Chapter 63: Nornie Nolan
Nornie Nolan, in her past life from the Far South Kingdom, was the only female among the three Grand Alchemists.
Long before Nolan advanced to Legendary in the Year of Legends, this gray-haired girl, nicknamed 'Nono' by many players, had already gained great fame. There were many reasons—her powerful alchemical skills, her cute appearance, and her mysterious origins all sparked considerable discussion. Although these discussions were limited to boring categories like 'Nono is my wife!' 'No, she's MY wife!' and the frenzied purchasing of posters and figurines.
What truly made the name Nolan known throughout all player circles were not these trivial matters, but two historically renowned events.
First: Nornie Nolan was the first native character in the history of the Continent of Strife to join a player-created faction, and also the first native character to break through to Legendary with the support of a player faction.
Second: She created an entirely new school of alchemy.
As everyone knows, any alchemical product—whether magical cannons, construct puppets, or alchemical potions—requires a massive investment of resources to produce. Most alchemists pursue using as few or as cheap materials as possible to create alchemical creations of a certain quality.
But Extreme Alchemy was different. What it sought was refinement after refinement, using vast quantities of materials to elevate ordinary—or even extraordinary—creations to their utmost limits.
As long as one was willing to invest, ordinary soil could be transformed into a giant puppet capable of destroying a city. Materials already brimming with magic could surpass people's imagination and reach the realm of 'Legendary.' It was precisely by relying on this technique that Nolan advanced step by step toward Legendary.
Of course, Extreme Alchemy was also jokingly called Extreme Pay-to-Win Alchemy by players in the past life. While this special alchemical method could indeed produce the most powerful magical equipment or construct puppets, the investment required was simply staggering. It was said that when Nornie Nolan first calculated the amount of materials needed for her Extreme Refinement formula, she was so frightened that her heart stopped. Fortunately, she had a powerful priest of the Church of the Seven Gods by her side, who managed to revive her.
The reason she joined a player-created faction was precisely because of this. Due to the Great Magic Tide and the subsequent Abyss invasion, all major factions were doing their best to develop their own forces and had no spare funds. Although Nolan's strength and skills were tempting, they also had their own armies and alchemists. They couldn't possibly pour vast sums of money into such a bottomless pit. Only player factions—born from heaven and earth, relying on monsters, each capable of fighting, with all members as soldiers—had the extra wealth to fund her research and help her ascend to Legendary.
But even so, the player factions struggled immensely. Investing in Nolan was like frantically spending money in some game without ever pulling an SSR—it could drive one to despair. However, once she succeeded, the powerful equipment and golem puppets she produced were fully worth the investment.
For example, the Sky-Piercing White Tower in the Eastern Plains had a Legendary-rank construct puppet that single-handedly crushed an entire demon legion.
Why was Joshua so clear about all this? Because Nornie Nolan had joined his war band.
In the year 846 of the Falling Stars Era, the gray-haired girl, having just reached Ultimate-rank, searched everywhere for investors but found none. In despair, she simply joined a famous and powerful war band in the Far South. She hadn't originally planned to have this war band invest in her technique; she only intended to use their channels to find other interested factions. But later, Nolan discovered that this group, which seemed to be just ordinary mercenaries, had an absurd amount of money!
Could they conjure money out of thin air?! Unbelievable! But who cares—the alchemical girl simply stopped thinking. As long as someone funded her research, she didn't care if this war band was actually making deals with evil gods. Money was daddy.
Similarly, upon seeing the gray-haired girl, the warrior felt a chill run down his spine. A terrible feeling of being completely drained surged into his heart. He instinctively wanted to cover his wallet, but Joshua was still Joshua. The warrior quickly came to his senses. At this moment, Nono was still just an ordinary alchemist. Although her skills were exquisite, she might not have even finished formulating the prototype of Extreme Alchemy. Moreover, she wasn't under his command, so even if money needed to be spent, it wasn't his turn.
Thinking this, Joshua's mind quickly calmed down. He reached out and greeted the High Sister and her group.
Meanwhile, the black dragon girl beside him curiously poked her head out, wanting to see who had arrived. But a large hand pressed down on her shoulder, squeezing it warningly. Instantly, Black's expression became serious, and she resumed her previous dignified, reserved, and well-behaved posture.
"Lord Count."
