The most shameless alchemist in history

“Charlotte is a teacher at Maple Leaf Academy and also the chief examiner for last year’s entrance exam. He was in charge of overseeing the entrance exam and is a greedy person.” Compared to Hassan’s anger, Lillian was much calmer. She explained Charlotte’s situation to Dure in detail.

"Openly soliciting bribes? That sounds really bad. I never expected that such a phenomenon would exist in a sacred place like Maple Leaf Academy." Du Lei frowned. On his way to Maple Leaf Academy, he hadn't thought he might encounter such a thing.

"Hey Du Lei, it's not some kind of surprise, it's a very common phenomenon. And the 'sacred' thing is just your perception of it. I've figured it out now, Maple Leaf Academy has become the backyard of those rich and powerful people, and rich people can get in easily."

"And for us ordinary people from poor backgrounds, unless we have exceptional talent and can compete for Maple Leaf Academy, we can't even get past the threshold." Hassan spoke with a belly full of anger, his words filled with hatred for Maple Leaf Academy, and he forcefully broke the tree branch in his hand.

"Then why are you still here? I mean, since you've encountered something like this, why don't you go home? Instead, you've been stuck here for a whole year." After hesitating for a long time, Dure decided to ask about this matter. He looked at Lillian and Hassan with suspicion.

He then scanned his surroundings and noticed that the boys and girls around him had all lowered their heads. According to Lillian and Hassan, they were students who had enrolled last year. Now, a year had passed, yet they were still stuck on the mountainside of the academy, which puzzled him greatly.

“Because we are all from out of town, before we set off for Maple City, we were all like you, full of confidence and expectation, dreaming of entering Maple Leaf Academy and becoming a powerful magic warrior one day, so that we could realize our dreams and stand out from the crowd,” Lillian said.

"We set off with the expectations of our families and friends, but when we arrived at Maple Leaf Academy, we found that we couldn't even get past that threshold. We can't face our families, and we don't want to see their disappointed eyes. We are also confused about the future, and we are unwilling to give up like this."

As Lillian spoke, a hint of guilt crept into her voice. She had written several letters home during the past year, in which she always said that she had successfully been admitted to Maple Leaf Academy and was doing well. Her family's replies encouraged her to study hard, but that was not actually the case.

"So you've been stuck near Maple Leaf Academy? That's Maple Leaf Academy, right? I can see the lights over there, they're really dazzling." Du Lei looked up at the mountaintop, which had been obscured by the slope before, but now he could see it clearly.

At a remote mountaintop, numerous lights shone brightly, and the magical energy fluctuations could be felt from afar. If he hadn't encountered Hassan and Lillian, Dure would surely have been overjoyed by this, but now he learned some unpleasant things about the academy from these two.

“Yes, we stayed here and found a job near the college to make ends meet. While working, we also tried to learn. After a year, we learned something, so it wasn’t too bad.” Lillian continued to talk about their current situation without hiding anything.

"Hehe, Lillian, I learned a quick step when I was sweeping the floor at the academy before. It's super powerful. Do you want me to teach you in a bit?" Hassan finally found some psychological balance when talking about "learning something" and took the initiative to offer.

“Now that you’ve learned it, you shouldn’t be standing there like an idiot when facing the Mighty Bear. So you clearly haven’t mastered it yet. Besides, I learned the Swift Step last month, so I don’t need you to teach me.” Lillian had already learned the details of the encounter with the Mighty Bear from Dure.

“You’ve learned everything, but why didn’t you tell me sooner? That’s really cunning,” Hassan immediately protested.

"What is 'swift movement'?" Du Lei asked, puzzled, upon hearing this unfamiliar term.

"Swiftness is one of the basic skills, Du Lei. The combat style of magic warriors mainly relies on magic energy armor, which is the energy extracted by alchemists from the crystal cores of magical beasts and attached to their equipment. I've told you before that I don't understand the principle behind it."

"After all, I'm not an alchemist, but in addition to relying on magical weapons, magical warriors also need to strengthen their own training, which includes both magical power and skills. Magical power is about increasing one's magical power attribute value, just like training one's strength."

"And techniques, like swift movement, are ways to improve your fighting skills. After all, when it comes to beating someone up, not only is strength important, but also how to deliver a combination of punches, right? Maple Leaf Academy is a place that teaches people how to cultivate magical energy and learn basic techniques."

Hassan generously shared everything with Dure about magic and techniques; he was a very talkative person and spoke at length.

