Chapter Fifteen: Electra's Laboratory

In front of a cliff face nearly a thousand meters from the tunnel, Huey finally discovered a massive stone door.

The heavy door lacked any visible mechanisms or handles, yet it was engraved with a small, intricate hexagram formation. Huey placed his hand upon the diagram, carefully sensing the runes marked within: "This is an activation formation, but it seems incomplete. It appears Electra requires us to complete this pattern before the door will open."

Completing the formation left behind by Electra was not difficult; in fact, it was a very common activation array that anyone with a basic grasp of alchemy could understand. The challenge was that even for the same array, different materials could produce vastly different results. No one knew what materials Electra had used to craft this specific formation. If Huey used the wrong components to fill in the gaps, he might inadvertently destroy the entire array. He had to analyze the chemical composition before he could attempt to replicate it. That was the true difficulty.

"Woof!" Xu, held in his arms, let out two barks, watching Huey with curiosity.

Huey understood the creature’s intent and patted its small head. "No, Xu, we cannot force our way through the stone door. No one likes it when others treat their home with violence. Since Electra left conditions here for opening the gate, the consequences of ignoring his intent could be unpredictable."

"We must fulfill Electra’s requirements; this is perhaps a test he left for his successors," Huey stated firmly, then smiled with confidence. "However, this cannot stump me."

Huey withdrew various specialized alchemical tools from his ring, scraped off a few samples of the materials used to construct the array, and began analyzing their composition.

"Phosphorescent powder... fish-wort... blood of an Aruba lizard..." Huey muttered to himself. "Eighteen types of materials in total—three more than a standard activation formation. I can identify two, but the third remains a mystery. It must be something capable of maintaining efficacy over a long duration... this formation has persisted for at least three hundred years."

"Let me think, what could these materials be mixed with to generate a continuous supply of energy?" Huey pondered deeply. He went through several scenarios, shaking his head at each one. "Perhaps it is a material I have never seen or used before."

He looked toward the strange magical plants in the valley behind him.

"Cat-eye flower—that is the magical plant I am least familiar with. Xu, let’s go pick one to study. Perhaps Electra used one of the materials from here as a medium; he would not leave us with an unsolvable puzzle!" Huey exclaimed.

Returning to his most proficient field of alchemy, Huey became incredibly excited, his thoughts clearing rapidly. If his pursuit of martial arts and magic was merely out of necessity for survival, his passion for alchemy was absolute. Interest fuels careers, and it also fuels genius. Huey was, without a doubt, a genius in alchemy.

After carefully analyzing the components and quantities of the materials in the formation and conducting repeated experiments, Huey finally determined the composition of the array. The next moment, he used the refined materials to mend and complete the unfinished formation.

The array emitted a dazzling light, and the stone door groaned open with a heavy, creaking sound.

Like every alchemical laboratory Huey Griller had ever seen, the space behind the stone door was vast and filled with all manner of alchemical tools. In the center stood a massive stone pillar, and surrounding it was a large, hollow, circular table. This was entirely different from the square tables used by typical alchemists; it looked more like a bar counter used by a bartender. Huey could easily imagine why Electra chose a round table over a square one: he always performed his experiments alone. A circular table allowed him to reach every corner of the workspace, maximizing efficiency. From this detail alone, one could see Electra’s pursuit of optimization.

There were five such hollow circular tables in the laboratory—one large and four small. Each was covered in materials and tools: crucibles of all sizes, test tubes, solvents, and ingredients harvested from various magical plants, beasts, and insects, forming a world of alchemy. Remarkably, despite the passage of three hundred years, there was not a speck of dust, nor was anything damaged. It looked as if Electra had used some method to freeze time within this space.

In the center of the circular table sat a peculiarly shaped chair. Huey noticed it was a magical chair. He took out an energy crystal and placed it into the slot beneath the seat; the chair wobbled and began to hover in the air.

