The most shameless alchemist in history

"Who are you calling a coward? Who's looking for me? I'm busy with other things right now," Hank said reluctantly.

The blizzard that had lasted for most of the night finally showed signs of abating, though snowflakes were still falling softly.

089 Silver Armored War Boar

That night on the vast snowfield was destined to be unforgettable for the hundreds of passengers on the train. When the train came to a stop and was attacked by snow wolves, and was on the verge of collapse, few believed they could still be alive, completely dominated by fear.

But thanks to everyone's joint efforts, they finally held on until the rescue arrived. As dawn dispelled the darkness and descended upon the land, the blizzard that had been raging for almost a night finally stopped, and sunlight could be seen pouring down from the sky. Passengers left the train one after another to get some fresh air.

"Are we really alive? It feels like a dream. We thought we were going to die, but we actually made it through. It feels so good to be alive and breathing. We have to thank the Silverfrost Legion for arriving in time." One passenger exclaimed repeatedly, realizing how precious life is after experiencing life and death.

"We should definitely thank the Silverfrost Legion, but shouldn't we also thank the police officers who protected us before the Silverfrost Legion arrived? And the flight attendants who encouraged everyone during the darkest times. Oh, and what was that little brat's name again?" a passenger asked.

"So these are the snow wolves that attacked us last night? What a joke! I thought they were some kind of amazing creatures, but they're nothing special after they're dead. Pshaw, I, Buta, could easily take care of these by myself." Someone scoffed at the snow wolf's corpse.

"Buta, if you're so powerful, why didn't you stand up and fight the snow wolves last night? Instead, you're saying these things now. You're really shameless." Someone mocked the burly man with a disdainful face. In the bloody battle last night, more than a hundred snow wolves were completely annihilated.

The ground was originally covered in blood, but under the cover of the heavy snow, it quickly became a white expanse. Many of the snow wolf carcasses were buried in the snow, with only a few remaining exposed. Further away, a large number of wild boars wearing armor were resting on the spot.

"I was busy in the boiler room last night, so I didn't have time to worry about what was happening outside. It's just lucky that these snow wolves didn't run into me, otherwise I could have taken them all down with one punch. They would definitely regret their stupid act of attacking the train," Buta said smugly.

"But last night when the snow wolves attacked the carriage, I saw you so scared that you hid in the boiler room, locking the door tightly and not daring to come out. Even Rune led his men out, but you were so scared that you wet your pants. You're really something." A passenger revealed his secret.

"Wetting my pants is out of the question. How could I possibly be afraid of a snow wolf? What a joke!" Buta said, his tone fierce but his words betraying his inner weakness.

"Hey, that snow wolf is still alive! It's not dead yet! Buta, look behind you!" the passenger exclaimed immediately.

"What? Still alive? Don't eat me! Don't eat me!" Buta's expression immediately changed, and he fled in a flash.

"That guy's such a coward, scared off like that? How boring." Gunstock caught a glimpse of Buta's fleeing figure. He never gave the likes a second glance. He was carrying a shovel, and a group of people were already clearing the snow not far ahead.

"Ignore him. That kind of person is just a bully who picks on the weak and fears the strong. There will always be people like that no matter where you are. Just ignore them. Yawn. After resting for a while, it's about time to get back to work. We need to clear the snow off the tracks before the train that's picking us up arrives."

Matthew yawned. He had taken a short nap in the carriage last night after the Silverfrost Legion arrived and defeated the Snowfield Wolves. He was so exhausted last night that he started helping with the cleanup as soon as it was dawn and he learned that a train would be coming to pick them up from the other side.

"Let's get to work quickly. The train from Frost City will arrive in about two hours. With yesterday's blizzard, the tracks are piled high with snow. We still have a lot of work to do." Karen also carried a shovel and went over to get busy.

"Karen, you injured your arm last night. Are you alright? Do you want to go and rest? I'll do my part too." The gun butt leaned over and asked with concern. Karen's right hand was still wrapped in bandages. It was from being attacked by a snow wolf, and the wound was gruesome, exposing the bone.

“You’re talking as if you weren’t injured. Besides, that boy didn’t even sleep; he was helping out the whole time. If you keep dawdling, people will laugh at you.” Karen pointed to the boy who was cleaning the tracks not far away. They had worked together side by side last night.

"That's true. I never thought I'd owe a thirteen or fourteen-year-old kid a favor. This is really a major blunder in my life. Alright, let's get to work!" Gunslinger shouted and strode over. By this time, there were already dozens of people clearing the tracks.