"Is that so? I understand now." Dure didn't have a clear understanding of magical energy at first, but through Hassan's explanation, he finally understood.

099 Plan ahead

Du Lei had been traveling all day and was exhausted. In addition, it was late at night, and Maple Leaf Academy was closed, so even if he reached the mountain, he would not be able to enter the academy. Furthermore, according to Lillian, the magical beasts on the mountain had been active recently, making it very dangerous.

For these reasons, Dure could only stay at the riverside camp for one night and go up to the Academy Mountain after dawn. Everyone, including Hassan and Lillian, welcomed Dure. Before going to sleep, Dure learned a lot about the Academy Mountain from them.

After resting for a night, just as dawn broke the next day, Dure and Hassan and the others went up the mountain together. The reason they chose not to go home but stayed near the Academy Mountain was so that they could continue their studies by working there. It was a choice they had to make.

"By the way, Dure, are you really just from that place called Snow Eagle Town, just an ordinary poor person like me, without any reliable connections or recommendation letters or anything like that?" Hassan turned around and asked Dure on the way to Academy Mountain.

“Yes, I come from an ordinary poor family. I have no connections or recommendation letters. Is there a problem?” Dure nodded in acknowledgment. He didn’t think that having a bad background was anything to be ashamed of, and wondered why Hassan would suddenly ask about it.

"Do you have this?" Hassan extended his right index finger and thumb and gently rubbed them together, a common gesture.

“You mean money?” Dure thought for a moment and then understood what Hassan meant.

“That’s right, that’s right. Do you have any silver coins or anything valuable with you?” Hassan confirmed this and immediately pressed for more information.

"There doesn't seem to be anything valuable, but as for silver coins, I do have a few left." Dure touched his money bag and shook out about seven or eight silver coins, which he spread out in his palm and placed in front of Hassan, not knowing why Hassan would ask about this.

"Just a few coins, Du Lei? That's a bit too stingy. When I ventured into Maple City last year, I brought twenty silver coins with me, and I thought I was poor enough. I didn't expect you to be even poorer than me." Hassan glanced at the silver coins in Du Lei's hand, somewhat disappointed.

"I had saved some money before, but I spent it all on the way." Du Lei had made a lot of preparations for this trip to Maple City. He started saving money in Hot Spring Village early on, but firstly, it was not easy to make money in such a poor and remote place, so he didn't save much in total. Secondly, he also spent it all on the way.

Although he and Xueying had made a fortune from the Snow Eagle merchant Seta in Snow Eagle Town, he left all the silver coins to Linda and her son Gray Falcon, and with the train tickets he bought, he had very little left.

"Not enough, not enough, far from enough, Durei. I'm not trying to discourage you, but I hope you're mentally prepared." Hassan waved his hand.

"What mental preparation?" Dure didn't quite understand what he meant. Hassan was particularly concerned about the silver coins.

“What Hassan meant was to be prepared to be rejected by Maple Leaf Academy,” Lillian added to Hassan’s words.

"I was prepared for being turned away before I came," Du Lei said nonchalantly, not taking it to heart.

“Brother Du Lei, I know you’re very capable and confident, but being rejected has nothing to do with whether you have great talent. It only has to do with this: silver coins. Of course, it would be better if you had a letter of recommendation or something, but we don’t have that.”

Hassan sighed. After chatting with Dure last night, he found that he and Dure got along very well, as if they were long-lost friends.

"So you're saying that without a letter of recommendation and a silver coin bribe, I wouldn't be able to pass the entrance exam?" Dure understood Hassan's meaning. Although he was very blunt and didn't consider Dure's feelings, Dure wouldn't get angry about it.

“It might have been better if it were another proctor, but I heard a few days ago that this year’s proctor is that awful Charlotte again. He’s a money-grubbing bastard, so rest in peace, Dure. I can totally foresee your fate.” Hassan looked at Dure with pity.

"Although Hassan exaggerated a bit, the situation is roughly the same, so don't have too high hopes." Lillian also earnestly reminded Dure. Once upon a time, she was also full of confidence and planned to study at Maple Leaf Academy, but her confidence was ruthlessly crushed by reality.

“I understand, thank you for reminding me.” Dure nodded. He knew that Hassan and Lillian didn’t mean to discourage him, but rather that they meant well. After all, there’s a saying that the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment.

"So, Dure, what are your plans for the future? Are you going back to your hometown, or are you staying like us?" Hassan asked casually as he walked ahead.