"So that's how it is," Huey said with a laugh, watching the floating chair. "Electra’s pursuit of efficiency reached the point of perfection. Can you imagine, Xu? He would sit in this flying chair, experimenting at one table, then zipping over to another. He must have been incredibly busy while working. With just a shout—'Table 3!'—*whoosh*, the chair would fly over. He must have been extremely occupied; we can tell from his two notebooks that he was always conducting different experiments simultaneously. Heavens, what was his brain made of? How could he maintain such a high level of mental output?"

Huey rambled on, filled with excitement. In his mind, he could already picture a white-bearded old man floating about in a flying chair, waving test tubes in his hands and directing puppet assistants. He was thrilled. Xu lay in Huey’s arms, feeling quite depressed, wishing he could tell Huey that even with their telepathic bond, he couldn't understand a word of this, and even if he could, he would have no interest in it.

To Huey’s surprise and delight, he discovered an intact magical construct in the laboratory.

This construct was unlike any other Huey had seen. It did not have the steel-like skin of other constructs, nor was it equipped with weapons. On the contrary, it had an oversized, almost comical head, with short, puny limbs that appeared devoid of strength. Huey approached the construct with curiosity, carefully observing it, and realized it had likely been placed here after its energy was exhausted.

Behind the construct was an energy slot. Huey inserted an energy crystal; following a flash of light, the construct’s joints emitted a creaking sound. Its head wobbled slightly, and as it saw Huey standing before it, it seemed to sense something. Surprisingly, a look of confusion appeared in its eyes.

"This is incredible. Do you have thoughts?" Huey blurted out.

The construct shook its head, as if thinking, then said, "If I am not mistaken, you are my new master, correct?" Its voice was raspy, and its speech very slow, like gears lacking lubricant.

"Yes," Huey nodded. "Then your previous master must have been Electra?"

"Electra?" Confusion crossed the construct’s eyes again. Then, contrary to Huey's expectations, it shook its head. "My memory core has sustained some damage. I cannot confirm who my previous master was, as I cannot find any record of me addressing my master by name. I only know what my duty is."

"What is your duty?" Huey asked hurriedly.

"Master's assistant," the construct replied.

A construct assistant! Huey was so excited he almost jumped. This was not the dull, reactive, mindless assistant that Haynes used on Purgatory Island, but a clear, thinking assistant. Judging by its speech, it possessed a significant degree of intelligence, capable of expressing emotions like confusion and surprise.

"This is truly astonishing. Electra was creating life!" Huey exclaimed.

"Creating life?" The construct assistant thought for a moment, then nodded slowly. "Yes, that was indeed one of the subjects my master researched in his later years. He longed to create eternal, undying life."

Eternal, undying life? Huey couldn't help but gasp. "And did he succeed?"

The construct shook its head. "I do not know. I only know that he left this place."

"Do you know what he intended to do?"

"Only a little. It seemed to be related to soul magic."

Soul magic? Soul magic again? For some reason, Huey realized that all of Electra's major inventions were almost entirely related to soul magic. The flesh-puppets, the Giant Troll God, and now even the creation of eternal life. And Electra himself was a soul mage—this had already been confirmed by the Magic Dragon, Rita.

Huey felt he was closing in on Electra’s secrets, but unfortunately, he could never break through that final, crucial layer. And it seemed this construct didn't know much more.

"Perhaps you can start by telling me about Electra's achievements in this laboratory. I mean, while you were helping your master work, you must have known what he was primarily doing, why he left, what he left behind, and why he left you."

The construct thought again before replying, "My former master’s primary work here was researching new types of constructs."

"Was it the Giant Troll God?" Huey asked excitedly.

"No, Master believed that kind of construct was not perfect enough."

Not perfect enough? Huey was stunned. Could Electra have had creations even more perfect than the Giant Troll God? Regardless, at least one thing was certain: this laboratory was indeed Electra’s, and a late-stage one at that. When Electra worked here, he had already finished creating the Giant Troll God and had begun researching new constructs and the life eternal.

