Chapter 1 The Library

Suren stayed in the library for several days.

Because it was the imperial palace, he didn't have to worry about being disturbed. Every day, maids brought exquisite food, and life was leisurely.

Occasionally, when Princess Miko had free time, she would come over to read and chat with him about cultivation. When Suren encountered problems he didn't understand, he had someone to ask.

Suren knew that the higher up in the library, the more valuable the books were, so he read his way down from the third floor, then the second, then the first.

His ultra-high brainpower and multitasking ability greatly improved his learning and memory. The two cursed items, [Serreia's Blessing] and [Isaac's Alchemical Manuscript], were also small artifacts that aided learning.

Suren read very quickly and efficiently.

If he had enough time, he would probably be willing to stay in this library for a few months.

But the day of the "Black Sun Grand Ceremony" was approaching, and he always felt that something would happen, so he cherished these leisurely days even more.

He could read a hundred lines at a glance, and several books at once.

Suren already had a solid knowledge base, and he understood many books almost as soon as he read them.

Even for those cultivation methods that required understanding and comprehension, he comprehended what he could. He didn't force himself to understand what he couldn't. It was enough to remember it in his mind, and he could slowly digest it when he had time later.

Besides, Princess Miko had also given him many transcriptions.

There were things to read and things to take.

Suren also felt that this friend was worth befriending.

When something happened, she could really help.

...

One day.

This was the eighth day Suren had been in the library.

Tomorrow was the "Black Sun Grand Ceremony."

He wanted to finish reading the books he was interested in as soon as possible.

The first floor of the library was like a spider's web, with crystal threads everywhere.

The threads were hung with books, and the rustling sound of pages turning could be heard incessantly in the air. The suspended books seemed to be constantly flipped through by invisible hands.

Many of the books on the first floor were folk literature stories, which Suren read roughly, almost just glancing at them. But those that could be collected by the royal family were naturally the best that Yamagakure had accumulated over countless years, so he didn't miss them.

After all, Suren had discovered some small pleasures in reading these books these past few days.

He discovered some small secrets from these books that even the library administrators might not know.

For example, some "riddle games" hidden in rare manuscripts, which when solved turned out to be some kind of "forbidden technique," or some "historical facts" and "heretical arts" that had been erased. There were even some "indescribable contents" that Miko mentioned.

Suren finally understood why alchemists liked to use various encryption methods to hide their research results so much.

In addition to keeping secrets from outsiders, it was also a way to deceive those "high-level existences" who didn't want lower-level beings to master the secrets of higher-level laws.

Usually, the value of those forbidden contents was very high.

...

At this moment, Suren released the Eight-Armed Spider Spear and immersed himself in his work.

He had seven or eight books in front of him, flipping through them from time to time.

His eyes scanned the text ten lines at a time, while the spider spear was multitasking on other things.

There was an alloy operating table in the room, and Suren was performing delicate surgery on himself.

He cut open his flesh and was engraving mysterious runes on the radius of his left arm.

The flesh of his arm was turned out, and the white bones were exposed to the air, but Suren's face showed no change.

Because he had a sufficient understanding of human anatomy, he knew the course of every blood vessel and nerve, so everything was proceeding in an orderly manner.

Fortunately, he had the Spider Spear implantation, so he could complete such a complex surgery and engraving alone.

The secret method [Rune Flesh] required treating one's own body as a cursed object to refine. Suren had already drawn runes on his skin, and now he needed to draw runes on his bones, blood vessels, and some necessary fascia and soft tissues. Then, he would connect these runes with various effects to form a precise and complex rune system to exert some incredible magical effects.

This refining process was very difficult, requiring a high level of rune mastery and some specific secret techniques.

Coincidentally, Suren now possessed all of these.

Having these, the other risks could be completely ignored.

Suren had absolute calm and multitasking thinking ability, so there would be almost no subjective errors in the surgery and engraving process.

However, the process was a bit boring and couldn't be rushed at all.

Reading books was a good way to pass the time.

Suren finished the ulna, then the radius, then sutured the incision before starting on the humerus of the upper arm...

If an outsider were here, they would probably be frightened by his crazy behavior.

Suren, however, felt as calm as if he were cutting someone else's flesh.

