Rebirth : The Alchemist's Path

"Boom, boom, boom..."

A few breaths later, the vortex of thunder in the sky surged once again.

A massive lightning column descended from the heavens, carrying the boundless might of the sky.

This time, everyone in the Holy City felt a sense of anticipation.

Such a powerful heavenly tribulation should at least destroy a large number of houses, right?

"Boss, this lightning tribulation..."

Meylan, who was still absorbing the power from the lightning, sensed a terrifying aura. He couldn't help but glance worriedly at Sylvus.

The power of this lightning strike surpassed the total of the previous eight.

Could the boss really handle this?

"Focus on your breakthrough," Sylvus said calmly, his gaze fixed on the descending lightning column.

As the thunderbolt reached within a hundred meters of him, Sylvus let out a cold snort.

"Come here!"

The next moment, the imposing lightning column shuddered slightly.

Then, to everyone's shock, the lightning began to disperse.

Countless arcs of purple electricity gathered in Sylvus' palm.

"Hiss..."

In a few breaths, the thunderbolt vanished again. In Sylvus' hand now rested a small, finger-sized purple thunderball, pulsating with endless energy.

Sylvus glanced at Meylan, who was wide-eyed, staring at him in disbelief.

"Can't you absorb the energy any faster?" Sylvus asked, frowning.

"Huh? Oh, yes, right away..." Meylan snapped back to reality, his heart still full of fear.

Was that the end of the tribulation?

Meylan swallowed hard.

Just moments ago, he was certain he was going to die under the tribulation. He had even begun preparing for the worst.

But now?

The tribulation was ridiculously easy—he hadn't done anything at all.

"No, wait... It's not that the tribulation was easy; it's that the boss is beyond terrifying."

Meylan couldn't help but glance at Sylvus, who was casually juggling three thunderballs in his hand.

Catching the lightning from the heavens bare-handed... The boss was definitely more powerful than any Mage or legendary figure.

No longer hesitating, Meylan closed his eyes and continued absorbing the energy, excitement building within him. He was certain now—his breakthrough to mage Emperor was assured.

...

The Holy City fell into an eerie silence.

Everyone stared blankly at the dispersing vortex of thunder in the sky.

Was that really the end of the tribulation?

Where was the earth-shattering destruction they expected?

Where was the promised cataclysm?

The lightning didn't even manage to destroy a single house.

The residents of the Holy City felt a wave of disappointment wash over them, having expected far more from the legendary heavenly tribulation.

But those who understood the true nature of what happened were still in shock.

"I never imagined there was such a powerful figure hidden in the Holy City. I've never seen anyone pass through a heavenly tribulation like this."

"Others can't copy this method. To control the tribulation like this, what level of power does this person possess?"

"Could he be a Ruler of Magic? But even a Ruler of Magic doesn't have such capabilities."

...

Some of the powerful beings around Sylvus' shop were discussing amongst themselves.

Meanwhile, Mor and the Mage Soveriegn Masi, finally snapped out of their stupor.

"What do you think? Could he be a Ruler of Magic?" Masi asked Mor, frowning.

Mor hesitated, as just a short while ago, he had confidently claimed that no Rulers of Magic existed on the continent.

But now, standing before an entity far more powerful than anything they could imagine, he was at a loss for words.

"Whether he is or not, we absolutely must not provoke him. We can't afford to," Mor replied, taking a deep breath.

If someone could catch heavenly lightning with their bare hands, Mor dared not stir any trouble. If that person wished, they could reduce the entire Holy City to rubble with a simple gesture.

Masi nodded in agreement, his gaze fixed on the two figures above the shop.

Above Sylvus' shop.

Sylvus waited for Meylan to absorb the remaining energy from the lightning and finish his breakthrough. However, he quickly became aware of the countless gazes directed toward him.

This caused him to frown. Why were so many people up at this hour, staring at him?

"Scram!" Sylvus said casually.

Though his voice was soft, it echoed clearly for everyone around the area to hear.

For those who had witnessed Sylvus' feats, the casual command felt like a heavy blow.

Their hearts filled with dread.

Having seen Sylvus' overwhelming power, no one dared disobey or provoke him.

"Forgive us, Senior. We will leave immediately," Mor quickly replied, glancing around at the other spectators.

"Please pardon us, Senior," the others murmured quickly before making a hasty retreat, no longer daring to spy on Sylvus' activities.

However, amidst the departing crowd, one elderly white-haired figure's eyes glinted with a strange light, as if he was contemplating something.

After everyone left, Mor and Masi also swiftly departed, heading back towards the royal palace without delay.

Meanwhile, Sylvus continued his wait, seemingly bored, as Meylan absorbed the final remnants of the lightning.

...

"Uncle Mor, Mage Sovereign Masi, what happened?" Boone asked as soon as they returned to the palace.

