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The creature longs to resemble its creator.

Thus, humanity began to reach out toward the realm of the divine.

‘Did the one who wrote this report study theology?’

An eye-catching phrase.

Park Jinseong thought of the scientist who must have penned the report.

Perhaps someone who, in their youth, studied theology, wanting to interpret the divine will in the name of science.

‘The gestures of the farmers, who harmonize with the land, yield more grain than the gestures of those who crave it. This is a fact etched in our minds. Shaky emotions breed mistakes and cause many oversights, proving that the gestures of the complacent have been optimized, and that is the reason for current humanity sustaining and advancing civilization through machines. Therefore, for a scientist, who must embrace multiple perspectives, this emotional turmoil can truly be a significant obstacle.’

The moment of observation and experimentation turns oneself into part of the subject—an inherent paradox.

Unless this contradiction is resolved, grasping the threads of research would be a daunting task…

‘Some might ask why we should bring the discourse of quantum mechanics, which remains largely unilluminated and poorly understood, into this discussion. Is it not merely a façade to evade accountability? But one must realize that we are advancing towards the truth, and that we are indeed progressing further than our predecessors, who bled and sacrificed their lives as materials in their relentless experiments. We must not forget that we tread upon their corpses as we walk across the vast ocean. In that darkness, the only glimmer we should anchor ourselves to is the constellations sparkling in the sky, and our footsteps are permitted only within the space that those constellations allow. That is the monumental limit our predecessors had to face, and the immense barrier we too must confront…’

Park Jinseong recognized from those lines who the author of the report was.

‘An alchemist, indeed.’

A capable person who uses the energy known as Æther.

They possess the ability to alter the structure of inanimate objects.

And one could say they are akin to the pillars of ‘technology,’ which symbolizes modern civilization.

Together with scientists and wizards, they are the leaders of an era that is advancing civilization at breakneck speed.

They work across various fields, from chemistry to robotics.

‘And they have been active for quite some time now.’

Opinions in academia are divided, and even the stances among schools of alchemy differ widely.

Some claim that alchemy is intertwined with the history of Judaism, while others assert it began during the Egyptian era when mammoths roamed. There are even those who argue that the giants made of stone and rock from myths were creations of alchemists, and those who suggest that the magi mentioned in biblical accounts were, in fact, wandering alchemists seeking the truth. In China, some claim that ‘Pangu’ from Chinese mythology is a treasure born of alchemy and that the sages who created it spread it across the world after their defeat in the Fengshan Ceremony.

However, these are merely claims, and academia agrees that true alchemists emerged in the medieval period. Of course, when considering the emergence of the concept of ‘Æther’ and the explorations of Æther in Greece, the assertion that alchemists appeared in the Middle Ages invites skepticism… The inquiry into principles and their proper application are different issues, so it’s not entirely ungraspable.

A prime example of this is the Aeolipile, the first steam engine, which was invented in ancient Egypt, yet it took an exceedingly long time for steam engines to actually be applied to civilization.

Civilization does not endlessly ascend.

It oscillates up and down, sometimes even breaking apart.

Thus, academia maintains an open-minded approach while positing that alchemists appeared during the Middle Ages based on the records discovered until now. Additionally, the emergence of alchemy has been significantly influenced by scholars from the Middle East—Islamic science can be said to have had a monumental impact, with their history deeply intertwined with that of alchemists.

Of course, this was a story that could evoke resentment among the devout Christians of the civilization or those who held a Western-centric worldview… But simply protesting does not make the truth disappear.

In the past, Islam had a splendid scientific civilization, which was where the roots of alchemy were firmly established. Moreover, it contributed greatly not only to modern science but also to the entirety of human civilization. Thus, alchemists harbored a hidden greed for Islamic knowledge while reviling the very religion that influenced their Christian civilization, creating desires that repeatedly pitted them against society in the name of religion.

Certainly, such desires waned with the advancement of the era… and the thorough-going destruction of the Middle East and oppression of Islam led to a loss or the fading of knowledge.

In that sense, one could say that Britain is indeed remarkable.

Through their widespread plunder and massacre, they have severed many threads of alchemical knowledge.

This is why, even in modern times, the influence of alchemists in the Middle East is weak, and why the proportion of capable persons has been overwhelmingly replaced by warriors in that region.

But as previously mentioned, the truth does not change, and especially given the nature of alchemists, who explore and praise ‘unchanging truths,’ they were unlikely to forget such things. Thus, many alchemists remember their history vividly, and according to their schools, they boldly declare that their roots trace back to a specific region in the Middle East—or a scholar of Islam—and some even support the Middle East.

Thus, while alchemy can beautifully develop in harmony with the world…

Not everyone has been able to do so.

‘Like all research, the line of virtue can become a temptation, leading one to be ensnared by the scenery beyond the line, unable to return. It’s akin to someone who strays from the path getting lost.’

Just as a witch using witchcraft plays with life.

As a scientist caught in a conflict over taking shortcuts under the guise of efficiency.

As a wizard whose thoughts become twisted by solely focusing on research.

Alchemists too have not been exempt from these temptations.

Particularly in the early days of alchemy, when the lines between spells and alchemy were blurred, and they even dared to peek into the realm of witchcraft, escaping from such temptations would have been exceedingly difficult.

That was when countless taboos were born, resulting in many impious individuals crossing those boundaries.

From the madman who demands the witch’s cooperation to uncover the secrets of life force and its mutated creatures, sometimes even wishing to make the witch a test subject; to those who, under the pretense of seeking truth, unhesitatingly engage in the taboo of human sacrifice spells; and even those who treat their summon creatures, destined to be lifelong companions, like lab rats.

There were those who expressed immense interest in divine spells… and travelers claiming to pilgrimage sacred sites, experimenting on the poor of the cities. Some embraced the notion that ‘the truth must be viewed through the eyes of God,’ gaining social power through their theological endeavors, while others countered that ‘even divine acts should be questioned,’ insisting on disregarding the element of ‘taboo’ while pursuing the truth by any means necessary.

And some declared that humans were created in the image of the divine, fashioned like a seed growing into its mother form, and so humanity too should resemble the divine, eventually attaining the power of creation.

Thus began a school that was rejected by many.

Known as the ‘School of Life Creation.’

From the research into homunculi to advances in human selective breeding, gene editing, and human cloning, it was a school linked to numerous substantial endeavors.

If we consider significant historical events deeply tied to these figures… yes.

There were the eugenics studies conducted under Nazi Germany, regarding human selective breeding and the research into methods for efficiently exterminating certain races.

‘They say these studies continued until just before Nazi Germany’s collapse. One of them sought to ensure that those with Jewish genes would be born with afflictions such as infertility or deformity…’

One could only call it madness.

Both the Nazis, who commanded valuable alchemists to undertake such studies as their nation crumbled, and the Life Creation School, who persisted in such horrific research despite the obvious descent into ruin.

Yet…

‘Weren’t these characters predominantly found in synthetic biology?’

This raises a question.

To Park Jinseong’s knowledge, the Life Creation School was mostly associated with synthetic biology or genetic manipulation.

And its research had shown quite a bit of promise, making significant headway as biological weapons like ‘Chimeras,’ ‘Bio Boosters,’ and ‘Bio Implants’ made their presence felt during the Third World War…

Yet they seem to be showing interest in artificial intelligence…?

While developing biocomputing technology and carbon-silicon hybrid computers?

‘Haha.’

Park Jinseong smiled as he raised his head.

Being deep underground, naturally, he could only see the ceiling…

Yet it felt as though the distant starlight was whispering to him.

You are thinking correctly.

‘I found it.’

 

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