The most shameless alchemist in history

It wasn't that he was cowardly or incompetent. If the other party were someone like Charlotte, he wouldn't have obediently given in. But firstly, she was a delicate and beautiful girl, and secondly, he had indeed said the wrong thing and was in the wrong. So he could only resign himself to his fate and follow Nono to the office.

The offices and classrooms were on the same floor, separated by only four rooms. By this time, all the other students had already left after class; some, like Lance, went to the training grounds. Others went to the library to research, which was also Dure's original plan. The offices were set up separately.

After Nono pulled him inside, she closed the door. Du Lei, resigned to his fate, looked around the office. There was a clearly patterned calfskin rug on the floor, several fluffy toys on the desk, and a framed picture of a beautiful girl on the wall. There was no doubt that the owner of the picture was Nono.

However, compared to the ruthless girl who was now fiercely dragging him, the girl in the photo frame, holding a black cat, looked quite lively and adorable. It was clear this was Nono's private office. Standing by the window, one could overlook the scenery of the academy; not many teachers in the academy enjoyed such privileges.

"Du Lei, which lesson should I start with when I give you extra lessons?" Nono pushed Du Lei to the ground, looking down at him from above. She lowered her body and grabbed Du Lei's collar, which frightened him so much that he couldn't move and didn't know what she was up to.

"Well... Ms. Nono, I know I said the wrong thing this morning, but I didn't mean it. Please forgive me." Du Lei felt very guilty. He was too close to her and could clearly smell her youthful fragrance, which made him a little embarrassed. He subconsciously turned his head to the side.

"How about we start with a lesson on respecting teachers? Unintentional? I think you did it on purpose. You're just a newbie, yet you're so audacious and arrogant. If I don't teach you a lesson, you'll think you don't even respect me as your teacher, right, Du... Lei... classmate!"

Nono was known for being difficult among the many teachers in the academy, and Du Lei had just crossed her line. She wouldn't forgive him easily. She had already planned how to punish this arrogant guy and was determined to make Du Lei remember the mistake he made!

"Oh no, Ms. Nuonuo, something terrible has happened... Uh... Sorry to bother you, please continue!" Just then, the office door, which was slightly ajar, was kicked open, and a short-haired female student wearing glasses rushed in, shouting as she ran.

However, when she burst in and saw Nono pinning Dure to the ground, with the two very close together, her cheeks instantly turned crimson. She panicked and ran out in a flash. Not only that, she turned back and closed the door behind her.

This left Du Lei and Nuonuo speechless, not understanding for a moment what she was doing.

"Huh? Shanina, you must have misunderstood something. It's not what you think. Come back right now, come back right now!" After a while, Nono realized that the other party must have had a subtle misunderstanding. After realizing this, she sprang up and kept her distance from Du Lei.

"Um... that senior was in such a hurry, could it be that..." Although Du Lei was also a little embarrassed, he wanted to get away as soon as possible, so he asked Nono if she wanted to go back to the senior named Shanina and ask what had happened.

"Don't come any closer!" Nono reacted strongly at this moment. She clutched her chest and took several steps back, looking at Du Lei warily.

"Hey, Ms. Nono, what was that just now clearly..." Du Lei was completely baffled and immediately tried to explain.

"I told you not to come any closer! You must have some weird, filthy, and heinous thoughts in your head, right? I'm warning you, stay away from me, or I really will kill you!" Nono's face flushed red with anger, which made Du Lei even more dumbfounded.

"Why are you blushing? I didn't see you blush just now. Why did you suddenly turn on me? I suggest you go and ask what happened. It's been chaotic outside since earlier. Something must have happened." Du Lei took a deep breath and scolded him directly.

He realized that Nono's change of heart was faster than turning the pages of a book. Before this, he was clearly the victim, the one being pressured by Nono. But now Nono was acting like the victim. However, considering that something might have indeed happened, Du Lei endured it again and again.

"Um... Teacher Nono, it's a bit urgent. Could you please hurry? I really need to report this to you." A weak voice came from outside the door. Clearly, after closing the door behind her, Shanina hadn't left immediately but was waiting outside.

"It's over... Ugh, there's nothing between me and this guy, it never even started, okay? Alright, Shanina, come in quickly, what's the matter?" Nono opened the door to let Shanina in to report, looking at Dure as if she were a thief.

"Huh? It's already over? It's all so fast?" Shanina looked at Dure with a puzzled expression. Because Nono had grabbed his collar earlier, he looked somewhat disheveled.

