章 134: Chapter 134 Alchemy (Part 1)
After learning about ice alchemy from Isaac, Daniel Davis immediately left him. As for what Isaac would do next, whether he would continue to seek out the President and meet his demise, or return to the resistance to continue fighting against the military, was not something Daniel could control.
Naturally, Daniel refused Isaac's invitation to kill the President together. Killing the President was not difficult, but it wouldn't benefit the country at all. Without eliminating the Homunculus, even if all the Homunculi were killed, it would be useless.
Homunculi could be created at any time by the Homunculus. Even if they could continue to kill them, preventing the Homunculus from proceeding with its plans, missing this opportunity would make it very troublesome to deal with the Homunculus later.
The Homunculus had a long lifespan. Even if it couldn't complete its task in Amestris, it could simply move to another place to continue its plans. Without Hohenheim, no one in this world would be able to stop it.
The resistance, where Isaac and others were, could continue to exist because the President and the Homunculi allowed it. Once they were pushed to a certain point, the Homunculi would stop targeting them. It was all to create more casualties.
"Isaac's alchemist skills are still lacking. It seems he has no potential to become a human pillar." With the help of the ice transmutation array in his palm, Daniel immediately formed an ice sword in his hand. Like how Colonel Mustang could use the composition of the air to create fire, Daniel could adjust the air to contain enough moisture.
The so-called ice transmutation array was actually an extension of the water transmutation array. Lowering the temperature of water below freezing point turned it into ice, and heating it would turn it into steam.
In other words, if he wanted, he could freeze people to death or evaporate the water in their bodies.
Isaac couldn't use the moisture in the air. His ice alchemy could only use water or blood. The transmutation array he used to seal the Presidential Palace earlier relied on the water pipes around it.
The effect of alchemy depended on the imagination in one's mind. However, this imagination was based on scientific understanding.
Thus, even with the same transmutation array, some could quickly comprehend and use it, while others could barely achieve any effect, or the effect was mediocre.
It was like a classroom of students taking the same test: some scored full marks, some just passed, and some scored in single digits, despite being taught by the same teacher with the same materials.
Compared to fire, Daniel preferred ice. Otherwise, he wouldn't have saved Isaac. Although he could research ice alchemy on his own, it would take time.
"It's time to go to the new country. But since I'm in this world, there are some things I need to stop." For Fullmetal Alchemist, besides the main storyline, Daniel vividly remembered two things: Hughes' death and the chimera incident involving the little girl.
Many chimeras existed on the Homunculi's side, but they were all adults. The little girl and her dog were combined by her father. Although Daniel couldn't remember the girl's name or her father's name at the moment.
"Hughes, how should I warn him? For someone so smart, why isn't he an alchemist? It seems that being an alchemist also requires talent."
The five human pillars included three members of Edward's family, their master, and only Mustang as an outsider.
"It seems Hohenheim's blood is different from ordinary people, which is why his two sons have such strong alchemy talents. More importantly, the Homunculus was created from his blood."
"If my previous speculation is correct, the Homunculus might be a being from another dimension. Just like the giants from that other world."
"Have the Elric brothers started their journey?" At the train station in Central City, the Elric brothers were waving goodbye to Mustang and Hughes, who came to see them off.
As State Alchemists, with Mustang's help, they quickly obtained information about the Philosopher's Stone. Many legends about the stone circulated in the country, most of which were unverifiable. Desperate to restore their bodies, the Elric brothers would investigate every lead, no matter how unreliable.
Why did it seem like no other alchemists, aside from the Elric brothers, pursued the Philosopher's Stone despite its immense benefits to alchemists? The reason was simple: the other alchemists who pursued it had found it.
It was so easy to obtain because the Homunculi would appear whenever an alchemist sought the Philosopher's Stone and leave the stone behind. Such an important item would naturally not be disclosed by those who received it.
The Homunculi distributed the Philosopher's Stones to create chaos. Those who persisted in seeking the stone were undoubtedly greedy. After obtaining it, these people would definitely not stay quiet. Meanwhile, the Homunculi were also looking for human pawns through the stones.
Isaac had also received a Philosopher's Stone before, using it as an energy source to perform outstanding feats on the battlefield of Ishval. It was because of this that he discovered the truth.
"Mustang was also outstanding on the Ishval battlefield. Why didn't the Homunculi give him a Philosopher's Stone?" Watching Mustang's back, Daniel suddenly wondered, "Kimblee and that doctor used the Philosopher's Stone, didn't they? Wait, I might be mistaken. Maybe he did use it. Whatever, I can't remember clearly."
"Judging by his rank insignia, he's not a colonel yet. Hasn't he been promoted?" Thinking about it, Daniel was about to leave. The crowded train station was not a good place to approach Hughes.
"Sir, you seemed to be watching us closely. Do you have something to say?" As Daniel left the train station and turned a corner, he saw a figure ahead. Dressed in a blue military uniform, wearing glasses, and playing with a small knife in his right hand, it was Hughes. His knife-throwing skills were formidable.
