Helos’s consciousness floated within the familiar mental space of Ultimate Alchemy.
The agonizing pain that had threatened to tear her soul apart was completely gone, as if it had never existed.
The cold, blue pupils that had looked down on her from on high were also hidden away, leaving only an indescribable lingering pressure. Cautiously, she refocused her awareness on the blue mark representing “Enlightenment.”
It was no longer dim as before. Instead, it radiated a deep and profound blue light.
The mark hovered in her ocean of consciousness like a quiet, stationary star.
When Helos’s “gaze” touched it, a massive stream of information was no longer “forcefully injected” but instead unfolded quietly before her, like a file.
[Enlightenment Arts of Alchemy] had finally revealed its complete form to her.
Completely different from the straightforward “formula registry” and “passive enhancement” of the [Life System] and [Valiance Arts] , the [Enlightenment Arts] brought four abilities that could only be called “forbidden.”
They were no longer about “how to make” or “how to fight.” They were about “how to master.”
Helos suppressed the excitement and tremor in her heart and began to examine her new abilities.
[Mental Shockwave] , the active application of will.
[Compresses the user’s “will” to a high degree and releases it instantly, forming invisible mental impacts.]
[Effects: can forcibly interrupt a target’s mental concentration, such as spell chanting; can shake the soul of those with weak willpower, plunging them into brief panic or unconsciousness.]
[Intensity depends on the strength of the “will” the user injects.]
[Your will is your sharpest blade.]
Helos stared blankly at this description, feeling a chill rise from her spine.
She instantly understood what this was.
This was exactly what those blue pupils had done to her before she lost consciousness!
That soul-tearing pain, that complete mental crushing… it was nothing more than a [Mental Shockwave] amplified to infinite power!
She subconsciously touched her forehead, as if that cold sensation still lingered.
“So that’s how it is.”
She murmured to herself.
She finally possessed her first true “attack magic”—if it could even be called magic.
This ability had nothing to do with mana. It was only about “will.”
This perfectly matched her constitution as the “Cursed Girl.”
She had no mana, but she had spirit and will.
This also meant that her enemies could no longer fight her purely through physical strength.
Helos quickly calmed down.
“Since this thing is a clash of ‘will,’ if my will isn’t strong enough and I run into a tough opponent, won’t I end up shocking myself into an idiot?”
She remembered those cold blue pupils and couldn’t help but shiver.
“But… it seems like this thing can’t be used carelessly either.”
The girl sighed and looked at the next ability.
[Transmutation Weapon] , the “concept” bestowal of will.
[The user can forcibly imprint a clear “concept” onto an ordinary object, granting it the “transformative” characteristics of that concept for a short time.]
[A physical medium is required. The medium will undergo changes in form and essence based on the clarity and strength of the user’s “will.”]
[Note: When you believe it is a sword, it is a sword.]
This ability made Helos’s breathing quicken instantly.
Wasn’t this metal activation?
No, this was far stronger than so-called metal activation!
She had been stuck in a dead end of thinking before!
The recipe Professor Graham gave her—those “mercury blood” and “mithril powder”—weren’t meant to “create” activated metal at all!
They were “mediums”!
They were the canvas used to bear “will”!
Previously, Helos had been trying to solve the problem at the “material” level, forgetting that the “will guidance” Professor Graham repeatedly emphasized was the core.
And this [Transmutation Weapon] ability was the true instruction manual for “will guidance”!
“I see… I don’t need to make the metal truly ‘alive.’ I just need to make it believe it is ‘alive’…”
Helos’s eyes grew brighter and brighter.
She thought of her [Portable Hand Crossbow] .
What if she imprinted the concept of “explosion” onto a [Miniature Flash Thunder Pellet] ?
Or… she didn’t even need pellets.
She could even grab a handful of sand, imprint the “concept” of “explosion” onto it, and then throw it?
Helos swallowed hard. She felt her mouth drying up again.
The possibilities of this ability were practically endless!
[Biological Modification] , the distortion of “life” by will.
[Allows forced grafting of biological tissues and, through “will guidance,” makes them fuse, producing controllable or uncontrollable mutations.]
[Those with weak willpower who use this ability are highly susceptible to backlash from “flesh instinct” or pollution from the modified being’s “hatred,” leading to irreversible distortion.]
When Helos saw this ability, her face instantly turned somewhat pale.
She immediately thought of Professor Graham’s horrifying specimen room.
Those were examples of failure, weren’t they?
And those were just taboo products researched by ordinary alchemists. Her ability couldn’t possibly be any weaker than those.
This was practically technology that blasphemed the gods!
But…
Helos’s gaze fell on the blonde girl who was angrily wiping the table with her “human” arms.
Gavi.
Had her body been modified by her own will?
Helos’s heart sank heavily.
But then, an indescribable joy surged up.
If she had also mastered [Biological Modification] —
Didn’t that mean she could freely modify Gavi’s current body?
Not just Gavi… but also… other beings.
The thought was so crazy, yet so tempting!
[Soul Distortion] , the interference of “soul” by will.
[Capture souls and make them extensions of your will.]
[You can inject different souls into different organisms and engrave your own mark on them.]
[Warning: This skill can only capture one soul at a time. If a vessel for the soul is not found within seven days, the soul will dissipate forever.]
Helos stared blankly at the [Enlightenment Arts of Alchemy] . A surge of joy appeared in her heart.
The [Enlightenment Arts of Alchemy] had brought her such great surprises.
These abilities would allow her research to enter a whole new realm.
The girl’s breathing quickened. She was already thinking about how to use these powerful abilities.
She was completely unaware that anything was wrong.