The most shameless alchemist in history

"Confidence is certainly a good thing, but if you don't even understand your own situation and are blindly confident, that's foolish. So just surrender." Du Lei had been playing the victim until now, but he had already noticed that something had suddenly appeared in his pocket.

Given his cautious nature, the only person who would immediately think of putting something in his pocket was someone he bumped into in the corridor. Considering his previous experiences, the person's purpose in doing so was to take the item out of Maple Tower.

If a normal person realized this, they would have two choices: either keep the item for themselves or return it to the auction house. But Du Lei knew that there was a prerequisite for resolving both of these issues: the other party would not give the item to him for nothing and would inevitably come looking for it.

Under these circumstances, he came to another conclusion: he had to take advantage of this opportunity to catch the other party in the act. He didn't want to be tricked and blamed for nothing. Tolerating injustice was never his motto.

"Who is so overconfident? You two think you can take me down? That's just wishful thinking. Now I'll show you what I'm capable of!" The young man was unwilling to lose here, and the frustration of being outmaneuvered by Du Lei made him especially angry.

Driven by this feeling, his eyes turned cold, and he decided to take care of the two people. However, at that moment, a net suddenly fell from above his head without warning. By the time he realized something was wrong, it was too late. No matter how fast he was, he couldn't escape the net's range.

"It's so noisy chattering so late at night. Don't you know everyone needs to rest?" A figure emerged from behind a large rock nearby. There were four figures, but the leader was a short man who was only about 1.5 meters tall. He was holding the end of a rope in his hand.

"Let me go, let me go, you guys, let me go right now!" The boy was terrified as he was trapped in the net. Seeing more and more people coming out, he realized that he had been completely caught in the trap. He struggled with all his might, but no matter how hard he struggled, the net held him firmly in place.

"Didn't you hear what I just said? I told you to shut up! You bastard, let go! Let go now!" It was Flying Fish, the short man, who yelled at the boy. He was very close to the boy, intending to subdue him, but little did he know that the boy would bite his foot instead.

"Despicable! So many of you are bullying me! It's despicable! I don't care! Let me go right now! If you've got the guts, fight me one-on-one! Let me go right now!" Seeing that he was in a bad situation, the boy immediately started to throw a tantrum, wailing and crying as if he had been bullied.

"Hello, I'll let you go." Flying Fish was furious that he had bitten her, and glared at him fiercely before agreeing to his request.

"Huh, you really want to let me go?" The boy was stunned for a moment, not expecting that the other party would actually nod in agreement.

However, five minutes later

"Waaah, you're bullying me! So what if you're powerful? Lock me up then!" The boy cried even harder after his one-on-one fight with Feiyu. Feiyu was clearly taking revenge for the bite he had just taken, and had given him a good beating.

"I say you should just shut up for a bit. If you have something to say, go talk to the sheriff," Dure replied expressionlessly.

"No, you can't hand me over to the sheriff, absolutely not!" The boy exploded at the mention of the "sheriff."

"If we don't hand you over to the sheriff for trial, are we just going to keep you as a pet?" Dure gradually lost his patience.

"Well, that's not necessary. Actually, you just need to release me. As for the bracelet, I don't want it anymore. Consider it a gift. How about that?" The boy started negotiating with Du Lei, smiling broadly, looking nothing like someone who had just been crying.

“I can’t accept such a gift. Let’s go.” Du Lei had no intention of changing his mind. He had already decided to arrest the guy who had almost made him take the blame when he devised the strategy. He had also thought about what to do with the bracelet.

That is to return it to the auction house; he had no intention of keeping it for himself.

"You idiots, morons, are your brains made of wood? How could you do something so pointless? You'll get your comeuppance!" The boy, having failed to win them over, resorted to vicious insults.

"We'll talk about it when the retribution comes." Du Lei didn't take it seriously and, along with Fei Yu, Lance, and the others, dragged the boy to the academy's security office.

"Wait a minute!" Just then, Flying Fish, who was walking at the front, suddenly warned.

