It was early in the morning when Mr. F awoke from his deep sleep. He stretched and yawned, feeling the stiffness leave his body. After donning a fresh robe, he left his room, ready to tackle the challenges of the new day.

As he made his way towards his laboratory, he could sense a pair of eyes on him. Suddenly, a woman stepped forward, bowing slightly as she greeted him. "Good day, Mr. F. My name is Tem, though most call me Sister Tem or Sis Tem for short. Don't be surprised, it is simply my title from the church."

Mr. F raised an eyebrow as he looked at her. From the way she spoke and carried herself, he could quickly deduce which church she was referring to. The Church of Light, which believes in the salvation of humanity through death, is the largest religious faction on this continent. In contrast, there is also the Church of Shadow, which believes that death is merely the beginning of another world.

While Mr. F was considering this, Tem continued, "I have permission to enter the laboratory, and I wanted to speak with you about an incident that occurred in the city a few days ago. If you have time, we can discuss it right now."

Mr. F grew serious and invited her into his room. They sat across from each other as Tem took out a magical artifact.

"This is a recording artifact. It will document our conversation and be kept for our further investigations," she explained.

Mr. F nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. "Very well, Sister Tem. What is this incident you wish to discuss?"

Tem activated the artifact, and a soft glow filled the room. "Three days ago, a series of attacks took place in the city. The victims included servants of a local baron and members of an underground organization in the city. Additionally, the night before, several citizens were killed, among them individuals targeted by the underground organization for specific reasons."

Tem paused, watching Mr. F intently, hoping to catch a flicker of reaction on his face. However, Mr. F remained composed and asked calmly, "And what does this have to do with me?"

Tem responded, "We are currently investigating all individuals who have entered the city in the past seven days. This is nothing more than a standard procedure." She then looked at Mr. F more closely. "However, our investigations have revealed that you had contact with one of the deceased individuals shortly before their death. Would you care to elaborate on this?"

"Indeed," Mr. F replied. "It is truly tragic what happened. You are probably referring to Lily, a girl who ran a tavern on the outskirts of the city. I had rented a room from her and was exploring the city. When I returned, she was dead, and there was nothing I could do for her," he added, his face showing a hint of sorrow.

"And why didn't you report this?" Tem asked.

"I'll be honest, Miss Tem. I was afraid for my life!" he said, his face full of fear. "After all, I had seen some dangerous characters before I left the tavern. I'm new to this city and didn't want any trouble or to risk my life," he said, his voice filled with helplessness.

"Besides, why should I risk my life? Lily was already dead, a fact that couldn't be changed. Even if I had brought those scoundrels to justice, what would I have gained from it?" said Mr. F, his tone tinged with bitterness, while internally he sneered. He had seen firsthand how the city guards maintained "law and order." A corrupt bunch through and through.

Tem's expression hardened slightly, but she continued, "Moreover," she added, her tone attempting to be tempting, "a reward has been offered for certain high-priority targets."

Mr. F maintained his composure, revealing no signs of interest beyond polite curiosity. "I can only repeat myself," he said, stretching out both arms in a gesture of helplessness. "I have nothing to do with this, although a reward certainly piques my interest," he added with a forced chuckle.

Tem's eyes narrowed slightly as she studied him, trying to gauge his sincerity. "Mr. F, we're not accusing you of anything. We just need to understand what happened and why. Cooperation could prove beneficial for both of us."

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

Mr. F leaned back in his chair, adopting a more relaxed posture. "I understand your position, Sister Tem. However, I truly have no further information to provide. I rented a room, explored the city, and returned to find a tragic scene. That's the extent of my involvement."

Tem sighed, recognizing the futility of pressing him further without more evidence. "Very well, Mr. F. Thank you for your time. We'll be in touch if we need any more information."

Mr. F nodded, giving her a polite smile. "Of course, I'm always willing to assist in any way I can," he said, masking his relief with a veneer of cooperation.

Tem stood up and prepared to leave. "I hope you understand, Mr. F, that we are just trying to keep the city safe. If you do remember anything, anything at all, please don't hesitate to contact us. Also, for now, you are not a suspect, but I must ask you to remain available for further questioning if needed."

