"So you think Homunculi are superior to humans?" Daniel Davis looked at Lust and Gluttony, who had been knocked down by his Gatling gun, and quickly rushed to their side, grabbing the Philosopher's Stone from Lust's hand. Without further concern for the two of them, he swiftly ran off in another direction.
Along the way, Daniel discarded the Gatling gun.
"Fullmetal." Rushing out of the church, Daniel spotted the tall armored figure standing by Father Cornello's corpse and immediately knew that the Elric brothers had arrived. Although they had taken the train to Lior before him, Daniel had spent considerable time talking with Mustang and the others, allowing him to reach Lior ahead of them, thanks to his faster means of transportation.
"Creating an arc reactor by hand is nothing. I can now conjure a Gatling gun by hand. I wonder when I can manually trigger nuclear fission," Daniel mused as he left Lior and arrived at a remote mountain peak to study the Philosopher's Stone. Creating the Gatling gun had further demonstrated the stone's power to him.
The Philosopher's Stone could permanently alter the properties of a substance or even create something out of nothing. In simpler terms, it could turn stones into gold, diamonds, or even vibranium. As long as one had sufficient understanding and enough Philosopher's Stones, anything was possible.
There were three major prohibitions for State Alchemists: no human transmutation, no gold transmutation, and absolute loyalty to the military. In reality, the first two prohibitions were more symbolic.
Human transmutation and gold transmutation were not simple feats. If they were easy, no alchemist would be poor. Similarly, if human transmutation were simple, there would be human pillars everywhere, and the Homunculus wouldn't need to specifically seek out the Elrics and be so generous to them.
Ordinary alchemists attempting human transmutation would end up like Alphonse, losing their bodies. Not everyone had an older brother as skilled as Edward, who could pull their soul back.
The alchemist who fused his daughter and a dog into a chimera did so to maintain his status and benefits as a State Alchemist, disregarding basic alchemical ethics. Even the Homunculi couldn't create chimeras that could speak without combining humans and animals.
If gold transmutation were easy, there would be alchemists violating the prohibition. As long as they weren't greedy and were careful, they wouldn't easily be caught.
Look at the world of Harry Potter, where Nicholas Flamel continuously made gold coins without facing consequences.
Human transmutation was even more challenging. The Homunculi were always seeking individuals capable of it. Not everyone could achieve what the Elric brothers did at such a young age—that required innate talent.
"The Philosopher's Stone in the Harry Potter world seems larger. How many souls were used to create it?" Daniel pondered. The Philosopher's Stone in Harry Potter was essentially the same, but due to the lack of advanced alchemy, it was mainly used for immortality and gold production.
"Too bad Dumbledore destroyed it. What a waste." Despite understanding the necessity of destroying it, Daniel felt it was a significant loss. If he had been in the Fullmetal Alchemist world, he would have sought it out no matter what.
"Using the Philosopher's Stone to enhance alchemy is such a waste. If I had all the Philosopher's Stones within the Homunculus, reaching the Ancient One's level of power wouldn't be difficult."
Looking at the Philosopher's Stone he had taken from Cornello, Daniel began absorbing its power. He purified the tormented souls within, though his purification was different from Hohenheim's; it was more akin to annihilation.
"This is the correct way to use the Philosopher's Stone," Daniel thought, feeling the power boost from absorbing the stone's energy.
"Although purification wastes a lot of energy, it's necessary to avoid becoming corrupt. Maintaining the purity of my soul is crucial," Daniel reflected.
With enough Philosopher's Stones and reckless absorption, Daniel could become immensely powerful quickly. However, the consequences would be similar to Kaecilius absorbing Dormammu's power.
The Philosopher's Stone's energy came from chaotic, fragmented souls, not Dormammu, so the side effects wouldn't be as severe. At worst, it would drive him mad.
Hohenheim conversing with tens of thousands of souls without going insane was truly remarkable. The Homunculi were different beings, so the issue was not the same for them.
Though Daniel could suppress the souls with enough power, the situation would become dire without that control.
"It's a pity that the energy absorbed from the Philosopher's Stone loses its unique properties." Kamar-Taj's magic could absorb the stone's power, but once absorbed, it became regular mana, losing the Philosopher's Stone's unique alchemical abilities.
In other words, as long as he had the Philosopher's Stone, Daniel could perform Mustang's flame alchemy without needing a transmutation circle.
Creating material from nothing and permanently transforming one substance into another consumed different amounts of the Philosopher's Stone's power. Creating material from nothing consumed more.