"Du Lei, Du Lei, don't you really need to rest for a while? You were busy all night last night and came to work again early this morning. Your body won't be able to take it. You haven't eaten anything yet, have you?" Bai Ye ran up to Du Lei's side, who was shoveling snow with a shovel.

“This is nothing to worry about. I’m not hungry yet. I just need some water. I’ll leave the food for the children; they need it more.” Du Lei shook his head and continued cleaning, glancing curiously at the herd of wild boars in the distance as he worked.

"Du Lei, you really know how to think of them. Are you looking at the silver-armored war boars?" While praising Du Lei, Bai Ye noticed his gaze and followed it to see the group of wild boars wearing armor. He asked curiously.

Du Lei, nicknamed "Silver Armored War Boar," frowned. He had initially thought these were just ordinary wild boars, but he hadn't expected them to have such a reputation.

"Yes, the Silver Armored War Boar, like the Snow Wolf, is a low-level magical beast. However, unlike the Snow Wolf, the Silver Armored War Boar can be tamed and become a human's mount. The Silver Frost Legion got its name because when the Silver Armored War Boar runs and fights, it looks like it is covered with silver frost."

Bai Ye explained in detail the matters related to the Silver Armored War Boar, as he was very knowledgeable about them.

"So that's how it is. The Silver Armored War Boar and the Snow Wolf are of the same level, but the former has an extra layer of armor and has been tamed, so it looks like it's of the same level. In fact, in terms of impact and defense, it is already two levels higher than the Snow Wolf, plus the rider's charge effect."

Du Lei nodded thoughtfully, finally resolving a problem that had been troubling him.

"Yes, it was precisely because of these three reasons that the Snowfield Wolves suffered such a crushing defeat," Bai Ye affirmed.

"But Bai Ye, how do you know all this?" Du Lei asked curiously.

"You ask me how I know these things? Of course, they're written in books," Bai Ye said matter-of-factly.

090 is not a coincidence

After nearly two hours of busy work, the male passengers on the train, along with the soldiers of the Silverfrost Legion, finally managed to clear the snow off a large section of the nearby railway tracks before the arrival of the next train to pick them up. The train approaching from a distance let out a long whistle.

The people who were resting on the spot cheered when they saw the arriving train, because according to the information they had received, in addition to picking them up, the train was also full of drinking water and food. After all, the food on the previous train was limited, and many people were still hungry.

When the new train arrived, staff immediately distributed hot bread and milk and guided passengers to board in order. This brand-new train would take over from the previous one, fulfilling its duty of transporting passengers to their destinations.

"You mean the train's attack by the snow wolves wasn't a coincidence?" The young female general leading the Silverfrost Legion frowned as she spoke to a man in civilian clothes a short distance away. Her expression was serious and she looked worried.

“General Elianka, this is what happened,” the man, who looked to be in his thirties, leaned closer and whispered, saying something that was unclear.

Matthew and Gunstock, who were nearby, happened to witness this scene; they were responsible for getting the passengers onto the new train.

"Hey Matthew, what are they talking about? It seems kind of suspicious." He rested his chin on his hand, looking curious.

"What nonsense are you talking about? That's General Elianka, the commander of the Silverfrost Legion, and the Snow General among the four great generals of the Snow Kingdom. How could someone of her status be a suspicious person?" Matthew glared at the butt of his gun, signaling him to stop talking nonsense.

"Of course I know she's General Elianka, a big shot in the Snow Kingdom, and a famously beautiful but unfathomable ice queen. What I mean is, why would someone as important as her personally come here to participate in such a trivial rescue matter?" The gun butt waved his hand and continued.

“There are hundreds of people trapped here, their lives hanging in the balance. How can you call this a small matter?” Matthew disagreed with the gunstock’s words.

"I mean, you've confused me. By the way, Dure, what do you think they're talking about?" Seeing that he couldn't get through to Matthew, the gunstock immediately turned to talk to Dure. There was still some time before the train started.

“I’m not entirely sure either, but I saw that man early this morning. He was acting suspiciously nearby, as if he was investigating something. I think he was probably an investigator or something like that. He must have found something and was reporting it to the female general,” Du Lei said after thinking for a moment.

“You’re the most reliable one. I think so too. This train attack was definitely not a coincidence.” The butt of the gun patted Dure’s shoulder, which made the latter hiss. It was clear that the gun butt had hit his wound. Realizing that he had hit him too hard, the butt immediately let go and smiled apologetically.

