Chapter 1123
What Dida La wants is the truth—the real truth about what happened, not just another poor scapegoat to toss under the bus...
An alchemist glanced around and couldn't help but speak first.
"Lord Dida La, this time, the real root of the problem is our lack of understanding of Beast God's Blood.
The alchemical device was built based on our research into the Beast God's Blood. We examined every single part multiple times, and each alchemical component was made under the supervision of at least three people—mistakes were impossible...
Sir Stongge's alchemical skills are beyond reproach..."
As soon as this alchemist spoke up, the other mages immediately shifted the blame onto the two scapegoats...
Dida La's face darkened, and he slammed the table hard—his patience hanging by a thread.
"Idiots! Let me ask you—just now, Diras claimed the alchemical device failed, the Final Transcendental Transformation was a bust, and it was all Matthew Merlin's fault. So, tell me—was it?
A bead of cold sweat formed on Stongge's forehead. He finally understood—Dida La genuinely wanted answers this time, not just someone to blame...
"Lord Dida La, I personally oversaw the construction of this alchemical device with my team. It's almost impossible for anyone else to tamper with it!
Especially under those circumstances—we were all around the device from the moment it appeared until the accident happened. No one got close to it.
"You're right, Lord Dida La. That's the only possibility left. Didn't we hear that Morgan Henry of the Morgan Family only broke through to Sky Rank with Leon's help?
When Stongge finished speaking, Dida La's face remained grim as he thought it over carefully.
Back then, it seemed Leon was standing at the very back, farthest from the device, with other faction mages in between.
If he wanted to pull something, there's no way it would have escaped everyone's notice...
Earlier, when Diras pushed him to join Leon's team, Dida La was already thinking about this—it's really not likely...
"Diras just said that when the accident happened, Matthew Merlin told him to stand back. He must have noticed something. What do you all think?"
When it comes to alchemy, Dida La isn't all that accomplished—he only knows the basics. So he tossed these questions to his subordinates.
None of the alchemists said a word. Even Stongge kept his mouth shut.
Damn it, it's all Diras's fault—he kept comparing Matthew Merlin to a filthy goblin. Even knowing he'd managed to create a potion, we still didn't give a damn.
"Idiots! All I want now is the truth. You cowards—are you really mages of the Burning Tower?
When did the Burning Tower end up with a bunch of goblin-hearted cowards like you?"
Stongge hesitated a moment before finally voicing his thoughts.
"Lord Dida La, after our investigations—checking the battlefield ruins and the device's remains—we concluded that the real issue lies in our research on the Beast God's Blood itself.
Maybe our research direction was wrong, or maybe we missed something crucial at the key moment. That's why this disaster happened.
If what Diras said is true, then Matthew Merlin might have spotted the problem from the start. He didn't tamper with anything, but he knew something would go wrong.
That's why he stayed at the very back of the crowd. Right before things went south, he even said something to warn us—which means one thing.
He not only knew the fusion transformation would fail, but he also knew exactly when it would happen..."
Dida La frowned, his expression growing even darker.
"Are you saying Matthew Merlin's research on Beast God's Blood has already surpassed ours?"
Stongge forced a weak smile, clearly unwilling to admit it.
"You're right, Lord Dida La. That's the only possibility left. Didn't we hear that Morgan Henry of the Henry Family only broke through to Sky Rank with Matthew Merlin's help?
Diras always claimed it was just good luck that Matthew Merlin managed to make a successful potion. We all thought he just got lucky...
Everyone knows—the higher the grade of the alchemical potion, the lower the success rate. But he actually pulled it off...
That proves Matthew Merlin has already found the right direction, even if he's still missing some details...
So his research on the Beast God's Blood is definitely ahead of ours..."
Stongge's words were subtle, but every alchemist present understood perfectly.
Grasping the crucial direction in alchemy is everything—it means you've mastered the key theory, the very foundation of alchemy itself.
Stongge's face fell; admitting this was as good as slapping himself in the face.
Damn it, it's all Diras's fault—he kept comparing Matthew Merlin to a filthy goblin. Even knowing he'd managed to create a potion, we still didn't pay attention.