"X-serum" gave his body super-healing abilities, and with some alchemical potions, the wounds healed almost visibly once they were sutured.

Even if he lacked some rare materials, the royal treasury was next door. Having a princess friend was great; he didn't lack anything.

...

Finally, the sun set in the west.

Suren finished the preliminary rune engraving on the bones before the "Black Sun Grand Ceremony" tomorrow.

He put away the surgical instruments and stretched his limbs.

Dark spiritual power was infused, and his whole body glowed with a dark golden luster, with dense mysterious lines overflowing on his skin.

"The basic framework of [Rune Vajra] has been built, and the physical defense ability has been greatly improved. This strength should be able to support the fourth stage of hormone runaway, or perhaps even break through the fifth stage for a short time... After comprehending the advanced rune language in the future, there is still a lot of room for growth."

Suren raised his eyebrows, seemingly quite satisfied with his results.

After the life-saving ability of the Puppet Master's main body was improved, the combat power would increase dramatically.

He estimated that if he encountered Ueno Sasaki "Demon Hand," one of the Koga Three Ninjas, he probably wouldn't be in as much danger as before.

He also had some confidence that he could kill him head-on.

But as if he thought of something, he muttered again, "However, the weakness of dark spiritual power is a big problem. [Rune Vajra] is very strong, but such complex runes require more energy. Moreover, the hormone runaway consumes energy geometrically. Now, if I go all out, I'm afraid I won't last three minutes..."

[Rune Vajra] + hormone runaway = three minutes of true manhood.

If he encountered sustained combat, it would be a big problem.

However, this problem was only temporary.

Suren had an epic alchemical implant sealed in his chest, which was his greatest confidence in taking this career advancement path.

He looked forward to it in his heart: "When I advance to the fifth level and fuse with [Isaac's Alchemical Heart], I won't lack mana. Then, I can use two secret techniques without restriction, and the control range of the Puppet Theater can be infinitely exaggerated..."

It could be said that once he advanced to the fifth level, his combat power would be unbelievably exaggerated.

But just thinking about this, Suren's thoughts diverged, and he thought, "That's not right either. The body's endurance has a limit. Even with unlimited mana, against higher-level professionals, the body can only hold on for a little longer before collapsing. Hormone runaway will bring irreversible damage and even death to the body. If I want to last longer, I will still need to increase the body's strength. The current body can barely support sixth-level runes. Could it be that the advanced professions and implantation choices after the fifth level have to consider increasing the body's strength?"

Once this line of thinking started, it became an infinite loop.

A stronger body could support stronger runes, and a stronger rune flesh could have stronger combat power...

Suren showed a thoughtful expression, and he vaguely had some direction for his future career advancement.

His thoughts were still racing,

But just then,

Suddenly,

His eyes sharpened!

"Eh..."

Suren looked at a new book he had pulled from the bookshelf, and a stream of light flashed in his left eye.

He had the All-Knowing Eye, so he could see the special nature of this manuscript at a glance.

The words in this ghost story called *The Chrysanthemum and the Sword* actually revealed a very clever alchemical encryption method!

"Hormonte encryption method? A very advanced encryption method..."

After flipping through a few pages, Suren's All-Knowing Eye automatically identified the ordering rules between the words.

This was an encryption method named after the great alchemist "Van Hormonte" of the Dawn Era, and it was usually used to encrypt very advanced alchemical secrets.

This was already the realm of research for "master-level" alchemists.

Suren recognized this, which made him even more curious.

What exactly was the content that would require this kind of encryption method?

Was this novel written by an alchemist?

But why was it in Yamagakure's library?

Suren's mind automatically found the corresponding decryption method.

The words of the original novel in front of him turned into something else.

"When you unlock the secret I hid in this novel, congratulations, thoughtful person. There are some small surprises hidden in the book."

When Suren saw this sentence, an image of an alchemist who liked "treasure hunts" and even had a little "prank" appeared on the page.

Moreover, he suddenly had a guess in his heart.

However, when he saw the next sentence, he was immediately shocked.

"My name is Carl Gustav Jung. Oh, this name may be unknown. You may have heard of my other pen name, 'Fujiwara Hayato'..."

"It really is him!"