"Can animals be used to create Philosopher's Stones? If all things have souls, animals should too. The Homunculi never seemed to test this. It might be worth experimenting," Daniel considered. Fullmetal Alchemist's world allowed for soul experiments through alchemy, unlike the Marvel world, where even the existence of souls was debated among scientists.
Simmons and Fitz believed in souls now, thanks to their encounter with Mephisto.
"It's time to go to East City."
"Lior is in chaos, just as expected." Daniel sneered, tossing aside the newspaper reporting the Lior uprising. The paper also mentioned the deaths of several State Alchemists. Although the State Alchemist examination was tough, over the years, dozens had been certified, and now five were dead.
"Tucker, the Sewing-Life Alchemist." It wasn't long before Daniel found out about the alchemist who fused his daughter into a chimera. Tucker was a research-type State Alchemist. State Alchemists were roughly divided into two types: combat-oriented like Mustang, Kimblee, and Armstrong, and research-oriented like Tucker and Dr. Marcoh.
State Alchemists had to submit an annual report for review. Combat alchemists had it easier, as their missions usually ensured they passed. But for researchers, the review was stricter.
This scrutiny mainly targeted mediocre alchemists. Talented ones like Edward could pass with minimal effort.
"There's plenty of biological alchemy material here, but his skills are too poor." In Tucker's home, Daniel examined the books on alchemy and the animals in the lab. He shook his head slightly.
Like scientists, alchemists required talent. Without it, progress was nearly impossible, regardless of effort.
It was like ancient poets—some created timeless verses, some wrote doggerel, and others couldn't produce anything worthwhile.
Tucker's alchemy talent was mediocre at best, slightly better than Cornello's. Yet, he greedily aimed to create speaking chimeras without considering basic alchemical principles, something even the Homunculi couldn't achieve.
The Homunculi's speaking chimeras were human-animal hybrids, whereas Tucker aimed to make animals speak through alchemy alone, an impossible leap akin to Marvel scientists believing they could solve human evolution and lifespan limits.
Seeing Tucker slumped over a lab table, clutching his head in frustration, Daniel appeared and said, "You seem troubled. Worried about the State Alchemist review?"
"Who are you?" Tucker jumped, banging his knee on the table. Pain contorted his face, but concern over Daniel kept him silent.
Daniel wore a white fox mask, adding an eerie touch in the dim lab.
"Who I am doesn't matter. What matters is I know what you've done. Using your wife's life to gain luxuries. Will you use your daughter next?" Daniel's voice was cold.
Using humans for alchemical experiments wasn't unusual. The Homunculi did it all the time. Even Daniel would likely do so in the future.
Had Tucker used strangers, it might have been forgivable. But he used his own family. Before coming to Tucker, Daniel had done some research on him.
Since becoming a State Alchemist two years ago for creating a talking chimera, Tucker had used his research funds for luxury, barely continuing his chimera experiments.
"How do you know?" Tucker's face turned pale, his voice trembling.
"Don't worry about how I know. Just know why I'm here." Daniel swiftly approached, striking Tucker's arm with an iron rod.
With a crack, Tucker's right shoulder was at least fractured.
The intense pain made Tucker scream. Daniel didn't stop him; he had put Nina and the big dog to sleep beforehand. No matter the noise, they wouldn't wake up until it was time.
Bang, bang, bang.
The more Daniel thought about Tucker's actions, the angrier he became. He raised the rod again, targeting non-lethal areas to avoid killing Tucker outright.
"You don't understand. These sacrifices are necessary for alchemy's progress," Tucker insisted despite his injuries.
"Don't flatter yourself. You did it for the money and status of a State Alchemist." Before becoming a State Alchemist, Tucker was poor, supported by his wife who believed in his alchemical potential.
Alchemy needed either talent or resources. Without both, progress was nearly impossible. Before his breakthrough, Tucker's wife had supported him, only for him to betray her.
It was like a poor scholar in ancient times, abandoning his wife after achieving success through imperial exams.
"And you think your alchemy is impressive? Central has already perfected human-animal transmutation, allowing people to retain their forms and gain animal abilities. Your alchemy is outdated. I've been sent to eliminate you."
"Impossible. That's impossible."
Tucker, his pride in his alchemy shattered, broke down completely.
"Goodbye." Daniel sighed, dropping the rod and shooting Tucker.
"I should turn you into a Philosopher's Stone. This is too good for you." Leaving a note explaining Tucker's death, Daniel exited the lab.
"Mr. Tucker, are you home?" Just as Daniel left the lab, he heard someone calling for Tucker.