"Hey, what's up?" Lance, who wasn't very familiar with Flying Fish, didn't know what he was up to.

"Get down quickly!" Flying Fish shouted, and at the same time, a surge of energy swept over.

"Boom!"

248 is unnecessary.

Dure knew very well that he and Lance alone could not catch the thief lurking in the shadows, so he specially invited Flying Fish to help. Although he and Flying Fish were not very familiar with each other, Flying Fish had a position in the academy's security patrol team, and it just so happened that it was his turn to patrol tonight.

Secondly, the two had been comrades-in-arms in the Ash Tower, so when he offered to help, Flying Fish did not refuse and immediately agreed. He then laid an ambush as arranged by Du Lei, waiting for Du Lei to lure the other party to this secluded place before making his move to capture him.

Everything went very smoothly; they captured their opponent almost effortlessly. This slightly changed Feiyu's opinion of Du Lei. It turned out that Du Lei wasn't just a flash of inspiration in the Ash Tower; he did have some skills after all.

However, just as he was about to take the boy back, an unexpected incident occurred. Of course, this incident had little to do with the boy himself, as he was also confused at the time. What was relevant was Maple Leaf Academy itself; they clearly saw a fire suddenly break out in the nearby teaching building.

"What's going on? How did it catch fire?" Lance was startled by the commotion. When the energy wave spread over, he couldn't dodge in time and was thrown over. Now he struggled to his feet and looked into the distance, where the raging fire was a shocking sight.

"I didn't put this there, it has nothing to do with me," the boy who had just been caught immediately issued a disclaimer, expressing his surprise.

"Oh no, that's where the research institute is located. I have to get there immediately. I'll leave this place to you guys." After Fei Yu figured out the location, his expression changed. He immediately put down what he was doing here and rushed over. The male students with him also hurriedly followed him.

"What research institute? Is there another research institute in the academy? Hey, why are you leaving?" Lance tried to call out to him from behind.

"Let him go. With something like this happening so suddenly, as a member of the security patrol team, he definitely has to go and handle it. With another unexpected incident, things have really been unsettling in the academy lately." Du Lei waved his hand, indicating that Lance shouldn't stop him and should let Fei Yu leave. Besides, Fei Yu had already helped him.

"We've come to this point, even your helpers have left, so just let me go. If you think the number of crystal cards is too small, name a number, and I'll go get you more." The boy was still resentful after being thoroughly beaten by Feiyu, but now that Feiyu was gone, his mind started racing again.

"Can't you just shut up and say less? You're such a nuisance. Dure, what do we do now? It looks like the police station is too busy." Lance didn't like him at all, and after scolding him, he turned to look at Dure.

“My mouth is on my own body, how can I not speak? In my opinion, letting me go is the best choice. Let’s be friends. I don’t need the cursed bracelet; consider it a gift.” The boy ignored Lance’s words because he could tell that the real decision-maker was Dure.

"Are you ever going to stop arguing? If you keep this up, Lance will be enraged and will want to teach him another lesson. Anyway, he was tied up and couldn't move at all."

“Lance, ignore him. He’s just trying to provoke you. If you get angry, you’ll fall into his trap. We don’t know what happened at the academy, but it’s beyond our control. As for him, what’s your name?” Dure pondered for a moment. Dealing with this problem was indeed a challenge.

"Boss Eun, my name is Eun." Seeing that Dure was showing signs of relenting, the boy's attitude immediately became very enthusiastic.

"Why isn't 'Big Brother' anymore?" Du Lei wasn't buying it, and his form of address changed.

"Someone as smart as me was actually caught by you, which proves that you are smarter than me, so I've decided to take you as my boss." The boy who called himself Eun said this without batting an eye, and it was unclear who he was praising.

“It’s only natural that Dure is smart, but as for you,” Lance looked him up and down, not thinking he was smart at all.

"You said this bracelet is called the Cursed Bracelet?" Du Lei asked, intrigued by the bracelet's origins.

