The most shameless alchemist in history

Although the weather in Snow Eagle Town was sunny and pleasant when Dure boarded the train, it was only a localized weather phenomenon. Now the train had traveled nearly two hundred kilometers along the tracks, and the vast snowfield was most likely to attract strong winds because the terrain was open and there were no mountains to block them.

After the train stopped, apart from the occasional gunshots at the beginning, it quickly returned to calm. As time went on, the sun gradually set, and the sky changed from a gloomy gray to pitch black. To ordinary people, a train carrying hundreds of people might seem like a behemoth.

But compared to the vast snowfield, the train still seemed too small, just a long snake covered with a layer of iron. The storm at night swept across the railway with unbridled force, making a loud "rumbling" sound. There were still train attendants in the carriages who came to calm the passengers and light kerosene lamps.

But later, even the train attendants took their kerosene lamps and left. Despite the passengers' repeated attempts to stop them, it was to no avail. The carriage was plunged into darkness, and darkness is the easiest thing to breed fear. Fortunately, some passengers had brought candles, and someone lit one, bringing a little light into the darkness.

"The temperature started to drop at night, and it's so cold in the carriage. What's wrong with this train? Shouldn't there be heating inside? Why is it so cold? This is the dead of winter, on a snowy plain. People will freeze to death if this continues. And those people have such long faces, what do they mean by that?"

Some passengers were dissatisfied and began to protest the silence and inaction of the crew. No matter how the passengers asked, they were not told what had happened. The windows were also locked and could not be opened. All the passengers were trapped in their respective carriages, like a prison.

"The train couldn't just stop for no reason and shut down the heating system. You heard the gunshots just now, right? Something terrible must have happened. Damn it, they're keeping it from us. Are they treating us like monkeys? I don't want to freeze to death like this."

"That's right, even if we die, we want to die knowing why! Hey, flight attendant, come here right now and explain yourself! Give us an explanation! We're living, breathing human beings, not livestock! You can't treat us like this! Come here now! We need water, we need food, we need heating!"

Passengers pounded on the carriage doors, calling for the train attendants, hoping for a reasonable explanation and what they needed. Children were wailing inside the carriage; they had never encountered such an unexpected situation before. A woman quietly tried to calm the children down.

Most people remained silent, waiting for a response from the flight crew. They were easily satisfied; as long as they were told an exact time when operations would resume, they would stay put and wouldn't cause any trouble. They waited with hope.

"Hey, look over there! What's that? No way, there are so many of them! It looks like we're surrounded by something!"

"Wait, I've seen those eyes before, there's no mistake, those are snow wolves, ferocious snowfield beasts."

"Oh my god, we're surrounded by snow wolves! And look over there, aren't those snow demons? A whole pack of snow creatures has appeared!"

While the passengers were waiting anxiously, someone suddenly pointed out the window and exclaimed in surprise. Although the window was closed and could not be opened, the passengers could still see the scene outside clearly. To their horror, they discovered a large number of snow wolves outside the window, their eyes glowing a ghostly green.

"These are all ferocious magical beasts, dozens of them, and many more in the distance. If this continues, we're doomed! Hurry up and start moving! What are you all standing here for? Start the train and get out of here! I don't want to die here and become their food!"

"What? Are we surrounded? What's wrong with this train? They just transported us to the snowfield to be food for monsters? These are complete bastards! They're banging on the windows! No, I have to get out of here! Does anyone know how to get out of here?"

Realizing this, the passengers descended into chaos. Driven by fear, they began searching for a way out, frantically looking around and banging on the carriage doors in an attempt to attract the attention of the crew and hopefully find a proper solution.

The only response they received was cold silence, or the low growls of the snow wolves. Even through the windows, they could see their ferocious claws slapping against the train body, and even overhead, a clanging sound could be heard. The entire train was overrun by snow creatures.

