The most shameless alchemist in history

Du Lei roughly estimated that this place could accommodate at least seven or eight thousand people, which was an astonishing number. Keep in mind that this was only a small part of the Magic Power Association. Heaven knows how many similar arenas the entire Magic Power Association has, and the Magic Power Association in Winter City is just a branch. If the branch has reached this scale, how extravagant must the headquarters be? Du Lei could hardly imagine.

However, there were obviously not that many people in the arena at this time, at most only twenty or thirty. In the center of the arena, there were people wearing work uniforms fiddling with something. Du Lei glanced at it from afar, and it was not unfamiliar, because he had done a similar test when he first arrived at Maple Leaf Academy. Although the details were slightly different, it still gave Du Lei a similar feeling.

"This is it, Mr. Dure. You will be taking your level assessment here. After you complete the assessment, we will award you the corresponding level badge based on the results," Frena explained earnestly after leading Dure to the center of the arena.

"Here? I understand. Thank you, Miss Frena, for bringing me here," Du Lei said gratefully. This level assessment had been eight years in the making; it should have been completed eight years ago, but it had been delayed until now. This level assessment was of great significance to Du Lei.

"You're welcome, Mr. Dure. It's my duty. If you need anything, please consult my colleagues. We're all happy to help you with your questions. Good luck, and I hope you achieve excellent results!" Frena's sincere wishes greatly increased Dure's goodwill towards her.

After Frena smiled politely, she quickly turned and left. Dure also walked to the waiting area. He glanced around and saw that there were about twenty or thirty people waiting there, all in the same batch as him for the level assessment.

These people included men, women, and children of all ages. Most of them wore level badges, which were proof of their strength. They came to the Magic Power Association for evaluation even while wearing badges because they had completed a full cycle and needed to undergo a second evaluation to update their current strength. After all, the badges remained unchanged, but they were in the process of improvement.

()

749 Senior Ruben

"Is everyone participating in today's level assessment here? If so, we can officially begin." A staff member asked as usual, because they gather all the people taking the level assessment on the same day together to work more efficiently.

"Hey kid, look at your number, you're number one, right? Since you're the first one to register today, why are you so slow? You have no sense of time at all. So many people are waiting for you. Are you deliberately putting on airs?"

Someone in the crowd saw Dure approaching and then looked at the number tag hanging around his neck. It was the number tag that Frena had given him when he first arrived at the Magic Power Association. However, Frena had told him to wait in the rest area, but at that time he was thinking about some distant things, which caused him to be a little distracted. Frena went to the rest area to find him, woke him up, and took him to the preparation area.

"I'm very sorry for the delay and for the inconvenience caused." Du Lei checked the time; it wasn't time for the official start of the level assessment yet. However, he had no intention of getting into a conflict, so he immediately spoke politely.

"Kid, I see you don't even have a badge, you're just a newbie. I didn't expect you to be so arrogant. At least show some respect for your seniors, okay?" The man continued to ramble on. He looked to be in his thirties, with a large sword on his back and full of armor and bracers. His appearance was quite impressive, exactly like the mercenaries Du Lei remembered encountering in his village when he was a child.

"Senior?" Du Lei scrutinized the man and quickly spotted a bronze badge on his chest, representing his current level. As a magic user, the entry level is low-level, indicated by a bronze star badge. Then comes the intermediate level, also indicated by two bronze stars. Finally, the advanced level is indicated by iron stars. The two bronze stars on this man's chest meant that he was currently an intermediate magic user.

Besides the man, Du Lei looked at the others and found that most of the people who came to the level assessment in the same batch as him were wearing bronze star badges, a few were wearing iron star badges, and there were none of them who were iron star or above.

“That’s right, I’m an eight-star intermediate-level magic user. After this level assessment is over, I will be able to cross the intermediate level threshold and become an advanced magic user. What, with advanced strength, am I not allowed to become your senior?” The man pointed to the bronze star on his chest and said. The thought that the bronze star on his chest would soon turn into an iron star made him feel proud and very accomplished.

"I see. May I ask how I should address you, senior?" Du Lei nodded slightly. He accepted that the man addressed him as a senior, since he was at least more than ten years older than him.

