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Chapter 5: Tradition Bounded By Festivals

Moving on, I reached the next town. To my suprise, the bored looking man at the entrance became excited to see me. The people started to ring the bell to tell townspeople that a traveller came just like the prophecy revealed to them. As I enter the town, the townspeople wearing masks of different animals put on a festival for me. Singing and dancing, they told me that this festival is to celebrate the coming of the prophesized alchemist told by another alchemist that saved this town many years ago. I was enjoying the atmosphere as they performed but less inclined to join them. As I depart the town, the townspeople take off their animal masks and return to their normal lives.

A short while along the road, I've come across a hermit and his family living at a small cabin. The hermit told me the explanation for the town I just left and the Animal Mask festival. The festival was made on the spot for my benefit...it was the way of the town to invent traditions in order to maintain or reject them based on the reactions of the travellers that come by. But in your case...it was all true...part of the so called prophecy that Trismegistos told.

Who is this Trismigistos?! Where can I find him?! Tell me!

Many generations ago, the town was under the Mayor's power who banned all their old traditions. This left them with no tradition of their own. One day an old alchemist came to that town and on the next day the Mayor was no more to be seen. The people heard that it was the work of the Alchemist. They all ran to him and asked what to do...He told them that just like alchemy, they could create another beginning for that town...he also told the coming of another alchemist...after that he left. The people didn't understand what the alchemist really tried to say...and so they thought that they should invent their own festival...festival over another...and so it became their tradition without realizing it...and when they do...their real tradition is long gone...no more..."

What does it have to do with Trimigistos?! Tell me who he is?!

Take this piece...and leave...the answer you seek is waiting for you...till then...another question will come a new...another path shall be visible along the way..."

After taking the piece, the hermit slowly went back to his cabin. His wife was smiling at me...his son was crying...and his daughter has a deep look telling me that my journey is not yet beginning...

"The night fell at3:59 PM"
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Chapter 4: The Tome of Trismegistos

My latest stop was in the Praedico , a large town dedicated to interpreting and following the Book of The Tome of Trismegistos. It is a tome that came from an old alchemist years ago. According to the interpretation of the tome, the world will end on the next day, right in the middle of my stay.

This old Alchemist...its him again...who in the alchemist world is he...I must be on the right track for the piece...I have to be...

All of the town's inhabitants are sure that the prophecy on this world will happen tomorrow. They were so certain that they offered me goods and services for free...talk about right timing. After doing some shopping, I noticed a crowd gathering around a strange old man. It was the priest of town's Southern Temple. He was explaining how the end of the world would come to be as he deciphered the text. Surely the people are hanging onto their every word, but for me, the worst part of the end of the world is the great prices.

Back at the hotel, I talked to the girl in charge where to find the tome of Trismegistos. He told me that the priest before is holding onto it. So I headed to the Southern temple...along the way...the people are all inside their house...I hear chants...prayers...others were crying. Finally, I reached the temple...as I started to come close to the door...I heard someone saying:

"I was waiting for you..."

It was the priest...he was....waiting for me?...what does that mean?

"The old alchemist...it told me that another alchemist would come...and when that time comes tell the people that the end of the world will come eventually so that he could have all the things he need...after that he will come to you...give the stone along this tome...and let him be the one to hold the burden of the world...to decide for what's best for mankind."

Burden? what?....

"Who is this old alchemist?! Tell me? Do you know anything about the Philia Sophia?! Tell me?!"

"I have nothing more to say...the tome...shall it answer it all? It all depends on you...take this tome...this piece....and leave..."

After acquiring both the piece and the tome the priest slowly vanished...hearing his last words:

"I am only one of the character given life by the stone...harnessing the power of the different elements that bind this world...Trismegistos...find him..."

Questions rattled to my mind...

This priest...

is he not a person that really lived?!

Elements...

that made the world...

Trismegistos...

Who is he?!

Whoever he is...

I have to find him...

I will find him!

Soon after, I left the town...after the free shopping I've done...I really have to go!!!

"The night fell at7:24 PM"
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Chapter 3: Choosing Life Over Another...

After harnessing the heat of the desert...town after another...I now travel through the shivering winter snow. There I met three merchants of jewels and stone...trapped in the wilderness ever since their horses died in the snow. With no food under the coldness of the winter, they were dying...slowly...it comes across my mind once again...the Land of Slow Annihilation. I myself doesn't have enough supplies to keep me up, I decided to save them by hunting...it shouldn't be hard...after all...I'm in the wilderness.

With the end of winter in sight, animals became active...I was able to hunt down three rabbits...it should be enough to save their own. I have to take the life of these innocent beings just to save another...it's like alchemy...gain some...lose some. I just hope those lives of the merchants are worth it...still...I feel sorry...it started to haunt me down...

in my journey...

the path I've chosen...

sacrifices...

are

inevitable...

These merchants are hungry enough to want the rabbits to be eaten raw...sheez...still I insisted on cooking it...I made them a rabbit stew and some tea. The merchant wanted to give me a reward...or so called payment for saving their lives...I was hesitant of course...but as the man reached out from his belongings...it was the piece...the piece of the Philia Sophia...I cannot hesitate...it was part of my cause...I have to have it...and...I got it...still...was it all....worth it?