“How can you tell if it’s not a coincidence?” Dure became interested in what the gun butt said and temporarily put aside the fact that he had photographed his wound.

"Because before this, I had heard from several acquaintances on the railway that in the past three months, there have been several train accidents in the Snow Country. One or two accidents may be accidental, but seven or eight accidents are suspicious."

Gunstock was very interested in things that smelled of conspiracy theories, and after last night's battle, he had developed some trust in Dure, so he didn't hide anything from him.

"Seven or eight accidents have occurred on the railway in a short period of time? Is it only within the Land of Snow, or have similar accidents occurred in other countries as well? Could it be due to the weather?" Du Lei pondered for a while and then raised another question.

"Within the Land of Snow alone, and even in the neighboring Land of Mountains, there haven't been any accidents in the last three months. Compared to previous years, at this time last year, the Land of Snow only had one accident due to weather conditions." The gunstock provided some detailed data to refute this claim.

"How do you know so much about these things?" Dure frowned, looking at the butt of the gun, becoming suspicious of the question.

"Why are you looking at me like that? You don't think I'm suspicious, do you? A friend of mine told me all this. He's a detective, you could say that. He's very interested in these kinds of things. He told me this when we were drinking together last time."

Gunstock grinned. Just as Dure had imagined him, he was a simple-minded, physically strong man, the type who would rather fight than talk. Expecting him to come up with so much from his own brain was really giving him too much credit.

"I see. But whatever the hidden story behind it, that's a matter for those big shots to investigate. It's about time to get on the train; it'll be departing soon." After pondering for a moment, Du Lei couldn't figure it out and gave up.

At this moment, the train sounded a long whistle, signaling its imminent departure. Most of the passengers had already boarded the brand-new train.

"Du Lei, hurry up and get on, we're about to leave. By the way, what should we do about that train that's stuck there?" Bai Ye reached out and pulled Du Lei onto the train. At the same time, he pointed to the train in the snow, the one they had been on before, which was now severely damaged and unable to start.

“A train will be coming from the direction of Snow Eagle Town soon. Let’s tow it back to the station and have the mechanic repair it,” Du Lei thought for a moment and gave an answer. In fact, he had asked Wrench, who was the mechanic, a similar question yesterday.

"So that's how it is. Thanks to Du Lei and the others last night, we were all safe. Looking back now, it's really scary. We almost lost our lives." After Bai Ye followed Du Lei into the carriage and sat down, he shrank his neck. At the time, he was completely unaware of it, but now, thinking back, he was filled with fear.

"What, are you still afraid of dying?" Du Lei asked him with a half-smile.

"Of course I'm scared. I have so many things to do and dreams to fulfill. I can't die here," Bai Ye said earnestly.

"Dreams? What are your dreams?" Dure continued to ask.

"My dream is to travel all over the continent to explore all the ancient ruins and uncover all the secrets buried underground," Bai Ye said enthusiastically to Du Lei, sharing his ideals.

"Do you want to be an archaeologist?" Dure asked, frowning.

"Pretty much. I am filled with awe and curiosity about this world. Why do humans exist? How big is the world? What is the ultimate goal of this world? I really want to know the answers. I know these things are far away from me, but I will try."

Bai Ye smiled gently. Even someone as insignificant as him had grand dreams.

091 See you later

After boarding the new train, nothing unexpected happened, and the next two days of the journey went smoothly. This allowed Matthew and the others, who had gone through many hardships, to finally breathe a sigh of relief. Two days later, the train would arrive in Maple City, but this was not the final stop; the train would continue its journey.

But for Dure, this was the final stop on his journey. He had told Bai Ye, Matthew and the others early on that he would get off in Maple City, because he had made up his mind back in Hot Spring Village to go to Maple City to study, which was an important part of his plan.

"Du Lei, are you getting off here? Time flies. I was hoping to spend more time with you and discuss more academic issues, but I didn't expect you to stop here. I'm really going to miss you." Bai Ye was reluctant to see Du Lei leave.

“Yes, although Maple City is not the capital of the Snow Kingdom, it is a famous magical energy research center in the Snow Kingdom. I plan to study in Maple City for a period of time. Bai Ye, where are you going?” Du Lei nodded, although he also wanted to travel around the world at will.

However, he was well aware that his current abilities were still weak, and he needed to study for a period of time before venturing out to the mainland.

"I'm going to the Land of Time to find my teacher and study ancient ruins with him," Bai Ye told Du Lei about his itinerary.

