**Bikini Beach at Dusk**
Crimson moonlight gradually blanketed the earth, and the sound of the harbor's calls faded with the diminishing ships.
At the edge of a rugged road, a short figure stood quietly under a streetlight, holding a dark brown suitcase.
What should I say when I go in...? Nervous thoughts gradually filled Quinn's mind as he hesitated about how to face Snow.
After a long while, he took a deep breath and walked forward with a determined look, heading towards the church with the golden spire.
As the view gradually drew closer and the distance shortened, the grand, dark building came into view.
Quinn pushed open the door and said, "Snow, I'm back!"
"....."
In the pitch-black hall, a pair of blood-red eyes emerged from the darkness.
Snow, dressed in a pure white cleric robe, looked expressionlessly at Quinn at the door.
He sat on a pew, a red-painted wooden box at his feet, looking as if he had been sitting there for a long time.
He quietly stared at Quinn for two seconds, until cold sweat began to form on Quinn's forehead, then he relaxed his gaze.
He lowered his head and said softly, "I almost thought you wouldn't come back..."
"Haha..." Quinn chuckled dryly. The knowledge imparted by the Fallen Mother Goddess hadn't included how to deal with situations like this.
However, the current situation wasn't too bad. From Quinn's understanding of Snow, as long as Snow didn't throw a bottle of decay potion at him upon meeting, it meant he wasn't too angry.
Quinn walked to the pew where Snow was sitting, sat down, and said, "I was targeted by a god-level being."
Hearing this, Snow didn't react much, as if he had already anticipated it, and sighed, "Bishop Utrovsky told us that you recited the name of an evil god and then went mad."
"At first, we couldn't believe it. I, Old Bob, and many extraordinary beings at Bikini Beach have been searching for you."
"Later, we heard that a beautiful girl with green hair and wearing the Earth Mother God's cleric robe appeared beside the most insane adventurer on the sea, German Sparrow. People said she was sometimes elegant, sometimes vulgar, sometimes normal, and sometimes crazy, and frighteningly powerful, even more terrifying than German Sparrow."
"We thought, apart from the gender, the description seemed to match you perfectly. Plus, your telegram made us realize you weren't dead."
Snow's crimson eyes glanced at the box at his feet and said to Quinn, "This is the scarlet nine-root sent by the church. The Earth Mother God has issued an oracle for us to cooperate with your actions."
As expected, the Earth Mother God doesn't want to see the Fallen Mother Goddess grow stronger... Quinn had anticipated this. He leaned forward and reached for the red-painted wooden box.
As he reached for the box, his profile was fully visible to Snow.
"Tsk, tsk..."
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Snow suddenly spoke in a strange tone.
"Quinn, seeing your face after being corrupted, I suddenly feel it's not unreasonable for them to mistake you for a woman."
"Hey, hey," veins popped on Quinn's forehead, "being invaded by 'all feminine forces of the universe' and not directly turning into a woman is already a blessing!"
Having suffered once, he didn't dare to mention the Fallen Mother Goddess's name again. Even a single sentence could potentially draw Her presence.
"Damn it, enough talking. I'm going to prepare for my promotion now." Quinn stood up and handed Snow a stack of papers.
"These are some formulas I took from that evil god. They're yours. If I lose control, these might be lost."
Snow didn't even look at the papers and casually stuffed them into his pocket.
He gazed sincerely at Quinn and said, "Please remember those you cherish."
"Got it." Quinn pretended to understand, picked up the two boxes, and walked towards the basement of the Harvest Church.
---
Above the grey fog, Klein had long been ready, sitting in his high-back chair.
He waited quietly until the layered, ethereal prayers came.
He immediately looked at the deep red star representing the "Queen," which was now rippling with wave-like deep red light.
Klein quickly threw out a paper doll, held the "Black Emperor" card of blasphemy in his other hand, and mobilized the power above the grey fog to bless Quinn through the paper doll, shielding him from the whispers of the Fallen Mother Goddess.
The ordinary paper doll was quickly enveloped by the grey fog, transforming into a holy angel with twelve black wings, embracing Quinn's ethereal, madness-tainted spirit.
Gazing at the deep red star symbolizing the "Queen," a faint worry surfaced in "The Fool" Klein's heart.
He whispered, "Wish you success."
"My fellow..."
On the other side, Quinn, who was praying softly, suddenly saw a bright light. He vaguely saw the figure of the "angel."
It landed on him and then melted into him, transmitting a warm sense of security. The incessant ethereal whispers by his ears suddenly ceased completely.
He joyfully muttered, "Praise The Fool!"
Seizing the duration of the blessing, he swiftly began the creation of the "Philosopher's Stone."
He first took out a potion to calm his mind, cautiously drank a measured dose, and when he felt completely clear-headed, he added the materials to the large cauldron before him in a specific order.
"Enchanted raw stone."
"Ten drops of refined essence of golden grass."
"Twenty grams of Elder Tree root powder."
"Purified demon heart."
"Golden crystal of the Fountain of Youth."
…
Countless precious extraordinary materials were thrown into the cauldron. The flame's temperature rose and fell more than ten times as required. The making of high-level extraordinary items always required a lengthy process. It was dusk when Quinn arrived, and by the time he reached the final step, the crimson moon was about to set.
"The last step..."
Quinn's eyes were calm, focused solely on the churning raw liquid of the Philosopher's Stone.
"All the blood of the creator."
He pulled out a sharp ritual silver dagger and mercilessly slashed his wrist!
Ssssh! The dagger's tip cut through the skin, through the flesh, causing blood to gush from the wound.
As the blood continued to pour in, the raw liquid of the Philosopher's Stone gradually turned crimson and slowly solidified!
However, Quinn's consciousness also gradually grew faint, his face becoming a sickly pale.
The crimson light gradually overflowed from the cauldron, the shape of the Philosopher's Stone almost formed!
Quinn felt the Earth Grandmother in his divine kingdom beckoning to him, and the world before him gradually faded.
Death had gripped Quinn's throat, but the Philosopher's Stone was still incomplete. His strong survival instinct frantically stimulated his brain, but now, even the strength to activate his healing abilities had left his body.
In the final moment before death, faces of people flashed through Quinn's mind, brilliant lives and gentle souls.
In the face of death, Quinn saw those things he cherished, and an inexplicable strength urged him to reach out his hand.
No... no... I can't... fall here!
At that moment, as all his blood was poured in, the Philosopher's Stone finally formed completely! Quinn summoned every bit of strength left in his body and stretched his hand towards the stone.
When his fingertips touched the smooth surface of the Philosopher's Stone, a surge of life force penetrated his body.
The feeling of rebirth was almost overwhelming, nearly causing Quinn to lose his mind.
After a while, he came to his senses, looked down at the Philosopher's Stone in his hand, pulsating with life, and couldn't help but chuckle, "Damn, this is way more exhilarating than the Fallen Mother Goddess!"
Without wasting any more time, extraordinary materials like the giant's core were sequentially added to the cauldron, and a potion as green as bitter gourd juice was concocted.
Quinn picked up the "Ancient Alchemist" potion, suddenly recalling the fear of taking homemade remedies in his rural childhood. He pinched his nose, closed his eyes, and gulped it down.