NOVPUBChapter 722: Chapter 108: The Elixir of Immortality and the Tears of Time Chapter 722 -108: The Elixir of Immortality and the Tears of Time Hearing Freya’s words, Aiwass and Sherlock’s expressions changed abruptly.
They exchanged glances, confirming something between them in their thoughts.
“—That’s not just bad!”
Master Yanis looked as though the sky had fallen, the most panicked person in the room: “I must immediately inform His Holiness the Pope…
This is far too dangerous!
You’re working on something this dangerous, why didn’t you inform me?”
“I didn’t tell anyone because that’s the safest way.”
Freya tried to argue: “Telling anyone would mean there’s a possibility of a leak.”
But now, such words seemed somewhat weak and powerless.
After all, if she really hadn’t told anyone, then how could the “Tears of Time” have vanished into thin air?
To precisely steal a potion that a Fifth Power Level Transcendent was synthesizing and cared greatly about was no small risk.
...
It was akin to stealing an egg from a mother dragon watching over her nest.
Only if one had explicit intent and knew of its immense value would they risk plunging into such danger.
“No, I have to find Cardinal Loki.”
Master Yanis still seemed very flustered: “I need to explain to him the importance of what you’ve lost, and get his help in searching for it!
He’s monitoring the entire Holy Nation every day, now is the time to make use of him!”
Hearing this, Aiwass and Sherlock exchanged looks once again.
Then Aiwass immediately urged caution: “Not so fast, Master Yanis.”
“It’s like this.”
Sherlock on the side also nodded in agreement.
Seeing this response from both of them, Yanis quickly realized: “Should this matter not be mentioned?
Or is it that…
Cardinal Loki is problematic?”
“It’s hard to say.”
Aiwass shook his head, stating cautiously: “We can’t be absolutely certain yet.”
“If we don’t have one hundred percent certainty, we need to leave room for doubt.
Even if we’re 95% sure, the remaining 5% could still turn things around.”
Sherlock lifted his staff and tapped the ground, his expression extremely serious: “Because it could very well be a trap, luring those who lack patience.”
“—In other words, Cardinal Loki is indeed suspicious?”
Yanis keenly picked up the intelligence from the attitudes of Aiwass and Sherlock: “No wonder…
Gloria…
Controlled Flame…”
She also immediately remembered about Gloria’s death which she had just heard about.
Gloria Lantana, whose condition had improved a few months ago, had her illness suddenly deteriorate, murdered someone, and then committed suicide before being amberficated.
Is there a possibility that the “Tears of Time” took effect on her?
If Freya hadn’t told anyone, then perhaps only Cardinal Loki knew about it—as Yanis had just mentioned, Cardinal Loki continued to monitor the entire Holy Nation.
If he had the ability, if he could find the thief who stole from Freya’s laboratory…
then he would also be capable of theft without anyone noticing.
That is if he knew what the potion was for.
—Just like how a corpse was silently placed in Aiwass’s room.
“Your ‘one third’, roughly how many people could it be used on?”
Suddenly thinking of something, Yanis turned and asked.
Freya looked somewhat uncomfortable.
She also realized that a big mess had occurred on her part, her voice becoming somewhat faint and growing softer: “If the effects are to take place slowly, there should be enough for a dozen or so people.
To induce crystallization in a healthy Elf in a short period, it only takes three drops.”
“Then, if,” Aiwass suddenly asked, “the victim already had amberfication disease, could the dose possibly be reduced?”
“Correct.” Freya nodded her head.
She paused, inhaling sharply.
Taking into account the creed of Controlled Flame, she suddenly realized what Aiwass was suggesting.
“Then the number of victims involved in this affair could far exceed this dozen or so people.”
Aiwass spoke slowly: “Let’s assume—for now, just as a hypothesis.
Let’s assume that Gloria’s death is related to it.
Then this matter should at least be related to Controlled Flame and has a high likelihood of being linked to Cardinal Loki.
“So, what would happen if the ‘Tears of Time’ fell into the hands of the extremists of Controlled Flame?”
“—The catalyst of the situation.”
Sherlock answered crisply.
Deep blue flames kindled in his pupils, a sign of his full concentration and resonance with the Path of Wisdom: “Compared to making healthy elves fall ill, a more useful significance lies in causing amberficated elves to die quickly.