"Well, it's too early to talk about this now. We can discuss it a few days later." Dure was speechless. He hadn't even started the exam yet, and Hassan was already asking him about what would happen next. And he couldn't really argue with him.

"Oh dear, there's an old saying, 'Prepare for a rainy day,' and 'Respond to all changes with constancy.' It's right to think things through early, so we don't end up in a panic." Hassan didn't notice Dure's expression and continued talking to himself. They had reached the middle of the mountain when the road gradually opened up.

"What if Dure passes the test?" Just as Hassan was pessimistic about Dure, someone behind him said timidly.

"Gru" Dure recognized the boy who spoke up for him; he was also a member of Hassan's gang, fifteen years old, only about 1.6 meters tall, and thin. He had also participated in the robbery of Dure yesterday.

"Hassan, he easily chased away that powerful bear yesterday. Maybe he can pass the test. By the way, Dure, what was that move you used yesterday? It was amazing." Gru had a lot of confidence in Dure and asked curiously.

"Ha, are you talking about what Dure threw yesterday? That stinky thing, what's so special about it?" Hassan instinctively pinched his nose as he recalled what Dure had thrown yesterday, as if the nauseating stench was still lingering in his nostrils.

"Does it smell bad? I think my nose was stuffy yesterday, so I didn't smell it." Gru scratched his head sheepishly.

"Those are stinky bombs made by mixing gorilla droppings with dried and ground stinky grass powder," Dure explained carefully.

"Hassan, you gorilla poop, Dure, is this how you treat me? This is really going too far!" Hassan protested loudly.

Because he really took a lot of tanning yesterday.

100 College History

When Du Lei arrived in Maple City and asked a street vendor for directions to Maple Leaf Academy, the vendor not only gave him the exact address but also gave him a tomato symbolizing "prosperity," which put him in a great mood and made him believe that he had definitely come to the right place.

However, putting aside the encounter with a fierce-looking girl along the way, he finally found his destination by following the vendor's directions, only to be told by the fat uncle in the building that it was just a reception area, and the real academy was built on Academy Mountain, on the western edge of Maple City.

Therefore, Du Lei had no choice but to rush over in a hurry, afraid of delaying the registration time. Counting the distance he traveled yesterday, it took him a full day and a half to travel south from Maple City. Finally, led by Hassan and his group, he arrived at the Academy Mountain. When he looked back, he saw that he was surrounded by forests.

The city's outline was still beyond the edge of the forest, which made him feel like he had been tricked. However, when he looked away and saw the scene in front of him, he couldn't help but marvel at his ignorance. The reason was simple: the city was located in what appeared to be a lush and verdant mountain.

Surprisingly, a small town was hidden there. The entire town was built along the mountainside, with four- or five-story buildings distributed along the mountain wall. All kinds of shops were available, and the streets were noisy and bustling with pedestrians. The sounds of vendors hawking their wares and shouting filled the air, making him think he had entered a bustling city.

Of course, the most eye-catching buildings in the whole town are the huge building complex overhead. Hundreds of steps lead up to a white wall, inside which are a continuous series of tower-like buildings. If there were only one tower-like building...

This can be described as unique and exquisite, but the fact that there are dozens of such buildings makes it particularly majestic and imposing. It is truly breathtaking to build such a huge complex of buildings in the deep mountains, relying on the mountain's terrain. There is no doubt that the building inside the walls is the renowned Maple Leaf Academy.

The small town outside the academy is the Academy Street, which exists alongside the academy. As Dure walked along the street with Hassan and the others, he could clearly see shops such as herbal medicine shops, general stores, weapon shops, and inns. Hassan led the way while introducing the shops to Dure.

"Brother Du Lei, you see that too, that's Maple Leaf Academy. It's quite impressive, isn't it? Maple Leaf Academy always maintains a size of about six hundred students. Anyway, you won't have the chance to study there, so there's no point in telling you about the academy."

Hassan had only spoken a little over half of the passage when he realized that Dure was completely unable to pass the test, so he deliberately skipped that part, which frustrated Dure.

“Let me tell you about this College Street, Brother Du Lei. I’m sure you’ve already noticed that College Street is entirely designed to serve Maple Leaf College,” Hassan said, pointing to the various shops. He had been here for a year and knew the area very well.

“Hassan, that’s not quite accurate. It should be that the two complement each other,” Lillian corrected Hassan’s wording.

"Complementary" Du Lei frowned. He looked around and found that there was no shortage of strong mercenaries among the pedestrians on the street.

