Last Gun Alchemist

The main class continued with Professor Kent supervising the students as they practiced blank meditation while also working on the de-formularization of an imaginary Alchemy Circle.

For the most part, it was a repeat of the training they had already gone through during their previous class last week.

The students had to clear their minds, maintain control over their Cognis, and at the same time imagine the structure of an Alchemy Circle before slowly breaking its formulas apart.

Nobody complained.

Since they had already started becoming used to Professor Kent’s strange methods, and even though the training could become tiring after a while, the students understood that this was something they needed to master if they wanted to advance.

Especially after seeing what their fellow classmates had done with the Law.

Ezra continued his practice without much trouble.

His mind remained calm as he focused on the imaginary Alchemy Circle in front of him.

The formulas appeared within his imagination.

One by one, he traced their structure, understood how they connected, and then carefully de-formularized them.

He had already become familiar with the process, and by the time the class approached its end, Ezra had little difficulty completing the exercise.

Professor Kent eventually stood before the students and folded his arms across his chest.

He looked over the class through his black shades.

”The next class will continue with separation.”

His voice carried across the training area.

”Although... students who have already mastered imaginary de-formularizing will move to the next stage, while those who haven’t will continue the same training in the next class. The same goes for those who are still struggling with blank meditation.”

The students listened patiently.

Some nodded.

Others quietly looked toward their classmates, wondering which stage they would be placed in during the next lesson.

Professor Kent waited for a moment.

Then a smirk slowly appeared on his face.

”Now, assignment.”

The reaction was immediate.

Several students groaned.

A few lowered their heads onto their throw pillows as if the words themselves had drained the last bit of energy from their bodies.

Others sighed while taking out their Zphones or Starlixs or Paras to record what they had been given.

Professor Kent looked pleased.

It was almost as if he had been waiting for that exact reaction.

And, as always, the class ended with the students receiving another assignment.

The break began.

Not long after the students left the training area, the News Club began its daily update.

The members of the club sat still in their academy training cloth sweat on their body after the morning class inside the new room. Ready to present today’s news to the students.

One of the first topics was a reminder on the upcoming study conference.

The event was called the Alchemy Scholar Preach, and it would be held on Wednesday.

And because of this event, there would be no normal classes that day.

This first news made the students listening immediately become more interested.

A free day from regular lessons was something almost everyone could appreciate.

The News Club then moved toward the outside news.

One of the reports concerned the State Alchemists branch in Ravenshire.

They had destroyed an illegal drug transportation facility inside one of the smaller cities in Ravenshire.

The operation had involved more than just the State Alchemists.

The Guards of Derlis and several elite combat-based Alchemists of the Derlis House had also played a major role in the battle.

They gave a brief summary of the operation and also explained how the authorities had managed to destroy the facility.

The students listened for a while before the news moved to the next topic.

The Sales Update.

The first mass release of the Fordliner had been met with strong attention, while The Eclipse had responded by beginning its second mass release of the Phantom Rolls.

Both companies had dropped the Royal, Noble, and Normal models of their Vehicles.

The competition between the Vehicle companies was becoming more noticeable.

While other Vehicle companies had also begun joining the market, releasing their own products in an attempt to compete with the new Vehicles trend that had quickly gained attention throughout Britannia.

Then came the final piece of news.

Some students immediately became more interested when the Ashenlocke name appeared on the holographic screen.

A new part of a gun had been released.

The Extended Magazine for the Colt 1911.

The new magazine could now hold between ten and fifteen rounds, giving the pistol considerably more ammunition before needing to reload.

But that wasn’t the only new development.

The Ashenlocke’s had also introduced a new type of ammunition.

One bullet had a drill-like shape designed to improve its penetration, while another had a slime-like, needle-shaped mouth at the front.

Both ammunition types were designed to increase the damage potential of Novice-ranked guns as well as Binder-ranked rifle guns.

The result was a noticeable improvement for Gun Alchemists.

It also meant that ordinary people who used guns in the military armies of Britannia but weren’t Alchemists could gain more strength from their firearms.

The News Club finished its update, and Academy life continued without much interruption.

The students moved from one class to another, listened to their professors, completed their exercises, and eventually returned for their study sessions.

Ezra followed the same routine.

During his study session, he first completed his assignments before returning to his own invention.

While staying inside the Craft & Research Seekers laboratory, he focused mainly on the research and the process of writing down his information.

He spent a large amount of time reading through his notes, checking his calculations, and recording the results of his latest thoughts.

The practical work was something he handled after returning to his residence.

Once he was back home, Ezra began working directly with the Flame Alchemy Circle.

His main goal was to reduce the heat level of the Novice-rank Circle.

The original heat was too high for what he wanted.

He didn’t simply need a system that could produce heat.

He needed one that could produce the right amount of heat for his body.

After adjusting the first Flame Alchemy Circle, Ezra began adding a chain of other Flame Alchemy Circles.

He also added Pathless Alchemy Circles.

Those circles acted as the system’s guide, connecting the different parts of the heating system and allowing the entire structure to work together instead of having every circle operate independently.

