Chapter 344: The Reason Behind the Blood God

As Haedis' words fell, a wave of shock swept through the room.

"Stronger than a combat energy potion?"

"That's terrifying! Could using the hearts of fellow knights as materials really produce such effects?"

"Wouldn't this cause knights to turn on each other in bloody conflict?"

"Pfft, no big deal, just use death row inmates! Overall, this is definitely a huge benefit. Perhaps our Golden Blood Academy will rise to the pinnacle of the world because of this!"

The alchemists murmured among themselves, exchanging thoughts. Rhett stood not far away, hearing the various opinions and inwardly sneering. No wonder this experiment would later be classified as an evil alchemy practice—it was clearly aimed at destroying the foundation of all transcendents.

Greed blinds people. When faced with rich rewards of combat energy, who cares about self-destruction? If things continued this way, Rhett had no doubt that the number of knights and mages would dramatically decrease, leading to a vicious cycle of internal strife...

"This... could also be one of the Blood Demon Fragment's goals..."

At this moment, Rhett realized the full extent of the situation. If the Blood Source Pearl were to become widespread, the results would be disastrous. The number of native transcendents would plummet.

This internal strife, this elimination process, might leave a handful of individuals who become stronger through the Blood Source Pearl, but they would still pay the price of shortened lifespans.

And when viewed on a larger scale, it would be a devastating blow to humanity as a whole.

For the beastmen, however, this would be advantageous! "If left unchecked, the Blood Demon would have harvested the world a thousand years later..."

Rhett shuddered at the thought, feeling grateful that the ancestors of humanity had the foresight to extinguish this evil alchemy experiment before it spread...

"Lord Haedis, let me take the Blood Source Pearl. I have a batch of death row inmates, including a few knights. They would be perfect for this experiment."

Jeanka raised his right hand, volunteering as he walked toward Haedis.

In the corner, Sheman's eyes flickered. Death row inmates as experimental subjects? That wasn't what Jeanka had said earlier…

Haedis looked approvingly at Jeanka, smiling slightly. "Jeanka, huh? Very well, I'll leave it to you. After all, you've followed Gunas and learned plenty of alchemical knowledge, so you're more than qualified. But remember to write a full alchemical report and submit it to me in a week."

"I'll keep your orders in mind. Thank you for your trust!" Jeanka said with a hand over his chest, accepting the Blood Source Pearl from Haedis.

The pearl was cold in his palm, and as the hunger from the blood shadow in his mind surged, Jeanka's expression remained calm as he quietly stepped back.

"Alright, that concludes today's experiment. Everyone, go home and write a summary. We'll reconvene in a week to discuss and perform new experiments."

Haedis' voice spread through the third-floor lab as he tidied up the alchemical equipment.

Most of the alchemists left, shuffling toward the door.

Sheman stood in a daze for a moment, then realized that Jeanka hadn't waited for him and had already left alone. He frowned and thought to himself, What's this guy up to? He hurriedly followed.

Soon, only Rhett and Haedis remained in the room.

Rhett walked up to the main alchemy table and glanced at the now pristine cauldron. Looking at Haedis, he asked, "You gave away the pearl so easily? Why didn't you test it yourself?"

With a clatter, Haedis returned the last container to its place, then dusted off his hands with a faint smile on his lips. "I've already mastered the method for crafting the pearl. As long as I have the materials, I can make them in bulk. One pearl is nothing."

"Besides, you and I aren't truly the heads of the Golden Blood Academy. We're merely temporary guardians. As long as the truth behind the dean's death remains unclear, we can't completely clear ourselves of suspicion. I need to be mindful of their feelings."

"Jeanka was close to Gunas. If he wants the pearl, let him have it."

Rhett nodded slightly. "There won't be any side effects, will there?"

