What Witch? This Alchemist is Breaking Bad!

Influencing history? That did sound like a method of advancement quite suitable for a transmigrator, though it was a bit too vague.

That was the first thought Leon had when he heard this hypothesis.

The overall level of development in this world was not as advanced as the one he had originally lived in. By using knowledge from different eras and combining it with sufficient resource support, achieving a feat capable of altering the course of history was still quite possible.

But exactly in which direction it had to be changed, and to what extent the change must reach in order to satisfy the requirements for advancement, remained unclear.

Assassinate some key historical figure? Start a war? Initiate a technological revolution? Or lead a class revolution?

At times like this, Leon found himself rather envious of the protagonists in the novels he had read in his previous life who possessed systems. By simply following the missions issued by the system, they could level up—at least there was a clear direction forward.

“So in that case, Saint Astarte first helped the Wolfgang Family unify the Empire, then predicted the destruction of the Islander Nation, and afterward led the army to attack the Islander Nation. Could it be that he was also trying to change the course of history?” Leon suddenly thought of this.

“Perhaps.” Weiss gave a relatively cautious answer.

“But he ultimately died because of it,” Leon continued.

As the saying went, the bird that sticks its head out gets shot. Attempting great deeds naturally brought greater risks. Revolutionaries were often those who shed their heads and spilled their blood. Whether it was truly necessary for him to take such enormous risks just to upgrade his abilities was still questionable.

“You really shouldn’t go around saying things like that outside,” Weiss suddenly said with a serious expression.

Those words alone would not lead to punishment for speech, but if they were spoken in front of some old-fashioned Archbishop, the bad impression left behind could easily cut off a person’s career path.

“Of course I understand.” Leon thought for a moment and then continued to ask, “Then how many tiers are there for the power of Blessings?”

“Based on what can be verified through practice, the current limit is the fourth tier. Reaching the fourth tier is what people call a Saint. Throughout history, those who have reached that level are extremely rare. Compared with the other Three Great Churches, the Church of the Prophet has fewer second- and third-tier Blessing Recipients, yet the number of Saints that have appeared is actually somewhat greater,” Weiss said.

Was that because those in high positions possessed more resources and were better able to grasp the tides of their era? Leon thought to himself.

However, based on normal reasoning, the magnitude of historical change required for advancement at different stages should also vary. Advancing from the first tier to the second tier probably would not require something as extreme as launching a revolutionary wave that swept across the entire continent.

Thinking about it this way, perhaps he could start by investing in inventions and carrying out some simple technological innovations. In any case, he did not lack money now. For areas where his own technical ability was insufficient, he could simply hire experts to complete the work.

At that moment Leon sensed something was wrong.

“Wait a moment. Since Astarte had already reached the highest level of Saint, why would he still pursue changing the future? Could it be that the fourth tier isn’t the true limit?”

He noticed that Weiss had said earlier that the fourth tier was the “limit proven in practice.” Did that mean there was also a “theoretical limit”?

“Well—” Weiss hesitated slightly before continuing her explanation. “Have you ever heard of the “Gods Are Dead” Theory?”

“Of course. Two hundred and seventy-five years ago, Bishop Raven left behind that famous theory in his personal notes. Because of it he was convicted of a serious crime and eventually died of illness in prison,” Leon replied. He knew at least that much history, and with the Blessing of the Supreme God it was even easier for him to recall.

“In fact, even earlier than that, there were people within the Church who held similar ideas and beliefs, though they expressed them in a way that was easier to accept. They believed the Four Gods of Origin might have entered slumber, or perhaps for some reason departed from the paradise they had created, leaving only their divine power behind in the world, waiting for someone qualified to inherit it and act on their behalf,” Weiss said.

Leon frowned and thought carefully.

Whether the gods had fallen asleep, departed, or died, the common point was that they were not directly overseeing the world with their will. Instead, they had merely left behind power and entrusted their followers to act in accordance with their will.

If that was the case, the upper limit of that power was difficult to determine. Could it surpass the limits of humanity and replace the gods in governing this world? That would be power beyond the level of a Saint—entering the realm of angels or demigods.