"The situation seems to be getting worse, Du Lei. What should we do now? We absolutely cannot just sit idly by like this. Everyone will break down, and once the snow wolves destroy the carriage and rush in, everyone will be killed by them," Bai Ye said, looking around in panic.

He wasn't afraid of death, but what he feared most was seeing innocent people fall one by one in front of him, and he was helpless. He anxiously asked his companion for advice, who was calmer than him and might have a solution.

"The situation we're facing now is definitely because the train has stopped for some reason. This must be related to the monsters on the snowfield. Normally, even if the area is infested with monsters, they can't do anything to the train because it's traveling at high speed."

Dure calmly analyzed the situation, trying to use his knowledge to resolve the current state of affairs, but he discovered many suspicious aspects.

"Du Lei, what you're saying is the normal situation. What we're facing now is an abnormal situation. You can think of a way to resolve this crisis, right?" Although Bai Ye had only known Du Lei for a short time, the two had barely exchanged a few words.

But from Du Lei's eyes, Bai Ye found a reliable feeling, and he subconsciously placed his trust in Du Lei.

"Forget it, now is not the time to think about those doubts. The current situation is obvious: we are surrounded by snowfield monsters. Given the train's configuration, we have no chance of defeating these monsters. However, correspondingly, they will also have difficulty destroying the carriages in a short time."

Du Lei's mind raced as he considered the situation. Although he didn't possess the same overflowing compassion as Bai Ye, nor did he feel pity for everyone, if the snow wolves broke through the carriage and rushed in, he definitely wouldn't be able to escape unscathed and would certainly suffer in the attack.

070 Sitting and waiting for death

With the entire train surrounded by monsters, few people could remain calm. Especially after nightfall, the temperature plummeted, and the lack of heating turned the carriages into ice caves. People shivered inside, and if there were no external threats, they could huddle together for warmth.

However, outside the train, a large number of snow wolves and snow demons were frantically pounding on the carriages, making a "rumbling" sound. Under the triple pressure of cold, fear, and hunger, the people inside the carriages were desperate and helpless, and their emotions had reached a critical point, with the possibility of collapse at any moment.

"Hey, Du Lei, you're saying they can't get into the carriage?" Bai Ye was a little surprised by Du Lei's words. He originally thought they were going to be doomed soon. Once the snow wolves got into the carriage, it would definitely be a bloody and cruel scene. The passengers couldn't possibly deal with such ferocious monsters.

"That's right. The train was designed with the possibility of encountering monsters in areas where they are active in mind. Therefore, a small amount of mithril was added to the outer armor of the train. Mithril can weaken the magical energy of monsters to a certain extent and has a resistance bonus."

Du Lei nodded. He read a wide variety of books, almost anything, including mechanical books. In addition, his companion in the hot spring village, Tongshan, was a mechanical enthusiast. Tongshan was very interested in transportation such as trains and often asked Du Lei to read mechanical books to him.

"I see. So they can only anxiously wait outside and never get in, right?" Du Lei's words relieved Bai Ye. He asked seriously if what Du Lei said was true. Then the danger the passengers would face would be reduced by one factor, and they would only need to deal with the cold and hunger.

"It's not permanent, it's temporary. Although mithril can resist magical beasts to a certain extent, there are too many snow wolves. If it were a small group of magical beasts, they might give up. But they are clearly coming for the train. They will destroy the carriages again and again until the mithril becomes ineffective."

Du Lei shook his head. Although he wanted to give Bai Ye a positive answer so that the latter could relax, he had to be realistic. He corrected Bai Ye's statement. He could fully foresee that if things continued to develop as they were, it would be a very dangerous outcome, and he would not be able to escape it either.

"Then what should we do? Is waiting to die in the carriage the only option left?" Bai Ye seemed somewhat unwilling. There was already a chorus of sobs around them. The women couldn't control their emotions and burst into tears, while the men paced back and forth anxiously.

"I don't know if I'm just waiting to die, but I know that all I can do now is wait." Du Lei sighed. He carefully observed the area outside the window. There were so many snow wolves. He himself hadn't expected that his first time traveling far by train would be so unlucky.