---

Boone looked at Mor and Masi in front of him as they exchanged glances.

Finally, they took a deep breath and recounted everything they had just witnessed.

*Sss...*

"Uncle, are you serious? Is this shop owner really that powerful?" Boone asked in shock after hearing their account.

"This person can manipulate the heavenly tribulation as if it were a mere toy. His power might surpass even that of a Ruler of Magic," Masi said, gazing at the sky outside. Mor nodded in agreement.

"A figure this powerful, hiding within the Holy City... If he intends to do harm, we're all doomed..." Boone frowned, his voice filled with concern.

"If he truly intends harm, how could we possibly stop him? I've already informed everyone who knows about this event to keep silent. If they dare speak about what happened tonight, they will be executed!" Mor said seriously.

Since Sylvus had chosen to hide in the Holy City, he clearly had a reason. They might not know his purpose, but now that they were aware, exposing his identity could trigger his wrath. By then, it would be too late to save themselves, and perhaps there wouldn't be a single soul on the continent capable of opposing him.

Boone quickly realized the gravity of the situation and nodded in agreement. But in the next moment, his expression shifted dramatically.

"What's wrong?" Mor asked, noticing Boone's change in demeanor.

"Uncle... I think... I think we still owe him ten billion magic crystals," Boone said nervously, swallowing hard.

Earlier, Nat had informed him that if they didn't repay the ten billion magic crystals to Sylvus within three days, Sylvus would demand an apology on his knees. At the time, Boone had been furious, thinking Sylvus was overstepping and asking for death. But now, it was clear that he had been the one flirting with danger.

If Sylvus actually demanded it, could he even afford to remain standing? Boone wasn't foolish enough to believe that he was stronger than heavenly tribulation itself.

"Then what are you waiting for? Quickly repay the ten billion magic crystals! Our royal family cannot afford to provoke such a formidable enemy!" Mor urged.

"No, we can't go now. They're likely still in the middle of breaking through. If we go now, it might displease him. We should go tomorrow," Masi suggested.

"Uncle, Nat is the one who owes the money, and we still have three days. I'll have him stand by tonight and deliver the payment first thing in the morning," Boone said, rushing out the door.

After Boone left, Masi turned to Mor.

"How's the situation at the Abyss?" Masi asked.

"The seal is weakening. It won't be long before the undead break through and return to the Aslar continent," Mor replied.

"In a few days, it'll be the Emperor's birthday. The elves and dwarves will be attending, so we can discuss the matter of the Abyss then," Masi nodded, his eyes lifting to the sky.

"Three thousand years have passed, and now we no longer have any Rulers of Magic to rely on. If that shop owner is willing to help, we might be able to overcome this far more easily," Masi added.

Mor remained silent.

...

*Boom, boom...*

As Meylan absorbed the last trace of lightning power, his magic erupted completely. His aura transformed as he broke through to the rank of Mage Emperor.

Seeing this, Sylvus finally let out a sigh of relief.

The reason he had been watching over Meylan was out of concern that Meylan might fail in his breakthrough. If Meylan had died, it wouldn't have been much of an issue, but failing to complete the mission would have been.

[System Alert: Meylan has successfully broken through to the rank of One-Star Mage Emperor. Mission complete. Host has been awarded the Forbidden Magic Tome Fragment, now stored in the system space. Please check.]

Hearing the system notification, Sylvus smiled.

Finally, he had acquired the second fragment of the Forbidden Magic Tome. He wondered what kind of forbidden magic it would contain this time.

"Hahaha, Boss! I've broken through Mage Emperor!" Meylan exclaimed excitedly as he stood up and looked at Sylvus.

"It's just Mage Emperor. Nothing impressive," Sylvus shrugged nonchalantly.

Meylan chuckled sheepishly.

For the boss, being an Mage Emperor was nothing significant, but for him, reaching this level was the dream of a lifetime.

*Bang...*

"Boss, if it weren't for your help, I would've died for sure today. No wonder you slapped me earlier today—you were helping me break through," Meylan said as he knelt before Sylvus, his eyes full of gratitude.

At first, he had felt wronged when Sylvus slapped him out of nowhere. But now he realized it was all part of the boss's plan to help him reach the level of mage Emperor.

Sylvus rolled his eyes.

*What are you even thinking?* he thought.

He had slapped Meylan earlier purely out of impulse.

"Alright, enough with the chatter. Go solidify your breakthrough," Sylvus replied, turning to head downstairs.

As Sylvus walked away, Meylan's gaze filled with determination.

In his life, he had made many mistakes.

But as he grew older, he had finally done something right: falling into debt with Sylvus.

If Sylvus knew what Meylan was thinking, he might have smacked him dead on the spot.

*You're proud of being in debt now?*

By this time, Sylvus had returned to his room.

With a hint of excitement, he opened the system space and retrieved the Forbidden Magic Tome Fragment.