Chapter 426: Chapter 42: God
The green-haired young man was headshot. Without head protection, being hit in the head by the Spider Queen meant certain death, even for Su Xiao.
The headless corpse fell, the green-haired young man died of greed and hesitation.
Su Xiao was indeed on the brink of death before, but there were too many Contractors around, and this green-haired Contractor hesitated whether to step forward.
When he finally made up his mind, his first target was the dark purple treasure chest.
The green-haired young man was too greedy; he not only wanted the dark purple treasure chest but coveted Su Xiao’s entire equipment, especially the Dragon Slash in Su Xiao’s hand. Had Su Xiao been in that situation, he would have killed first and then taken things.
Anyone can be greedy; it’s a normal thing. Su Xiao has also been greedy, but before succumbing to greed, one must have self-awareness, knowing what can be coveted and what cannot.
If it’s something he can obtain, Su Xiao will definitely get it. If the risk is greater than the reward, Su Xiao will turn away.
After shooting the green-haired young man, Su Xiao immediately turned his gun, aiming at the left side.
Bam.
Another shot, a Contractor peeking in the corridor was headshot.
The Spider Queen was very powerful at this range; as the gunshot sounded, the bullet had already arrived.
"This guy hasn’t entered a dying state, run!"
After a loud shout, urgent footsteps echoed through the surrounding corridors.
But after watching the show for so long, you have to leave a ’ticket’ behind.
Bam, bam.
Su Xiao fired two more shots in quick succession, one penetrating a Contractor’s chest, who was then dragged away by a companion, the other hitting the wall, scaring a nearby Contractor half to death.
When the footsteps around faded, Su Xiao began to cough violently, spitting out several mouthfuls of fresh blood.
The High President’s stabbing sword was very sharp; Su Xiao needs at least half an hour to recover from his current injuries, even with the effect of the Elf Secret Medicine and the Ice and Snow Goddess’ Aura.
The effect of the Elf Secret Medicine quickly ended; the potion only lasted two minutes.
If calculated by value, the Elf Secret Medicine should have restored 120% of his Life Value, and Su Xiao should be fully healed, but that was not the case.
Massive blood loss caused his Life Value to keep dropping; when the potion’s recovery effect ended, his Life Value only recovered to 60%.
Though not in a victorious state, Su Xiao now had the ability to continue fighting.
Rumble!
The ground suddenly began to tremble, and red light surged from the floor.
"What is this?"
Su Xiao surveyed the surroundings, quickly understanding what had happened.
The Nationwide Transmutation Circle was activated; it seemed that the five Human Pillars had been gathered.
If viewed from high above Amestris at this moment, a circular transmutation circle could be seen enveloping the entire nation.
The blood-red light from the transmutation circle dyed the entire country red, and countless black arms reached out from the ground. These arms, soft and boneless like shadows, could grab humans’ souls.
Amestris had fifty million citizens, doctors, workers, generals, and farmers all collapsed to the ground, struggling in pain.
At this moment, there was no distinction between the noble and the common; they were all having their souls extracted.
The only safe point of the Nationwide Transmutation Circle was beneath the Presidential Palace, deliberately so by the Little Man in the Bottle, to ’protect’ the five Human Pillars.
Before the Gates of Truth opened, the Little Man in the Bottle wouldn’t kill the Human Pillars.
Red dots of light streaked across the sky in various regions of Amestris, representing the souls of its people.
...
Underground, the revealed form of the Little Man in the Bottle laughed wildly.
Its true form was hideous, entirely black and purple, like a human shape made of shadow, with eyes peering out from all over its body.
Millions of souls were gathered within the Little Man in the Bottle, yet it seemed unsatisfied.
Its body held two million souls, but the remaining three million civilians’ souls had not been successfully extracted, as the transmutation circle was incomplete and the timing of its activation was incorrect.
But it had to activate the transmutation circle; otherwise, there wouldn’t be another chance.
At this point, the Little Man in the Bottle couldn’t understand why its plan, which had been going so smoothly, suddenly halted.
Having spent hundreds of years underground, its thinking had become rigid; in its understanding, humans = ants = energy = unable to resist it.
The two million souls entered the Little Man in the Bottle and began converting into Philosopher’s Stones, causing its body size to grow rapidly.
It broke through the Presidential Palace and stood like a giant under the night sky, the moon above having turned into a round black ball.