"Should we wait for these snow wolves to give up and leave on their own, or should we wait for them to break into the carriage and eat us?" Bai Ye didn't quite understand what Du Lei meant by "wait," so he asked another question. Compared to those frantic men, he was quite calm.

"No, neither of those. We were just waiting patiently inside the train car for rescue to arrive," Du Lei shook his head, correcting his answer to the question.

"Where would rescue come from in this vast snowfield?" Bai Ye still didn't quite understand. The train was now like a lone boat on a vast sea.

“Yes, it will happen. Although this is my first time riding a train, I have read about train emergencies in books. Because railways are the most important transportation lines on the continent, they are not only expensive to build, but also have extraordinary strategic significance for the country,” Du Lei explained.

“I know that. I’ve read about it in books. From a certain perspective, the length of a railway can represent the strength of a country. The more prosperous and powerful a country is, the more it pays attention to railway construction, and its railways are extensive. On the contrary, small countries have very few railways.” Bai Ye nodded in agreement.

"That's right. The railway we're standing on is a vital transportation line on the eastern border of the Snow Kingdom. The capital will not allow such an important transportation line to be damaged. Each section of the railway is under the responsibility of the nearby garrison. I think the garrison will soon receive the news and come to the rescue."

Du Lei nodded in agreement with Bai Ye's statement, but he knew much more detailed information than Bai Ye, which he had also collected from the library.

"By the way, some troops are coming over. They will definitely be able to drive away the snow wolves and relieve us." Bai Ye listened to Du Lei's explanation and nodded repeatedly. What Du Lei said made a lot of sense, which made his tense mood relax a lot. At least he could see hope instead of bleak despair.

“But there’s still a problem here.” Dure hesitated as he spoke, the voices above him never ceasing.

"What's the problem?" Bai Ye immediately asked, his heart, which had finally calmed down, tensed up again, fearing that Du Lei would bring up some bad news.

"The problem is that it will take time for the legion stationed nearby to receive the news and come to the rescue. The temperature is dropping very low now, and there is no heating equipment in the carriages. The temperature will drop below zero, which is a very dangerous temperature. Even adults would have a hard time resisting it, let alone children."

Dure's expression was somewhat grim. He clearly saw that several children nearby were not in good condition; the carriage was simply too cold.

"In the end, we still can't do anything. Our fate is not in our own hands. We can only watch helplessly as Dure arrives. If the legion is late, everyone in the carriage might already be dead." Bai Ye was agitated and somewhat unwilling.

“You’re right. As things stand, we might not be able to wait for the legion to arrive. But before that happens…” Dure frowned, trying to find a solution to the situation. But overcoming all the dangers was no easy task.

"If only we could start a fire, at least we could keep warm, but there's nothing to burn in the carriage, this is too passive." Bai Ye was helping to take care of the sick children. The low temperature had made all the children in the carriage sick, their foreheads burning hot, and the women huddled together, shivering.

"If it's just about delaying the train and temporarily raising the temperature in the carriage to help passengers stay warm, then maybe we can manage to do it if we give it a try." Du Lei pondered for a moment, as if he had thought of something, but his expression was troubled.

This is clearly not an easy task to achieve.

071 Not seen at all

Hank, the train conductor of this train, has been traveling on this line for more than ten years without ever encountering any problems. Originally, this was supposed to be his last trip. After the journey was completed, he would be transferred to the railway technical department as a person in charge and would no longer have to fight on the front line.

This is also the wish of his wife and children. After all, he has been working hard every day for more than ten years and rarely has the chance to have a hot meal at home or talk to his children. Although he is reluctant to give up the career he has worked so hard for, he still knows that family is more important than work.

But it was precisely on this last trip that he encountered such a severe situation. In the past, he could always find a solution to any accident because those were technical issues, but this time it was beyond his capabilities. He had already released a signal flare before the snow wolf got close.