Taking a deep breath, Huey said, "Then, can you help me continue to research and complete your master's projects?"

"Yes." This time, the construct did not hesitate, answering immediately, "This is the mission my master bestowed upon me; it is the reason for my existence. Unconditional obedience to my master is the highest principle I follow."

"Very good. By the way, do you have a name?"

"Master called me Number Six."

"Number Six... that means you were the sixth construct assistant. Very well, I understand. From today on, I will call you Number Six as well. Now, Number Six, I need you to tell me what Electra left behind here."

"I cannot answer that question, as I fell into a deep sleep due to energy exhaustion before my master departed."

"Fine, then I shall find the answers myself," Huey sighed.

Fortunately, Electra’s laboratory was not particularly large, so it wouldn't be too difficult for Huey to search for the items left behind. At the back of the lab was a row of massive storage cabinets. Huey opened them eagerly, only to find most of them empty. It seemed Electra hadn't left anything specifically for future generations.

Soon, Huey spotted a notebook lying quietly in one of the cabinets. "Found it!" he shouted with excitement. This was the third notebook of Electra’s that Huey Griller had discovered. He couldn't wait to open it.

The first sentence he read was: *True power can only be obtained through knowledge.*

"True power can only be obtained through knowledge," Huey murmured the phrase to himself. A burning light appeared in his eyes, and he began to flip through the notebook page by page. Time seemed to freeze, with only the rustling of pages breaking the silence. Xu watched Huey with curiosity, unable to understand what content could make him so obsessed.

After a long while, Huey finally looked up. He tucked the notebook away and hurried to the other side of the lab, taking a larger energy crystal from his ring and placing it into a slot on the wall. As the laboratory received a surge of energy, all the magical lamps lit up at once, turning the once-dim space as bright as day.

"Of the three notebooks I've obtained, this one is the most detailed and valuable—it even includes an introduction to this laboratory. There is no doubt this was intentionally left for future generations," Huey said rapidly. "It records alchemical techniques that are extremely useful for my current situation. Xu, we must implement these techniques immediately. And we must sow the seeds. We have so much to do. From now on, we will be very, very busy."

Huey spoke loudly as he began to search the entire lab. Xu watched with surprise as Huey paced from one end of the lab to the other, muttering, "It must be here. Since Electra said he left behind a sample, it must be in some corner of this place."

The laboratory consisted of three rooms. Besides the central main hall used for alchemy and production, there was a small bedroom and a storage room for finished products. After failing to find his target in the main hall, Huey hurried to the storage room. Before long, he shouted, "Found it!"

He opened a large iron chest in the corner and carefully lifted out an object: a humanoid vessel, like a puppet warrior, glowing with a golden light.

"The Adamantine Puppet! Another of Electra’s inventions that never saw the light of day. Electra hoped to use this to replace the Giant Troll God. I don't know how powerful it is, but there is no doubt that this is exactly what we need, Xu! This thing makes my counter-attack plan much more certain!" Huey cried out in excitement.

He grabbed the small dragon and gave it a kiss, shouting, "From today on, this is our home. We will be living here for a while! Now, we must gather all the materials we need to craft the Adamantine Puppet. Believe me, it will be a great invention that will shock the entire Empire! We are going to give those hounds chasing us a taste of their own medicine!"

The little dragon felt very uncomfortable with Huey’s passionate and frenzied display. *I hate alchemy; it makes even the calmest person act unreasonably,* the little creature thought indignantly.

In truth, ever since discovering Electra’s laboratory, Huey’s heart had never been at peace. The discovery of the construct assistant and the Adamantine Puppet had driven him into a state of ecstasy. Historically, an alchemist's primary combat power was concentrated in their constructs. Over centuries of development, alchemists had invented hundreds of types of constructs. However, no one had ever surpassed Electra in this field; his Giant Troll God was proof of that.