"The lab's soundproofing is impressive," Daniel noted, realizing the caller hadn't heard the gunshot.
"Perfect timing. With Mustang around, Nina's future should be secure." With this thought, Daniel used the Disillusionment Charm to exit via a broomstick.
"Lior really is in chaos," Mustang and Hughes sighed in unison, looking at the map in East City's military headquarters.
Knowing trouble was brewing in Lior, Mustang and Hughes had focused on it. Mustang had even sent Eastern troops to maintain order there shortly after Daniel left Lior. But soon, Central troops arrived and ousted them.
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"It seems he was telling the truth; things are troublesome." Hughes' expression was unusually grave as he looked at the map of Reole. Although Daniel had been very convincing, both Hughes and Mustang still harbored a sliver of hope. However, after the events in Reole, they understood that Daniel had completely given up that hope.
Because of this, both men felt utterly helpless about the current situation. Their hands were tied since the entire military, from the president down to the high-ranking officers, were on the other side.
Under the orders from Central, there was nothing they could do about Reole's situation. This helplessness was why Hughes had come to Central City; if he couldn't change things, he'd rather not see them.
"Hughes, what do you think we should do now?" Mustang asked Hughes. While Mustang was quite intelligent, he still fell short compared to Hughes, who had deduced the danger within the military from mere scraps of information. This was without being a proficient alchemist himself.
Hughes was a family man, always carrying photos of his wife and daughter and showing them off to his colleagues several times a day. It was this weakness that Envy exploited to kill him. Otherwise, Hughes might have had a chance to escape.
Thanks to Daniel's warning, Hughes' fate had altered somewhat. For the homunculi, as long as you didn't interfere with their plans, they generally wouldn't attack unrelated individuals.
Having received Daniel's warning, Hughes naturally stopped investigating related matters within the military. Even private meetings with Mustang were primarily for casual conversation or conducted through coded messages.
The homunculi underestimated humans, not realizing that the more dangerous the environment, the more it could spur human potential. For instance, Stark created the Arc Reactor and the prototype Iron Man suit after being kidnapped by terrorists.
Hawkeye and Mustang managed to send information about Pride right under his nose through their conversations. Mustang even contacted a certain female general in the north under their surveillance.
The homunculi lost the entire game despite being in such a dominant position.
"The south and west are currently in chaos. Many there likely belong to the enemy. Among all the generals, only Lieutenant General Grumman here and Major General Armstrong at the northern fortress can be trusted. The others are uncertain," Hughes shared his thoughts.
"Grumman, that old fox?"
Mustang was somewhat familiar with Lieutenant General Grumman. Grumman was the head of the Eastern Command and Mustang's direct superior. They often played chess, with Mustang usually losing. Grumman also hoped Mustang would marry his granddaughter.
As a state alchemist and now a full-fledged colonel, Mustang had been promoted upon returning from Central to East City. Grumman wanted to bring such a young, high-ranking officer into his fold.
"Given Grumman's achievements, he should have been transferred to Central long ago. Since he's stayed put all these years, he likely hasn't colluded with them."
"I'll find an opportunity to talk to him, see if he knows anything." Given the current situation, Mustang couldn't reveal everything to Grumman outright. If Grumman were also on the other side, they would be exposed.
"As for Major General Armstrong, it would be best to find an opportunity to meet her and gauge her stance. Unfortunately, there's no suitable pretext to go north." For officers like Hughes and Mustang, showing up at the northern command without a valid reason would be very conspicuous.
"The joint exercise between the Eastern and Northern commands is coming up. We might use that opportunity," Mustang suggested after some thought.
"That's an opportunity, but be cautious," Hughes agreed.
"Sigh, I now understand why the military never transferred the Eastern troops to the south and west for combat, always using new recruits instead, and their puzzling decisions back then." Hughes sighed deeply.
During the Ishvalan conflict, there were heavy casualties on both sides. Given the military's strength and the state alchemists' abilities, such high losses were unlikely unless intentionally caused by poor strategic decisions. Hughes had once thought the higher-ups were just foolish, but now he realized it was likely deliberate.
"Let's discuss this later. How's the investigation on that person?"
"We don't know his background, only that he arrived in Central not long ago and spends most of his time at the Central Library."
The Central Library had two areas: one for the public and one restricted to those with appropriate clearance, such as state alchemists.
"According to reports from the Fullmetal Alchemist, he might have appeared in Reole."
Knock, knock, knock.
