Last Gun Alchemist

Several hours passed after the group entered the castle.

The sun had slowly climbed higher in the sky, spreading pale light across the open grass field outside the fortress. Wind brushed across the land, bending the tall grass and carrying faint sounds from the forest.

On the front side of the castle wall, Veda stood quietly.

His arms were folded across his chest as he looked down at the field below.

The wind pushed lightly against his clothes, but he didn’t move.

His eyes stayed on the horizon.

Behind him, footsteps approached.

”The alchemy circles are almost done.”

Nickolas walked up and stopped beside him.

”That’s fast,” Veda replied calmly without turning his head.

His eyes remained on the field.

Everything looked peaceful.

Too peaceful.

”Yeah,” Nickolas said, rubbing the back of his neck before stroking his chin thoughtfully. ”We can’t afford to waste time.”

He stared at the ground for a moment.

”Hmmm...”

His mind clearly began turning.

After a few seconds he spoke again.

”Should we start producing the AK-47 and the Kalthoff Repeater now?”

Veda nodded immediately.

”Yes.”

A bright smile appeared on his face.

”With immediate effect.”

He turned toward Nickolas and placed a hand on his shoulder.

”If we start now, the alchemists will have enough time to recover their Cognis to a decent percentage before the first wave arrives.”

Nickolas nodded.

”Okay, I’ll inform them.”

He turned to leave but suddenly stopped.

”Oh, before I forget...The tents are already set up.”

”Good,” Veda replied with a nod. ”Also, there’s something I need everyone to know about the tower.”

Nickolas looked back at him.

Veda pointed behind them toward the tall tower rising at the center of the castle.

”It seems we can spend points to buy heavy weapons for this trial.”

Nickolas raised his brows.

”Really?”

”Yes,” Veda continued.

”There’s also a defensive force field that can protect the tower from heavy attacks.”

He raised three fingers.

”But it only works three times.”

”After those three activations, all the tower perks and defenses will shut down.”

Nickolas’ face slowly turned serious.

He fell into deep thought.

”So... how do we get points now?” he asked slowly.

His brows pressed together.

”Do we have to force everyone to give up their remaining points just to buy something?”

Veda frowned.

”No.”

”I don’t want everyone’s points dropping to zero.”

He paused for a moment before continuing.

”What we’ll do is survive the first wave using what we already have.”

Nickolas crossed his arms.

”And after that?”

”From what Ezra told me...”

Veda looked at him.

”There might be a ranking system for the fastest groups to clear each wave.”

Nickolas blinked.

”The faster groups would receive more points while the slower groups would receive less.”

Nickolas glanced toward the tower again before turning back.

”So, the group that finishes last might receive nothing?”

”Yes.”

Veda nodded.

”That’s possible.”

Nickolas sighed slowly.

”But can you really believe what that Ezra boy said?”

His tone carried doubt.

Veda shook his head.

”I’m not blindly believing him.”

”I’m considering his idea because it sounds like the most obvious system the board would use.”

Nickolas stared at him for a moment.

Then he groaned.

He knew Veda was right, even though he hated admitting it. Ezra’s guess sounded reasonable, but the thought of him being right annoyed the hell out of him.

”Speaking of that Ezra boy,” Nickolas said, irritation creeping into his voice.

”What exactly is he doing right now?”

”He hasn’t helped the group with anything. Since we got here.”

His eyes drifted toward the direction where Ezra had gone earlier.

Veda narrowed his eyes.

”The last thing he told me,” Veda said calmly, ”was that he needed to prepare some things at the side he chose as his position.”

Nickolas scoffed.

”Ehhh...”

”Isn’t he just drawing his alchemy circle and setting up a tent?”

”That’s something someone could finish within two to three hours.”

Nickolas pointed toward the back of the castle.

”But it’s already been more than six hours!”

”And he hasn’t shown a bit of decency to help his team.”

Nickolas clearly looked angry.

Veda gave him a long look.

”Says the person who treats him like he doesn’t belong.”

Nickolas froze.

Veda’s words hit him directly.

Nickolas took a step back.

His face showed embarrassment.

”It’s not like he can’t prove himself,” Nickolas muttered. ”But he’s busy hiding like a coward.”

Veda’s expression turned serious.

”But he owes us nothing.”

Nickolas blinked.

”So, why should he prove anything to us?”

Veda continued.

”And if you still want proof...He’s already ranked.”

”Isn’t that proof enough?”

Nickolas clicked his tongue.

”Tsk.”

”The ranking system isn’t only about strength.”

He crossed his arms stubbornly.

”And I still don’t understand why you’d trust someone who refuses to work with the team.”

Still the same argument.

Veda shook his head.

”Do you remember what I said when I apologized to everyone for making you guys feel inferior when I first introduced Ezra?”

Nickolas nodded slowly.

”I said I believed Ezra would be a big boost to our group and it’s not because of his strength.”

Nickolas frowned.

Veda continued.

”The first time I saw him was when he was unconscious in the hospital.”

”I saw something in him.”

He paused.

”A fighter.”

”Someone who wants to survive.”

”Someone ready to give everything to escape this hell.”

Veda sighed quietly.