Yet for Huey, the use of constructs had always been a major problem. Unlike all the great alchemists in history, the greatest difficulty he faced during his growth wasn't talent or materials, but the persistent pursuit by the Empire. Due to the soul conditions required for constructs, he couldn't carry them inside his spatial ring. This meant that unless he was prepared to expose himself, he couldn't use them in battle. As a result, he had always had to focus on martial arts and magic, using alchemical formations to assist him in combat.

The inability to use constructs had been a thorn in Huey's side. Much of his reason for following Electra’s footsteps and searching for his labs was the hope of finding a construct that didn't require soul energy to operate. He believed that even Electra wouldn't have liked the idea of dragging an army of constructs with him everywhere he went.

Finding an Electra lab was difficult enough, let alone finding one that contained exactly what he needed. Electra’s research was as deep as the sea; who knew when you might stumble upon one of his discoveries? He hadn't expected the god of luck to truly favor him this time. Shortly after setting out to find the lab, he had found one, and it contained exactly what he had been seeking—the Adamantine Puppet. This made even Huey wonder if the heavens were intentionally helping him, or if this was a reward for his years of hard work.

In this life, no matter how hard one tries, there are some things that cannot be accomplished without luck. And this time, his luck was undeniably good.

The Adamantine Puppet was another of Electra’s inventions, created after the Giant Troll God. By that time, Electra had begun to feel the pain of being burdened by his own fame, so he realized he needed to create a puppet that could be carried in a spatial ring to solve his travel issues. The idea for the Adamantine Puppet was born under these circumstances.

Electra had always used soul magic as a supplementary method for advanced constructs. In this regard, he had cheated, because while alchemists sought to replace magic with alchemy, he had fused magic into alchemy. However, to solve the portability issue, Electra had been forced to reconsider from a purely alchemical perspective, aiming to create a powerful combat construct using only alchemy. In this respect, Electra considered the Adamantine Puppet superior to the Giant Troll God—though in terms of actual combat power, it was still a step behind.

But for Huey, the Adamantine Puppet was clearly more practical than the Giant Troll God. Looking at the golden, century-old puppet, Huey gently stroked its metallic skin, a cold chill running through his heart. According to Electra’s notes, the Adamantine Puppet’s greatest feature was its immense defensive and shapeshifting capabilities. It was crafted from a special metal that could only be forged through alchemy. Fortunately, Electra’s notes contained the method for creating this metal.

Some patterns were engraved on the puppet’s skin—a special type of magic rune. When Electra gave up using soul gems as the central processing system for receiving and executing commands, these magic runes became his substitute. These runes could resonate with the magical elements in the air; although they could not generate even the lowest level of self-awareness, they could receive specific instructions. In other words, Electra was still indirectly fusing magic into alchemy. Only this time, he didn't fuse magic into the construction itself, but into the command and control process.

To control the Adamantine Puppet, all commands had to be issued in the form of magic. Through the commands transmitted via magical elements, the puppet could quickly understand, accept, and execute its master’s orders as if it possessed a soul gem.

"In the name of the Creator, summon the most powerful magical force, and grant it to my humble servant..." Huey murmured.

The magic runes on the Adamantine Puppet emitted rays of light. The construct, sealed for a century, slowly raised its lowered head and looked at Huey.

"I... am your new master," Huey recited.

The Adamantine Puppet knelt on both knees, its heavy body slamming into the floor with a dull thud.

"Let me see your strength," Huey commanded, infusing his magic into his words, stirring the air of the laboratory.

The Adamantine Puppet stood up, and its right arm transformed into a sharp blade, stabbing fiercely into the ground in front of Huey and piercing through the floor. Huey smiled in satisfaction.

The Adamantine Puppet invented by Electra was, in fact, a special construct with shapeshifting attack capabilities! It was just like a Terminator.