Among the members of the Hexenzirkel, Alice was the most versatile genius.
She was good at everything. It was not just being a "jack of all trades, master of none." She had achieved true, absolute mastery in every field.
However, because Alice mastered so many things, she lacked extreme specialization. Compared to Witch B's astrology or Witch R's alchemy, Alice could not compete in those specific fields.
And as for Rhinedottir? She had already reached the stage of creating life from nothingness through Alchemy. That went without saying.
The Takagi mother and daughter, who were originally the main force, were now relegated to playing the role of assistants. Even so, Rhinedottir would offer them a word or two of guidance every few days. That was enough to make them feel like their brains had never operated at such high speeds before.
Black Earth, Chalk, Albedo, and Gold. These were the four levels of Alchemy in Teyvat. According to Rhinedottir, the Takagi duo's talent was enough to reach the Chalk stage. With long-term research and gradual progress, even Albedo was within reach.
Of course, the mother and daughter had absorbed the "Core of the Universe" and begun their life-level transformation. Reaching Albedo would be no problem at all.
As for Gold? Rhinedottir felt it was nearly impossible.
She used the word "nearly" because, in a long life, no one can be sure if a miracle might occur. If that happened, it would be a different story.
With that, the six women of the [Apocalypse] world were all settled.
Yuriko Takagi and Saya Takagi followed Rhinedottir to study Alchemy. Saeko Busujima, Rika Minami, and Rei Miyamoto were sent to the [Saint Seiya] Universe to study Cosmo. As for Shizuka Marikawa? She could just remain a beautiful vase, responsible for her daily "Maka Paka" routine.
In a new laboratory not far from the [Dead Body Central Device], the Takagi mother and daughter were busy. When Riku and Alice arrived, they could feel the changes filling the entire [Apocalypse] Universe.
"I suppose I should say, Rhinedottir is truly a professional, isn't she?" Riku sighed.
Professionals do professional work. Rhinedottir was worthy of being the "Gold" alchemist. Having just come into contact with the outside world and broken free from Teyvat, her progress was incredibly fast.
"She is 'R' after all. When it comes to alchemy, she's the real deal," Alice said without jealousy. She grinned and gave a thumbs-up.
"Let's go take a look."
"Mm!"
The two walked into the depths of the laboratory. As they entered, rows of incubation chambers came into view. Riku was surprised and asked, "Rhinedottir, what are you doing?"
Rhinedottir did not look up. She was recording data and was completely focused on her work. Yuriko Takagi finished her task and walked over. "Mr. Riku, the teacher is cultivating the dead bodies. According to her research, they aren't living organisms. They are a form of artificial life."
"Artificial life?" Alice blinked her eyes, curious.
"Yes," Yuriko continued. "Any living organism will eventually evolve intelligence. However, according to the teacher's research, the dead bodies lack that possibility."
"So..." Riku thought of the dragon Durin, the Rifthounds, and the Golden Wolflord that Rhinedottir had created. He mused, "Rhinedottir wants to use the dead bodies as a foundation to recreate them according to her own design?"
"The teacher does have that idea," Yuriko nodded.
The Takagi mother and daughter did not understand the deeper layers of her work. For an alchemist of Rhinedottir's level, it was normal for them not to grasp the details.
"Fine, as long as you're happy," Riku had no objections. As long as it didn't interfere with his "herding," everything else was fine.
"Interesting..."
"Interesting..."
"The existence of these dead bodies is truly, truly fascinating."
The more Rhinedottir researched, the wider her smile grew. It looked almost manic. Riku and Alice exchanged a glance.
*Time to slip away.*
They left the alchemy fanatic alone. As long as it didn't involve the inner workings of his domain, he didn't care.
"Go on!" After the two left, Rhinedottir looked up at the Takagi mother and daughter. "You two have a few days off."
"Thank you, Teacher." (x2)
The mother and daughter nodded and left together. Rhinedottir did not look at them again. She stared at the dead body in the incubation chamber, a strange light dancing in her golden eyes.
...
[Longhuang Universe]
Riku and Alice had just returned.
And then? Alice chased Riku away.
Don't even think about it. That scoundrel had been very ruthless earlier.
Regardless, Alice was stuffed. He could go hunting wherever he wanted, as long as he stayed away from her. Wasn't it better to just cuddle her sweet, soft daughter and sleep?
"Honestly..." Riku shook his head. He wasn't a pervert. It was just that Alice was always provoking him. She talked big every day, yet she was a weakling in combat. What was he supposed to do? Naturally, he had to give her a "harsh lesson."
He had intended to wander over to the neighboring [Saint Seiya] Universe for a stroll, but then he received an invitation from the Takagi mother and daughter for dinner that evening.
They had strongly emphasized one thing: the main course was a rice bowl!
A rice bowl?
Hmm! That was worth tasting.
For Riku, his transformation into the Lord of the Universe had changed his mindset. Or, more accurately, he was becoming increasingly shameless.
*Hmm~~~*
*Scratch that!* That probably wasn't it.
All in all, since the food was here, why overcomplicate things? Eat, and worry about everything else later.
Man is iron, rice is steel; if you don't eat, you'll starve.
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