Last Gun Alchemist

”Clear your mind.”

Professor Kent spoke calmly as he strolled between the neat columns of students seated across the training ground. His hands rested behind his back while his gaze slowly swept over every student, carefully studying their breathing, posture, and the subtle movements of their expressions.

”Just as right now... all you can see is darkness behind your closed eyes, your thoughts should become the same as your sight.”

His voice wasn’t loud, yet it carried clearly through the quiet training ground.

”Nothing. No distractions. No unnecessary thoughts. Miss Betty... Mr. Arelo.”

His footsteps stopped.

Although the two students appeared perfectly calm on the outside, Kent could immediately tell their minds were wandering somewhere else.

”Increase your focus.”

His tone remained steady, but there was enough seriousness behind it that both students instinctively straightened their backs.

”The same goes for many of you, because you are all going to maintain this state of concentration for one full hour.”

Professor Kent said it as casually as if he had just asked them to sit comfortably.

”What?!”

A male student’s voice immediately rose in disbelief.

”One whole hour?”

Another student couldn’t help blurting out. Judging from the frustration in his tone, he already hated the exercise before it had even begun.

Soon, more complaints followed.

”How are we supposed to think about absolutely nothing?”

”We aren’t even cultivating Cognis.”

”We can’t review Alchemy formulas either?”

”So, we’re just supposed to sit here staring into darkness?”

Small murmurs spread throughout the students. Some sighed helplessly, while others opened one eye to look toward Professor Kent, hoping he was joking.

Unfortunately...

He wasn’t.

Their task was simple.

For one entire hour, they had to empty their minds completely.

No Cognis cultivation.

No reviewing Alchemy.

No imagining formulas.

No wandering thoughts.

Only complete stillness.

Then...

Bang!

”Ouch!”

A boy grabbed his forehead.

Bang!

”Ow!”

A girl quickly covered the spot that had just been struck.

Bang!

”Ouch!!”

Several more cries echoed one after another.

”Quiet.”

Professor Kent spoke firmly.

A tiny transparent glass marble spun lightly between his fingers before disappearing again.

The harmless Glass Alchemy pellets had struck every student who had continued complaining.

He gently blew across his fingertips as if dusting them off.

”Unless you all wish to leave my class with swollen foreheads, I suggest you stop talking.”

His expression remained perfectly calm.

”Now... enter a blank state.”

He paused briefly before adding,

”Your time starts now.”

Clap!

His hands came together once.

Immediately, the entire training ground became quiet.

Even the students who still looked dissatisfied hurriedly closed their mouths and resumed their meditation.

Professor Kent remained standing where he was.

His eyes slowly moved from one student to another, carefully observing every subtle reaction.

Karla also stepped to the opposite side of the training ground.

Without exchanging a word, the two naturally divided the responsibility of watching the class, allowing every student to remain within someone’s field of vision.

Silence settled over the area.

The morning breeze gently brushed through the surrounding trees, causing leaves to rustle softly overhead.

Time passed.

Some students gradually entered the Blank Meditation state after several minutes, their breathing becoming slower and steadier.

Others struggled constantly.

Every few seconds, distracting thoughts appeared in their minds.

Family.

Food.

Money.

Games.

Weapons.

Alchemy.

Yesterday’s battle.

Possible assignments.

No matter how hard they tried to suppress those thoughts, another one always seemed to appear.

Professor Kent quietly walked between the rows.

Whenever he noticed someone’s concentration beginning to drift...

Tap.

A tiny glass pellet landed neatly against their forehead.

”Ow...”

The unfortunate student would immediately regain focus before returning to meditation.

It happened again.

And again.

Every time Kent noticed a student’s thoughts wandering, another harmless Glass Alchemy pellet found its target with almost frightening accuracy.

Eventually...

One full hour passed.

”Alright.”

Professor Kent clapped his hands once.

”You’ve all done well.”

The students slowly opened their eyes.

Some remained unusually quiet, still adjusting after maintaining such deep concentration.

Others immediately rubbed their foreheads where Kent’s Glass Alchemy had repeatedly struck them.

A few looked genuinely frustrated.

Despite trying their hardest, they had never managed to remain in a completely blank state for very long.

Professor Kent looked at everyone’s reactions before nodding with satisfaction.