In other words, it’s a kind of ‘execution drug’.
Just like with Gloria Lantana, it rapidly shortens their period of illness…
and in this process, it might lead to special psychological diseases, extreme mental states, or even hallucinations—”
As Sherlock spoke, he quickly walked up to Freya: “How are you so certain it can make elves amberficate?”
“An analysis based on principle…
Do you want to hear it from the beginning?”
“No need.
So, you’re saying you haven’t yet conducted human experiments?”
“…What can I experiment with?”
Freya was somewhat helpless too.
“Then just explain the principle to me.”
Sherlock complied amiably: “I’m not too familiar with alchemy; it would be best if you could make me understand.”
Although Freya didn’t quite like this somewhat overfamiliar man, she also clearly realized Sherlock’s reliability and knew she was in trouble.
Therefore, she explained very earnestly to Sherlock: “This goes back to elven longevity.
Through analyzing elven blood samples and the blood of The Great Tree, I discovered that the prolonged lives of elves are actually unnatural.
Once the tissue of an elf’s body is separated from its main body, the cells’ aging speeds up significantly, leading to physiological sample parameters that severely deviate from expectations—”
“I think I can understand.
But is there a more precise explanation?” Sherlock asked thoughtfully after a moment.
Freya answered bluntly: “To put it simply, elves’ lifespans should be not much different from humans’.
Indeed, slightly longer, but definitely not more than twice that of humans.” 𝒏𝒐𝙫𝙥𝙪𝙗.𝒄𝙤𝙢
“—What?”
Upon hearing this, the other three were greatly shocked.
Master Yanis’s eyes widened: “You mean to say…?”
In recent days, Master Yanis had been subjected to a series of huge shocks, one thrilling piece of news after another without cease.
“Exactly, as far as we can see…
the elves’ immortality, amberfication, and their subdued desires, all these are a form of acquired, hereditary blessing.”
Freya nodded in confirmation: “In essence, it’s the same as the Gryphon being elevated from a common Transcendent being by the Silver-Crowned Dragon; or The Wild Hunt receiving an elevation from the Great Sage.
“Elven physical parameters are absolutely insufficent to support them living so long while maintaining such a youthful state for so long.
“And as you all understand…
when it comes to the abnormal prolongation of lifespan, that’s the domain of the Path of Dusk.
“Yes, this blessing comes from the Spirit Amber Celestial Marshal.
The currently popular ‘lifespan-extending magic potions’ on the market are all based on the research from this phenomenon—they and the ‘Elixir of Immortality’ research also share the same origin.”
—This was simply heretical research.
It meant that elves were, in fact, not a Longevity Species, directly negating the nobility of elves.
According to Freya’s research, elves were similar to another kind of humans who, from birth, automatically consumed lifespan-extending magic potions every year.
Therefore, half-elves could only inherit a small part of elves’ long lives, and if the bloodline were further diluted, it would have almost no effect on lifespan.
Even Aiwass had never heard such preposterous knowledge before.
…No, no, that’s not right.
Aiwass’s eyes widened slightly.
He seemed to have heard something like this.
It was after Yanis had gone mad painting the Demonic Painting using fragments of the Spirit Amber Celestial Marshal, and the amberfication sickness of the Holy Nation was lifted.
They thus believed that amberfication was a curse from the Spirit Amber Celestial Marshal.
But after that, a strange “abnormal aging phenomenon” appeared in the Holy Nation, suspected to be a sequela from forcibly resolving the amberfication sickness in such a manner.
However, this part of the plot had only a beginning and no follow-up yet.
But what if…
it wasn’t a disease at all?
As the power of the Spirit Amber Celestial Marshal faded away, the elves’ long lifespans began to decline.
—They gradually reverted to a Short-Lived Species.
Back to their true form.
However, elven culture had already adapted to longevity, accustomed to the reckless consumption of lifespan.
Their leisureliness, plainness, composure, and fairness all stemmed from a sense of “no urgency.”
And if the elves realized their lifespans were going to decline, that would lead to unimaginable chaos…
and the reversal of the entire race’s stance could be possible.
It wouldn’t just be simple sequelae, but the beginning of the entire race’s decline.
This was the true “Calamity of the Tree and the Amber”.