The merchants told their story...why they were trapped in the wilderness in the first place. It wasn't really snowing in the wilderness at this time of season...it was fall after all... They have come across an old man...he was an alchemist, he added...he was asking for some food...and bound to our greed...we didn't gave him some...after some time of travelling...snow started to fall...along with strong wind...we heard a voice....

"Man are bound by greed...

It doesn't matter what or why...

Giving has no reason to give...

Sharing has no doubts to think...

Man think as their blood flows...

Man are bound to everything...

Taking possession of things in sight...

Man doesn't learn...

Man should die...

The only solution to peace...

Is the destruction of Man...

die....

die...

die..."

The old alchemist...just like before...who is he...he must know something about the stone...he has to know...

Feeling the sense of fulfillment, I decided to leave and continue my journey. After packing my things, I looked in the direction where the merchants were to say goodbye...they were gone...a rushing wind started to blow...it revealed the bones of three merchant...long gone...long dead...it was a tale over choosing life over another...

As I walked away, I take one last look at the bones of the merchants, and the skins of the rabbits, in the end, lost their live for greed...and for nothing. I cannot help but to wonder what I would do next time I have to choose one life over another...for now...I have no answer to that question...

"The night fell at5:42 PM"
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Chapter 2: Land of Slow Annihilation

In the middle of the desert, filled of exhaustion and frailness...I barely have enough strength to carry on. One part of me suggest to give up and return home...to the land...never to forget...never...but I will not give up...I made up my mind...I will carry on...

Sometime later, I was well into my journey, and was heading towards a new country with the aid of an old map given to me by the old geezer...unfortunately, the map appears to be old and inaccurate...suits his age...there is a cliff along the way that wasn't in the chart...darn him...having a hunch that the town is just across...I had to find another route.

As I continue my way, I was suprised to the land itself shifting and changing around...the map was correct after all...apologies to the old geezer...it was just that the topography changed in the intervening weeks. As a path opens up, I was able to make it to the next town.

It was a busy town...yet not a human in sight. Machines run everything...from restaurants to hotels...cheap price...now thats new. After a satisfying meal, I rented a suprisingly large and luxurious hotel room, where I used the evening to study the mysteries of the Philia Sophia and practice alchemy.

The next day, I decided to explore this strange...empty country...now I doubt that the piece of Philia Sophia can be found here. Still no sign of people...the more I was losing hope...but after looking around a little, I discovered that there are people living here. However, everyone is staying close to their homes...alone? no families...

It was late...I still haven't found the piece...I decided to go back to the hotel...I wasn't able to sleep very well...thinking the mysteries of the town...

I have to find out....

this town....

its mystery...

accompanied to the piece...

On my final day of my stay, I walked out to an outskirt, known as the Periphery, the place where I saw the people. As I walked past the houses, the people all run and hide as soon as they see me. Finally, one girl overcomes her intial shock and returns to speak to me. She realized that I cannot read her thought, she became more welcoming and invited me for I drink..."too bad I dont drink," I told her.

The girl explains that this country is known as Land of Slow Annihilation, and proceeds to fill me in on how this place came to be. Years agao, this place was a prosperous place, far prosperous...people living together filled with greed and thirst for more prosperity along with their advanced machines that handled day to day chores. An old alchemist came to this town and manifested great things through alchemy. And on the day he left, he created a special liquid stimulating previously unused portion of the brain, giving those who drank it telepathic powers...the desire for such...made us lose a lot...we lost the inadequacy of verbal communication in expressing one's true feelings...in short...we cannot love...we are bounded by negative thoughts...we couldn't have our peace. There was only one solution...to be kept in solitude and seclusion, each of us could have peace and quiet. Thanks to the machines life was never hard...however with everyone living apart...no children can be born...this town will die...slowly...but surely...

Having heard her story, I knew that it was time to depart. The girl tried to convince me to stay...but I have my own cause to leave...I have to leave...to continue my path. The girl reached out her hand...I saw....the piece...the crimson piece....

"to the man who has his cause...may this piece guide you to safety," she slowly said.

And on my way...I felt I heard something on my mind...

"be safe...never to forget..."

To which I mentally replied that she shouldn't worry about me. Although I cannot be sure...I hoped that she got my message....

"The night fell at2:17 PM"
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Chapter 1: The Path Against My Will

Finally, after all this years of searching...the hunt is about to end. I've sacrificed half of my life for a cause. Finding the 28 piece of the stone...the stone...the stone that started it all. Only God knows what this stone could do. As I ran towards the room foretold by dreams...I am eager more than ever...yet...there's this doubt...slowly...slowing me down...questions filling in my mind...draining the will inside the heart...

Why....

Why...

Why did I chose this path...?

What...

What is my reason...?

This path...

to the crimson stone...

the Philia Sophia...

the path against my will...

"The night fell at6:41 PM"
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Prologue: Greatest Law of Alchemy

From the of book of Genesis states God created this world, only Him. Possessing the power of creation in exchange of no value. Man is created with such, but doesn't have such. Man are natural rebels. They live in a nature of reformation...having the thirst for anything beyond their reach...the thirst for being God. From these instinct of man was the birth of Alchemy. The path for being god but far from being one. Humankind cannot gain anything without giving equal value...the law that sets the barrier from Man to God...the greatest law of Alchemy.

"The night fell at4:42 PM"
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Ramch is now the..................

Traveling Alchemist

my world...

my story...

the path i've chosen...

"The night fell at1:22 PM"
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