Chapter 174: Chapter 122: Periodic Table of Elements

The Guard Post.

Piero looked at his uncle, Lewis, who had come to rescue him, and was on the verge of tears.

Lewis gazed at the swollen-faced figure behind the bars—his nephew—and, while ordering the guard to open the door, furiously demanded, "Who beat you into this state?"

Piero said, "I don’t know, but Uncle, you have to get justice for me!"

Watching his swollen-faced nephew try to grab at him through the bars, Lewis stepped back and nodded repeatedly.

"I will see to it that you get justice. For now, get out of this cell. Later, change into some clean clothes and come with me to visit your teacher."

The Alchemy Workshop.

Baron almost thought his eyes were playing tricks on him.

But he was certain he wasn’t colorblind. The mahogany box was still a vibrant red, its reddish-yellow grain clearly distinct.

However, the blue blood flowing from his palm was now filling the incised runes, giving off a fluorescent glow imbued with Spiritual Essence under the sunlight.

’Is this a side effect of being a Blood Demon Hunter? Does this mean my identity is exposed? No, rather than being exposed as a Hunter, it’s more likely I’ll be mistaken for one of the Blood Race.’

And here in Gillian, the Hunter Country...

A chill shot through Baron’s heart.

He looked toward Michael. The Alchemist was staring intently as Baron’s blood seeped into the alchemical patterns on the two guns. His dark face showed no curiosity or surprise, as firm and unmoving as a tree.

Baron said, "You saw it."

Michael hesitated for a moment. "I must admit, it wasn’t intentional."

Baron sighed, his mind racing as he tried to figure out the best way to handle Michael in this situation.

But Master Michael’s next words startled him.

"Actually, I don’t have any special preferences in that regard. I just think you have a great physique."

Baron raised an eyebrow, glanced down at his own chest, and froze.

He had unconsciously left his windbreaker open after coming inside, but the shirt underneath had been torn to shreds during the fierce battles of the Hunting Competition. His strong, scar-covered torso was practically bare, revealing powerful, well-defined muscles that belied the lean frame his clothes usually suggested.

Honestly, it was quite an attractive sight.

But that wasn’t what made Baron’s expression change. It was the blue blood he had seen just moments ago... which had turned back to red!

Even the faint, watery-blue light that had filled the alchemical patterns had shifted to a vivid, deep red, like blood seared by fire.

’What... what’s going on?’

Baron was sure it wasn’t a hallucination. Aside from feeling a little weak from his depleted Spiritual Power, his mind was clear and his limbs were strong.

He had almost thought his eyes were playing tricks on him again.

But before Baron could dwell on it, Michael told him to raise his hand to stop the bleeding and shouted to someone in the back.

An apprentice hurried over, carrying a small, burning furnace with a watery-blue flame.

Michael opened the furnace door. The sudden blast of heat made Baron think of Dragon Flame. He placed the dark-gold dagger that had cut Baron’s palm inside and closed the door.

"This is Fire Dragon Flame, the most Extreme fire in the world. It is dominating and fierce; there is no steel it cannot melt. A tiny wisp like this can burn for a hundred years without being extinguished. Among all the Alchemists in Fude City, I am the only one who possesses such a flame."

Michael explained to Baron, "You could say it’s the most suitable flame for Alchemy."

’Then what about Red Dragon Flame?’ Baron thought.

From what he could sense, there didn’t seem to be much difference between his own Dragon Flame and this Fire Dragon Flame, aside from the color. If he had to point out a difference, it was probably that Red Dragon Flame was gentler and cooler in comparison.

Sparks flew from the air vent. After about three or four minutes, Michael pulled the furnace door open.

Instead of using tongs, he held out a bowl to catch the dark-gold liquid that poured out. He then carefully poured the liquefied metal along the alchemical patterns, filling the incised designs until they solidified into a beautiful dark gold.

From a distance, the two guns looked like two blossoming flowers.

"Yun Jin, for an Enhanced Enchantment. On the market, enchanting a single blade like that would run you 500 Silver Coins. Consider it a gift."

Michael urged him, "Now, hold your guns. Feel them. Look at them as you did during your first Spiritual Vision, until you feel they’ve become an extension of your hands."

Baron did as Michael said and gripped the twin guns. His first reaction was that they were heavy.

Even though they were forged from Fude City’s finest Snow Pattern Steel, they still weighed around eleven pounds each.

A typical shotgun only weighed about five or six pounds; these long-barreled Colt Python Revolvers were nearly twice as heavy.

If Baron weren’t a Law Enforcer—or, say, if he were a Wizard with no physical strength—he probably would have found it extremely difficult just to lift the guns.

Most of the weight came from the folding blades on the barrels. To improve the balance and prevent them from becoming top-heavy, Michael had added a small amount of Giant Iron Steel during the forging of the barrels. Besides increasing the barrels’ toughness, this also provided a better surface for engraving the subsequent alchemical patterns.

Furthermore, because the barrels had been specially adapted, Michael claimed the twin guns could now be loaded with any bullet that could fit inside.

Baron gripped the twin guns and closed his eyes, waiting until he could vaguely sense their presence in the back of his mind.

He then began to picture them: the barrels, the grips, the rifling inside the barrels, the cylinder engraved with alchemical patterns, and the folding blades on the barrels.

He could truly feel a special connection being forged between him and the Spear Swords.