"There might be some, but I'm not sure of the specifics yet. It shouldn't be too serious though. Testing just one pearl won't cause any major issues," Haedis mused before looking at Rhett again. "I've been away from Ring Tower for too long. According to the original plan, I should've returned a week ago. I stayed longer for this experiment. If possible, I'll leave this place in your hands for now. The tower can't go without a Saint-level presence for too long, especially with our tower master missing."

"Go ahead and return. I can handle things here on my own," Rhett assured him confidently.

"The Shadow Demon... has it returned?" Haedis asked, his lips tightening.

Without blinking, Rhett nodded in response. A week ago, to dispel Haedis' doubts, he had arranged with the Shadow Demon to inform Haedis about the impending Blood Demon invasion. The plan was to shift the blame for the tower master's death onto the Blood Demon, making Haedis more willing to collaborate in continuing the research on human alchemy…

Haedis was only half convinced, but with Gunas' mysterious death as a precedent, he was sure the Blood Demon wasn't anything good. Reluctantly, he agreed to continue working with Rhett.

"If I leave, will you be able to handle the Blood Demon Fragment on your own?"

"What do you think?" Rhett smiled confidently.

Recalling their first encounter with the Blood Demon Fragment, Haedis chuckled and shook his head. "I was overthinking it…"

Rhett smiled without further comment, and the two men fell into silence.

After a moment, Haedis finally broke the quiet. "I'll ask again—who are you really?"

This time, Rhett didn't remain silent or flatly deny the question. After feigning hesitation, he finally said, "Once the Blood Demon Fragment is destroyed, I'll tell you."

"Fine," Haedis sighed. "Once I return to Ring Tower, I'll come back here for a few days each month."

"That's fine."

After a few more words, Rhett escorted Haedis to the door. Just before leaving, Haedis turned back and said, "That boy, Hypaster, is truly gifted. Thank you for bringing him to me. He has the potential to become a pillar of the Ring Tower."

Rhett smiled, a bit surprised. "Oh? You can already tell his potential so clearly? That's quite high praise."

"He's different from the others," Haedis shook his head. "One of the optimization details in this latest experiment was his idea, and it far exceeded my expectations. Even when I was young, I couldn't have thought of such a thing… maybe only the tower master could…"

"Is that so?" Rhett was momentarily taken aback but then remembered that this was a simulation, not reality. In the real world, Vilas and the tower master had perished together, and Hypaster was still working for the Bize family...

"Regardless, I should thank you."

"No need to thank me. Please also take care of the other person I brought with me," Rhett added, thinking of Veena's son.

"Haha, he and Hypaster are close friends, so you needn't worry…"

"Good…"

Rhett watched as Haedis disappeared into a cloud of mist, quickly flying into the sky and vanishing from sight.

Standing in the night, Rhett gazed at the stars for a moment before turning and heading toward the shadows.

At the edge of the Golden Blood Academy, in a dusty storeroom, cobwebs hung in the dark corners, and dust covered every inch of the floor.

Sheman and Jeanka walked silently along the walls, cloaked in shadow magic to conceal their presence.

Following closely behind Jeanka, Sheman reached the storeroom, locked the door, and, with the faint starlight shining through the window, glanced around the room and frowned. "Jeanka, why did you bring me to such a place? And so far out? It looks like no one's cleaned this room in years. Those cleaners are really slacking off! I'll have to deal with this when we get back!"

Jeanka didn't respond immediately. He first walked to the lone window and pulled the dark curtains shut, plunging the room into pitch-blackness.

But for two Grand Mages, it was easy to sense each other's presence.

With a soft glow from the gathered light elements, like a small lamp in the dark, they could see each other more clearly.

Jeanka stood by the wall, his elongated shadow stretched across the floor like a towering column. His expression was complex as he looked at Sheman and said: "Sheman, my dear friend, I don't think I should hide this from you, so I brought you here. Please don't take it the wrong way."

Sheman's shadow twisted across the cluttered floor like a distorted creature. He looked at Jeanka in confusion. "Is it that important? Can't we talk over a midnight snack while we discuss it?"