Suren looked at this self-introduction and immediately realized that this was definitely not someone else impersonating him.

The author of this book was Fujiwara Hayato himself!

Because it was impossible for others to impersonate this method.

It was not that great to hide secrets with cryptography. As long as alchemists with a little basic knowledge could do it.

But to hide these secrets in a novel that already had high literary value was the most puzzling thing.

Therefore, when Suren discovered this *Chrysanthemum and the Sword*, he knew that the author of this book was not only an alchemist but also had very high literary attainments!

There were definitely not many people like this.

Coincidentally, Suren had recently heard of one!

Seeing that name, he couldn't wait to see what came next.

"I originally wanted to follow 'Bellamy' to explore unknown sea routes, but I discovered something that was more fun, so I stayed in Yamagakure. This can be regarded as part of my travelogue, except that the place I went to was a bit special..."

This opening did not disappoint Suren.

In the circle of big shots, there were mostly big shots.

Seeing the words "explore unknown sea routes" and "Bellamy," Suren immediately thought of one person.

Sam Bellamy, the legendary pirate king recognized by all four seas thirty years ago!

"Fujiwara Hayato actually knew the Pirate King?"

Suren suddenly felt like he was uncovering a little-known legendary history.

A simple line of words seemed to show the two legendary figures standing at the top of that era talking and laughing.

With strong anticipation, Suren continued to read.

"Because I went to a very special place, and then, I wanted to express this experience in words. This creative process is very difficult, after all, those existences are indescribable. Creating this story may exhaust my lifespan, and I don't know if I can complete it at the end of my life. But in any case, I plan to try..."

A very special place.

As expected of a great writer, he grasped the suspense just right.

Suren continued to read.

"If you haven't personally experienced this world, you will never be able to write a story with soul. This is also the most important reason why I became an adventurer and navigator. I travel around, wanting to describe this world with a pen. And when I came to Yamagakure, I discovered many interesting stories."

"You must be curious about where I went, right? Hehe... Maybe no one will believe it if I tell you, I went to the 'Land of the Dead'."

"Yes, the real 'Land of the Dead'!"

When Suren saw this, he suddenly frowned.

He suddenly felt like he was reading another ghost story?

After all, this Fujiwara Hayato had written many similar novels.

He had read so many of them before.

But Suren didn't think it was that simple.

If it was just a novel, there was no need to go to so much trouble to hide it in another story.

"I came back alive from the Land of the Dead, and my soul was polluted by death energy. I plan to go to Senso-ji, where the monks are good at using Buddhism to suppress undead things, which should give me more time to write down my wonderful experience..."

"Oh, this is an unforgettable adventure. No one will believe that I went to the 'Land of the Dead' that only exists in myths and legends, and came back alive!"

"As for what I saw, I can't explain it in a few words. I plan to write it in another story. And in this book, I want to leave the method of how I went and how I came back to future generations. In case you are a lucky adventurer, then you will definitely be curious about that place full of myths and legends, right? If there is a chance to step into myths and legends, who would refuse that temptation? Haha..."

"Things started when I came to Yamagakure to travel and discovered two 'ghost train tickets' for ferrying the dead..."

"..."

Suren saw this and really didn't know how to describe his mood.

That Fujiwara Hayato found a way to go to the Land of the Dead, and then this guy really tried it!

Damn... is this the courage of an adventurer?

Suren's reason made his whole body resist that "curiosity" that would kill people.

No, you don't want to go!

It will kill you!

Fujiwara Hayato was definitely a great alchemist, and he died because of it. Suren didn't want to risk his life to satisfy his curiosity.

But he had to admit that looking at the words in the text, a certain thought that had been stirring in his heart sprouted.

Just as that great writer said, if there was a chance to step into the myth, who wouldn't want to take a peek?

...

This novel, *The Chrysanthemum and the Sword*, was not long, only a few dozen pages thick. Suren quickly flipped to the end.

The words were vivid and lifelike, and a truly great adventurer appeared vividly in his eyes.

That guy was a "madman" to some extent.

Bold, daring, and willing to put his life behind him to satisfy his curiosity...

But it was precisely because of these pioneering adventurers that so many brilliant legendary stories were left in the world.

