Chapter 216 - Deceitful Snake Scale Liquid

Geoffrey agreed with one point they made, very few people can refuse the Sublimation Furnace Core, there’s no way, they offer too much.

Belli looked at Geoffrey slyly, and after thinking for a moment, she said.

"Call me sister and let me hear it."

"Huh?"

Geoffrey was taken aback, looking at Belli in confusion. From appearances, Geoffrey and Palmer were about the same age, they seemed to be around twenty-two or twenty-three.

After meeting Belli previously, Geoffrey had gone back to look through Belli’s introduction. He remembered that this minister seemed to be around twenty-six, which indeed qualified her as a sister, but...

"Do you know? Despite how I look, I’m actually almost a hundred-year-old man."

Geoffrey wasn’t lying. If he weren’t an Undead, the current Geoffrey should be an almost dying elder.

"I know, I’ve mentioned it before, I’ve seen you in some documents, but it’s clear that physical age is one thing, but psychological age is another," Belli said casually.

Talking about psychological age, Geoffrey thought of Nesanel. Considering carefully, Geoffrey felt that he indeed didn’t have the mindset of a centenarian and was still full of youthful vigor.

Geoffrey blamed it all on the Black Prison, the experience there was like a wild nightmare. After waking from the dream, Geoffrey returned to his former self, the soldier who set foot on the battlefield sixty-six years ago.

Geoffrey’s expression struggled for a moment, and just as he was about to collapse, Belli waved her hand and said, "I was kidding, let’s go."

Geoffrey took a deep breath, his expression becoming more complex.

Balder was organizing the goods, directing others to move them to the Field Operations Department, while Geoffrey followed Belli, once again stepping into the deep corridor.

All the way, Geoffrey was silent, while Belli continued muttering.

"Is it surprising? That I would spare you."

Geoffrey nodded stiffly, seeing this, Belli laughed uproariously. Geoffrey couldn’t figure her out, and she said again.

"Seeing you struggle is what’s interesting, if you’d said it aloud, it wouldn’t be fun anymore."

Geoffrey was stunned by this, wondering what was wrong with this person.

Geoffrey’s upbringing disallowed him from being rough with women, even refraining from swearing, but now the usually composed Geoffrey was starting to find it hard to hold back.

"Bologue Lazarus..." Belli suddenly whispered his name, she turned around looking at him, "Do you know? Many years ago, we already knew your name."

"Many years ago?"

Geoffrey didn’t understand, Belli’s words intrigued him, even dispelling his previous complaints.

"A data report, containing... many experimental records, and the name of the subject was Bologue Lazarus, which is you."

Geoffrey recalled his years in the Black Prison, the shock of the Scarlet Wasteland, Geoffrey fell into an almost collapsing emotional state. Driven by the thought of doing something for others, Geoffrey didn’t refuse the various demands of the Prison Warden and cooperated with them to complete many experiments.

The limit tests of his "Blessing" were conducted during that time, the process being somewhat crazy, Geoffrey rarely reminisced about those.

"Have you seen my limit test report?" Geoffrey asked.

After becoming a Condenser, Geoffrey always wanted to see his test report. From when Geoffrey said his resurrection would diminish the Ether Fluctuation, he felt his resurrection wasn’t that simple, there must be a report detailing it all, but Geoffrey never let him see it.

"No, it was some other experimental records. You were probably called a legend at the time because you were the first Undead we had encountered, though in such form," Belli said.

"We?" Geoffrey grew increasingly confused.

"Mmm-hmm, Balder and I were implanted with the Alchemy Matrix as soon as we came of age, becoming Teda’s students. During our studies with him, we saw your experimental records."

"Does Teda only have you two as students?"

Speaking of Teda, Geoffrey held a lot of respect for the Alchemist who hosted his implantation ceremony. In his view, Teda was a legitimate Alchemist, while someone like Belli was just an unfortunate disciple.

"Yes, just the two of us," Belli hesitated briefly before continuing, "actually, there was supposed to be another junior sister."

"Junior sister? Then why isn’t there one?" Geoffrey asked.

"Very simple, she died... probably died," Belli said uncertainly.

"I’m sorry."

Geoffrey didn’t expect the topic to shift so quickly, reaching into sad past events.

"It’s nothing, she died during the secret war. That day should have been her welcoming ceremony, but Overlord Xilin invaded the ’Cultivation Room,’ and the oppressive regime indiscriminately drafted everyone. Many Condensers died, not to mention ordinary people."

Belli appeared somewhat despondent, her tone unexpectedly honest, continuing to speak.

"It was that time when I personally became acquainted with death, realizing how terrifying it truly is."

No matter how much time has passed, that nightmare-like day remains so clear, as if it were just yesterday.