”Let’s move on to the next step.”

He casually stretched his shoulders.

”We only have a little over an hour before this class ends.”

He smiled faintly.

”And unlike you children... I actually have work to do.”

Several students twitched their lips.

Without wasting another second, Kent continued.

”Resume your meditation posture.”

Everyone quietly obeyed.

Although a few students grumbled under their breath, they still returned to their previous positions and closed their eyes.

”Good.”

Kent nodded.

”Now... every one of you will visualize an Alchemy Circle that does not belong to your own Alchemy Path.”

His voice remained slow and clear, allowing every student enough time to understand each instruction.

”Picture any Novice-rank Alchemy Circle. It can belong to an offensive path. A healing path. Or any other path you can remember, but it must remain within the Novice rank, because all of you are still beginners.”

Kent stopped speaking for a short moment.

He patiently waited while the students followed his instructions.

Some imagined circles they had seen classmates use.

Others recalled circles demonstrated during previous lectures.

After observing their expressions and confirming that everyone had successfully formed an image...

Kent continued.

”Now... I want you to dismantle that Alchemy Circle.”

His tone became slightly more serious.

”Reverse its construction. Take apart every section until the complete Alchemy Circle returns to the formulas that originally formed it.”

Silence followed once again.

Every student carefully listened before beginning the exercise.

Kent resumed walking between the rows.

”I know many of you aren’t taking Professor Giggs’ Alchemy Circle Conversion course.”

He spoke while keeping his hands behind his back.

”Which probably makes some of you think you’re already at a disadvantage.”

A few students unconsciously nodded.

”After all... It sounds as though understanding Alchemy Circle Conversion should naturally be required before you can de-formularize an Alchemy Circle.”

Kent smiled faintly.

”But it isn’t.”

He shook his head.

”Remember what the Law of Inversion truly requires. It requires an Alchemist to naturally perceive everything through formulas. Which is already our way of thinking as Alchemists.”

He lightly tapped the side of his own head.

”Every one of you already possesses at least an intermediate understanding of mathematics. Especially those of you taking Intermediate Mathematics as an optional course.”

He looked toward several students.

”So, you already possess the foundation needed. You should all be capable of de-formularizing a Novice-rank Alchemy Circle with continuous practice.”

Kent stopped talking.

Now...

Only execution remained.

Minutes quietly passed.

The exercise proved far more difficult than many students expected.

Several students couldn’t even dismantle half of the imagined Alchemy Circle before becoming stuck.

Some reversed the wrong section.

Others repeatedly lost track of the original formulas hidden beneath the Circle’s completed structure.

Sweat gradually appeared across several foreheads.

Still...

There were also students progressing surprisingly well.

Neither Professor Kent nor Karla looked particularly surprised.

Both quietly observed the class while mentally noting each student’s performance.

Ezra had already completed the entire reversal process only a few seconds after beginning.

Instead of stopping there, he calmly reviewed every formula again.

Then reviewed it once more.

Making sure he hadn’t overlooked even the smallest detail.

Just as I expected...

Professor Kent thought while quietly observing him.

From everything Professor Giggs has told me, together with everything I’ve heard about Mr. Ezra Ashenlocke... this result isn’t surprising.

His talent in Alchemy Circle Conversion naturally gives him an advantage when learning de-formularization, because if someone can skillfully convert formulas into a completed Alchemy Circle... reversing that process becomes much easier.

Kent shifted his attention elsewhere.

Miss Page Ashenlocke was progressing smoothly.

Mr. Dave Wakener had also reached a satisfying level.

Even Miss Selena Galehart was performing well.

Interesting...

Kent narrowed his eyes slightly.

With this level of understanding, I wonder why Selena still hasn’t grasped the Law of Inversion itself.

His gaze continued moving across the students.

The other children of Ash were generally performing well.

Finally...

His eyes rested on Cherry.

Tiny beads of sweat rolled down her forehead as she struggled to dismantle the imagined Alchemy Circle.

She failed several times.

Started over.

Corrected herself.

Then continued again.

Although her progress was slower than Ezra’s and several others...

She never stopped trying.

Kent quietly nodded with a faint impressed expression.

At the very least...

She was steadily improving.

Without anyone noticing...

The remaining class time gradually came to an end.