If he could make a successful potion, even if it was just luck, it meant his research on Beast God's Blood was already far beyond ours.
I said so before, but those two unlucky fools who got axed kept thinking that if Matthew Merlin could do it, we could too—and whatever we made would be even better.
The idea wasn't bad: if we succeeded in building the device, every drop of Beast God's Blood could guarantee a peak Ninth-Rank Title Archmage would complete their transcendental breakthrough.
We never even considered the possibility of the potion failing...
But in the end, we failed. And when Matthew Merlin arrived, he just looked at the device's exterior and knew we'd fail. It's not that he knew this particular device...
It's that his research on Beast God's Blood is already so deep that he knew this kind of device could never enable a mage to transcend. He could even roughly predict when it would go wrong...
His research on Beast God's Blood isn't just ahead of ours—it's leagues beyond, like we're not even in the same era...
Dida La said nothing, his face grim. This failure was a massive blow...
It was the same blow for the Burning Tower as it was for him.
After a long silence, Dida La finally spoke, his voice heavy.
"Sir Stongge, are you saying Matthew Merlin's research on Beast God's Blood is leagues ahead of ours, and he might already have a mature technique?"
Stongge was about to defend himself, but seeing how dark Dida La's face had gotten, he swallowed his words and nodded helplessly.
"Lord Dida La, at least based on what we know now, that's how it looks. Matthew Merlin has mastered a mature alchemical technique—it's impossible! How could a Creator from a backwater like Andalusia develop such mastery so quickly?
I've been to the Kingdom of Andalusia once. Their alchemical foundation is pitiful—nothing compared to Odin Kingdom, and certainly not to our Burning Tower with its centuries of tradition.
But his theoretical research on Beast God's Blood is absolutely far ahead of ours. Once the technique is perfected, he could use Beast God's Blood to create a whole army of Sky Rank mages!
A glimmer flashed in Dida La's eyes, and a faint smile appeared on his lips.
That's right—Matthew Merlin really is an alchemical genius. In all of Odin Kingdom, there are hardly any mages who can match his talent, and he's not even thirty.
A Creator under thirty—such a prodigy hasn't appeared in any major Odin Kingdom faction for centuries. His research on Beast God's Blood is definitely far beyond ours.
But in the end, he's just a mage from some backwater kingdom like Andalusia—his foundation can't compare to ours in the Burning Tower.
He can develop theories, but turning those into a mature technique isn't something one or two alchemists can do.
It takes countless years and generations of alchemists. The Burning Tower has stood on Odin Kingdom's soil for tens of thousands of years.
What we have in abundance is accumulated technique—it's our best bait for recruiting alchemists.
If we get our hands on Matthew Merlin's research on Beast God's Blood, we could quickly turn his theories into mature alchemical techniques.
Then, as long as we have Beast God's Blood, we could endlessly manufacture Sky Rank mages. Even if they're only first-rank, it's enough!
With enough Sky Rank mages, the Burning Tower's strength would soar, making us the strongest faction in Odin Kingdom.
That monster earlier had just completed the transcendental transformation, and even with its power suppressed by the Blazeforge Battlefield, its defensive strength matched my own at full force.
If that monster had intelligence, I might not be able to beat it one-on-one. If it decided to slaughter other mages, I couldn't stop it—at best, we'd be evenly matched.
But if a mage truly completes the transcendental transformation, their power after breakthrough would surpass that monster—after all, a mage's strength includes their intelligence...
If I work with Matthew Merlin and master this method, who could challenge the Burning Tower?
Imagining the future, Dida La couldn't help but get excited. Even he longed for Sky Rank.
Borrowing the power of magical artifacts, you can reach first-rank Sky Rank in combat strength—but that's just raw power. Without breaking through, you'll always be stuck there.
But with Sky Rank, even without the right soul-bound artifact, you can keep advancing.
Breaking through from first-rank to second-rank Sky Rank is much easier than going from Ninth-Rank Title Archmage to Sky Rank.