"It's not what you think... So tell me what happened!" Nono was about to go crazy. She felt that if she continued to explain, it would only make things worse, so she simply ended the topic abruptly.

"It's not what I imagined. Could it be something special, even more intense..." All sorts of strange scenarios began to pop into Shanina's mind, and she couldn't help but chuckle.

"Xanina!" Nono called out her name, pulling her back from her reverie.

"Ah, Teacher Nono, Shanina is here! It's like this, there's been an attack on the back mountain, seven students were killed on the spot, and the murderer has now broken into the forbidden area. Please come and help, Teacher Nono!" After regaining her senses, Shanina immediately reported the incident loudly.

"What? The forbidden area was attacked? Seven people died? Such a heinous case! We must leave quickly and maintain the security of the academy to bring the culprit to justice!" After figuring out what had happened, Nono immediately ran towards the gate.

.

187 Tower of Ashes

At this moment, outside the Ash Tower, a forbidden area behind Maple Leaf Academy, a large number of students wearing white uniforms with gold trim and a gold maple leaf-shaped badge on their chests had gathered. The seven bodies on the ground had been carried onto stretchers and covered with white sheets, and bloodstains still remained on the ground.

But at this moment, people's focus was no longer on their fallen companions. This was not because they were heartless, but because of the black tower standing on the east side of the academy. Since the beginning of Maple Leaf Academy, that place had been regarded as a forbidden area, except for a very few teachers from the academy.

No one is allowed to approach the forbidden area. To prevent anyone from trespassing, the academy has organized patrols. However, today, not only did someone break into that inviolable forbidden tower, but they also brazenly committed murder, which has enraged the students.

"Damn it, who did this? The academy was attacked a few days ago, but the attackers escaped. And now, just a few days later, such a terrible incident has occurred. Are they taking advantage of the fact that Maple Leaf Academy has no one to rely on?" A student gritted his teeth, connecting the two attacks.

"After killing Hubble and the others, the murderer not only didn't leave, but also swaggered into the Ash Tower. That's too arrogant! No, I have to go in and arrest the murderer and give Hubble and the others an explanation!" Some impulsive students even tried to break through the blockade and enter the Ash Tower.

"No... The Tower of Ashes is a forbidden area. We are not allowed to enter it. Calm down!" A relatively calmer student next to him tried to persuade his companion and pulled him back. More and more people rushed over, all of them having heard about what had happened in the forbidden area.

However, without permission, no one dared to act rashly and remained in place, anxiously waiting.

"Calm down, how can I calm down? Hubble and the others died tragically, and Flying Fish has already gone in, hasn't he?" The angry student still insisted on entering the Tower of Ashes, and he pointed out that Flying Fish, who was also a member of the academy's patrol team, had already entered the tower first.

“Flying Fish is not just a member; he has already reached the Steel Rank and can resist the influence of the Ash Tower's barrier. We, who are only at a high rank, are recklessly barging in. Not only will we be breaking the academy's rules, but we will also suffer the backlash ourselves. Poker, wake up!” His companion earnestly advised.

"Are we just supposed to stand here and do nothing? This is ridiculous..." The male student named Poker was furious.

"That's right, you can just wait here." Just then, a voice came from behind. It was a lively female voice, not loud, but it attracted everyone's attention, especially those who were familiar with the voice. Their expressions immediately became excited.

"It's Teacher Nono! Teacher Nono, you've finally arrived! That's wonderful! Hubble and the others have been killed, and the murderer..." Poker immediately stepped forward to explain the situation, his emotions running high.

“I understand the situation. Haro was right. There is a barrier outside the Tower of Ashes, which greatly affects those of you who haven't reached the Steel rank. So you should stay outside and maintain order. There's no guarantee the killer doesn't have accomplices outside, and once I enter the tower…”

Nono interrupted Poker, paused, and then pointed to the Ash Tower ahead, "If the murderer escapes, you can block his way outside, understand?"

Nono's sharp gaze swept over Poker, Haro, and the others. Although she was a year or two younger than these students, the fact that she had become a very important teacher in the academy at such a young age spoke volumes. Her words were not to be questioned!

"Understood, we will protect this place well and we will definitely catch the murderer to avenge Hubble and the others!" Poker nodded heavily. He made way for the Ash Tower, and Nono immediately grabbed a guy who still didn't understand the situation and rushed towards the Ash Tower.