“That’s right, Dure, do you know the history of Maple Leaf Academy?” Lillian suddenly changed the subject.

"The history of Maple Leaf Academy? It is said that Maple Leaf Academy has a history of over four hundred years and is one of the oldest academies in the Snow Kingdom. Many outstanding figures have emerged from its history." Du Lei thought for a moment before answering. He had read all of this in books.

“Brother Durei, your answer is too official. Let me answer Lillian’s question for you. Maple Leaf Academy originally existed as an outpost.” Hassan shook his head, not agreeing with Durei’s answer. After smiling, he explained to Durei in detail.

"Outpost" Du Lei became interested.

"Yes, this place was indeed an outpost at first. Hundreds of years ago, steam technology had not yet appeared, railways had not been built, and the various regions of the continent were relatively isolated. Humans and magical beasts were in a long-term standoff, and Maple City was no exception."

Hassan nodded, affirming that he was a very talkative person.

"I do know that. Humans and magical beasts have been fighting for territory for a long time, and throughout history, humans have always been at a disadvantage. Until the last hundred years, the advent of steam technology connected the various isolated human territories into one, which greatly enhanced human power."

Although Du Lei was unaware of anything about Maple Leaf Academy, he was quite familiar with human history, especially since he had learned a great deal from the books Bai Ye carried with him on the way to Maple City. Bai Ye was also particularly knowledgeable about history.

"That's right. Humans strengthened their connections through railways, transforming themselves from a scattered group into a unified whole. The united humans began to adopt a strategy of defeating the monsters one by one, gradually expanding their territory and eventually overwhelming the monsters," Hassan remarked.

"Hey, Hassan, where are you taking this? Aren't you getting a little off-topic?" Lillian scolded Hassan.

“Oh, it seems that’s really the case. Brother Dure, please don’t mind me. I’m just a bit of a chatterbox, and I tend to talk too much without realizing it. By the way, where was I?” Hassan immediately apologized to Dure.

“Speaking of the outpost,” Dure reminded him.

“Oh right, it’s an outpost, the predecessor of Maple Leaf Academy. Actually, it was an outpost, established by Maple City to guard against threats from the southern forest,” Hassan continued.

"The threat in the forest... do you mean this forest we're in now, the large forest near Academy Mountain, was originally a gathering area for magical beasts? Is it their territory?" Du Lei quickly grasped the point.

“It’s not the original,” Hassan corrected.

"What?" Du Lei asked, puzzled.

“This place is still a gathering area for monsters, still their territory,” Hassan emphasized.

"No wonder we encountered monsters at the foot of the mountain; it was the territory of monsters." Recalling yesterday's encounter, Du Lei suddenly realized.

"Maple Leaf Academy was built around the outpost. Historically, this was the front line for the humans of Maple City to fight against magical beasts. Even now, it remains a barrier for Maple City and also a southern barrier for the Snow Kingdom. As long as Maple Leaf Academy exists, Maple City exists, and the Snow Kingdom exists."

Hassan gave a detailed explanation.

“Once Maple Leaf Academy is gone, Maple City will inevitably cease to exist, and if Maple City is gone, then the Snow Kingdom…” Hassan paused here.

"Will the Snow Kingdom fall because it loses its southern barrier and is invaded by monsters?" Dure asked, frowning.

101 Don't have any hope

The street below Maple Leaf Academy is very narrow and long because it is built along the mountain. It is less than ten meters wide but several hundred meters long. Dozens of shops of all sizes are located on the street, mostly medicine shops and weapon shops, with a wide variety of goods.

The people walking on the streets can be divided into two types: one is teenagers like Hassan and Lillian, who are about fifteen or sixteen years old, many of whom have come to Maple Leaf Academy with their parents; the other is a fierce-looking lone mercenary.

"Of course, that's just a possibility. The real situation isn't that bad. After all, Maple City has existed for hundreds of years and has never fallen. Moreover, with the advent of steam technology, Maple City is now much stronger than before, and Maple Leaf Academy is becoming more and more powerful."

Hassan's words just now were somewhat alarmist. Seeing Dure's worried expression, he waved his hand and corrected him with a smile. After all, he had been near Maple Leaf Academy for so long and had full confidence in the place.

"So Maple Leaf Academy is not just an ordinary academy. In fact, it is also the front-line defense position of Maple City. No wonder there are so many magical beasts around. So these shops are..." Du Lei nodded thoughtfully, re-examining the academy.