Du Lei was taken aback; it was the first time he had heard Bai Ye mention that he had a teacher.

“Yes, he was a teacher who taught me knowledge, and also a great archaeologist. I’m sorry, Du Lei, I didn’t mention him to you before because he was a bit withdrawn and didn’t like people talking about him. It wasn’t that I wanted to hide it from him.” Bai Ye apologized to him.

"I see. I've read about the Land of Time in books. It's said to be the origin of time, where a great nation was once born, but now it's just ruins." Dure pondered his memories of the Land of Time, which should have been a desolate place.

"That's right. It's said that the Land of Time quickly withered and fell because it angered the god who controls time. Of course, this is just what the book says. What actually happened there is still a mystery. My teacher is investigating there now. I've studied enough, so I'll go and be his assistant."

Bai Ye nodded seriously. When his teacher left, he gave him a large box of books and told him to come back to the Land of Time to find him after he had read and understood all of them. The man originally thought it would take at least seven or eight years to finish reading them.

But Bai Ye understood it all in just one year and went to the Land of Time to find him, as they had agreed.

“I understand. Maple City is just ahead. We’ll be arriving soon. It looks like we’ll have to part ways here. We’ll definitely see each other again if we have the chance.” Du Lei looked out the window. He could already see the outline of the city. Maple City was a bustling city with dense buildings.

"Hey kid, I heard you're getting off at Maple City." Just then, the sound of a gun butt came from behind the two of them.

"Yes, what, are you getting off here too?" Dure turned around and looked around. Not only was Gunstock there, but Matthew and the others were also there.

"No, we still have to take the train to Frost City. We just happened to be passing by and saw you, kid, so we said hello." The gun butt waved his hand. Frost City was the train's final stop, and it would take another two days to get there.

"Oh, just passing by?" Du Lei pondered the words for a moment.

"That idiot, Gunstock, heard you were getting off in Maple City, so he insisted on coming over to thank you in person. He clearly came all this way, but he said he just happened to be passing by. He's really not being honest. No wonder he's so old and still can't find a girlfriend," Karen said from behind, revealing his secret.

"Hey, Karen, how can you talk to me like that? And Captain Matthew, who can't get a girlfriend, is the same way." Gunstock was speechless after Karen's words, and he immediately dragged Matthew into it as well.

"Hey you two, it's okay to argue, but don't hurt innocent people, okay? Forget it, Dure, thank you for your help along the way." Matthew glared at Gunstock. He was only in his early twenties, several years younger than Gunstock, and handsome, wearing a crisp uniform.

"No need to thank me. I'm a passenger on the train too. Rather than helping you, I'm helping myself. If the train is breached, I'll be dead too." Du Lei didn't take credit. He shook his head and spoke the truth.

"Anyway, I've remembered what you did for us, and I've also remembered the camaraderie we shared." Matthew wasn't one to ramble on or drag things out; he took off his hat, his attitude earnest and sincere.

"The train has arrived in Maple City. Passengers disembarking in Maple City, please disembark in an orderly manner and do not crowd." At this point, the train slowed down and finally stopped, and the announcement began.

"Alright, we've arrived at our destination. If fate allows, we'll meet again in the future. Bai Ye, Matthew, Gunstock, Karen, and Blue, see you later." Du Lei walked to the train carriage door, preparing to get off. Before disembarking, he turned back to look at Bai Ye and the others one last time.

"Yes, take care, we'll meet again someday." Bai Ye nodded heavily, and Matthew and the others looked over solemnly as well.

After waving, Du Lei picked up his suitcase and followed the crowd getting off at Maple City, slowly leaving the carriage and walking on the platform. Upon arriving at this city known for its magical energy research, he confirmed that all passengers had disembarked and those who had boarded had entered the carriage.

The train slowly started moving again, heading towards its final destination. After a fierce blizzard, the sky was calm, and even the sun could be seen shining brightly. Although the snow had not completely melted, it was foreseeable that spring would arrive soon.

"This journey has been quite arduous. We've finally arrived in Maple City! It's even more magnificent than I imagined. Alright, let's find a place to stay first, and then begin my learning journey in Maple City. My adventures across the continent will begin here."

After Du Lei stepped out of the station, he saw rows of tall buildings all around him, which was far beyond what Snow Eagle Town could compare to. Even the most luxurious building in Snow Eagle Town, the hotel, only had four floors, but the lowest building in Maple City had five floors. The sight was dazzling.