Last Gun Alchemist

During the start of the first week of the month of preparation...

Ezra had one goal.

And that was to complete the full creation of the Heat-Regulating Bandages.

Now that he had a fully designed programmed Heat-Regulating Alchemy System, he finally began buying the materials needed to turn the design from a completed concept into an actual working invention.

The system itself had already been planned.

The Flame Alchemy Circles.

The Frost Alchemy Circles which was added as a new touch to the system set up.

The Control Alchemy Circle that would connect the functions of the two different Alchemy Paths and allow them to work together.

What remained was the actual construction.

Once Ezra finished his early-morning routine, he left his residence with Lucy, and the two of them traveled toward the Main Administrative Center of the Royal Academy.

The Main Shopping Complex was located within that part of the academy, and it was large enough that students could find most of the things they needed without ever having to leave the academy grounds.

Ezra’s purpose for coming there was simple.

He needed materials.

Not just any materials, either.

The material used for the Heat-Regulating Bandage was just as important as the Alchemy System itself. The Alchemy Circles could perform their function, but if the cloth carrying the system was unable to properly absorb, maintain, or transfer heat, then the entire invention would lose much of its purpose.

With the research he had carried out on the elements used to create the cloth material for healing bandages, Ezra headed toward a clothing shop he had already made inquiries with long before he left for the Black Zone.

The shop was filled with neatly arranged rolls of cloth, folded fabrics, thread, and several finished pieces of clothing displayed along the walls.

Ezra moved through the shop while examining the materials.

Lucy followed behind him.

She occasionally looked around at the different fabrics, though her attention was mainly focused on Ezra.

The importance of the material itself couldn’t be ignored.

The bandage had to possess good heat-absorbing properties.

After Ezra finally found the material he needed, he purchased it.

The price was noticeable.

Still, Ezra didn’t hesitate for long.

This was one of the important materials for his invention.

Afterward, he and Lucy visited several other shops to buy other things that were not directly related to the creation of the Heat-Regulating Bandage.

By the time they finally returned to the residence, they had already spent a good part of the day outside.

Although, Ezra didn’t remain there for long.

After placing the things he didn’t immediately need inside the residence, he left again, leaving Lucy behind as he headed toward the first-year academy district.

His next destination was the private workshop he had booked earlier.

The workshop center wasn’t located close to the ordinary student residences.

The academy had deliberately separated the different facilities so that students could work without constantly disturbing one another.

Some students needed training rooms.

Others booked seclusion rooms.

And students who wanted to create inventions or conduct research could register for private workshops.

Ezra soon arrived at the workshop center.

”Have a safe working experience, Mr. Ezra Ashenlocke.”

The receptionist Ezra had registered with earlier waved at him as he walked toward the workshop number assigned to him.

Ezra gave a small nod before continuing forward.

He stopped in front of the door and took out his Student ID card.

Then he placed it against the scanner.

Click.

A mechanical sound came from within the door.

The locked mechanism released before the door slowly opened.

Faint steam flowed from the lower part of the entrance, brushing against Ezra’s legs as he stepped inside.

The workshop was dark for only a moment.

Then...

The lights came on one after another.

Click.

Click.

Click.

The long lamps attached to the ceiling gradually brightened the entire room.

At the same time, the cooling system activated.

Ezra glanced toward the device before walking over to adjust it.

He tuned the cooling device to release warmer air instead.

The room didn’t take long to become more comfortable for him.

Only after that did Ezra place his Space Bag on the large worktable in the center of the workshop.

The private workshop had everything a professional workshop should have.

A steam-engine-powered furnace stood against one side of the room.

A baking furnace had been installed nearby.

There was even a Circuit-Constructing Box.

The machines available inside the workshop were all high-grade, and the same could be said for the tools provided by the academy.

The room had been designed to allow students to work on inventions without having to constantly leave and search for basic equipment.

Ezra looked around once.

Then he immediately got to work.

He took out his Zphone Tablet.

After tapping the screen several times, a holographic display appeared above it.

The full design of the Heat-Regulating Bandage materialized in front of him.

Ezra moved his fingers across the holographic screen.

With several movements of his hand, he separated the design into multiple holographic screens.

One screen showed the complete Alchemy System setup.

Another displayed only the Novice Flame Alchemy Circles.

The third screen showed the Novice Frost Alchemy Circles he had added to the Heat-Regulating System.

Finally, the last screen displayed the Control Alchemy Circle.

The Control Alchemy Circle was a non-path Alchemy Circle.

Its main function was to connect the functions the two Novice Alchemy Circles were meant to perform.

The Flame Alchemy Circles and Frost Alchemy Circles were meant to work together.

However, simply placing two different systems beside each other didn’t mean they would naturally cooperate.

The Control Alchemy Circle was the part that allowed their functions to be blended.

Ezra stared at the holographic screens for several seconds.

Once he confirmed the arrangement again...

He opened his Space Bag and took out the bandages he had purchased.

Then he began working.

He took out the drawing equipment used for integrating Alchemy Systems onto clothing and other flexible materials.