Just as Hughes was about to speak, urgent knocking sounded at the door. Mustang and Hughes stopped talking and let the visitor in.
Lieutenant Hawkeye and Second Lieutenant Hubble entered. Hubble looked anxious and was breathing heavily.
"What happened? Weren't you supposed to be with the Fullmetal Alchemist?" Mustang asked, surprised.
"Shou Tucker is dead," Hubble quickly explained, including Tucker's previous creation of a chimera and the note left by Daniel.
"What?" Mustang and Hughes immediately left the military headquarters, heading to Tucker's house with Hawkeye and Hubble. The area was already sealed off by military personnel.
"Is she okay?" Mustang asked a soldier, looking at the sleeping girl on the sofa near the Fullmetal brothers.
"She seems to be just asleep but hasn't woken up."
Mustang nodded, then went into the lab, inspecting Tucker's corpse. He frowned slightly before moving to a table to look at the note left behind.
"The person who did this seemed very angry," Mustang commented after examining Tucker's body.
"If it were me, the result would be the same," Hughes said grimly. As a devoted family man, this was something he couldn't tolerate. However, he only said this in extreme anger.
"It probably wasn't Scar," Hughes quickly regained his composure and shared his suggestion. His visit to Central to see Mustang was also to remind him to stay vigilant.
"Hawkeye, handle this. Report it as an assassination," Mustang ordered, then looked at the silent Fullmetal brothers and sighed.
Understanding their feelings, Mustang and Hughes chose not to tell them about the Philosopher's Stone.
Soon, more soldiers arrived to clean up, taking Tucker's body and all his lab materials.
Due to Mustang's orders, Tucker's actions were not made public. Mustang did this to protect Tucker's daughter, Nina. If Tucker's deeds were exposed, the impact on Nina would be devastating.
Moreover, as a state alchemist killed in action, Tucker's family was entitled to generous compensation, which Nina needed.
Strictly speaking, without the nationwide transmutation circle, the homunculi were very adept at ruling. Amestris had expanded its territory significantly and maintained peace in most places outside a few cities.
Amestris, aside from Central's darkness, had relatively clean local governance. Reole's disaster was only due to the homunculi's plan.
If it didn't involve their plans, the homunculi were just and fair, promoting and punishing based on merit. Officers like Lieutenant General Grumman, Major General Armstrong, and Lieutenant Colonel Hughes advanced quickly.
For the homunculi, there was no concept of corruption.
The homunculi ensured competent individuals were promoted to keep the country prosperous and peaceful, ensuring rapid population growth.
The nationwide transmutation circle required a large population, so constant turmoil would be counterproductive.
"A simple map sold at such a high price. Underground market, indeed." Daniel felt a bit exasperated holding the basic map.
"The desert is really hot. Good thing I have the Ice Transmutation Circle." Sitting on his hoverboard, Daniel was thankful he had saved Isaac.
Daniel had come to the desert to reach Xing. Between Xing and Amestris lay a vast desert. Unlike merchants who formed large caravans, Daniel could reach Xing quickly using a Quinjet.
Before heading to Xing, he had another place to visit: the ruins of Xerxes, the country where the Dwarf in the Flask originated.
Xerxes had vanished overnight, attracting many adventurers seeking the wealth left behind.
Although there's no treasure left now, the remnants of buildings and the strategic location have turned Xerxes into a transit hub for eastern and western caravans.
Merchants will venture into dangerous places if the profit is high enough.
Besides merchants, many Ishvalans who fled Amestris lived there.
"A country disappearing overnight... reminds me of the ancient city of Loulan. Could it be similar?" Flying overhead, Daniel mused humorously as he observed the ruins below.
"No traces of the transmutation circle... if everything vanished, it means animals too, suggesting animals can be used to make Philosopher's Stones."
Using binoculars from the air, Daniel quickly located the giant mural, a damaged section of the transmutation circle.
"Part of the missing section is inside Gluttony's stomach. Does this mean entering his belly is necessary? Who created this transmutation circle? Was it learned through a deal with the Gate of Truth? The Dwarf in the Flask might have been created by such an alchemist." After scanning the mural, Daniel pondered.
Human transmutation was the ultimate goal for alchemists. This ambition likely existed even in ancient times.
"These people looted everything clean." Finding nothing in the ruins, Daniel prepared to head to Xing.
While he could study alchemy books in Amestris, that would be too slow. He didn't have Scar's brother's brilliance.
Speaking of brilliance, Daniel recalled someone in this world similar to Doctor Strange, with a photographic memory.
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