Chapter Thirty-One: Electra's Notes

Elektra—a legend among alchemists.

People might not know that the first to invent alchemy was Georg Lamborn; might not remember the iron-blooded general Edie Morzter, who swept the continent with his Rose Legion, and whose other name was Edie Lance Strick. They might not know that there are only three continents—East, South, and North—on the continent of Wind, and no Western continent at all. Nor would they know that Strick VI was not, in fact, a direct descendant of the founding emperor of the Lance Empire, and that Strick II bore no blood relation to Strick I. But the existence of Elektra, and the far-reaching impact he wrought, was known to all.

No one could say for certain how this man emerged so suddenly.

He appeared abruptly before the world, leading his own army, descended like a storm from the sky, and then defeated one nation after another, toppling countless heroes, causing all other legendary figures to fall into obscurity before him.

Wherever he passed, people bowed in awe. Each alchemical technique he invented became an object of obsession and pursuit for generations to come.

Even now, people still covet Elektra’s many alchemical inventions and relentlessly search for relics he left behind, hoping to uncover his secrets.

No one can say with certainty how many alchemical inventions Elektra possessed. In his later years, although he remained devoted to his experiments, he revealed no further results to the world, until his final mysterious disappearance.

Of all Elektra’s inventions, the most renowned was perhaps the Troll Golem.

This legion of magical automatons, each with the power of a Sky Knight, routed every country and army that stood in its way, forcing some nations to unite and deploy all their Grand Mages in a furious counterattack, barely halting the advance of the Troll Legion.

Yet this was but one of Elektra’s many inventions. In truth, the only reason the Troll Legion was stopped in that battle was because Elektra had sent only that force, without any supporting troops. He seemed utterly uninterested in entangling himself further, merely issuing a warning to those who sought to profit at his expense.

It was said that Elektra never belonged to any country. He was never much interested in war itself, but only in the struggle for resources. He needed vast amounts of material for his experiments, so he invented the Troll Golems to seize resources, mines, and untouched forests for him. Afterward, Elektra abandoned further research into his army of automatons, focusing his main efforts elsewhere.

What exactly did he seek? No one knew.

Perhaps a clue could be found in another of his great inventions.

This was the magical sigil experiment that left Gong Hao with such bitter regret.

Indeed, the art of magical sigil inscription was also Elektra’s invention—one lauded by future generations as no less significant than the Troll Golem itself. The sole purpose of this alchemical technique was to allow ordinary people to resonate with magical elements.

If alchemy, as a means of wielding magic, was a circuitous journey, then the inscription of magical sigils was a direct bridge between the ordinary man and the mage.

This, as Hynes once said, was the true meaning of being an alchemist—not to be a master craftsman, but to draw ever closer to magic itself.

To enable ordinary people to learn and wield magic—this idea seemed unbelievable. Yet the fact remained: Elektra had done it.

Five years after the appearance of the Troll Golem, Elektra exchanged a thousand golden vit for one thousand of the lowest war slaves.

A year later, these slaves were sent to battle.

Their bodies and faces were covered in mysterious symbols, like intricate tattoos. They had once been mere soldiers, with no connection to magic, but that time, each and every slave’s magical prowess shocked the world.

A thousand slaves, each with the strength of a Black Robe Mage, brought Elektra new glory and fame. The art of magical sigil inscription became the holy grail for alchemists. Many, hungry for magic, devoted themselves tirelessly to its research.

Hynes was among them.

If Strick VI’s greatest desire was the Troll Golem, then for Hynes, nothing was more meaningful than the invention of magical sigils.

He had devoted nearly his entire life to this pursuit.

To wield magic as a true mage—that was the ultimate dream of almost every alchemist.

And now, what Andrew had given him was a transcription of a portion of Elektra’s own notes—specifically, the section on the creation of flesh puppets and undead puppets.

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“So, you’re saying that flesh puppets and undead puppets were both invented by Elektra?” Gong Hao asked Andrew.

It was said that Elektra’s alchemical journals numbered many volumes, each chronicling his experiments, much like Gong Hao’s own work as a scribe. Gong Hao hadn’t expected the Lance Empire to possess a volume, but tactfully refrained from asking how it had come into their hands or how much it contained. Such matters were obviously taboo. All he needed was to know what he needed to know.

“That’s right. This was said to be one of Elektra’s works from his early years as a student of alchemy. One must admit, Elektra’s genius far surpassed our imagination or understanding. His student work alone has occupied our mentors and scholars for twenty years, and even now, we cannot fully reproduce it.”

“Cannot fully reproduce it?”