"My name is Ruben, kid. Remember this name well, because it won't be long before it becomes famous throughout the world!" the man who called himself Ruben said with great pride.

"Senior Ruben? I've got it. It seems I'll have to rely on your guidance in the future." Du Lei nodded slightly and said to Ruben, which made the latter feel lightheaded and very happy.

"The level assessment is about to begin. Is everyone here? It's about to start..." At this moment, the staff checked the time and was about to announce the start of the level assessment.

"Please wait a moment, please wait a moment, I'm so sorry I'm late." At this moment, someone came running up, panting. Hearing this voice, everyone, including Du Lei, looked over. The person running over was a girl who looked to be about seventeen or eighteen years old. Her face was flushed and her chest was heaving. She had obviously run very fast. She was panting with her hands on her knees. When she noticed that many eyes were on her, she became a little nervous and looked timid.

"Are you... number thirty-two? The timing is perfect. Okay, everyone, let's get ready for the evaluation. Please come this way." The staff member checked the time; the deadline had arrived. He gestured for everyone to come forward and line up one by one.

"Finally made it! That's great! I thought we wouldn't make it this time." The panting girl breathlessly breathed a sigh of relief; it was clear she had been very nervous.

"Are you alright?" Du Lei was the second to last to arrive. The queue was arranged according to the order of arrival, not the order of the number plates. The number plates were just for registration.

"No, it's nothing, I'm fine. You are..." The girl was startled when she saw someone greeting her. She spoke timidly, her whole body stiff.

"You don't need to be so nervous. My name is Du Lei. What's yours?" Du Lei smiled kindly and introduced himself.

“My name is… Ellen…” the girl said softly, her face flushed. She was not good at socializing and rarely talked to strangers. Whenever a stranger spoke to her, she would get extremely nervous.

"Miss Ellen? It's alright, relax. If you're too nervous, it will suppress your magical energy, which will be detrimental to your level assessment and you won't be able to get an accurate result." Dure gently comforted the girl named Ellen. Anyway, it would take a little while before it was their turn, so he wasn't in a hurry.

"Huh? Is that really the case?" Eileen was stunned for a moment, not expecting that being nervous would have such a side effect, and was suddenly at a loss.

“Yes, so in order to better test your own magical energy, you need to relax as much as possible and naturally guide your magical energy out.” Dure nodded slightly and demonstrated for her. Soon, a ball of flame condensed at his fingertips, but it only existed for a brief moment before disappearing.

"This is... Mr. Dure can materialize magical elements so easily?" Ellen was somewhat surprised. Although she could also do this, it was very difficult. But this person named Dure could do it effortlessly. No wonder she was so shocked.

"Practice makes perfect. Just practice a few more times and you'll get the hang of it. Miss Eileen, you can try taking deep breaths and imagining yourself on a soft sandy beach. Try to relax as much as possible," Dure tried to guide Eileen.

"Beach? What's that?" Ellen asked, tilting her head. It was the first time she had ever heard of such a place.

()

750 Copper Star Iron Star

"I read about it in a book. It said that near the sea, there are shallow beaches where people can lie on the sand. The sand is very soft, and it feels warm and comfortable, especially when the sun is shining on you. Of course, I've never been there, so I don't really know," Du Lei said, waving his hand.

“Although I’ve never been there before, hearing what you said, Mr. Dure, makes me feel calm. Relax, take a deep breath, feel the soft sand… I really feel calm. Thank you so much, Mr. Dure, I was so nervous just now!” Ellen was initially skeptical, but she quickly tried what Dure said and her nervousness gradually subsided, which made her very happy.

“Just relax, Ellen, you… you don’t seem to be from the Snow Country, right?” Dure asked with a smile. Ellen was different from the people of the Snow Country; her hair was red, which was very rare.

"I'm not from the Land of Snow, I just attend Winter Academy in Winter City," Ellen said earnestly, waving her hand.

"Winter Academy? It's an academy in the Snow Kingdom that's on par with Maple Leaf Academy." Du Lei nodded thoughtfully. There are three top-ranking academies in the Snow Kingdom: Maple Leaf Academy in the south, located in the southern kingdom, where students actively participated in the war, representing the southern front; Winter Academy, as Winter City is the gateway to Frost City, Winter Academy naturally represents the interests of the northern kingdom; and the last one is Frost Academy, located in Frost City.