"With Teacher Nono around, it's really reliable. If she takes action, the murderer will definitely have nowhere to hide!" A student named Haro had a lot of confidence in Nono.

"But speaking of which... who is that person following behind Teacher Nono? I've never seen them before," someone else asked.

Because they clearly saw Nono drag someone inside at breakneck speed. And that guy looked reluctant.

"Maybe he's Teacher Nuonuo's assistant. What an enviable guy! To be able to be an assistant to a teacher as lovely and capable as Teacher Nuonuo, how much luck must he have accumulated? He's probably used up all the luck he's had in his life!" a student said unwillingly.

Under their watchful eyes, Nono and the person she was dragging along had completely vanished. They were about to enter the Tower of Ashes.

"Achoo! Teacher Nono, it's fine if you have business to attend to, but why are you dragging me along?" It was none other than Du Lei, the unlucky guy, who sneezed for no reason. He followed Nono, panting. Actually, he didn't want to come at first and had been resisting and struggling the whole time.

But no one knows what method Nono used to make him feel weak and powerless. It wasn't until he entered this scorched land that the binding force was released. Du Lei sensed a dangerous aura in the air and knew that it wouldn't be safe to leave even now.

It's better to just follow behind Nuonuo. After all, she's a teacher at the academy, and she must have some skills.

"Our business isn't settled yet. If I let you go... I'll have to settle scores with you, and where will I find the person? So you'd better stay with me obediently. Once I catch the person, I'll come back and settle scores with you." Nuonuo slowed her pace, the ground beneath her scorched black.

Even the trees nearby were different from those elsewhere on Academy Mountain; all the trees were withered, with no sign of new green color, and the place was lifeless.

"At a time like this, you're still worrying about this kind of thing? Shouldn't solving the immediate problem be more important? By the way, the Tower of Ashes... that's what it's called, right? I just heard them talking about it. What exactly is this place? I haven't seen it on the map." Dure protested.

But he also knew that his protests were futile, amounting to nothing more than grumbling. He looked at the distant tower in confusion. He had been at the academy for two days and still did not know that such a place existed.

"The Tower of Ashes?" Nono suddenly stopped and repeated the word.

“This is a tower of destruction, shrouded in death and vengeful spirits!” she said, looking into Durei’s eyes, word by word.

.

188 History of the White Pagoda

Although Du Lei was extremely unwilling, he had no choice but to follow Nono toward the Ash Tower. The surrounding area was full of withered trees, the ground was scorched black, and there was even a swamp in front of him. The swamp was filled with a rotten stench that made people nauseous.

The surroundings were eerily quiet, a far cry from the lush greenery of the forest before. It was as if they had entered another desolate world. Moreover, there was a smell here that Du Lei was all too familiar with: the smell of dead people. He had dug up countless corpses from under the snow in the snow-covered mountains.

"The Tower of Destruction? When exactly was this tower built, and for what purpose?" Durek was not intimidated by Nono's few words. As he passed through the swamp, he asked Nono about the history of the Ash Tower, as he was quite interested in it.

"The exact date of the Ash Tower's construction is too ancient to verify. Perhaps only the former headmaster in the entire academy knows. By the way, Winster might also know. I can ask him next time I see him. In any case, it existed before the academy existed."

Nono didn't hide anything from Dure; she gave a general account of the Ash Tower's condition, though she wasn't clear about the exact era.

“Maple Leaf Academy has a history of over three hundred years, which means this tower has existed for over three hundred years. Since it’s called Ash Tower, there must have been a great fire that happened here, and there are signs of burning in the surrounding area as well.” Du Lei looked up at the tall tower standing in the distance.

The Ash Tower soared into the clouds, its entire body a charred black. From a distance, the surface of the tower had obvious cracks, and the top was broken in half. If even a broken tower could reach such height, it was hard to imagine how magnificent it must have been when it was first built.

Dure hadn't seen the tower before because the Ash Tower was located on the north side of the Misty Forest, shrouded in thick fog, making it impossible to see its outline clearly. Now, in the bright sunshine of early spring, after the fog had been dispelled, its true form was finally revealed.

"Looks like you're not so stupid after all. The Ash Tower was indeed burned down by fire in history, and there's even a legend about it." Nono confirmed Dure's guess and offered more information.

"What legend?" Du Lei asked immediately, intrigued.