And if one followed the logic of the “Gods Are Dead” Theory, then if mortals could inherit the power of the gods, would there exist some method allowing humans to further replace the gods themselves?

“Could it be that within the Church there are people who believe humans can become gods?” Leon lowered his voice as he spoke.

According to the Church’s traditional views, such a statement would undoubtedly be blasphemous heresy. It was no wonder Bishop Raven had been judged for leaving behind the “Gods Are Dead” Theory in his notes.

But now that theory had been rehabilitated and considered to fall within the scope of academic freedom.

Did that mean that among the current upper ranks of the Church, there were once again people considering the idea that humans could become gods—just as three hundred years ago, Astarte destroyed the Islander Nation perhaps to surpass the level of a Saint?

“That possibility cannot be ruled out. At the very least, more than three hundred years ago, Saint Astarte supported the theory that after sealing Moilai, the gods left this created paradise. Although the Church never officially acknowledged it, many scholars believe that after helping the imperial family unify the Empire, he later launched the war that destroyed the Islander Nation in order to become a demigod—or perhaps an angel—so that he could replace the gods in managing this world and reshape its order,” Weiss said.

“An ambitious goal indeed,” Leon commented.

“In the end, this stems from the fact that the Four Gods of Origin left only this world and divine power that mortals could wield. They never truly conveyed their will to humanity. After so long, it isn’t strange that some people would begin to doubt whether the gods’ will even exists,” Weiss said.

“But Moilai clearly possesses a will. You said before that Moilai truly harbors hatred toward humanity,” Leon said.

“Yes. Moilai hates humanity and hates the Four Gods of Origin even more. There is plenty of evidence for that. Among heretics, there is a tradition of sacrificing living humans and even Blessing Recipients of the Four Gods of Origin to please Moilai. In fact, the Blessing of a Witch truly can be advanced by sacrificing Transcendents blessed by the Four Gods to Moilai,” Weiss said.

Hearing this, Leon immediately recalled that after he killed Caron Eso inside the Labyrinth, he obtained the Blessing of a Witch.

Could it be that when he later completed a ritual with Rena and both of them advanced in rank, it was also related to that earlier “sacrifice”?

“The power of a Witch can also advance in tiers. Could it be that the structure of Moilai’s Blessing… is similar to the Blessings of the gods?” Leon lowered his voice as much as possible.

“You absolutely must not say something like that outside,” Weiss reminded him seriously.

“I know.” Leon nodded.

He could only discuss such matters with Weiss. Not only was Weiss part of the Rose School, she was also his accomplice in violating Church regulations by experimenting with Magical Potions on Seri to treat Saltification Disease.

Moreover, Weiss worked at Saint Rosalia Prison and was an expert within the Church in studying Witches. It was rare for her to have the patience to discuss theology with him.

“In fact, Moilai’s Blessing and the Blessings of the gods do share similarities. There are foundational Blessings and Divine Arts, and they can advance in tiers, with the ranks corresponding one-to-one. In ancient Islander culture, Moilai was directly regarded as the Mother Goddess and believed to share the same origin as the Four Gods. She was worshipped alongside them. The Pentagram used by Witches today is a remnant of the Islander tradition of simultaneously worshipping five gods,” Weiss said.

“If they share the same origin, why does only Moilai retain hatred toward the other gods?” Leon asked.

“That was something the Islanders themselves studied as well. Even though they worshipped both the Four Gods and the Mother Goddess, they discovered that the Blessings of the Four Gods and the Blessing of Moilai conflicted with each other,” Weiss said.

“Conflicted?” Leon froze slightly upon hearing that.

He had considered the possibility that the Blessings of the Four Gods and Moilai’s Blessing might conflict. Because of that he had asked Bishop Becket about it beforehand.

After learning that there were precedents of Witches coexisting with the Blessings of the Four Gods of the Church, he decided to take a small risk and accept the Blessing of the Supreme God out of necessity for his plans. As it turned out, the two Blessings showed absolutely no conflict. In fact, they could even be used simultaneously and complemented one another.

“Yes. In fact, a person is not limited to possessing only one Blessing. At most, someone can possess two Blessings. In extremely rare situations, the Church will grant two Blessings to the same individual for certain reasons. The Blessings of the Four Gods are basically compatible with each other and can be used simultaneously.

