he was completely awake, he wished that he was still in that nightmare …
He was silent for a long time and looked at Tongi. "Where is the Helios workshop?"
Tongi was puzzled. "Isn't this it?"
Huai Shi swallowed dryly. "… That, the giant thing that is riddled with holes, full of strange stones everywhere, and seems to have been scrapped and broken down?"
This was the great miracle that carried hundreds of alchemists and was maintained by countless androids in the information he collected. It was so prosperous that it seemed to have returned to the era of the gods?
It was like a small world sailing in the vacuum, always emitting a brilliant flame, solemn and sacred, and operating in the universe like the sun's wheel?
This was the Helios chariot?
Huai Shi lowered his head, took out his mobile phone, raised his hand, and compared the original picture on the phone.
In this picture observed by Harper three years ago, the bright golden city glowed with a magnificent brilliance. Even if it was just a glimpse, the scale observed from the abyss was still incredibly solemn and sacred.
And in front of him, this thing was almost scrapped, as if it had been polluted a hundred thousand times and smashed into pieces.
Are you telling me that this is the same thing?
"I have to say, the last time I was here, it was not like this." Tongi shrugged regretfully. "Although I don't know what happened, Helios has become like this. I can't help it."
Huai Shi asked subconsciously, "When was the last time you were here?"
Tongi did not answer, just smiled.
She looked at him with a smile.
Huai Shi shivered and obediently withdrew his gaze, not daring to ask again.
Give me face and let's pretend that nothing happened.
He wisely did not dwell on this issue.
Well, let's go back to reality.
After a long journey in Kanter, they successfully arrived at their destination, which was really gratifying.
The good news was that the son of Leviathan did not explode!
The bad news was … Helios had exploded.
Huai Shi was about to cry.
.
After the initial shock and sluggishness, all the alchemists quickly reacted.
Indescribable panic filled every corner of the lounge.
No one would have thought that after seventy years, the once glorious Sun Chariot would fall to such a state …
But in an instant, all of his questions were answered.
Why did they have to go through so much trouble to change all kinds of tools and go through such a long journey to arrive? Why did Helios not be able to enter the Earth-Moon space this time?
Because it was anchored in the upper layer of Jupiter!
And from the looks of it, it didn't look too good …
In this state, how many functions it still had was another matter. What had attacked Helios and turned him into this state, and whether the alchemists above Helios had any chance of surviving.
In the end …
Was it really the will of the Helios workshop that summoned them here?
"What … What the hell is going on?!"
Rachel's face twitched, and he turned around sluggishly. "Garand … Garand Deon, what the hell is going on?!"
Just outside the lounge, Garand Deon, who had just rushed over from the workshop's laboratory, could not hide his weariness. After seeing the scene in front of him, his expression became stiff.
It was complicated and stunned.
Shortly after, he seemed to have understood something and came to a sudden realization.
At that moment, Huai Shi was keenly aware of the subtle changes in the old man's expression. He did not know whether it was shock, anger, joy, or sadness.
Or a combination of all of them.
But no matter which it was, it made Huai Shi's hair stand on end.
"So that's how it is …"
Garand Deon muttered to himself for a moment before regaining his usual calmness. His majestic gaze swept across, suppressing the uneasy atmosphere in the lounge.
But everyone's expression became vigilant.
They did not know what the Stoneforge Academy was up to, nor did they understand why they had brought them here.
But no matter what they were up to, it was probably not a good thing.
They were all alchemists, fanatics who pursued the Abyssal Taboo. No matter how innocent they were, who did not have taboo artefacts and techniques in their minds?
Even Huai Shi, who was the weakest here, had a derivative of the Element of Destruction in his arms, not to mention the forging technique that had once created the Eternal Hell's Dusk.
Everyone's first reaction was that the Stoneforge Academy was playing a badger game.
There must be some unspeakable conspiracy behind this.
But soon, Garand Deon reached out and slowly took out a pure white prismatic crystal from his material bag under everyone's watchful eyes.
The Stone of Truth.
It was the 'lie detector' provided by the Stoneforge Academy during the highest-level border trials. It was the purest and weakest 'crystal' in the world. It was extracted from countless languages, but it could not withstand any lies.
As long as it was within the range of lies, it would crack.
Everyone here was an alchemist. Even a grand master could not do anything to this relic, which had an extremely simple internal structure but extremely complicated refining conditions.
After allowing others to check its authenticity, Garand Deon said, "I, Garand Van Helt, hereby assure you that the Stoneforge Academy has only received a message from Helios in accordance with the contract and transported the contracted alchemists here on behalf of Helios.
In other words, it is Helios himself who has summoned you here. "
As soon as he said that, everyone stared straight at the Stone of Truth.
The pure white surface was flawless.
In the corner, the old woman from Egypt, Yima, raised her eyes. Her pupils contracted, and her pupils were vertical like a beast's. "In that case, it's just a mission to lead a team … Why bother a grand master?"
As a consultant of the Stoneforge Academy, an influential leader of the upper echelons, and one of only eleven grand masters in the world, why would she lower herself to lead a team of alchemists?
"This is the second mission of my trip," Garand Deon replied calmly.
"According to the observations of the Stoneforge Academy half a year ago, the trajectory of the Helios workshop has been abnormal. There is a high probability that a taboo alchemy secret instrument is being carried out. As a representative of the Stoneforge Academy, I have come this time to investigate and punish the Helios workshop.
But I did not expect it to be too late. "
In just half a year, one of the origins of alchemy, the chariot of the Sun God, and one of the top ten workshops, Helios, had fallen to this extent.
Even the alchemists above had probably met with misfortune.
Now, Helios had become a dangerous existence comparable to the depths of hell.