"When the Ash Tower was first built, it wasn't black; it was white. It wasn't called the Ash Tower back then. That's a name given to it by later generations. At that time, it was called the White Tower," Nono explained. She didn't know the exact age of the Ash Tower, but she had heard the story behind it.

"The White Tower? How did the White Tower turn into the Black Tower?" Dure nodded and continued to ask.

"Don't interrupt. It's a long way from the White Tower turning into the Black Tower. You should be asking who the White Tower is for." Nono rolled her eyes at him.

"Alright, alright, then, Teacher Nuonuo, who lives in the White Tower?" Du Lei couldn't persuade her otherwise, so he could only go along with her.

"The White Tower was built by an ancient king for his daughter. At that time, the White Tower was very beautiful, pure white, the same color as the white clouds in the sky. At that time, many people lived nearby, and there was even a castle," Nono began to talk.

"But Teacher Nono, didn't you just say you didn't know anything about the age and history of the Ash Tower, or rather, the White Tower? How come you know so much about it now?" Du Lei asked in confusion.

"Can't I remember? How can you not understand romance? This is called artistic embellishment, you know?" Nono scolded again.

“So it was just artistic embellishment? Then, Ms. Nono, please continue.” Du Lei gestured for Nono to continue while glancing around.

"The little princess was very beautiful, as pure and beautiful as the white tower. Every day she stood by the window of the white tower and looked out at the forest. She had been in the tower for too long and longed for the outside world. Just like a caged bird, no matter how expensive the cage was, it could not contain her yearning heart."

Nono looked at the tower in the distance. Although her eyes were black, she pictured a sacred tower in her mind.

"And then what happened?" Du Lei knew the story was about to get to the point.

"Although she stayed in the White Tower every day, she wasn't lonely, because she had friends. Every night, her friends would climb up to the windowsill to keep her company, talk to her, and tell her interesting stories," Nono continued.

“When you climb to the windowsill, only half of the Ash Tower remains, yet it’s still this tall. A normal person couldn’t possibly climb this high, could they?” Dure keenly noticed the unusual feature. He looked at the Ash Tower, and even this half was over a hundred meters tall.

“That’s right, a normal person definitely couldn’t climb that high, but it’s a different story if it’s a magical beast.” Nono confirmed this.

"Warcraft" Dure frowned.

"Don't forget, this is a gathering area for magical beasts. Even now, hundreds of years later, there are still a large number of magical beasts gathered here, let alone hundreds of years ago," Nono continued.

"So, there's a magical beast that climbs up the tower every night to talk to the little princess, and they become friends?" Dure organized his thoughts. It sounded a bit far-fetched, but he knew that such a possibility did exist.

"Yes, this lasted for a very long time, and it was probably the happiest time of the little princess's life." Nono said with a touch of melancholy.

"And then what happened? What happened next?" Dure knew that there must have been a change later, otherwise the White Tower would not have turned into the Tower of Ashes.

"Later, the little princess's father, the king, realized this. He banished the little princess's friend, the magical beast, and wanted to marry her off. The little princess strongly objected, but she could not disobey her father," Nono said with a sigh.

"So, did the wedding go through?" Du Lei continued to press.

"Later, the little princess got married and became a prince's wife, but she was not happy after marriage. The prince did not treat her well, especially after he became king. He neglected her even more, and she became depressed, fell ill, and eventually died." Nono continued to tell the story.

"That's not a happy story. What happened next? The White Tower turned into the Tower of Ashes. The little princess's friend..." Dure began to find some clues, realizing that the White Tower's transformation was definitely related to the little princess's magical beast friend.

"You guessed right. After the little princess passed away, her body was returned to the White Tower. On the day of her burial, her magical beast friend appeared. Overwhelmed with grief, it suddenly went mad and burned the entire White Tower to the ground with its fury, which is how the White Tower became what it is today." Nono told the ending of the story.

189 Frost Domain

Nono spoke with great emotion, but Dure knew that she had definitely added a lot of artistic embellishment. As for why the White Tower turned into the Ash Tower, and what the truth was, he was not curious. What he was curious about was why this place had become a forbidden area, and why someone would not hesitate to kill to break into it.

He was waiting for Nono to give him answers to these questions, but after Nono finished talking about the monsters burning the White Tower, she stopped abruptly and didn't continue. The two continued along the edge of the swamp toward the Ash Tower. It was eerily quiet all around, with the sound of bubbles being heard.