Upon seeing the signal flare, the nearby corps would immediately dispatch a rescue team. However, Hank was unsure whether any of the hundreds of passengers on the train would be alive by the time the corps arrived. Two young police officers had already perished in the cold snow.

"Damn it, has the rescue arrived yet? At this rate, even if we don't get killed by the snow wolves, we'll freeze to death from the cold. It's 10 p.m. now, and the longer this goes on, the lower the temperature will drop, and the more dangerous it will be for us. We can't afford to delay any longer."

Hank slammed his fist against the wall. This deep sense of helplessness tormented him, especially when he thought of his wife and lovely daughter waiting for him at home. This made his heart ache. As the train conductor, he was helpless in the face of his current predicament.

"Hank, calm down. As long as we persevere, there will definitely be a way. We've weathered so many storms over the years, are we afraid of this one?" Buzz and Hank had worked together for many years and were old friends. He knew Hank's family situation very well.

He patted Hank on the shoulder with his large hand and comforted him. Although he kept saying things like "wait for rescue," Buzz knew very well that waiting for rescue was unrealistic given the current situation. He was just trying to comfort him.

"Baz, do you think everyone is like you, carefree and without any ties? The reason I wasn't afraid before and could go all out was because I was alone. But now I have a wife and daughter. They're waiting for me to come home. I absolutely can't let anything happen to me, do you understand?" Hank roared.

He grabbed Buzz's collar. As the train conductor, he was under more pressure than anyone else on the train, and he was already in a state of extreme depression. Buzz's words had triggered a tipping point, causing Hank to explode. His actions attracted the attention of others in the carriage.

“Hank, look around you. You’re the train conductor, the one leading everyone out of this predicament. But how are you any different from a raging thug? Everyone’s entrusted their lives to you. It’s not just you who has a family; they all have families too,” Buzz pleaded earnestly.

He was tall and much stronger than Hank, and could have easily knocked Hank down. However, he did not do so. He just hoped that Hank could regain his composure. Even if he still had no solution, just his presence would reassure people.

"I'm sorry, old friend, I lost my composure just now." Hank looked at the fear in the eyes of the surrounding staff, released his grip on Buzz's hand, and the manic expression on his face gradually subsided. Buzz was right, Hank was usually a well-liked train conductor, not like this.

"Conductor Hank, a passenger wants to see you." Just then, someone came forward to report the situation; it was a young female train attendant.

"No, no. Didn't I say not to pay attention to those passengers' emotions for now? Now that things have gotten this bad, the more we try to appease them, the more counterproductive it will be." Hank frowned. He had tried to appease passengers before, but this approach only gave them an outlet for their emotions.

"But he said he had a way to get us through the crisis." A glint of light appeared in the young staff member's eyes. As an employee, she knew the current situation of the train better than the passengers, and she also knew that there was no good way to resolve the crisis at the moment. At this time, someone stepped forward.

This can bring people a glimmer of hope, more or less, because what is most frightening in the darkness is the absence of light, even a faint firefly is good.

"What kind of person is that passenger who has a way to get us through this crisis?" Hank frowned, then immediately pressed for details.

"They are two boys who look to be thirteen or fourteen years old," the flight attendant answered truthfully.

"Thirteen or fourteen-year-old boys? They're just two little kids. What do they know? This isn't the time to play house with them. Tell them to get lost and stay put. Don't get involved in adult matters." Hank had originally thought there were some real experts on the train.

Having worked on the railway for so many years, he had encountered some formidable characters on the trains. The large number of snow wolves outside the trains did indeed instill fear and trembling in ordinary people like them, but for experienced mercenaries, it was an excellent hunt. Of course, one mercenary could not complete this amount of work.

This would require the cooperation of several mercenary squads to accomplish, and now that Hank heard that two children were trying to help them, he was so angry that he laughed.

“Wait a minute, Hank. We’re already in a very passive situation anyway. Instead of continuing to be passive, why don’t we let those two boys come over and hear what they have to say? Who knows, they might actually have a solution.” Buzz was calmer than Hank.