"I was supposed to come to the level assessment with my classmates last month, but I was sick and couldn't come. Now my classmates have all gone to the front line to report, and there are only a few people left in the academy. I'm taking this opportunity to participate in the level assessment and complete this belated test." Eileen said earnestly. Although she was timid, she was exceptionally serious when she did things.

"A level assessment that's a month late?" Du Lei pondered her words.

"Um... Mr. Dure, is there a problem? Did I say something wrong?" Eileen was very nervous. She was not good at socializing and didn't even have many friends. It was unimaginable for her to talk so much with a stranger like this. She was afraid that she would say something wrong and upset him.

"No, it's just that I was thinking about my student days." Du Lei shook his head slightly. He couldn't very well tell Ellen that he was also there to participate in a belated level assessment, and that he was eight years late.

"Mr. Dure's student days? Which academy did Mr. Dure attend?" Ellen blinked and asked curiously.

"It's just a small, insignificant academy, don't worry about it. Alright, it'll be our turn to take the test soon." Du Lei waved his hand and didn't continue. One reason was that he hadn't stayed at Maple Leaf Academy for very long, less than half a year in total.

Furthermore, with the North and South now embroiled in civil war, the students of Maple Leaf Academy can be considered a vital force on the South's front. Claiming to be from Maple Leaf Academy in Winter City is not a good thing, of course, the cute cat-eared girl named Freya was just an exception.

“But I always feel that Mr. Du Lei is a very capable person!” Eileen did not press the matter. She knew that everyone has secrets hidden in their hearts, and it would be very impolite to pry into them rashly. The young man in front of her had secrets, and she had hers too!

"Feelings aren't always that accurate. Feelings can be deceiving. The level assessment... is it going to be our turn soon?" Du Lei waved his hand and looked ahead. During this period, the level assessment was progressing rapidly. The assessment method was actually very simple: inject magical energy into a crystal. The crystal was like a container. The more magical energy injected into it, the slower the crystal filled. The Magic Energy Association determined the level of a Magic Energy user by observing how much magical energy was stored in the crystal.

The more magical energy a crystal contains, the more powerful the magic user. Different crystals have different capacities. The most basic crystal can only hold ten magical energy units, which is the standard for a beginner magic user. The standard for an intermediate magic user is fifty magical energy units. Du Lei observed that most people chose beginner or intermediate crystals for testing. So far, the highest magical energy reaction was that of an eight-star intermediate magic user, whose magical energy reaction units reached 90 units.

"So it's finally my turn to show off, huh? Hehehe, what a joke! I thought some amazing expert would make an appearance today, but in the end, it's just me, Reuben, getting out of the way! All of you, get out of my way! Don't block my path! Hey, what do you mean by this? Giving me a crystal with fifty units to test? Are you looking down on me? Give me something bigger, bring me a crystal with two hundred units!" the mercenary named Reuben said arrogantly.

He had unparalleled confidence in himself. You see, he had reached a value of 85 magic energy units last year. After a year of hard training, he had every reason to believe that his strength had improved significantly. The reason he came to the Magic Energy Association was to change his Bronze Star to Iron Star!

"Understood, exchange it for a crystal worth two hundred magic energy units." The staff member nodded and informed his assistant behind him. Soon, someone brought over a brand new crystal. The crystal was crystal clear and placed in front of Ruben. The latter carefully examined it and was very satisfied with the crystal, because it would witness him joining the ranks of advanced magic energy users in one fell swoop!

"Then, Mr. Ruben, please begin." The staff member waved his hand and stepped aside, indicating that Ruben should begin the level assessment test. The test method was very simple: just hold this crystal and inject magic into it to get the test results.

"Well then, you lot, keep your eyes peeled! Now it's time for me, Uncle Ruben, to put on a show!" Ruben took a step forward, striking a very imposing pose. He stretched out his right hand and firmly grasped the magic crystal, which was about the size of his palm. He took a deep breath and began to channel all the magic energy in his body into his right hand, then into the magic crystal through the substance in his palm. With this series of movements, a faint crimson light could be seen flowing along his arm and gathering towards his palm, then flowing into the magic crystal. Soon, dozens of fine cracks appeared on the smooth surface of the magic crystal, looking very strange and delicate.