”Compared to that...”

He glanced toward the castle where many candidates were working.

”Some people here just want to hide behind stronger backs or act superior because they received training before coming here.”

He paused again.

Then he looked directly at Nickolas.

”That Ezra boy...He’s very different.”

Veda smiled faintly.

”He reminds me of myself.”

”That’s why I was excited when he joined our group and you really shouldn’t worry about his strength.”

”Pamela already said it herself.”

Nickolas raised an eyebrow.

”That he’s a monster.”

Nickolas exhaled heavily.

”Alright... alright.”

He rubbed his forehead.

”That one is my fault. I was acting like a jerk.”

He looked down.

”I just didn’t like the idea of a lowline making you talk about him like that.”

Nickolas’ voice dropped.

”I thought I might lose my place as your right-hand man.”

Veda stared at him.

Then suddenly...

He burst into laughter.

The loud laugh echoed across the castle wall.

Some nearby group members looked over in confusion.

”There’s no way he’d even want that,” Veda said while still laughing.

He grabbed Nickolas’ shoulder.

Tears formed slightly at the corner of his eyes from laughing.

”Trust me.”

”Ezra doesn’t look like the kind of guy who wants to become my right-hand man.”

”The only reason he joined us in the first place was because Felix was targeting him and our group was the safest option he had.”

”Oh...” Nickolas blinked.

He suddenly felt foolish, he had been worrying over nothing all this while.

He sighed in relief.

”I’ll go deliver the orders to everyone.”

His face turned red from embarrassment.

”Good.”

Veda smiled.

”After that, we should go check on Ezra.”

Nickolas nodded and left.

Veda stayed behind for a moment.

”I wonder when the scouting team will return...”

He turned around and walked down the castle stairs.

Below, several group members were dragging large wooden logs.

They were reinforcing the castle entrance.

Preparing for what was coming.

Time passed.

The sun slowly moved toward the horizon.

Finally...The scouting team returned.

Linda and Tracy quickly gathered everyone together.

”We found a stream inside the forest,” Linda explained. ”But it flows closer to Henry’s group’s base.”

Apparently, Henry’s scouts had also discovered the stream earlier.

Their groups met briefly before returning to their towers. From what they exchanged during that meeting...

Henry had no intention of causing trouble immediately, at least not before the three waves ended.

His strategy was simple.

If his neighbor turned out to be Felix or Priscilla...

He would immediately prepare for conflict, but if his neighbor was Bale or Veda...

He would propose a temporary ceasefire until the waves ended.

As for Vera...

He planned to negotiate carefully, because provoking Vera was never a good idea.

Of course, there were still other towers nearby.

But neither group dared explore too far at night.

They didn’t want to accidentally enter Felix’s territory.

Or worse...A monster zone.

”There’s something else,” Tracy added.

”We saw Henry’s group cutting down large trees and they were tying the logs together with ropes.”

”But it didn’t look like they were trying to reinforcing their castle door.”

”It looked more like they were trying to make a weapon.”

Linda crossed her arms.

”I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s a catapult.”

After that report ended, Veda explained the tower weapon system he discovered and he also shared Ezra’s theory about the ranking system.

As expected, some of the highlines immediately questioned Ezra’s credibility.

But this time...

Nickolas stepped forward.

He explained why the theory made sense which made many people stare at him shocked hearing him support Ezra.

After a short debate...

Veda confirmed he also believed the same possibility and finally...

Tracy raised both hands dramatically.

”Alright! let’s cook!”

”I’m starving!”

Soon campfires lit up around the castle courtyard.

Torches were planted across the walls.

The girls and a few boys who knew how to cook began preparing food.

They had purchased plenty of ingredients during the preparations for the trial.

Just like during the second trial...Everyone would eat together.

Meanwhile...

Nickolas and Veda walked toward the back of the castle.

Bobby followed quietly behind them, he followed because he wanted to see what Ezra had been doing.

When they arrived...

They froze.

Ezra had planted torches along the ground.

The firelight revealed a long vertical line carved into the earth.

It stretched from the left forest edge...All the way to the right side.

Several marked locations appeared along the line.

Each spot stood close to the castle wall.

Nickolas stared blankly.

”Wow...That’s a lot of work for one person.”

His earlier complaints suddenly echoed inside his mind.

Now he truly felt stupid.

Ezra stood near the wall, driving a wooden stake into the ground.

His coat was dirty, his trousers were covered in dust and sand.

He had clearly been digging for hours.

He looked up when he noticed them.

”You guys?”

He wiped dirt from his hands.

”Why are you here?”

He pushed the final stake deeper into the ground.

Veda stared at him.

Doesn’t he feel hot?He was wearing a coat...While doing heavy labor.

Veda couldn’t understand it.

”Ezra!” Veda called. ”You should come eat dinner.”

Ezra looked around at his unfinished traps.

He wasn’t even halfway done, but the sky had already darkened and he was hungry.

He could eat from his personal food stash...

But since the ingredients were bought using group points...

He decided to join them.

”Alright. Give me a minute.”

”I’ll wash up and change clothes.”

He grabbed the rope hanging from the wall.

Then began climbing back up toward the castle.