Before Daniel could turn around, he felt a presence behind him. Another figure in a blue military uniform, holding a gun, with short blond hair—it was Lieutenant Hawkeye. Although she held a gun, she did not aim it at Daniel.
In the third direction, Mustang walked over, wearing his white flame alchemy gloves. They surrounded him on three sides, with a wall on the fourth side, creating a dead end.
"This is the second time I've been discovered." Daniel felt extremely frustrated. It was understandable to be noticed by Gluttony, as he was a Homunculus, but Mustang and the others were ordinary people. The distance between them was quite far.
"I do have something to discuss with Lieutenant Colonel Hughes. But how did you discover me?" Daniel spread his hands, indicating he meant no harm. He had no transmutation array on his hands, though there were ones inside his sleeves.
The transmutation array on Scar's arm didn't necessarily have to be on the arm; it could be elsewhere.
"What do you want with me?" Hughes had already put away his knife. With Mustang present, he didn't need to fight.
"It's about your life and death. This isn't a good place to talk. Is there a safer, more private location?" Daniel said calmly.
"What do you mean by that?" Hughes frowned upon hearing Daniel's words.
"Let's find a secure place, preferably away from military premises," Daniel said, glancing at Mustang.
"Alright." Mustang, Hughes, and Hawkeye exchanged glances and nodded in agreement.
Soon, they were in a seemingly ordinary room, driven there by Hawkeye.
"Can you take off your gloves, Flame Alchemist?" Inside the room, Daniel directly addressed Mustang, extending his hand to him.
After a moment's hesitation, Mustang removed his gloves and handed them to Daniel.
"The other one too." Daniel continued. Mustang usually used only one glove, making many people think he only had one. In fact, he had two and carried a box of them.
"Sorry, because you're a State Alchemist and participated in the Ishval war, I have to be cautious. Lieutenant Hawkeye, could you point your gun at our State Alchemist?" Stowing away the gloves, Daniel suddenly had a mischievous thought and spoke to Hawkeye.
"What do you mean by this?" Hughes spoke up before Mustang and Hawkeye could respond.
"What I'm about to say concerns the survival of this country. As a State Alchemist under the direct command of the President, I need to confirm his stance."
"Hawkeye, do as he says." Mustang instructed. After a moment's hesitation, Hawkeye drew her gun and aimed it at Mustang.
"Now, can you speak?" Mustang asked, staring at Daniel.
"Look at this photo." Daniel took out a photo showing the President, his left eye uncovered, revealing an ouroboros tattoo.
"The President? What is this?" They immediately recognized the President, but the appearance of his left eye shocked them. A normal human eye couldn't look like that.
"That's an ouroboros, a mark of the Homunculi," Daniel said calmly.
"You say the President is a Homunculus? That's impossible." Hughes immediately refuted, looking at Mustang for confirmation. Hughes didn't understand alchemy, but Mustang was a State Alchemist.
"Alchemy can't create humans, but—"
"Just because you can't, doesn't mean others can't. You know the ice alchemist's assassination attempt on the President, right? But you probably don't know the reason behind it."
Before Hughes could respond, Daniel continued, "It was because of the Philosopher's Stone. The Philosopher's Stone is made from human lives. The Ishval war was conducted to use the people there to create the Philosopher's Stone. Many State Alchemists used the stone during the war
. You were part of that war. Didn't you notice anything?"
"What did you say?" Hughes, Mustang, and Hawkeye stood up. The Ishval war was a deep scar for them. They had tried to rationalize it as a war, but if it was all a conspiracy, it changed everything.
"Didn't you find it strange? Ishval posed no real threat to the country. Why was it necessary to annihilate them? Isaac discovered this secret and tried to assassinate the President because of it."
"That makes sense. I always thought it was unnecessary to escalate the war in Ishval to that extent. It was all for the Philosopher's Stone." Hughes muttered to himself.
"In fact, it's just the beginning." Daniel said, spreading out a map of Amestris with several circles drawn on it.
"As an alchemist, can you see the issue with this map?" Daniel asked Mustang directly.
"This is a transmutation circle." Mustang immediately recognized it. As soldiers, they dealt with maps daily, but had never considered this perspective before.
"So the wars were to shape the country into a circle." Hughes' knowledge of history was far superior to Mustang's and Hawkeye's. It was why he quickly discovered the Homunculi's plot in the original story.
"This is a national transmutation circle. Once completed, it can turn all the citizens into a Philosopher's Stone. Those wars were just laying the groundwork."
"This can't be. The upper echelons of the military would have noticed." Hughes exclaimed.
"They did, but chose to collaborate with the Homunculi. The Philosopher's Stone has many names and abilities, one of which is granting immortality. The military leaders wanted immortality."
"The Philosopher's Stone, which allows any alchemy without cost, actually comes with the cost of human lives."
Using the Philosopher's Stone negated the need for a transmutation circle, enabling alchemy instantly.
"Isaac discovered this truth but didn't know the full extent. The President is not the final mastermind. There's someone else behind him, the true puppet master. Now, I want to know if you were really unaware of this, Mustang. Many State Alchemists are part of this plan." Daniel stared at Mustang.
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