Nothing could stop an alchemist's thirst for knowledge.
Just like how human ambition could never be contained, it was no different from 'hope', 'ideals', and 'thirst'.
Regardless of whether it was called a good name or an evil name, there was no difference in their nature.
If the living had original sin, then this sin would always accompany their life from the moment they opened their eyes.
For the alchemists of Helios, the existence of this sin was even more important.
A soul that had lost its thirst for knowledge had no value in existence, and there was no point in keeping the results that were satisfied with the current situation. What kind of alchemist was an alchemist that no longer desired more?
For the sake of this' thirst for knowledge 'that extended towards hell, they had paid many sacrifices, including their own souls and lives. Still, they did not know what was good for them and were unwilling to stop.
In order to grasp the power of the gods, they needed to obtain a corresponding talent.
If they did not have the talent, then they would rely on those who did! If they could not obtain the talent, then they would create the talent themselves!
This was the origin of everything that was destined to happen now.
In order to create an alchemist that could take that step, they had paid a long time and an endless price. They had collected all the technology that could be used, and they had broken through all the problems that stood in their way.
It was not only the study of origin substances, souls, and creation in alchemy … even the study of genetics, biology, eugenics, and so on!
All the technology that could be used had to be obtained.
All the forces that could be of help had to be put into the cauldron.
They had to endure the tempering, explore the unknown, and overcome difficulties.
In the end, they had come up with the existence of a man-made grandmaster!
When everyone was on the verge of despair, it had arrived like salvation!
All the costs had been worth it!
All the sacrifices were about to be repaid.
But before that, before the success of the artificial grandmaster … there were more experimental products, more failed products, more flawed products, and more useless trash that could not be used, born from the Cauldron of Life.
Just like the ashes that were buried in the graveyard without anyone noticing.
Long before Publius was born, countless of his blood relatives had withered away in the darkness.
It was because of this that Hades had come to this world.
He had been born even earlier than Publius.
Unfortunately, after the examination, although Hades had amazing talent, he still couldn't touch the realm of a great grandmaster.
A normal person's ability might still have the possibility of improvement, but unfortunately, before he was born, Hades's upper limit was already set … He could only seal it up, and when it was tested in the future, he would exist as a defective product in the control group.
From the day he could understand words, he knew the truth of his birth.
However, Hades had never felt any resentment towards this.
Not everyone was born with a complete body. In the Present Realm, there were also babies who were born without limbs, or were blind and deaf, weren't there?
It was just a slight misfortune. There were some obstacles, but they could still be overcome.
He accepted his fate, his future, and everything else.
Even if they were never perfect and, like him, were born incomplete.
Now, he was finally standing in front of a martial grandmaster.
He had become his enemy.
"Amazing, Hades."
Garland opened his mouth and spat out hot blood. "I regarded him as an opponent, but I neglected you."
"The gap in talent has long made up for all this. It's only natural."
Hades calmly pulled out his dagger. "You shouldn't care about a small character like me, a clown like a jester."
Garland staggered and fell to the ground, but before he hit the ground, Hades raised his hand, and an invisible force pulled him, causing him to float in the air.
Behind Hades, the vague simulated souls quickly shrank and turned into chains, pulling Garland's limbs and shackling him by force.
Then, the seal formed by the souls of the alchemists began to spread.
A dark array emerged from Garland's body and multiplied, sealing the inside and outside like a cage.
This was a living seal.
Unlike those rigid shackles, only the alchemists' own will could completely cut off Garland's connection with the outside world at all times.
They didn't even allow him to die.
As the wounds closed, only drops of residual blood fell to the ground.
"Don't worry, brother, I won't kill you."
Hades said coldly, "As long as I keep you here, it's enough."
Although it was somewhat soft-hearted, in fact, this was the safest and most rational way to do things.
If the enemy was a martial grandmaster, he couldn't underestimate him at any time.
Now that Publius's success was imminent, who knew what kind of changes would occur once he killed Garland? How much damage would a martial grandmaster cause if he sacrificed his life?
As long as he was imprisoned, it would be fine.
Sealed and imprisoned.
Completely powerless.
To ensure that he was cut off from all contact with the outside world and become a mere spectator, a powerless bystander.
Garland turned his head with difficulty, looked at the array around him, and couldn't help but shake his head.
"Who did you learn this from?"
"Isn't it very similar to what you did to Publius back then?"
Hades told him, "This inspiration was given to me by you. It's much easier to deal with a martial grandmaster alive than dead."
"I just … hope that he can think it through, that's all. Think clearly about who he really is … and what he really wants to do."
Garland laughed hoarsely. "I didn't expect that the prison on the moon wouldn't be able to contain him. When I saw him for the last time, I already knew that he had escaped … using a method that I never thought of."
"This is his fate, isn't it?"