But according to Islander records, if someone simultaneously possesses the Blessing of the Earth Mother Goddess and the Blessing of any one of the other Four Gods, the two Blessings will cause a severe backlash,” Weiss said.

“What kind of backlash?” Leon asked instinctively. Outwardly he appeared calm, but inside he was full of astonishment.

When he heard that coexistence was possible, he had already considered the possibility of conflict between Blessings, but assumed it would remain within a controllable range. With that assumption he had taken a calculated risk. Yet after receiving the Blessing of the Supreme God, he experienced absolutely no abnormal reaction.

Weiss suddenly fell silent, even shifting her gaze away for a moment as though she were considering something. Her expression looked somewhat subtle.

Just as Leon was about to press further, she spoke.

“According to the records preserved by the Islanders, if someone possesses two Blessings, Moilai will confiscate one part of the recipient’s body as the price.”

“Confiscate?”

“That means some part of the body will lose its function and become crippled. It could be a hand, a foot, a sense, or even internal organs. All are possible. However, the price will not cause death. Even if a vital part is lost, the person will still survive. The suffering caused by the disability remains unchanged, as though it were a punishment imposed by Moilai upon traitors,” Weiss said expressionlessly.

A price? I never had that at all? Leon felt deeply puzzled.

Bishop Becket had mentioned precedents of coexistence, but he had not known about this price. Leon himself had searched through many documents and never discovered such information. If he had known such a consequence existed, he might not have dared to take that risk.

Yet Leon had not lost any limbs, nor had his body shown any obvious abnormalities—

Suddenly something occurred to him.

“In those cases, could Moilai’s Blessing and the power granted by the Four Gods be used simultaneously?” he asked again.

“No. The records clearly state that the power of the Four Gods and the power of the Mother Goddess cannot be used simultaneously. However, in the Church’s practical experience, the Blessings of the Four Gods can indeed be used together and coordinate with each other,” Weiss said.

By the time he heard this, Leon was completely certain.

Just as he could obtain the Blessing of a Witch despite being male, he could simultaneously possess the Blessings of Moilai and the Supreme God without paying any price. Moreover, he could activate both Blessings at the same time without conflict.

All of these were exceptions unique to him!

Could this difference between him, a transmigrator, and the people of this world be the true cheat he possessed?

But the precise principle behind it was still unclear.

After thinking for a while without reaching any further conclusions, he gathered his thoughts. When he looked up, he saw that Weiss had also fallen silent in thought, as though she too were pondering something.

They had already talked for quite a long time. The pause brought by their contemplation conveniently placed a natural stop to the conversation.

Leon took the opportunity to pause the discussion.

“Sorry, we’ve been talking for so long that the dishes are getting cold. Let’s eat first.”

“Alright,” Weiss agreed.

They both reached out for their knives and forks at the same time. At that moment, her left hand suddenly touched the wine glass beside it.

The tall glass tilted and was about to spill the remaining wine. Leon reacted swiftly, standing up and slightly activating his Time Acceleration Ability. In his eyes, the speed at which the glass fell suddenly slowed, allowing him to seize the moment and lean forward to catch the glass before it toppled, preventing a single drop from spilling.

“Please be careful.” Leon placed the glass slightly farther away.

“Sorry.” Weiss brushed aside the hair by her temple with a somewhat embarrassed expression.

“Your bangs—” Leon reminded her cautiously. Weiss often used her fringe to cover her left eye. That seemed to be the reason she had bumped into the glass, though Leon was unsure whether she was concealing a scar or birthmark.

But he had occasionally glimpsed it before. Weiss’s left eye seemed somewhat different from that of ordinary people.

“It’s alright. I had an accident during an experiment in the past. Some reagent splashed into this eye, affecting my vision. It’s also somewhat sensitive to light, so I cover it with my hair. I’m sorry for the embarrassment,” Weiss explained.

“Not at all. I was the one who asked an unnecessary question,” Leon replied politely. A faint thought stirred in his mind, as though he had vaguely realized something.

Weiss lowered her head and silently stared at the glass of table wine she had almost knocked over.

With only one eye that could see, there were still many inconveniences in daily life.