The best time to activate the Nationwide Transmutation Circle was during a solar eclipse, followed by nighttime.
The Little Man in the Bottle’s body continued to grow, and one of its purple-black arms reached toward the sky.
"Oh~ God!"
A deep voice issued from the mouth of the Little Man in the Bottle.
"Respond to my soul, come."
A white line appeared in the center of the black sphere above, and a rectangular door opened.
The inside of the door was pitch black, with only a giant white eye at the bottom, with a gray pupil.
This doorway was the Gates of Truth, the foundation of alchemy.
From high in the sky, black shadowy tentacles extended from the Gates of Truth, intending to drag the Little Man in the Bottle into the gate. The Little Man in the Bottle had gathered the five Human Pillars to activate the Nationwide Transmutation Circle, similar in nature to Human Transmutation.
If it had been an ordinary Alchemist, the Gates of Truth could instantly pull them in, but against the Little Man in the Bottle with two million souls inside it, it seemed powerless.
The Little Man in the Bottle laughed wildly, grabbing the shadowy tentacles from the Gates of Truth, attempting to drag the Eye of Truth within toward itself.
"I will drag you to the ground and make you a part of my body."
The Eye of Truth was slowly dragged out of the door, white light engulfing the Little Man in the Bottle, and a powerful energy expanded around.
Boom!
As the energy swept through, many houses in Central City collapsed, as if the entire city would crumble.
...
Beneath the Presidential Palace, where Su Xiao was located.
Su Xiao stood up, a bit dazed, nearly knocked unconscious by that energy pulse just now.
Fortunately, he never thought of facing the Little Man in the Bottle alone; otherwise, he wouldn’t stand a chance.
The Little Man in the Bottle had now become a ’God’; of course, this ’God’ was a False God, only the God of the Steel Refinement World.
Or rather, the Little Man in the Bottle dragged ’God’ into itself, becoming a vessel for God. This God merely lacked self-awareness.
Just as the Nationwide Transmutation ended, a second transmutation circle was already in preparation.
This transmutation circle was not arranged by the Little Man in the Bottle, but by Von Hoenheim.
He placed multiple Philosopher’s Stones containing tens of thousands of peoples’ souls across Amestris, just waiting for the Little Man in the Bottle to activate the Nationwide Transmutation Circle.
The second transmutation circle was similar to the Nationwide Transmutation Circle, but it was reversed.
In the deepest part below the Presidential Palace, the Little Man in the Bottle sat relaxed on a steel chair, a white cloth covering its lower body.
Edward and the other Human Pillars were gradually awakening.
"What’s going on?"
"The Nationwide Transmutation Circle has been activated."
"What?!"
The five stood together, warily watching the not-so-distant Little Man in the Bottle.
At that moment, the Little Man in the Bottle had achieved a perfect body, with an appearance resembling a young Hoenheim.
"Gentlemen, you are no longer needed."
The Little Man in the Bottle wore a blank expression, most of its emotions already separated.
Edward and the others attempted to use alchemy to attack the Little Man in the Bottle, but they couldn’t perform alchemy at all.
"Alchemy has been sealed by me; goodbye, gentlemen."
The Little Man in the Bottle raised one hand, revealing a blazing red sphere the size of a small sun.
Edward and the others looked a bit dazed.
"You, what is that..."
Hoenheim feigned surprise, still waiting for the second transmutation circle to activate.
"With the God I possess now, even making a sun with my hand is no problem."
Just when the Little Man in the Bottle was about to eliminate them, its eyes suddenly widened.
"What is this?"
"Heh~ At the moment you obtained God, you were destined to fail, Little Man in the Bottle!"
Hoenheim roared as the second transmutation circle was activated.
"Aah!!"
Countless souls surged out of the Little Man in the Bottle, and within a short ten seconds, the souls of Amestris’ people were completely withdrawn from its body.
...
Su Xiao watched the massive amount of souls soaring into the sky, his heart rate accelerating.
It succeeded; while the Little Man in the Bottle grasped the Power of God, he lost the energy to use that power.
"Time to clear out some unstable elements."
Due to the Nationwide Transmutation Circle being activated, all Contractors in the Steel Refinement World were hiding below the Presidential Palace.
Su Xiao did not expect to kill all these Contractors; that was impossible. But at least he had to drive them out; otherwise, he might unwittingly help someone else win the prize.
Only one step away from completing the promotion task.