Saya also smiled and nodded in greeting to Joshua, as well as to Loranda and Robzek beside him. She also noticed the black dragon girl hidden behind the warrior's robust figure, so she asked curiously, "May I ask, who is that young lady…?"
The High Sister had memorized the auras of all the crew members on the Time Vessel, but she had never seen this petite, long-haired girl before. Although it was possible that the Church had sent new people, she would have received a notification.
—Actually, 'petite' isn't quite right. Thinking this, Saya took another careful look and silently corrected her impression of Black. The dragon girl was about one meter seventy-five tall, which was even passable among human males. The reason she appeared petite at first glance was mainly because the three big men beside her were all so burly. The two paladins and the warrior all looked like iron towers, making even sitting in the cabin chairs seem a bit cramped.
"This one? Not long ago, you fought together, clearing out sea beasts." Joshua patted Black's shoulder again, signaling the dragon girl to greet them. Black naturally understood her master's intention, so she immediately stood up, opened her mouth energetically, and then sprayed out a beam of golden-red light.
Sizzle!
As the beam shot out, Robzek, sitting across from Joshua, skillfully raised his hand, forming a shield of holy light in midair that blocked all the flames sprayed by the black dragon girl. Earlier, when he and Loranda were chatting with Black, they would encounter such situations from time to time. Loranda had even changed her clothes once, and the silver paladin's sideburns were slightly singed.
After all, it was an accident. Even Black herself didn't know when she could speak and when she would spew dragon breath. The paladins' sense of hostility was completely useless; it all came down to pure reaction speed.
After confirming that the High Sister and her group were fine, Joshua turned back and carefully examined Black's throat. The girl's fair neck looked very delicate, completely belying the fact that flames capable of melting steel could shoot out from there.
Frowning slightly, the warrior seemed to have found some clue. Then he stood up and said apologetically to Saya, "Sorry, she still can't control it very well…"
"It's fine."
The High Sister was also startled. She had instinctively shielded Nono behind her and formed a Truth Shield in front of herself. But now that she had reacted, Saya showed no sign of anger. She simply tucked a few stray strands of hair behind her ear and smiled gently at the somewhat nervous black dragon girl beside her. "You must be Black, right? The Lord Count's dragon… It's okay, don't be nervous. Everyone has accidents. I don't mind."
"Th… Thank you…"
Carefully uttering a single word, and sensing that no dragon breath had come out this time, Black immediately breathed a sigh of relief and apologized earnestly, "It was my fault. I almost hurt you all…"
"I'm fine, but Nono, how are you?" Saya knew that with the protection of the Truth Shield, that kind of hasty, weakened dragon breath from a humanoid dragon couldn't harm her. But for some reason, the gray-haired girl, who had been clinging to her arm, remained silent. This puzzled the High Sister: Had she been frightened?
"Mm, Sister Saya, a little…"
Nolan, still hiding behind Saya, seemed a bit shaken. But contrary to what everyone present thought, her fear wasn't caused by the humanoid black dragon's breath. It was because of the black-haired warrior who was showing a helpless smile.
Just now, that warrior had glanced at her. Their eyes met for a single instant, and in that instant, a pair of terrifying crimson pupils were imprinted in the alchemical girl's heart.
What kind of gaze was that? Nolan couldn't describe it. There was no joy, no curiosity, no anger, no fear in those eyes. The helplessness and smile on the surface were fake. There was nothing in those eyes. Even indifferent scrutiny didn't quite describe it. The pure gaze was like a mirror, making her feel as if all her secrets and weaknesses were reflected back, clearly visible.
—If it came to a fight, she probably wouldn't even be able to release her puppets before being cleanly killed in one blow, right?
With all her flaws and weaknesses seen through at a glance, Nolan felt she had nowhere to hide. Even hiding behind Saya couldn't give her any sense of security.
But she still knew what to do at a time like this. Gritting her teeth, she let go of the High Sister's arm, stepped forward, and forced herself to introduce herself to the black-haired man. The warrior also introduced himself in return. At the same time, he carefully examined Nolan once more, then nodded thoughtfully.
—The current head of the Radcliffe Family, master of the Moldavia Territory in the Northern Lands, the Cold Iron Count, the Dragon Slayer, Joshua van Radcliffe.
Although she was once again made numb by that terrifying, scrutinizing gaze, Nolan's mind quickly churned out quite a bit of information about this powerful Northern Count. Knowing that he was the inheritor of the Sage's legacy, she immediately understood. The Restorative Pillar that had interrupted her experiment earlier was undoubtedly his doing.