“That’s right, boss, didn’t you know? This is a top-tier alchemical amplifier, something alchemists love most,” Eun explained in detail.

"Alchemy Amplifier," Du Lei continued to inquire.

“Yes, it’s said that wearing a cursed bracelet can amplify the effects of alchemy. However, I’m not an alchemist and have never used it. I’ve only heard about it, so I don’t know if it’s really true.” Eun nodded.

"So that's how it is. Is this what was to be auctioned yesterday?" Du Lei recalled the auction house's reaction yesterday, and could tell that it was something very important to warrant such a reaction.

“It’s not just something to be auctioned, it’s the grand finale item! If it were sold, it would definitely fetch an astronomical sum,” Eun affirmed.

"Did you steal it to sell for money?" Dure asked, somewhat puzzled. He could tell that Eun didn't seem like a greedy person, otherwise he wouldn't have so easily given him dozens of crystal cards.

"Of course not. If I wanted money, I could just steal something else. I don't know anything about things like cursed bracelets. Even if I managed to steal one, I wouldn't be able to sell it." Eun shook his head, denying the point.

"If that's the case, why did you still steal the cursed bracelet?" This made Du Lei even more puzzled.

"Well," Eun hesitated and didn't continue.

"I'm asking you a question, what are you standing there for? Do you want to hide something?" Lance, who was not good-tempered, immediately scolded him.

"Hey, you blockhead, I'm talking to my boss, what are you interrupting for?" Eun was equally annoyed with Lance and immediately retorted.

"Do you even know your place? How dare you speak to me like that! It's outrageous, absolutely unforgivable!" Lance was enraged.

"Alright, Lance, don't take it to heart. If you're in a difficult position, then don't say anything more." Dure waved his hand and stopped asking.

"It's not that I can't tell you, but okay, tell the boss. I just want to return the things." Eun thought for a moment, sighed, and then said it anyway.

“You little thief, you’re so kind to return it?” Lance didn’t believe him. He had gone to so much trouble to steal it, but now he was returning it.

Isn't this obviously redundant?

249 A raging fire

A huge fire was burning fiercely in the distance, accompanied by shouts. Although some people were nearby preparing to put out the fire, it looked like it would take a long time to extinguish it. The students who were originally fast asleep were all awakened by the noise, and many of them peeked out to look.

In just a few days, the academy has experienced earthquakes and fires, causing many students to regret whether choosing to study at Maple Leaf Academy was the right decision. Even if there are many disasters, the frequency is too high. However, Durei and Lance are not thinking about the fire.

"Who are you returning it to?" Dure didn't think the boy Eun in front of him was an idiot who would steal something and then return it to the auction house intact, but he said it anyway, so there was only one explanation he could think of.

That is, the person Eun wants to return is not the one he stole, but someone else entirely.

"You're smart, boss. Unlike some people who are all brawn and no brains, they just reek of stench." Eun nodded in affirmation, and then added a sarcastic remark to Lance standing next to Durei, showing that they were really going head-to-head.

"Who are you calling simple-minded and all brawn and no brains?" Lance was furious. He was never a patient or good-tempered person to begin with, and now he had been provoked by Eun again and again. He had long since reached the point of no return. If it weren't for Dure stopping him, he would have gone over and beaten him up long ago.

"Anyway, whoever is all brawn and no brains knows it himself." Eun didn't back down in front of the fierce-looking Lance.

"Stop arguing, all of you. Just tell me what really happened." Dure had long suspected that this matter wasn't as simple as it seemed on the surface, and now, after hearing what Eun said, he was starting to get some answers.

“I stole the cursed bracelet intending to return it to Tarina,” Eun hesitated for a moment before finally speaking.

"Who is Talina?" Dure nodded, signaling Eun to continue.

"Talina is a flower seller in the city. The lilies she sells are especially beautiful and fragrant," Eun introduced Talina.

"The flower girl? But isn't the cursed bracelet an alchemist's possession? What does it have to do with her?" Dure nodded, but he really couldn't understand how the flower girl could be associated with an alchemist; the difference between the two was just too great.