()

751 Test Crystal

"Is this Mr. Ruben a fire-attribute magic user? It's truly remarkable that he can achieve this level. His magic power index has already risen to... 105 points? This is a new record, and the index is still rising." Ellen marveled at this scene. Although she didn't like Ruben's personality, she still acknowledged his abilities.

"His level is probably around 130 magic energy units," Dure glanced at it and gave a rough estimate.

"Huh? 130? Let me see... 115, 120, 125, 128... It seems like it can't go any higher." Ellen looked at the reaction of the magic crystal, and specific numbers appeared on it.

If you looked closely at Ruben at this moment, you could see that his forehead was covered in cold sweat and his brows were furrowed. It was clear that he had used all his strength. The magic crystal, which was initially transparent, gradually turned crimson, which gradually elicited gasps of surprise.

"128? That's already the standard for a two-star advanced level, enough to get the Iron Star badge." Someone in the crowd said enviously. Once you get the Iron Star badge, you'll be very popular and sought after everywhere.

"So, that guy named Ruben is the best one today. Although his arrogant attitude is indeed annoying, he still has real skills." The people next to him marveled and expressed their approval of Ruben.

"But there are still two people who haven't been tested yet. We can't say too much yet. What if these two people are also really capable and very powerful?" Some people remained rational and looked at the man and woman at the end of the line.

These two people, one with number 1, were clearly the first to arrive at the Magic Power Association today, while the other with number 32 was the last to arrive. They were exactly the first and last of everyone who came to the Magic Power Association for testing today.

"Those two look so young, and they don't have the aura of a master at all. Do you really expect them to test at a level higher than that of an advanced magic user? Don't be ridiculous. Besides, look at their chests, they don't even have badges. They're obviously newcomers who just came for the test. Have you ever seen a newcomer test at a high level right away? At least I haven't."

Someone nearby shook their head, offering a different opinion. They didn't have high expectations for the man and woman, especially the young man standing in front. He looked to be around twenty-two or twenty-three years old, yet he didn't have a magic user badge. In an era where learning magic power is supposed to start from a young age, this was clearly a significant oversight.

"That being said, I still think there's a tiny bit of something to look forward to." The bystander who had previously raised objections still insisted on his opinion. At this time, Ruben had completed his test. His final score was 128 magic power indexes, which qualified him as a two-star advanced magic power user. He successfully obtained the Iron Star Badge awarded by the Magic Power User Association.

“Mr. Ruben’s data is indeed quite similar to what you said, Mr. Dure. The prediction of around 130 is incredibly accurate,” Ellen said, marveling at the accuracy.

"Hahaha, getting the Iron Star badge is just a piece of cake. I, Reuben, haven't even shown my true strength yet. But I'll hold back a little here, so as not to scare you. When I come back next time, I, Reuben, will definitely get the Steel Star badge." Reuben was very satisfied with the results of his test. He said confidently, and at the same time, he took off the Bronze Star badge from his chest and replaced it with the brand-new Iron Star badge, looking very proud of himself.

"Congratulations on becoming a high-level magic user. Now, please come to the next gentleman for the test. The next gentleman is Mr. Dure, right?" While congratulating Ruben, the staff member looked at the information of the next applicant on the list. Dure's name was written in the name column of the information sheet.

"Kid, did you see my amazing performance just now? Look at you, all dumbfounded. Were you scared? How about you tell me if my strength as a high-level magic user is enough to qualify me as your senior?"

Ruben didn't rush to leave after turning around. Instead, he patted the young man behind him on the shoulder and said something. He was tall, more than a head taller than the young man, and spoke in a condescending manner. He was very satisfied with this way of talking to others, which gave him an unparalleled sense of pride.

"Senior Ruben, your performance just now truly impressed me. I will definitely take you as my role model and learn from you." Du Lei remained calm and composed in the face of Ruben's smug expression. He answered slowly and deliberately, and at this moment, he stepped forward to take Ruben's place, ready to undergo the level assessment.

