Leave a comment

Father took Hom and I home and then went back to the Black Dragon Lantern Clinic. He planned to take a few days off from his military duties to stay with Mother. His decision seemed intended to reassure me, but it had the opposite effect.

Judging by the spots, it was the very early stage of the Black Stone Disease, but I could only see her arm. I couldn’t shake the fear that it might be spreading unseen elsewhere on her body, and I grew increasingly suspicious that Father and the doctors weren’t telling me the whole truth.

“I need to obtain the recipe for the Black Stone Disease suppressant as soon as possible…”

My anxious thoughts escaped my lips, and I realized I had been biting my thumbnail hard.

“Oh…”

Out of frustration, I had unconsciously reverted to Glass’ old habit, something I had long forgotten. If only my past self had conveyed the formula for the Black Stone Disease suppressant to the academic community…

I (Glass) had only ever conducted alchemical research for my own benefit. While I left behind numerous alchemical records separate from my now-destroyed atelier, they were stored in a special space known as the World of Truth.

To access the World of Truth, a ritual using Darklight was necessary. By creating a vacuum state in the aether and performing a specified summoning chant, the gate to that world could be opened.

Normally, only those with the proper qualifications could enter, but whether fortunately or unfortunately, I retained the memories of my past life. My soul had inherited from Glass, and I was living two lives at once.

If that was the case, I might be able to pass through the gate of truth and retrieve the grimoire named the Ars Magna, which Glass had left behind.

With this thought in mind, I took out the Darklight that I had stored in the depths of my atelier desk. Though it had become considerably smaller after the battle with the Auro Rabbit, it was still large enough.

I need to hurry.

I quickly wrote a note to Alfe to inform her that tomorrow’s celebration was canceled and gave it to Hom to deliver.

“Hom, please take this note to Alfe’s house.”
“Understood, Master.”

While Hom was out, I went into the garden and drove a fragment of Darklight into the ground. Within five minutes, the air around me began to change. It felt suffocating, sapping my strength and making my skin prickle. The sensation spread in concentric circles, growing stronger toward the point where I had driven the Darklight into the earth.

“The origin of wisdom lies in the singular base metal—”
“Master!”

Hom interrupted my chant.

“I am about to enter the World of Truth. Please watch over the place while I’m gone, Hom.”
“No. I am coming with you.”

Hom, who should have sworn absolute loyalty to me, defied my order.

“The World of Truth is dangerous. I must protect you, even at the cost of my life.”

I understood. Hom was defying my order because she inherited my memories. The strangeness of the World of Truth and the presence of the ‘Administrator’ made even my skin crawl.

Having the qualifications to enter the World of Truth was a milestone for any alchemist, but the strangeness and danger of that world were beyond imagination, far worse than the difficult path to reach it. Although I wished I could take Hom with me, I shook my head, knowing it wasn’t possible.

“Hom, you don’t have the qualifications. You should be repelled at the gate.”
“My body is a replica of your genes, Master. While the soul within is different, I am essentially an entity almost identical to you.”

Hom’s response was calm. I hadn’t expected to witness the effects of emotional suppression in this way. In contrast, I was losing my composure. I needed to remain calm, or the Administrator might toy with me.

“Understood. If you get repelled, give up and wait here. Do you understand, Hom?”
“Yes, Master.”

With that command, I repositioned myself at the center of the aether vacuum created by the Darklight.

The origin of wisdom lies in the singular base metal,
Spinning all wisdom to reach the noble metal,
Weaving the entirety of past and present creation is the corridor of immutable and non-urgent wisdom,
In my hand lies the solution of infinite heavens,
Forged and bound as the primordial key to the heavens,
Now, open,
And I shall step beyond,
The pinnacle of the ultimate point.

I closed my eyes and completed the summoning chant. The gate appeared silently behind me. A sharp chill, like icy fingers trailing down my back, made me turn around. There, towering over us, was the enormous gate, staring down at us.

“The Gate of Truth… it seems I still possess the qualifications…”

The door was covered in inscriptions and symbols that I couldn’t decipher. Even the Sefirot, the only familiar element, seemed to writhe ominously under the eerie aura emanating from within the Gate of Truth.

“Beyond this point, only those with the necessary qualifications may proceed. Touch the gate and see if you possess them.”
“Understood, Master.”

Hom stepped forward and placed her hand on the gate alongside me. The door of the Gate of Truth, which appeared to be made of stone, pulsed beneath our palms as if it were a living creature.

A sensation of countless eyes opening and staring at me overwhelmed my senses. Although nothing was visible, it felt as though an endless multitude of eyes were fixated on me. Unable to endure their gaze, I instinctively shut my eyes.