The last paragraph of the book wrote this sentence.

"Oh, right. Bellamy had a feeling that his voyage might encounter accidents, so he left three gold coins and hid some information he left behind. One of them was placed with me. I left it in this book. If you are interested in that guy's nautical adventure, then that is probably another story. Oh, thinking about it makes me feel very interesting. The treasure story of the pirate? Haha... Unconsciously, we seem to have become the protagonists in the legendary story created by others..."

Suren's eyelids twitched as he looked at it.

On the last page, an old head gold coin and a stick figure of a train ticket were drawn with a brush.

Just when he finished reading, these two patterns suddenly emitted light.

Suren felt spatial fluctuations, reached out, and a gold coin and a green train ticket appeared in his hand.

[Black Sam's Cursed Coin]

Details: Legend has it that if you collect three gold coins, you can find the sunken treasure of the pirate king Sam Bellamy; some incomplete ciphertext information is engraved on the gold coin;

"Sure enough, it is that Pirate King."

Suren confirmed his thoughts when he saw the appraised attributes of the gold coin.

That Bellamy was the pirate king who disappeared thirty years ago.

Birds of a feather flock together.

The circle of friends of legendary figures are indeed legendary!

And Suren already had a gold coin in his hand.

Now he had two.

And he seemed to know where the third one was.

Suren never thought that he would have such a harvest from flipping through the imperial library of the Shimogami royal family.

And looking at the train ticket in his hand, his expression was slightly strange.

[Ghost Train Ticket]

Details: Buy a ticket and get on the train. It can take you to the Land of the Dead. There is some kind of undead certificate on the ticket. Train? No, not like that. This is an ancient monster that exists longer than you can imagine.

Suren had read the story in the book and pondered for a long time.

He knew that Fujiwara Hayato really took this "train ticket" and took a ride to the Land of the Dead.

After a long while, Suren sighed a long breath and couldn't help but exclaim, "That guy is really crazy..."

However, in this madness, there was also a kind of admiration from the bottom of his heart.

...

Suren put away the train ticket and the gold coin. The content of the book had been cracked, so it didn't matter whether he kept it in his hand.

He reread it from the beginning.

The title page said: "If the world is a cage, then love is the key to open the cage."

Suren had heard this sentence before, from his grandmother Katyusha.

After reading it, Suren seemed to have put down a heavy piece of history.

He put *The Chrysanthemum and the Sword* back in its original place on the bookshelf, thinking that perhaps someday in the future, another person would discover the secrets in the story, and would probably be shocked by the legendary experience of the great writer Fujiwara Hayato.

As for the "Land of the Dead" or something, although Suren was very curious, he had no intention of going.

He thought that without the strength of the eighth or ninth level, he would gg if he went.

That Fujiwara Hayato was able to come back alive. In addition to his strength and adventure experience, luck really accounted for a large part.

Naturally, he couldn't go on an adventure.

On the contrary, another thing made Suren more curious.

This *Chrysanthemum and the Sword* was written before going to Senso-ji. In other words, Fujiwara Hayato was really creating at the last moment of his life.

He wrote that trip to the Land of the Dead in the story?

If it was really written, what a masterpiece it would be?

Suren was looking forward to that story.

He had previously thought that going to Senso-ji would probably not result in anything. After all, Fujiwara Hayato was so famous in Yamagakure. Over the years, countless people had wanted to find his manuscript, and the threshold of Senso-ji had probably been broken.

But now, seeing this *Chrysanthemum and the Sword*, he felt that it was really possible.

Perhaps it was hidden somewhere?

Even if it was a waste draft, something should have been left behind.

...

While Suren was still thinking, he heard a commotion in the garden outside the imperial palace.

It sounded like a lot of people were coming in.

This was very abnormal in the usually quiet and peaceful imperial palace.

Before long, Suren sensed that powerful and familiar soul fire, frowned, and muttered, "The 'Gluttonous General' Iksil Peon is here? Those pirates finally can't help but force the palace..."

It wasn't unexpected. He had previously felt that the "Black Sun Grand Ceremony" was a big obstacle for the Shimogami royal family, and all kinds of people who added insult to injury would make trouble. Before this was the best opportunity, not after.

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