—The Church of the Seven Gods really has wide connections. They can even invite an Ultimate-rank powerhouse from the other side of the world!
Nolan knew very well how much nobles valued their territories. The cost of getting those territorial spirits, like land-bound spirits, to leave their domains was unimaginable. Thinking this, the gray-haired girl's gaze toward the warrior instantly shifted from 'fear' to 'resentment of the rich.' Hiring an Ultimate-rank powerhouse to venture into the Abyss of Anos—heaven knows how much money the Church paid!
"It's a pity that Mr. Hill and Ms. Fina aren't here. Otherwise, everyone would be together."
After Saya and Nolan found seats and sat down, Robzek drained the drink from the bottle in front of him and said somewhat regretfully, "Then we could discuss our itinerary and plans. It's only about a week, or even less, to the Great Maelstrom at the center of the Abyss of Anos. Many things need to be prepared as soon as possible."
The silver paladin brought up the topic, and Loranda and Joshua naturally followed suit. They discussed various possible encounters, such as enemies, storms, and getting lost in the maelstrom. The black dragon girl also listened with serious eyes.
Nolan completely couldn't understand the 'tactics,' 'coordination,' or 'ambushes' those men were discussing. She had come aboard the Time Vessel solely to create and maintain the Wheel of Holy Light. The Church of the Seven Gods was willing to pay her with their treasured alchemical books and a large number of divine construct golem blueprints, which was an unmissable opportunity for a girl perfecting her own alchemical system.
Of course, besides that, she also had a little secret…
"How is it, Nono? Are you okay?"
Suddenly, a gentle voice came from beside her. Warm breath brushed past her ear, making Nolan's whole body stiffen. As she stood there frozen, the girl was pulled into a warm embrace. "Still scared?"
Without guessing, Nolan knew it was the High Sister's voice. Saya gently hugged the gray-haired girl and whispered comfortingly, "It's okay. That was just an accident. And I'll protect you."
Toward Nolan, the High Sister had always felt a trace of guilt. As a traditional clergy member, bringing such a young girl to a dangerous place like the Abyss of Anos had always made her uneasy. So when Saya saw the gray-haired girl sitting off to the side, seemingly in a daze, a feeling of concern welled up in her heart.
"It's nothing, Sister Saya… I was just thinking about some alchemical problems. I've hit a bottleneck in my design ideas."
Not wanting to admit that she had just been lost in random thoughts, Nolan forced a somewhat stiff smile. "The notes left by the previous alchemist have been very inspiring. The structure of the Wheel of Holy Light is exceptionally precise and harmonious, giving me many ideas."
"Is that so…" The High Sister looked somewhat noncommittal. She could read a person's mood, and the gray-haired girl's words didn't match her feelings. But it wasn't a big deal. After all, everyone has things they don't want others to know. Even she herself was the same. "Nono, if you have any problems, don't hesitate. Just tell me."
Saying this, Saya smiled and stroked the head of the girl in her arms. "As long as it's within my power, I will help you."
"Mm… Sister Saya really is the best."
—Meanwhile, the Abyss of Anos, Central Great Maelstrom.
A colossal whirlpool churned up waves that could touch the sky, stirring a vast sea area spanning tens of kilometers.
The maelstrom was so enormous that it seemed to occupy all the space between heaven and earth. Even one of its branching currents had the momentum to engulf everything. A massive island whale, over two hundred meters long, was carelessly caught by the maelstrom's suction. A single spiral arm swept across it lightly, and the terrifying sea beast, which possessed Gold-rank strength, was effortlessly snapped in two. A rain of blood flew through the air before falling into the bottomless, colossal whirlpool.
From above, the giant maelstrom looked like a massive, demonic black eye, mixed with an unending storm, embedded in the azure distant sea.
Gloomy rain clouds were stirred by some force. Black mist began to spread. Between the clouds, dazzling lightning wove into a dense network, illuminating the entire sky. A pitch-black figure passed through the web of lightning that crisscrossed the sky and arrived at the edge of the Central Great Maelstrom.
A black dragon, seemingly made entirely of crystal, stared coldly at the vast, dark whirlpool, as if contemplating something.
Then, it dove straight down, plunging into the surging, violent tide.