“Boss, the truth is this.” Now that Eun had opened up, there was no need to hide anything anymore. He immediately told Du Lei the whole story.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the academy, a fire was raging, and more and more people gathered around, trying to put it out.

"Get over there, get over there quickly! Damn it, what's going on? We can't put out this fire no matter what we do!" The students held up buckets of water and splashed them at the burning fire, but it was no use at all. The raging fire showed signs of spreading, and the intense heat made people afraid to get close.

"Get out of the way, Frost Domain!" Amidst the shouts, someone walked towards the raging fire, holding a bow and arrow in her hand. She nocked the arrow, and soon a sharp arrow, carrying a chilling aura, flew towards the flames. The students in front were startled and scrambled to avoid it.

Some people were only centimeters away from the arrows and narrowly escaped being hit. While they were relieved that they hadn't been shot to death, they discovered that their hair was covered with a thin layer of frost. In such early spring, especially in the face of a raging fire, this was quite incredible.

"It's Teacher Nono! Teacher Nono is an ice-attribute magic user! Look, the fire is gradually being brought under control!" One of the students recognized the person who had walked over and exclaimed in surprise. Sure enough, just as he had said, arrows continued to fly over.

Every time an arrow lands on the flames, a layer of ice appears. Although the ice cannot withstand the high temperature of the blazing flames and melts quickly, the melted ice is water. This method is much more efficient than simply splashing water with a bucket.

"What exactly happened inside? How could a fire suddenly start?" After bringing the fire under control, Nuonuo frowned and asked, looking at the ruins that were mostly burned. She had just arrived and had no idea what had happened nearby.

"I don't know either. There was a sudden explosion, and then it started to burn. Huh, what's going on? Teacher Nono, be careful! It's burning again! There's a monster in the fire!" The student next to Nono was explaining the situation to her.

But at that moment, the flames that had seemingly died down suddenly flared up again. Not only that, he clearly saw something wielding ferocious claws within the flames, lunging straight at Nono.

At the location of the Maple Leaf Academy clock tower, someone stood on the tower gazing into the distance. From this vantage point, one could see the entire academy, including the raging fire. There were two people standing on the clock tower, both wearing hooded black robes, making it impossible to discern their features.

It was only possible to roughly identify a man and a woman based on their outlines and body shapes.

"Burn, hehehehe, burn as much as you want, it would be best to burn the entire academy to ruins." The speaker was the male of a man and a woman. Judging from his voice, he was probably not very old, and was probably a teenager.

"Don't underestimate Maple Leaf Academy. This level of strength isn't enough to burn the academy down. At most, it can only buy us a tiny bit of time. Let's hurry up and stop dawdling here. If we wait until they realize what's happening, we won't have another chance."

The woman next to her reminded her companion; her voice was also very young, definitely no more than twenty years old.

"What's so great about a mere academy? I think you're being overly cautious. If you ask me, just storm in and wipe them all out. That way, no one will stop you from doing whatever you want." The boy was impatient and wicked, and his words were tinged with resentment.

“Violence alone won’t solve the problem. Alright, hurry up and get moving. Don’t forget that the condition for releasing you is that you obey me. If you mess this up,” the young woman’s words carried a threatening tone, even though the two were companions.

But it was obvious that the boy next to her was a dangerous individual, and the kind that was unruly, which gave her a real headache.

"I know that if I mess this up, they'll throw me back into the freezing sea. I don't want to go through that again. Let's go. They got lucky today. Next time, hehe, I'll definitely kill you all." He chuckled and licked his lips.

Amidst the towering flames, the two figures disappeared into the night.

250 A gang of robbers

Du Lei couldn't control the raging fire in the distance. Firstly, he didn't have the ability to do so; secondly, there were so many powerful teachers in the academy that it wasn't his place to deal with it; and thirdly, he had his own matters to resolve, which concerned the cursed bracelet, which he had originally planned to return.