"Is that why you are interested in the Undead?" Bologue asked.

"Probably. On one hand, I’m indeed envious of your immortality; on the other hand, you’re honestly excellent experimental material—not only do you not deteriorate, but you also describe your feelings during experiments in detail."

Discussing experiments again, Belli became lively, his words carrying the peculiar mania of a researcher.

The two stopped before a door, and Belli picked up the badge hanging on his chest, adorned with the insignia of the Sublimation Furnace Core, entwined with the Wisdom Fruit’s serpent.

Strange power surged, and the "Cultivation Room" opened this door.

"Technically, this kind of Alchemy Armament shouldn’t be handed to you. After all, you’re just a First Stage Condenser with limited Ethereal Amount, but the ’Decision Room’ decided to make an exception for you as a reward for your outstanding actions and the Secret Sword you captured."

Belli suddenly changed topics, but Bologue quickly understood the meaning in the words, realizing that he had just been duped by Belli, yet excitement and joy soon overshadowed these feelings.

Looking at the dimness beyond the door, this was also a warehouse, albeit much smaller than the one they had just visited, containing only one item.

It was a precision iron box, covered with several clasps, like tightly clasped hands, holding the box securely, and the side bore the mark of the Sublimation Furnace Core—a black emblem indicating the Quality Change Level of the Alchemy Armament it contained.

Corruption of Black.

"A teacher once said that sometimes regulations must yield to genius."

Belli opened the clasps one by one, carrying the authority of the Sublimation Furnace Core department, allowing her to undo nearly all seals.

Bologue ignored Belli’s words, focused entirely on the contents of the iron box.

Layer by layer, metal panels opened, raising a glass container, within which rolled mercury-like substance, a Corruption Black Level Alchemy Armament.

"What is this?" Bologue inquired.

The contents of the container, at first glance, appeared indistinguishable from mercury, but upon closer inspection, a faint halo floated, and dense lines weaved like tiny fish swimming through the mercury, fleetingly.

"Hmm? An Alchemy Armament that can’t be called an Alchemy Armament, that’s why it’s been exceptionally handed over to you."

While speaking, Belli took out the glass container, signaling Bologue to reach out and take it.

"Unlike conventional Alchemy Armaments, it has some special properties. For most, it’s merely useless, but for you, its compatibility with your Secret Energy should be quite excellent. Try injecting Ether."

Following Belli’s direction, Bologue reached into the container, feeling an icy touch, as if dipped in ice water, and with the injection of Ether, the light tracks in the mercury intensified.

"Some substances, after undergoing Quality Change, become Alchemy Armaments upon Alchemy Matrix implantation; others present peculiar properties and are used as Alchemy Materials post transformation," Belli explained from the side.

"You know Iron-Repelling Paint, then you should also know it’s refined from Mercury after its first Quality Change,"

Bologue nodded, recalling what he had read in the Border Sanatorium’s "Basic Alchemy Materials Atlas" about Iron-Repelling Paint.

"Iron-Repelling Paint is the product of Mercury’s first Quality Change, typically a liquid metal, but once it covers an object, it quickly solidifies into hard metal."

As Belli elaborated, Bologue injected Ether into the mercury, causing it to boil, seemingly shaping itself into a silver-white sword, and the liquid metal solidified completely into a rapier.

Raising the rapier horizontally, Bologue noted its surface wasn’t smooth, but densely patterned like snake scales—as if formed by a convergence of serpents.

"What is this?" Bologue questioned.

"Advancing Iron-Repelling Paint’s Quality Change and applying some... I’m unclear of the exact operation, leading to this Alchemy Material," Belli replied.

"You don’t know either?"

Increasingly puzzled, Bologue found it surprising that Belli, the Sublimation Furnace Core department head, would be stumped.

"This is a distortion product, often occurring unexpectedly in Alchemist research, its creator calling this Alchemy Material the ’Deceitful Snake Scale Liquid.’

Belli stepped closer, scrutinizing the Snake Scale Rapier in Bologue’s hand.

"In Alchemy, Mercury or Silver symbolizes a serpent."

"The serpent is the seeker of truth."

Bologue softly responded, recalling what he read in the "Golden Thesis"—understanding the meaning of the Sublimation Furnace Core insignia from that book.

"Bologue, now release your Secret Energy, attempt to command this Deceitful Snake Scale Liquid."

No longer waiting for Belli’s instruction, Bologue felt a surge of impatience, his eyes glowing blue, his arm emanating intense light tracks, serpent-like, they rapidly traversed the Snake Scale Rapier.

After a brief calm, the rapier’s form shattered, the Deceitful Snake Scale Liquid danced wildly, twisting into a roaring serpent swarm.