"Of course, Miss Tem," Mr. F responded politely.

Tem paused and gave him a pointed look.

"Of course, Sis Tem," he corrected himself, prompting a nod from Tem as she finally exited the room.

This encounter, though seemingly routine, would prove to be one of the most pivotal moments for Mr. F. As Tem left and he closed the door behind her, he felt an unsettling sensation. His vision began to change, and numerous colors and symbols started to float before him in the air.

At first, he thought it was fatigue from the long hours of yesterday's work and stress, but then he recognized that these were no ordinary hallucinations; they were the result of an ancient spell he had inadvertently activated. The symbols danced and shifted, forming intricate designs. Mr. F concentrated, trying to decipher the meaning of these symbols to no avail.

Suddenly, the symbols began to transform. Like a powerful entity awakening from its slumber, Mr. F felt the immense power of what was happening before him. Letters formed entire words, and then entire sentences. Mr. F read them, astonished.

[System booting....]

[Booting System Failed]

[System booting....]

[Booting System Failed]

...

[Booting System not possible. Reason: Wrong Host]

[Calculating]

[Calculation failed, Host has not entered the cycle of reincarnation]

[Searching for Host]

[Error ... Error ... Error]

[Host is in a symbiotic relationship with the current bearer]

[Calculations starting]

...

[Calculations complete]

[Host possesses the soul of the bearer. System will be initialized]

Questions upon questions piled up in Mr. F's mind. What was this "system"? How was it connected to his soul, and what did it mean by "wrong host"?

As his thoughts raced, the system continued its initialization.

[Initialization complete. Welcome, Host.]

[You have accessed the Almighty Alchemy System. This system will guide you in mastering ancient alchemical arts, transcending ordinary limits.]

[Please proceed with caution. The system is integrated with your soul and any harm to it can have severe consequences.]

Mr. F. blinked, trying to absorb the information. Almighty Alchemy System? Integrated with his soul? This was beyond anything he had ever encountered in his long life of magic and alchemy. Thinking about the structure of this spell, it needed to be at least Tier 11 or even Tier 12.

[System Diagnostic:

Host's Current Level: Advanced Mage Tier 9 (degenerated)Alchemical Proficiency: NonexistentSoul Fusion Detected: Soul Essence Integrated]

[Accessing Historical Data...]

[Preparing next steps]

...

[Next steps calculated]

[Mental data and abilities of the Host have been analyzed. A one-time exception was generated as a welcome bonus. Recipe for Day Boost has been optimized for the Host's capabilities. Main ingredient Frosted Soul Flower has been replaced by the integration of souls from beings of Level 5 or higher. Possible side effects include diarrhea, nausea, or soul possession. Please proceed with caution.]

Mr. F's eyes widened as he read the updated information. The idea of using souls from beings of Level 5 or higher was both intriguing and dangerous. He knew that tampering with souls could lead to unpredictable consequences, but the potential benefits were too significant to ignore.

He considered his options and headed to the laboratory. Once inside, he cast a shielding spell, blocking any form of observation. He retrieved his Soul Lamp from his spatial pouch. This was a bold move; if Sister Tem saw him with the Soul Lamp, she would likely unleash the entire city's church upon him. The Church of Light considered tampering with the souls of the dead an absolute taboo. As a result, soul magicians had been hunted and persecuted across the continent for ages.

But Mr. F was willing to take this risk. He could feel his power on the brink of degenerating to Level 5. He had to act swiftly before his strength failed him. His need for survival trumped all other concerns.

He looked at his Soul Lamp. Inside, small points of light slumbered, awakening with a gentle shake and beginning to swirl around in a circle. As if sensing their fate, they fluttered anxiously, attempting to escape but with no success.

Mr. F. focused on two souls that looked nearly identical. They belonged to the Scorpion Brothers, whom he had previously sent to their deaths and then extracted their souls. With a sinister smile, he reached into the lamp and pulled them out. The souls resisted, swirling violently as if they knew what fate awaited them.