“Indeed. A flesh puppet is equivalent to a fourth-level knight. Compared to ordinary puppet warriors, their strength lies not in physicality but in their ability to cast spells. They can only release three types of spells, but combined with their puppet warrior physique and close-combat abilities, this makes them truly fearsome. As for undead puppets, they are crafted from corpses’ bones—originally an undead magic technique. But it differs from necromancy: necromancy requires constant magical energy to sustain summoned undead, and once the magic is depleted, the undead vanish. Undead puppets, however, have no such limitation. While they cannot cast spells like flesh puppets or possess the same impenetrable body as puppet warriors, their low cost and ability to retain their primal instincts make them advantageous.”

“Primal instincts?”

“Yes. In the earliest days, undead puppets were created from magical beasts. As you know, many magical beasts are immensely powerful. When their bones are used to craft undead puppets, and their innate abilities are awakened, they can be stronger than an ordinary knight. Unfortunately, as these powerful beasts gradually disappeared, suitable vessels for undead puppets dwindled. And unlike necromancy, which can summon endlessly, this art lost much of its purpose.”

So you started using human corpses instead? Gong Hao thought bitterly.

To his surprise, Andrew stated directly, “So, later, some began using the corpses of their own kind to make undead puppets.”

Gong Hao’s heart missed a beat. He didn’t know why Andrew had chosen to speak so frankly, but he immediately realized it was likely a test of his resistance to using humans as experimental subjects. So he maintained his composure and replied, “Sir, are there any particular advantages to making undead puppets from human bones?”

His expression showed concern only for the results, not the process, which satisfied Andrew.

“Naturally. The advantage is that the source material is inexhaustible and the cost is low. The main difference between undead puppets made from human bones and those from magical beasts is that we can equip the former with standardized armor, greatly enhancing their combat effectiveness. Unfortunately, such desecration of the dead has always been condemned by all nations. One hundred and fifty years ago, the three continents signed a pact: any nation found creating undead puppets from human remains would be denounced and jointly punished by all.”

Gong Hao curled his lip. “Tch. Whoever wins the war decides who gets punished. If undead puppets are useful, just use them. Who can tell who’s who once they’re armored? As long as you win the war and leave no enemy alive, no one will ever know.”

“Exactly!” Andrew laughed heartily. He grew ever more appreciative of Gong Hao’s willingness to disregard human life for the sake of alchemy. He even added, “In fact, it is not difficult to conceal this from other nations. If you mix undead puppets among ordinary puppet warriors and treat them with special powders so their remains disintegrate instantly upon destruction, no one can ever confirm their true nature. The ban merely prohibits open, large-scale use; small-scale deployment is rarely a problem. In truth, many nations secretly use the bones of executed criminals for undead puppets, though no one openly admits it. After all, these undead puppets do not decide the outcomes of wars.”

So that’s how it is, Gong Hao understood.

“So, we haven’t succeeded in fully recreating Elektra’s flesh and undead puppets? The ones we sent to the Freewind seem different from what’s described in these notes,” Gong Hao pressed.

Andrew replied, “There are indeed differences. Elektra’s flesh and undead puppets were both made from magical beasts. For undead puppets, we’re limited only by the dwindling number of magical beasts. But flesh puppets require a living soul as an anchor, otherwise spellcasting isn’t possible. The souls of magical beasts are typically either too strong or too weak, difficult to control. Currently, we can only use more common creatures such as the blood ape. But such puppets can only cast a single spell, and not very effectively—they are far from true flesh puppets, which should be as strong as fourth-level knights. In reality, they are only marginally stronger than ordinary puppet warriors.”

Gong Hao knew that the ‘blood apes’ Andrew referred to were, in fact, the young servant boys like himself.

They were treated as mere planters for magical spirits, their souls stripped, experimented upon with sigils, and their bodies used to make undead puppets—every bit of value squeezed from them.

These alchemists had become so depraved it was appalling, but for now Gong Hao could only smile and say,

“Please rest assured, Sir. I will study Elektra’s notes diligently and strive to recreate the true flesh puppet, so we’ll never need to use the souls of… blood apes again.”

“Excellent. Work hard, Grail. I trust you to bring us fortune. You have given me many surprises; now, this is your real test.”

“I swear, I will not fail your heavy trust and great expectations, Sir Andrew.”

Upon realizing the significance of the notes in his hands, Gong Hao’s first thought was this: if he could truly recreate these puppets, perhaps he could save the servant boys delivered each month from their living hell.

He did not consider himself a savior, but when it came to saving lives, he would not shrink back.

At that moment, he thought of Sizer, Fink, Sacker, Beale, and all the other boys—those who had come to Purgatory Isle before him, with him, and after him. Each one had already, or was now, walking toward death.

Now, he was the only one who could save them.

Never before had he so desperately yearned to unlock the secrets of Elektra’s inventions.