Chapter 422: Stunting For Power (4) - The Lord of Alchemy

"One... one hundred percent purity?!" the number one Alchemist in all of Reality blurted out, his voice carrying the same shock that rippled through everyone as they witnessed it for themselves.

With the crowd’s uproar and the blinding rays of light, it was inevitable that someone’s focus would waver.

The Third’s disciple—midway through precisely measuring his second elixir—lost his concentration entirely.

His hand shook, and the delicate thread of essence he was weaving broke. The half-formed liquid in his cauldron hissed sharply as it collapsed into useless vapor.

"H...how?"

He stared at Ash’s three flawless golden pills, his face pale with shock.

Ash just shrugged. "Maybe you should ditch that lowly master of yours," he said, nodding toward Luna.

"As you can see, I have the most beautiful... and strongest master of them all."

The disciple gaped at Ash in even greater disbelief, his gaze drifting toward Luna.

She had already lifted her hand, her voice calm but laced with unmistakable pride.

"As you can see, three pills," she said. "All at the peak of purity... Consider the competition over."

But before her words could truly sink in, the First Alchemist rose sharply from his platform, his blue eyes gleaming with barely restrained intrigue.

"Not yet," he said with ease.

"One show of skill doesn’t prove true mastery. I’m calling for a second round — my disciple versus yours. Same rules. Let’s see if your... disciple can pull it off again under pressure."

A wave of murmurs swept through the crowd of thousands.

Luna stayed calm, though her yellow eyes slid toward Ash in a silent question.

Ash gave her a small, relaxed nod — still standing casually with his hands back in his pockets.

Luna turned back to the number one Alchemist.

"Very well. One more round."

----

Things were much like before, but this time Ash faced a woman.

As soon as things began, she dove right into her work.

Meanwhile, Ash just stood there, watching the disciple as she worked, occasionally shooting Luna that same easy, flirtatious smile from earlier.

The crowd grew restless, but among them, the Number One Alchemist had motives of his own.

After a few minutes, he discreetly pulled out a small communication token and quietly sent a message to the Seer Domain—a faction that owed him a big favor.

"I want you to check out the Alchemist Domain," he said, ignoring the stares from the other five.

"Look into the disciple on the dais with white and red hair. I want everything—his past, his future, any connections. Do it now."

As he tucked the token away, his gaze stayed locked on Ash.

For the briefest moment, strange threads flickered in his eyes before they returned to their usual blue.

-----

Seer Domain

Deep within a floating citadel, a man in plain gray robes sat in a meditation chamber.

The walls around him shimmered with countless glowing threads — the visible strands of fate, destiny, and karma connecting all beings.

The moment he received the token’s message; he activated his sight.

His vision pierced across domains separated by light years, effortlessly bypassing such distances to witness events in the present. When he fixed his gaze on the Alchemist Domain, his eyes went straight to the dais.

Yet, no one there matched the description of Ash.

In his eyes, there was only Luna and the female disciple.

"Hmm?" The Seer frowned, tilting his head as he tried again, forcing his perception further.

But no matter how hard he pushed his Strata or his Peak Primordial Hierarchy rank, he still came up empty.

"This is... troublesome indeed," he muttered, knowing that fulfilling this favor for the First Alchemist was only the first step on a long and difficult road.

After all, that Alchemist was the very reason the Seers of True Reality had been able to establish themselves.

"Screw it... I’ll take it to the elder," he said, rising to his feet and hurrying toward a higher chamber.

---

Here an elder Seer — an old man with white hair and eyes that seemed to contain countless overlapping timelines — was floating in the air...

"Elder," the man said urgently, bowing. "The First Alchemist requests a full reading on a disciple in the Alchemist Domain. But... I see nothing. No presence at all. It’s as if the space where he should be is empty."

The elder’s eyes narrowed slowly.... as he extended his own sight toward the Alchemist Domain.

For a long moment he stared.

Then his brows furrowed.

"I only see... an outline. It’s Faint... but someone’s definitely there." He said, and hearing those words the younger man was appalled.

"H.. how can someone escape your eye, Elder?"

The Elder closed his eyes for a moment. "Perhaps... he’s using some high-ranked artifact... or maybe his mastery over fate surpasses even mine."

Curiosity got the better of him, and the Elder opened his eyes, pushing harder—straining to pierce the veil and catch a glimpse of the mysterious figure’s true face and fate threads.

The instant he did, reality itself seemed to shift in response.

HUM!

A soft, gentle presence appeared before the elder — a woman with long, flowing white-gold hair and golden blindfolds.

Celeste, the Goddess of Fatality, stood there with a calm expression, yet regarded the two as if they were the biggest fools she’d seen in some time.

The instant anyone dared to meddle with the fate of the Ineffable members, she would know. And realizing who they were trying to interfere with, she found it unbelievable.

"Normally, I’d probably kill you," she said softly, "or take your power over fate... but honestly."

She tilted her head. "Can’t you tell he’s someone you really shouldn’t mess with?"

The elder’s face went pale at the sound of her voice.

Celeste stayed silent for a moment; but in her presence, all fate simply... stopped.

Even though this elder was technically on a higher dimensional plane, it meant nothing when it came to fate.

And this Seer? He was nothing more than that—someone with no skill in combat at all.

The countless glowing threads that usually wove through the Seer Domain — visible strands of destiny, karma, and possibility — froze in place, then withered away at her feet like flowers touched by winter.

The two Seers sensed it immediately: their power dulled, muted, as if the very idea of "seeing fate" was being softly but firmly stripped from them.

Strangest of all...

From Celeste, they felt nothing.

They could never have guessed that her Divinity, was attuned to passively unravel all fate, destiny, and karma in her presence. To them, it simply seemed as though Fate itself was slowly dying.

The younger Seer stumbled back a step, voice trembling.

"Who... who is he? Why can’t we see him?"

Celeste’s lips curled into the faintest, almost pitying smile.

"Because he’s beyond your sight... duh," she said, taking a single step as her form began to fade.

"Consider this your only warning. Don’t look again... because if you do, I won’t be the one appearing next time."

The elder bowed even lower, sweat beading on his brow.

"We understand. We’ll tell the Alchemist we can’t give the reading."

Celeste gave a small, almost imperceptible nod.

"Good."

She slipped away as quietly as she’d arrived....

And when she left... the two Seers stood frozen, hearts pounding in their ears.

The younger finally whispered, voice unsteady.

"...What was that?"

The elder straightened slowly, wiping his forehead.

"That... was a reminder that some threads are better left untouched."

He glanced at the communication token in his hand....

"Send word to the First... the favor can’t be repaid this way. That target’s untouchable."