Rise of the Alchemy God

.

The king, hearing the sudden question, shook his head as he replied in a composed tone:

"No, unfortunately not. Before ending up in that state, I sought answers from numerous skilled alchemists and court physicians, but none of them were able to understand what it was or how to cure it.

This eventually led me to go into hibernation to preserve my life as long as possible," he explained, not dwelling too much on the details.

He knew that the other party already had some understanding of the situation, so he didn't elaborate on everything in detail.

Ethan nodded in agreement.

"You were infected by a demonic Qi seed," he said without delving into what a virus was or explaining the mechanics of infection.

Simply referring to it as a seed, a spiritual seed, was enough to convey the idea and make people of this world understand the concept.

Hearing Ethan's words, both Han Wei and the others widened their eyes in shock.

Just as Ethan had expected, the people of this continent were aware of the existence of demons.

He wasn't sure whether everyone knew or only those of a certain status, but it didn't matter.

As long as they understood who the demons were and were aware of the threat they represented, their conversation would progress more smoothly.

And, just as he had thought, Han Wei grasped the situation and said:

"So someone implanted this demonic seed in me, but that shouldn't be possible, after all, the demons are still seal-"

Only then did his eyes widen in realization.

He had been conscious when he heard the news of some demons invading the human continent.

In fact, he had personally confirmed whether their barrier had been compromised or not.

After all, he held one of the three cursed objects left behind by their savior two thousand years ago.

Thanks to it, they could sense the state of the barrier, just as they could open a portal between the three continents, the beast continent and the human continent.

It was also possible to open one to the demonic continent, but he didn't know where the third object was.

After all, two of the three had been entrusted to them, and the third, as far as he knew, had been lost somewhere.

He would have never imagined that this object had already been found and was now in Ethan's hands.

Ethan, too, had already noticed a bracelet with a violet pearl embedded in it on Han Wei's wrist. He could immediately tell that it was the third cursed object.

He planned to take it with him once this matter was resolved. After all, it was far too dangerous to leave it in the hands of a mortal realm individual, and he was fully aware of this fact.

Although the conflicts between the two races had ceased long ago, there was no guarantee that once the demons were eliminated, the conflicts would resume.

Even so, Ethan had made preparations for such an eventuality.

But that was a matter for later; for now, he had more urgent things to address.

So he said:

"It's just as you imagine. The demons have already set foot on this continent, and not only that.

Unlike the human continent, your continent could already be said to be almost half lost," he stated without sugarcoating his words.

Clearly, hearing such grave news, everyone's eyes widened in terror as they stammered:

"N-no, how is that possible? I'm certain the other kingdoms are still intact; I checked them personally before entering my dormant state," Han Wei said, struggling to believe that part of their continent was already doomed.

"Whether you believe it or not, this is the reality. But don't misunderstand my words," Ethan interrupted their thoughts before they could spiral.

"I said

almost

.

As of now, the same disease that afflicted you has already infected more than half of the people on this continent. It just needs the activation signal before it spreads completely among these individuals," he explained.

***

In another part of the Dragon Kingdom's capital, a figure was speeding through the air at high velocity when something caught his attention.

"Hm?"

Pulling out an object from his dimensional ring, he discovered it was the communication talisman used by his family in case of emergencies.

Seeing it, Han Lei frowned as he held it in his hand, contemplating.

'Return to the palace immediately?'

Han Lei wasn't sure what had happened, but for his family to send a message via the talisman, requesting his immediate return, was definitely no trivial matter.

Tch.

With an annoyed expression, he put the talisman away and headed towards the mountain range where the royal palace resided.

Given his cultivation base, it wouldn't take him more than 30 minutes at most to reach the palace, so he sped towards it.

As he flew, his thoughts drifted to the meeting he had a few hours ago.

One of his subordinates had informed him that one of the various traces of the demonic seed present in the capital had suddenly disappeared.

Although tracking every infected individual was an impossible task for them, monitoring a few in a city still in the early stages of infestation wasn't too difficult. As such, they had been able to detect that one of the vessels for the impending infestation had vanished.

Although the matter itself wasn't overly alarming or significant, Han Lei had no intention of leaving any variable that could interfere with his plans unchecked. Hence, he had personally gone to investigate.

He didn't know the identities of those who were vessels for the infestation, but he could identify them through special means. Thus, he discovered that the last known location of the vessel was in an area near the city's outskirts.

Unfortunately for him, upon reaching the site, he couldn't find any trace of the vessel or the infection.

It was as if it had completely disappeared, which should have been impossible. After all, even if the host were to die, the demonic seed would not.

But he found no trace of it, which made him feel uneasy.

He had intended to contact the demons and personally inquire about the progress of the plan, but this sudden call forced him to postpone it.

He didn't know what had happened at the palace, but he hoped it wasn't anything too problematic.

He had already made all the necessary preparations, and the plan was close to beginning.

He couldn't wait to see everyone's expressions when he finally claimed the throne.

With this in mind, he sped toward the castle, unaware of what awaited him there.