The tools were smaller and more precise than the ordinary equipment used for drawing larger Alchemy Systems.

Ezra spread the material across the worktable.

Then he carefully began drawing the foundation of the Alchemy System.

Because the system he was working on was small, he also used an Alchemy Engraving microscope while carrying out parts of the work.

He couldn’t afford to casually make mistakes while drawing something so small.

Even the position of a line mattered.

A slight error could affect the connection between the Alchemy Circles.

Ezra picked up a long ruler and placed it against the bandage.

He carefully marked the center line.

Then he began marking the positions where the Alchemy Circles would be drawn using other geometric tools.

Each section had to be spaced at the appropriate distance.

He couldn’t simply place the circles wherever there was empty space.

The foundation layout had to be completed first.

Only after that could he begin drawing the Alchemy Circles themselves.

Time passed.

The quiet sounds inside the workshop continued.

The scratching of the drawing tools.

The faint sound coming from the cooling device.

The occasional movement of Ezra’s clothes whenever he shifted his position.

At some point, Ezra finally glanced toward the time.

It was already evening.

He had spent most of the day working.

And he had only just finished drawing the Flame Alchemy Circles.

Ezra’s eyes rested on the completed section for a moment.

He checked it.

Then he checked it again.

After confirming that nothing seemed wrong...

He returned straight to work.

The workshop didn’t only come with tools and machines.

It also had its own resting room.

There was a toilet.

A bathroom.

And a place where a student could sleep.

The same applied to the seclusion rooms and training rooms.

The academy had designed these facilities with the understanding that some students would spend days, or even longer periods, inside them.

As long as they registered their intended range of use, the rooms contained enough basic features to make long periods of training, research, and creation more comfortable.

Ezra eventually continued working until he finished drawing the Frost Alchemy Circles.

Only after reaching that point did he finally go to sleep.

The next morning, he woke up and resumed his work.

But before returning to the main workshop, he exercised for a short period and freshened himself up.

He had only registered one week for the creation of this invention.

So, he had to make the best use of his time.

During the following days...

Ezra continued working.

The Heat-Regulating Bandage gradually took shape.

However, the process wasn’t completely smooth.

At one point, Ezra made a mistake which made him start over from the beginning.

It seemed annoying

And even more annoying because he had already spent so much time on that attempt.

But Ezra as always kept his calm and resumed the work over again.

And because of his quick learning and ability to adapt...

Drawing the Alchemy Circles gradually became easier.

His movements became more familiar.

The positions of the lines no longer required as much hesitation.

The more he worked, the more he understood the small details of transferring the Alchemy System onto the flexible material.

Eventually...

Ezra completed the full Alchemy Circle chain setup.

He then placed the completed bandage into the Imprinting Machine.

The machine looked more like a presser.

However, its main feature was drying and properly fixing the Alchemic ink used by the Alchemy System Quill-Pen.

Ezra waited.

Once the full imprinting process was completed...

He tested it.

But the first test didn’t mean the invention was completely finished.

There were still adjustments that needed to be made.

Some parts required changes.

Other areas needed to be checked again.

So, Ezra continued working.

He tested.

Adjusted.

And tested again.

Days passed.

Finally...

With only two days remaining before the end of his one-week workshop duration...

Ezra walked out of the workshop.

The Heat-Regulating Bandage had finally been created.

Ezra adjusted his arm and looked down at the bandage wrapped on his right hand.

The heat flowing through his body felt natural.

Comfortable.

More importantly...

It was stable.

Now, Ezra didn’t need to use the Heat-Stimulating Pills as often as before.

Since the Heat regulating bandage was able to help give his body the heat he needed.

Ezra continued looking at it.

Then the thought he had during when he was about to finish the invention of the Heat Regulating Bandages.

His past-self had seen a type of armwear used by basketball players and men who exercised wearing them.

And compared to ordinary bandages...

It looked better.

Plus, as long as the material used for the Heat-Regulating Bandage could also be used to create the armwear, there was no reason he could not make an improved version.

Ezra’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Then he remembered something else.

Diane’s hidden talent.

Her sewing.

He had seen how skilled she was at it from the club outfit she sowed.

With that level of skill...

Ezra had already begun setting his mind on another upgrade.

He had barely finished creating one invention.

And he was already thinking about the next.

Ezra eventually left the private workshop center and headed straight toward the private training center.

For the next week...

He was going to practice his Alchemy Strategy.

Training with his guns.

His new invention.

His other Circuit Gadgets.

And his martial arts.

Finally...

He would enter another one-week seclusion.

Completing his entire preparation schedule.

Three full weeks out of the preparation month would be spent preparing himself for the Grand First-Year Combat Festival.

Ezra had arranged it that way for a reason.

After those three weeks...

He intended to allow his body to rest.

Because of the regular strain caused by Advancement Meditation couldn’t simply be ignored.

If he pushed himself without giving his body enough time to recover, he might enter the Combat Festival with his body already too exhausted or in pain.

And Ezra had no intention of allowing that to happen.