"No," Jeanka rejected the idea firmly.

"Fine, but be quick about it. I haven't eaten in two days, and I really want to grab one of Chef Barbara's feasts. By the way, you mentioned death row inmates for experiments in the lab earlier? When did that happen? Two days ago, you said you didn't have any suitable subjects and were even using yourself for tests."

"I lied," Jeanka said calmly. "Because something strange has happened within my body, and I didn't think it was appropriate to bring it up then."

"What do you mean?" Sheman, noticing Jeanka's serious expression, frowned. He hushed him and pulled out an alchemical journal, flipping to a blank page. He carefully handed over a crystal powder pen and said, "Don't say it aloud. Write it down."

Jeanka nodded and took the journal. Sitting down at a small desk, he began writing in front of Sheman:

"There's a demon residing within me."

Sheman frowned, watching Jeanka's serious expression. He quickly snatched the pen and wrote:

"Are you joking? What kind of demon can possess a Grand Mage?"

"I'm not joking." Jeanka said quietly, taking back the pen and writing another line: "The demon claims to be a Blood Demon from the legendary Underworld, and it has promised to make me the strongest person in the world."

"What's the price? In every story, demons never offer anything for free. They always demand something in return, and it's always a price too heavy to bear." Sheman, though skeptical, wanted to get all the details. He also figured that by asking the right questions, he could determine whether the story was true.

"It wants us to continue the human alchemy experiments and deliver a steady supply of Blood Source Pearls."

"Blood Source Pearls? What are those?"

"The product Haedis refined today," Jeanka wrote, pulling out the perfectly round blood-red pearl from his pocket. Then, he spoke aloud, "This."

"I think it's too dangerous," Sheman wrote, now starting to believe his friend's story. His eyes filled with concern as he continued writing, "Can't we negotiate with it? Maybe find another host? We can promise to give it the Blood Source Pearls."

Jeanka shook his head and wrote, "Then I won't gain its power. I need its help."

"But..." Sheman, in a moment of panic, almost spoke aloud.

A finger pressed gently against Sheman's lips. Jeanka looked into his friend's eyes with determination and said in a low voice, "The Golden Blood Academy is vulnerable. Don't you want to protect Gunas' legacy and fulfill his dream?"

"No... No. Jeanka... it's not fair to you." Sheman's eyes widened, and his fingers trembled as he wrote with panic in his eyes: "Let it possess me instead. I'll bear all the consequences!"

As Sheman finished writing, he turned to look at Jeanka, only for his eyes to widen in shock.

Jeanka's throat bobbed as the pearl slid down, and his hands were now empty.

"Jeanka, you..."

"Shh..." Jeanka raised a finger to his lips and shook his head.

Moved, tears welled up in Sheman's eyes. His lips trembled as he stepped forward and embraced Jeanka, whispering guiltily in his ear, "Thank you, my dear friend."

"Ugh... Ah!"

Suddenly, Jeanka let out a muffled groan, doubling over as a look of struggle flickered across his face.

Noticing something wrong, Sheman quickly pulled away and placed his hands on Jeanka's shoulders, staring at his twisted expression. "Jeanka, what's happening? Are you in pain?"

"I... I'm fine." Jeanka waved a hand weakly as he slowly straightened, breathing heavily. The pain quickly faded, and he looked over his body, murmuring softly, "It gave me a strange energy... My body feels stronger."

"And the side effects?" Sheman relaxed slightly upon hearing that his friend was okay, but he still asked the important question.

"It said that with it around, I wouldn't need to worry about any side effects. As long as I have enough Blood Source Pearls, I can ascend to the Saint-level faster than anyone else!" Jeanka said. "What I just swallowed was the Blood Source Heart. It's useless for my mental power, but if I consume the Blood Source Brain, it'll truly help me advance."

Sheman looked at Jeanka with a complicated expression. Despite his friend's reassurances, he found it hard to believe that being possessed by such a strange entity could truly be a good thing.