Chapter 159: Death God and Fighter

In a small, white building filled with bright light, Xiao Naohu woke up. Opening his eyes, he saw Linda looking at him with concern. "Are you alright?" she asked.

"I'm fine," he replied, taking a deep breath, though his mind was reeling. "Are we really going to give this elixir system, debated by online communities, to those nobles?"

Monsters were not impossible to hunt. While they were incredibly powerful against ordinary humans of this era, the nobles, with their backgrounds and forces, could overwhelm them with enough knights and soldiers. People in this age believed that monsters' bodies generally contained "supernatural organs"—accessory tissues that made them bizarre and formidable.

"What they're saying is just a theory. Whether it will succeed is still unknown," Xiao Naohu mused. "Forget it! I need to have them prepare alchemical materials. I'll use undead summoning to communicate with Emperor Armin of the Underworld. They should agree to this idea; after all, the era of us wizards is completely over. We can't stand still. Even during Medusa's slumber, Armin can carve Medusa into pieces and deliver them to mortals on the surface."

The simplest way to deliver elixirs to mortals was through the Underworld's soul collectors, the "Reapers"—ghosts of "undead wizards" currently training in the Underworld. Reapers were meant to handle unexpected situations. While weaker souls were naturally drawn to the Underworld, powerful individuals might resist entering, requiring a Reaper to collect them.

Before Xiao Naohu left the Underworld, he suggested that the Reapers, as the Underworld's soul collectors, should embody mystery, wear uniform black cloaks, and carry large scythes. Emperor Armin agreed with this idea, remembering how court wizards also wore robes. Still, with a touch of girlish whimsy, she added a beautiful red flower from the Underworld to the Reapers' black-cloaked, scythe-wielding figures as a distinguishing mark.

Xiao Naohu paused in thought. "Now, the Reapers can take on a side job as couriers, accepting summons from undead alchemy arrays to deliver elixirs. Of course, it won't be a free service. The summoning array must contain sufficiently valuable cultivation materials, various energies, and resources that can help the Reapers cultivate! Otherwise, the Reapers will retaliate against the mortals who summoned them."

Xiao Naohu stood up and opened the door. He looked at the kneeling crowd outside, his hands clasped behind his back, his voice as ancient as an elder's. "Young people, you have successfully moved me. Since you wish to follow in the footsteps of the ancient wizards, come inside."

The crowd immediately became incredibly excited, realizing it was indeed a test.

Inside the house, Xiao Naohu looked at them, still unable to resist advising, "You are all nobles, without worry for food or clothing, surrounded by fine wine and beautiful companions. Do you truly wish to embark on this path of seeking ancient truth? Most of you here will not meet a good end; you will die tragically on the path of seeking truth! In our brilliant era, only one person reached the end of this road."

He pointed to the birds circling in the sky outside the window. "Do you see those vultures? You might become their food, your bones scattered to the wind. The more you gain, the heavier the burden you carry. Power is never the path to happiness; contentment is."

In his eyes, they saw only indifference. They suddenly shivered. At that moment, they remembered that this was a mythical hero from the ancient Babylonian era, one who had witnessed mountains of corpses and seas of blood from ancient times, as well as the tragic dark years of the Evil God.

"Teacher, we came to seek truth," they trembled, their resolve firm. They had founded the Gwent Card Club not only out of reverence for the tavern culture of ancient Babylonian myths but also a longing for the power of ancient wizards! Being in high positions, they understood the truth of history. And precisely because they were illegitimate children, disliked and overlooked, they had not been corrupted by a life of luxury. They still held their dreams of saving the human kingdom, which was why they formed the Gwent Card Club. With the opportunity now before them, there was no reason to hesitate.

"If that is the case," Xiao Naohu said after a moment of silence, "to gain power, you must first hunt the monsters in the monster forest. This is a test of your strength. And you must gather these alchemical materials..."

"Please follow your hearts and choose what you desire." He produced a piece of paper, clearly listing the "Fighter" path, the "Necromancer" path, and the "Magic Swordsman" path. It also detailed the required alchemical materials and ancient bloodline compatibility potion formulas, as such potions were essential for integrating Cthulhu's first gene fragment. However, since these were only gene fragments and not a complete gene, designed to be integrated in seven parts, the side effects would not be significant. Perhaps a single bloodline fusion potion would have a high success rate.

Half a month later, they returned, bearing scars and having lost several members, but carrying monster corpses. They had not used their connections to cheat by deploying soldiers or knights. Xiao Naohu couldn't help but regard this group with newfound respect; he had initially assumed they would cheat.

Albert took a deep breath, looking at the dozen or so bottles of bloodline compatibility potions before him. He chose the "Fighter" path. Sequence 1, the "Muscle Scholar" elixir, lay before him. Each of the 173 elixirs had its unique properties. The "Muscle Scholar" elixir was both its name and indicative of its characteristics, the talent to be gained, and served as the initial elixir for the "Fighter" profession.

Albert's eyes burned with eagerness. He held up the crystal-clear azure liquid in the test tube. "I've waited for this day! Great wizard of the ancient mythical era, I will gain the strength to protect our entire nation! The mighty power to resist the orcs!"

He began to consume the potion. After a period of intense pain, he felt a distinct change in his body; his muscles now contained terrifying explosive power.

"Am I already a Muscle Scholar? David, come, let's test it." He looked at a burly knight companion nearby and lunged forward, sword in hand. The powerful knight was sent flying backward.

"I..." Albert's voice trembled, but he couldn't control himself; his entire body shook. That was David! The formidable David! He was the strongest brute-force knight among them, having trained his body and muscles since childhood, considered a very powerful human among young people.

"According to this 'Fighter' path, this is merely the first sequence, the 'Muscle Scholar' starting elixir! Strengthening muscles alone is so terrifying... If I break through and use Sequence 2, 'Bone Forger,' I can strengthen my bones and begin to temper my periosteum! I will surely become countless times stronger. When I advance to Sequence 3, using 'Dermal Chrysalis,' I will begin to strengthen my skin and membranes..."

Albert's chest heaved violently, his eyes blazing. He looked at the female knight Cheryl beside him. "Care for a fight?"

Cheryl was the strongest among them. Although men generally had a strength advantage over women, human strength was insignificant compared to the terrifying might of orcs. Skill, instead, held the advantage. Cheryl was their most skilled knight; it was said that on the battlefield, by utilizing terrain advantage and an astonishing, once-in-a-century combat wisdom, she could single-handedly tease a powerful orc to death.

"Perfect. Let me see this power," Cheryl said. She had a tall, slender physique, with perfectly straight and shapely legs encased tightly in black high boots, and wore knight's armor, making her appear exceptionally valiant. Yet, her gaze was sharp and cold.

Albert laughed, dropped his long sword, and waved his veiny fists, stepping forward. "Hehehe... Our lovely and beautiful lady, one punch will probably make you cry for a long time, won't it?"

Beside them, Xiao Naohu frowned. "As expected, he's been somewhat influenced by the Evil God's brutal nature. If he doesn't adjust his mind and body, he could very well lose himself and become completely demonized."

The elixir system was still too dangerous.