Ezra didn’t want a heating system that simply increased its temperature in a continuous ascending order.

That would defeat the purpose.

He needed the temperature to remain within a comfortable range, one that could provide enough warmth for his body without becoming excessive.

He spent the next schooling day following the same routine.

Classes.

Study.

Research.

Then practical work inside his residence.

He continued adjusting the Flame Alchemy Circles and recording the results.

That routine continued until Wednesday finally arrived.

The usual Academy schedule changed because of the special event.

Instead of students heading toward their normal classes, the first-year students began making their way toward the Academy Grand Hall.

Staff members stood near the entrances.

”Welcome, Students of Royal.”

They greeted the students as they entered.

The large hall quickly began filling with voices.

Students walked inside in groups, speaking with their friends about what had happened during the previous day and during the first few days of the week.

There was plenty to talk about.

A lot had happened in only two days.

The Golden Circle Welcome Party.

The Royal Crest incident.

The second practical test.

The new Vehicles.

The new Ashenlocke Gun parts and ammunition.

And now, the Alchemy Scholar Preach.

Ezra entered the hall and calmly found his seat around the middle section of the seating arrangement.

Lucy sat beside him.

Cyrus took his usual place on the other side.

The higher-status students were seated toward the front, which was mandatory.

Because of their social positions, the main high-status students had to occupy the front sections of the hall.

That also meant Vera couldn’t simply choose a seat beside Ezra, even though she wanted to.

She had to go toward the front with the other high-status students.

Ezra glanced toward the front for a moment.

Eyes moving through the students seated there, then he stopped on Vera.

He could see Vera among the other students.

Her dull black eyes briefly moved across the hall.

For a moment, they met Ezra’s.

She didn’t wave.

Neither did he.

They simply looked at each other before returning their attention toward the front.

A few more minutes passed.

The hall became completely filled with first-year students.

Thousands of students were now seated across the large room, while professors who taught the first-year courses stood along the sides.

They watched quietly.

Outside the Grand Hall, members of the Academy security team were stationed around the entrances.

Their presence made it clear that the Academy took the event seriously.

Then the side door at the front of the hall opened.

The conversations gradually faded.

A figure walked through.

It was the Vice Headmaster and one of the Elders of the Alchemy world in Britannia.

Elder Godwin Fraser.

The moment the students recognized him, everyone stood.

They bowed respectfully as Godwin walked toward the stage.

Godwin, a middle-aged man with a calm presence looked across the hall.

”Ho...”

His mouth curved into a pleased smile.

”Hoho...”

His laughter became slightly louder.

”Hohoho.”

He appeared genuinely pleased by the sight before him.

”It hasn’t been long since I saw every one of you, but some of you are already growing.”

Godwin said while looking across the students.

His royal-blue eyes moved from one student to another.

There was something unusual about his gaze.

He wasn’t simply looking at their faces.

Through his eyes, Godwin could see their Cognis percentage levels.

That allowed him to determine the Alchemist rank of each student almost immediately.

Even those who were good at hiding their Alchemist rank couldn’t completely hide themselves from his eyes.

He could see that some students were still in the Binder Alchemist rank and were still trying to finish constructing the second star.

Others had already completed their star.

And one student had even broken through to the next Alchemist rank.

That particular student still seemed to have room to grow.

Godwin’s smile became slightly wider.

Interesting.

He thought while observing the students.

Some of them have already advanced further than I expected.

His eyes eventually moved toward the podium.

A Zphone Tablet had been placed there.

Professor Liliana Galehart had helped carry it to the podium and positioned it properly before the event began.

Godwin walked toward it.

He placed one hand against the Zphone Tablet and activated the display.

A holographic blue screen appeared above him.

The large screen allowed every student in the hall to clearly see the material he was about to teach.

Godwin looked across the students once more.

The hall had become completely silent.

Every student was paying attention.

”Now, let’s begin today’s Alchemy Scholar Preach.”

Godwin said calmly.

He moved his finger across the Zphone Tablet.

The document on the holographic screen changed with a simple drag.

A title appeared.

An Alchemist Mindset

The moment the topic appeared, almost every student immediately took out something to write with.

Some pulled out their jotters.

Others took out their Zphone Tablets, Starlixs, and Paras for digital notes.

Ezra took out his Zphone Tablet and Tablet Quill-pen.

His plain black eyes remained focused on Godwin and the holographic screen above him.

Beside him, Lucy took out a notebook and a paper Quill-pen.

She placed the notebook on her lap and prepared herself to write.

The hall became quiet again.

Every student and attendant present understood the value of what they were about to hear.

This wasn’t an ordinary professor giving them another classroom lecture.

Elder Godwin Fraser was one of Britannia’s top Alchemists and Scholars.

Even if the topic itself sounded simple, there was no reason to underestimate it.

The knowledge behind a simple topic taught by someone like him could be far greater than what the title suggested.

Ezra rested his Tablet on his lap and adjusted his grip on the Quill-pen.

His attention remained fixed on the stage.

The Alchemy Scholar Preach was about to begin.