"Kid, I didn't realize you were so perceptive. You're not much to look at, and you don't seem particularly clever, but the fact that you have this awareness shows you have some talent. If you keep working hard, you might even reach a tenth of my level. Of course, at most, only a tenth. My talent is something you can never learn." Ruben kept rambling on, after all, he was in a great mood today, and he had already planned to have a good drink after leaving the Magic Power Association.

"Mr. Du Lei, you are about to undergo a level assessment. Please select a crystal as the assessment tool," the staff member reminded him.

“A test crystal? Then please give me one…” Dure was about to make his request, but at this moment, Ruben, who was still there after the incident, came forward and interrupted him.

“I suggest we give this kid a 10-unit crystal to test his skills first. I think he’s at most a beginner magic user,” Ruben interjected.

"Ten units of crystal? Mr. Dure, is that alright?" The staff member asked Dure for his opinion, since Dure was the one who conducted the level assessment. Ruben had already finished his test, and according to the normal procedure, it wouldn't be his job at all.

“Sure, let’s try the 10-unit crystal first.” Du Lei seemed indifferent. At his request, a staff member quickly brought out a brand new 10-unit magic energy crystal. Compared to the palm-sized crystal that Ruben had used for his grading, this 10-unit crystal was much smaller, only about the size of a finger.

()

752 Inferior Products

"Kid, you should start right now. Concentrate all your magical energy in your palm and then channel it into the crystal. Of course, your magical energy is too weak, so there might not be a very strong reaction, but you have to try, right?" Ruben reminded Dure.

“Thank you very much for your valuable suggestion, Senior Ruben. Well then…” Du Lei smiled slightly and quickly grasped the crystal, which was only the size of a fingertip. In Ruben’s opinion, even if this kid used all his methods, he would only have a weak reaction at most.

In fact, this was exactly what Ruben saw: a wisp of black, thread-like magical energy crawled onto the surface of the crystal. At first glance, it seemed perfectly still, but soon the crystal cracked with a "bang" and shattered completely.

"Hey, what's going on? Why did a perfectly good crystal suddenly crack? How can your Magic Power Association use counterfeit and shoddy products to deceive people?" Ruben was stunned when he saw this scene. He assumed that there was a problem with the quality of the crystal from the Magic Power Association, and immediately questioned loudly.

"Is there a problem with the quality of the crystal? I'm very sorry, please wait a moment, I'll replace it with a new one right away." The staff member was also a little stunned. He immediately waved to his assistant to replace the crystal. This was the first time he had encountered such a situation, and he was momentarily dumbfounded.

"My personal suggestion is to replace it with a crystal with a larger capacity unit." Dure thought for a moment and then offered his suggestion in a friendly manner. The people around him were confused about what was going on, but he himself knew exactly what was going on.

"Capacity unit? I understand, immediately replace the crystal with one containing fifty units of magic energy!" The staff member belatedly realized that the problem wasn't with the crystal, but with the young man in front of him.

"Fifty units of magic power index? Him? Isn't that a bit of an overestimation?" Ruben was stunned. In his opinion, that unknown kid would be lucky to have five units of magic power index, fifty units was simply too much of a compliment!

“Maybe… fifty units of magic energy index isn’t enough?” At this moment, Ellen, who was behind Dure, thought for a moment and said. Although she and Dure had only met once, she had a very good impression of Dure and had high expectations for him.

"Mr. Dure, I'm very sorry, the crystal has been replaced. Please continue with your testing." After completing the replacement, the staff member wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, gesturing for Dure to continue testing.

"I understand, I'm sorry to have troubled you." Du Lei nodded apologetically, and then he held the brand-new crystal again. However, the crystal shattered again shortly after he held it, which made Ruben, who had been watching from the side, even more confused.

"What happened? Why is the crystal broken again? Why are there so many counterfeit and shoddy products here?" Ruben shouted loudly. In his opinion, the problem must be with the quality of the crystal. He couldn't find any other reason.

"This...this crystal is brand new and has never been used. It's not like there's a quality problem..." the staff member explained. If it had only happened once, it could have been considered an isolated incident, but since it had happened twice, he had to take it seriously.