"This isn't 'his' fate, Hades, shouldn't you be clear about it?"
Garland retorted coldly. "His obsession is stronger than I thought, but where did your obsession come from? In order to create a god, you didn't hesitate to create hell … When did you fall to such a level? "
Hades thought for a moment and shrugged. "People change, don't they?"
"Yes, but did you really change for yourself?"
Garland raised his eyes and stared at his face, his former friend and 'blood relative'. "The Hades in my memory should be a person who, after understanding his own imperfections, wants others to be happy!
When did you become like this, Hades? After understanding the limitations of your own abilities? Or after listening to the bewitchment of the piper? After becoming the Chief Alchemist? After inheriting the crazy knowledge and pollution of those alchemists?
Is everything you've done really based on your original intentions? "
Garland asked hoarsely, "Do you still remember your original appearance, Hades?"
In the long silence, Hades didn't speak.
He just quietly stared at the sun in the distance that was gradually descending toward the black tower.
After a long time, he laughed silently.
It was as if he had heard a ridiculous joke.
"It's just a change, is it strange?"
He turned his head and asked doubtfully, "What's the difference between being changed by the piper and being changed by other people? When you said that, didn't you realize that you were also changed by the world of the Astronomical Association? Learned by the stone cauldron, by your students, by your friends, by everything you encountered …
People will change, it's nothing more than changing for the better or for the worse.
The funny thing is that you regard 'change' as a disaster. In this world, isn't the person who wants to maintain himself the most, hates change the most, and hopes that he will never change the most, right in front of you? "
He raised his hand and pointed at the black tower in the distance.
It was the Grand Master Publius who laughed loudly and opened his arms, wanting to embrace the sun in the void!
"Look, if you want to be immortal and not be destroyed by this world … the price is to destroy this world," Hades said. "This principle is so simple, it's just that you don't want to understand it."
Garland didn't speak, or rather, he didn't want to say anything.
For a madman, any kind of advice was useless.
"By the way, there's one more thing that you might be wrong about." Hades told him seriously, "I chose my own depravity, not because of anything else. It wasn't because the piper bewitched me. It was because I took the initiative to find the piper."
"… Why?"
Garland's pupils froze for a moment.
He raised his head in disbelief.
He saw Hades' disdainful gaze.
"Not everyone can be like you and choose to be free without any responsibility."
The 'culprit' who destroyed Helios with his own hands raised his head and looked down at the 'savior' who was trying to save everything. "Isn't all of this caused by you?
Didn't I ask you at that time? But you don't care what will happen to everything after you leave, do you?
You don't care about everyone's sacrifice and expectations of you. You only think about yourself, but what can I do?
I just want to replace you and complete my mission. Is it wrong to want to be repaid for all the sacrifices you've made? "
Garland didn't look at him again.
He only felt a sense of absurdity and mockery, but he couldn't laugh at all.
He wanted to scold him, but he didn't even have the strength to do so.
"Compared to me, you are the one who is more strange," Hades asked coldly, "Since you have already left, why did you come back?"
Yes, why did he come back?
Back to the cage that he had escaped from, the place that he regarded as hell.
Garland raised his head and stared at the dark universe. After a long time, he sighed self-deprecatingly, "Probably because … I regret it."
Regret.
But it was too late for regret.
Regret. Escape from his own fate.
Regret. Push his only 'friend' and his only remaining 'blood relative' to such an ending.
Even though they were riding at full speed on the road to destruction, they were willing to endure it.
Perhaps there was some hatred.
He hated Helios, hated those gods who left behind secrets, and also hated those lunatics who refused to realize their mistakes. What he hated most was himself, who had created all of this for the sake of freedom.
When he wanted to take back his original fate and guide everything back on the right track, he was already Garland. He was Grandmaster Garland, no longer Publius, and no longer had anything to do with Helios.
When he finally made up his mind, it was too late.
Perhaps this was the price he had to pay.
"Look on the bright side. At least you are back home, aren't you?" Hades' considerately 'comforted him, "After so many years of wandering, you have finally returned to where you should go."
"Home?"
Garland coughed and shook his head, "There is only ambition, arrogance, and sin here. Hades, that kind of thing never existed …"
"No, it exists. It has always been here."
Hades raised his head and looked at the broken Helios.
Looking at the rolling steel ground, as well as the exposed thick pipes, ancient equipment, huge facilities, countless workshops, and even more secrets, Zhang Xuan felt a chill run down his spine.
"Look, this is our home," he said.
"Unfortunately, it is not a warm place, and there is no such extravagant thing as love. At best, it is just an assembly line."
"We are tools, parts, gears that are destined to be all fates since we were born. We did everything we could to complete our mission, and in the end, we were damaged and abandoned.
Now, it is finally time to produce — "
Hades turned around and smiled. Just like many years ago, he greeted him gently.
"Welcome home, brother."
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