Volume 4 Chapter 291
by Need_More_SleepVolume 4 + Chapter 291: The Doctor’s Madness
After seeing the specific content of Claire’s experimental report, Hohenheim was furious.
“Answer me! Why are you conducting such an experiment?!”
“Old fossil, why are you so angry? Aren’t I pursuing innovation, dedicating myself to exploration, and carrying forward the Morrison family spirit quite well?” the Doctor replied.
“You call this innovation?! You are committing the absolute taboo of alchemists!!”
Hohenheim was shaking with rage.
There is one absolute taboo in alchemy. Anyone who violates this taboo is considered to have committed an unforgivable grave crime.
This is,
“‘Creating Superhuman Lifeforms.'”
Hohenheim stated Claire’s experimental objective, which was that the domain alchemists were absolutely forbidden to touch, using alchemy to create lifeforms surpassing humanity out of nothing.
“Old fossil, before this, wasn’t our Rhine Alchemy pursuing the Hybrid Species Plan? That one was clearly extreme!” the Doctor complained. “Countless people died in the Hybrid Species Plan, and that was a plan you pushed forward!”
“These are entirely different matters, Claire! The Hybrid Species Plan involved modifying humans, not creating new lifeforms from scratch! Modification and creation from zero have a fundamental difference. You are a genius, you should know the ultimate fate of alchemists throughout this continent’s history. Who touched this taboo?!” Hohenheim demanded.
The origins of alchemy are nearly impossible to trace, but since very ancient times, the inheritance of alchemy has held this absolute, unbreachable taboo, requiring alchemists to adhere to it.
An artist would exhaust their lifelong learning and all their passion to create their ideal work of art.
If there is something an alchemist could call an ideal work, it would likely be a deity.
Faced with the temptation to create a perfect work, throughout history, many alchemists violated this taboo. But most met terrible ends, commonly killed by their own uncontrollable creations.
After all, such created superhuman lifeforms are completely different from hybrids. They lack moral concepts and do not accept the restraints of law.
Those failed superhuman lifeforms often brought immense disaster to the world.
Therefore, alchemical lifeforms created by alchemists were not allowed to possess high intelligence, only partial sentience, generally used as tools or weapons.
“Claire, you will bring an immense crisis to the Morrison family! As an ancient alchemy family with a long heritage, to violate alchemy’s absolute taboo, do you know what this means?”
Hohenheim reprimanded his granddaughter.
“Eventually, our entire family will face charges because of you! The absolute authority over alchemy we have long held will be severely questioned! The Morrison family will suffer immense damage to its reputation and rights! And you will be imprisoned as a fallen alchemist and executed before the entire nation!!”
“Old fossil, do you think I care about any of that?”
The Doctor’s smile carried extreme calm and rationality. What shone in her eyes was a fanaticism for inquiry.
“Claire, you are a thorough scoundrel, a cold-blooded creature devoid of emotion,” Hohenheim said through gritted teeth.
“Scoundrel? No, no, no. Compared to those pitiful, untalented fools in the family, I am the most outstanding product the Morrison family has ever produced.”
The Doctor spread her arms, looking directly at Hohenheim as if boasting.
“Wasn’t it your deliberate actions that made me this way?”
“……”
Hohenheim couldn’t refute it.
In truth, Claire had shown abnormal personality traits since childhood, indifference towards life, lacking basic respect, and complete disregard for familial bonds. Her eyes held only pure exploratory desire and thirst for knowledge.
During the crucial years of childhood, when human morality and ethics should have been used to guide her and help build a normal worldview…
The Morrison family did not do this. They indulged and tacitly approved Claire’s childhood behavior.
This indeed forged a peerless alchemical genius, but the flaws in her character had become irreparable. Due to her abilities, the family had always made concessions.
“…We should have corrected your behavior back then,” Hohenheim said.
“Too late. I have no desire to return to your side now and play family make-believe as grandfather and granddaughter. I have absolutely no interest in humanity’s future!” The smile on the Doctor’s face grew even more pronounced. “I only wish to realize my own thirst for knowledge and exploration, to achieve unprecedented accomplishments in alchemy. I will prove that creating superhuman lifeforms is possible! Even if it destroys humanity, I don’t care!”
“The five minutes are up, Patriarch Hohenheim.”
The paladin captain pushed open the lab door and entered.
“It seems your negotiation with the Doctor has failed.”
“…Sigh.”
Hohenheim sighed.
He had once thought Claire was an outstanding product, that perhaps he could use her to achieve his desire to explore immortality.
But now it was clear Claire never intended to help him realize his wish. Letting her continue would only bring severe losses to the family. Better to endure the pain and dispose of her now.
“Very well. Let her die here today. Claire Morrison has completely diverged from our family. She should not live in this world.”
“Patriarch Hohenheim, you have no authority to command us. Following His Majesty the Knight King’s orders, we will apprehend the Doctor, imprison her, and then proceed with judgment according to the law.”
The paladin captain had already drawn his weapon.
The other paladins also prepared to act.
“Oh dear, oh dear, what to do? I’m just a weak woman with no strength to tie up a chicken. Now I’m in a huge crisis~”
Despite her words, the Doctor’s face showed not a trace of fear. Her tone was pure sarcasm.
It would infuriate anyone who heard it.
“For your own safety, do not resist, Doctor!!”
The paladin captain lunged forward, raising his knight’s sword to knock the Doctor unconscious.
However, his movement stopped mid-action, right in front of the Doctor.
“Captain! What’s wrong, Captain?!” The other paladins also noticed something amiss.
“Urgh ah ah ah ah!!”
The captain’s weapon clattered to the floor. He collapsed, his helmet falling off as he clutched his throat, letting out a wretched wail.
His face had lost all color, turning ashen gray.
“This… this is…?!”
Hohenheim’s expression changed.
By the time he realized, it was too late.
This was a highly toxic alchemical agent, turned into an invisible gas that had already filled the laboratory.
“Ah ah ah ah!!”
The paladins present all let out screams. Like their captain, they collapsed.
Thud!
Not just the toxic alchemical agent, Claire committed an even more insane act. She shattered the experimental containers, releasing the failed creations within.
Grotesque, hideous monsters pounced on Hohenheim, instantly tearing apart his limbs before the authoritative alchemist even had a chance to resist.
“Old fossil, you shouldn’t have given me those five minutes to talk from the start. Living too long has made you foolish. Goodbye~”
Claire waved her hand, bidding farewell to Hohenheim.
The failed creations she had just released were enough to cause terrifying chaos. Using this chaos, she could escape completely from here.
She set a great fire, burning the place to ruins.
Amidst the sea of flames, Claire heard the wails, struggles, and pleas of people in their final moments. Yet in her heart, she felt neither joy nor sorrow, simply walking step by step away from the laboratory.
At this moment, only one thing occupied the Doctor’s thoughts.
“It seems achieving my goal is impossible within the human world. I must find the Philosopher’s Stone.”
0 Comments