"Ha!"
Master of Metal of the Russian Federation, Valery Ugarov, sneered. "Did the Stoneforge Academy not know what happened here before they came? I remember that the Stoneforge Academy is responsible for maintaining four of the largest probes in the whole realm, right? And yet, they still brought us nobodies here. Do they expect us to be cannon fodder? "
In the silence, Garand Deon looked over indifferently. "Valery, you are here because of your contract with Helios. You have accepted Helios' relics and gifts, so you have to serve it. You can break the contract and pay the price. But your contract has nothing to do with the Stoneforge Academy.
Don't forget, the essence of alchemy — "
If there was a principle in this world called "You have to give up something to gain something," then the essence of alchemy was "You have to give up something to gain something."
In the furnace of constant matter, if you wanted to sublimate, you had to give up the dregs. If you wanted to transform, you had to abandon the old form.
The price of all miracles was disaster.
The result of all changes was precipitation.
At the end of all sublimations, something would be solidified.
When you received Helios' relics, you were destined to have a relationship with the Helios workshop.
Valery was silent and did not speak.
"Don't worry, I have no intention of forcing you to work for me," Garand Deon said.
"Now, the party who cannot fulfill the contract is Helios. It can be attributed to irresistible factors, and it has nothing to do with you. But due to the limitations of my mission, I cannot return until I have a preliminary investigation of what happened on Helios and completed the search and rescue of survivors.
If any of you are unwilling to go to Helios, you can wait on the Leviathan's Son. All the treatment will not change, but you have to hand over your tokens and accept supervision. "
As soon as he said that, many people's faces changed.
"Why?!"
"Grand Master, isn't this arrangement a bit too much?"
"What if I say no?"
Many alchemists had dangerous looks in their eyes.
"The reason is simple. First of all, only tokens are the only way to enter Helios."
Garand Deon knocked his cane, and the Leviathan's Son let out a mighty roar.
Soon, everyone saw that a cyborg was put into a spacesuit and thrown into the vacuum of the universe, gradually moving toward Helios in the distance.
And the moment it was dozens of kilometers away from Helios, it exploded into a ball of fire.
It instantly turned into ashes and disappeared.
"As you can see, although Helios is damaged now, it still maintains the operation of the defensive arcanum — the Flame of the Lunar Corona."
Garand Deon explained.
In alchemy, the counterpart of the sun was the existence of the moon.
As the symbol of the sun, Helios' chariot could naturally stimulate the power of the corona, and use unparalleled heat to destroy the enemy.
But that kind of highest output, even with Helios' countless years of accumulation of Source Form, could not be maintained for a long time.
What's more, it was a weapon of destruction, not a shield.
Therefore, there was the existence of the transformation arcanum. Through the arcanum, the existence of the 'invisible moon' was projected around Helios, using the illusory moon to replace the solid solar flames, turning into the surface of the moon.
As long as Helios' body existed, such defense could be maintained forever.
Now, when Helios lost its response, unless the alchemists who signed a contract with the Helios workshop carried their own credentials, any substance that intruded would be burned into nothingness by the cold Flame of the Lunar Corona.
At this moment, everyone understood the conditions that Galandeon had put forward when they left the Moon.
But they immediately realized that something was wrong.
The one-eyed Ragnar asked, "Even so, even if we hand over our credentials, Garand Deon, your people can't use it, right?"
"The specific exploration will be carried out by my seven disciples who have signed a contract with Helios, as well as the alchemists who volunteer to assist."
Garand Deon said bluntly, "The reason why I want you to hand over your credentials is just to avoid any unnecessary situations."
Speaking to this extent, it was already extremely straightforward.
You don't have to participate in the assistance, but don't think about quietly running up to cause trouble.
He did not try to hide his suspicion.
Garand Deon put the problem on the table from the beginning, not allowing anyone to avoid it.
"… This …"
After a brief silence, someone forced a laugh. "Garand Deon is underestimating us too much, isn't he?"
"Yes, perhaps."
Garand Deon retorted indifferently. "But some things are clear from the beginning. That's the only way to maintain long-term respect, isn't it?
Now that Helios has fallen to such a state, even as a Grandmaster, I don't have any mandatory command over you. So, it's better not to let unnecessary accidents happen from the beginning.
Besides, this is also for your safety. "
"Safety?" Ragnar sneered. "Is it safe to be put under house arrest and watched?"
"It's just a consideration that some of you may not have pure intentions."
Garand Deon glanced at him. "For example, you, Mr. Ragnar. As the future successor of the Silver Monument, you don't need Helios to stand at a height that many people can't reach in their lifetime. So, why are you here?
And Mr. Izzie, the inheritor of noble blood in America, who is not even an alchemist, has his own credential. You can't really be here to visit relatives and friends, can you?
Ms. Yima, as the officiant of the God of Bast and the daughter of the Pharaoh, even if you are here to seek a higher realm, why don't you visit the Endless Treasure House of Egypt?
And … Mr. Huai Shi. "
His cold eyes suddenly looked at Huai Shi, who was silently watching the show in the corner. "As the Master of Danbo, who has a high status, and a registered military officer of the Astronomical Association, you have never been known for alchemy, nor have you ever pursued the essence of alchemy … You even have a complete legacy of the Creator.
But now, why are you here? "
"Ah, this …"
Huai Shi was dumbfounded.
Old man, are you crazy? Can't I be here to study hard and improve myself every day?
How can you underestimate my passion for alchemy?!
How dare you slander my character and character!
Huai Shi's expression became serious, and he was about to refute loudly, but then he suddenly realized that he seemed to be, maybe, maybe …
Which wave of people with impure intentions?
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