This isn't to say that he's more suitable to be a train conductor and handle crises than Hank, but rather that Hank is preoccupied with his wife and daughters, while Buzz is over forty and a bachelor with no ties. Even if he dies here, no one will collect his body. In comparison, there's nothing to disturb his emotions.

"If two teenagers can solve a problem that even the two of us can't solve, then have we wasted all these years? Forget it, don't look at me like that. Go ahead and meet them. Call them over. If they don't come up with something useful, I'll beat them to a pulp."

Hank had a fiery temper. He originally didn't intend to see the two boys, but after Buzz insisted, he sighed and finally relented, waving to the flight attendant to bring the two boys over.

072 Voluntary abandonment

To reduce unnecessary panic, Hank ordered the connection between the carriages to be closed, confining all passengers to their respective carriages and preventing them from moving. This did seem to pose a risk of trapping passengers to death, but it was a necessary measure that Hank had no choice but to take.

Once the connections between the carriages are opened, the passengers will inevitably descend into chaos due to panic. If hundreds of people rush to a particular carriage, the resulting disaster will be far greater than the threat posed by the outside world. This is the insistence Hank made at the critical moment.

"What did you say? You actually want me to open up all the carriages? What nonsense are you spouting? Do you know what serious consequences this will cause? I'm just desperate and grasping at straws. Why would I waste my time listening to your rubbish? Get lost, I don't have time for you."

Hank assumed the two boys he brought might have some profound insights, but as soon as the boy who called himself Durei opened his mouth, he labeled him "childish and ridiculous." He had no patience to listen any longer and rudely waved his hand, signaling Durei and Durei to stop disturbing his work.

"Train conductor Hank, who is treating the lives of everyone on this train like a joke? Didn't you hear the children crying? Why isn't the heating on in this cold weather?" Du Lei didn't leave despite Hank's reprimand and continued to question him.

"If your question is about heating, then I can answer you: the train has limited fuel and cannot maintain heating for the entire train for an extended period. Therefore, the heating system can only be turned on during the coldest part of the night. This is basic common sense, do you understand?"

Hank was already furious, and now even a blond kid was questioning him, which made him even angrier. Luckily, the other person was a teenager; if it were an adult, he might have punched him. What he was saying was completely pointless nonsense and a waste of time.

"But how many people do you think can hold on until then? If we're talking about the most basic common sense, making choices is also a very basic decision. The result of not wanting to give up anything is often that you have to give up everything. So take advantage of the opportunity now and choose to give up."

Dure did not back down because of Hank's tough attitude. He and Hank stared into each other's eyes, even though the latter's eyes were so angry they could spit fire.

"Giving up voluntarily is easy for you, kid. Then tell me, what are you giving up?" Hank laughed angrily. He had been working on the railway for so many years, but he never expected to be lectured by a kid who was so eloquent. In his eyes, this was an insult to his dignity.

“Abandon half of the carriages, concentrate all the passengers in half, no, even a third of the carriages, and then turn on the heating equipment. This way, the fuel originally used by the entire train can be distributed to one-third of the carriages, thus extending the heating time,” Du Lei said calmly.

"You want me to abandon the carriages and concentrate all the passengers in a few carriages, kid? Do you know that concentrating them together in this situation could easily cause a riot? Do you know what the consequences would be if a crisis broke out inside? Use your brain, brat!" Hank scoffed.

He disagreed with Dure's proposal, arguing that he had to be responsible for the lives of all the passengers on the train and dared not risk causing a disturbance.

"All I know is that what the passengers need most right now is hot water, food, and warmth. Train conductor Hank, you keep saying you'll be responsible for the lives of the passengers, but you're enjoying the warmth of the heating while the children are crying from the cold. Isn't that the biggest irony?"

Dure raised his voice, and he and Hank were locked in a fierce confrontation. Dure was not intimidated by Hank's imposing manner, and neither side would give an inch.