These days, the city suddenly became lively. Even in the Eastern Academy, there was a lively atmosphere. Honest Dunk and Comis were carrying baskets of vegetables, poultry, and meat to their homes. Ge Zheng was puzzled, "What are you doing?"
Dunk said, "Master, have you forgotten? It's the end of the year, and the New Year's Festival is coming soon." The New Year's Festival is similar to New Year's Day on Earth, marking the start of a new year. It holds a special significance for the people of the Star Refining World as it commemorates the reconciliation of the six major races on the continent. Thus, all six races celebrate this festival, making it the grandest festival in the Star Refining World.
On this day, children receive gifts from their elders and enjoy a sumptuous meal with firebird as the main dish. Of course, if you come from a noble family, you can have Thunderback Ray Hawk as the main course. If you're even wealthier, capturing a Thunderback Ray Hawk King would be even better.
After a year of hard work, people can finally relax and put on a warm smile for their families, friends, and themselves, regardless of their achievements that year. This is the tradition of the continent.
However, the students were nervous. Ge Zheng often saw students rushing to and from the library, borrowing thick books to prepare for the upcoming "year-end".
The year-end big exam. Students who do not meet the standards will repeat the year. At the Eastern Academy, apart from geniuses or sponsored students like Monzel, most students have a strong sense of pride. If they fail, they would rather commit suicide than be left behind. While sponsored students may not care, most of them don't like to study and would rather avoid another year at school.
The topic for the alchemy department's year-end exam has already been announced. Each fourth-year student is required to create a level-seven magical weapon.
The standard for a magical weapon is that it should be able to replenish magic on its own, with level seven being the highest level. This topic's difficulty is not small, even for some alchemists who already have their own alchemy shops in the city of Delson, they may not be able to achieve it.
However, there was no reaction from the fourth-year students after the topic was announced. Though the task was difficult, it was something that the Eastern Academy students should be able to accomplish.
The topic was set by Master Aquina himself. He felt the difficulty was moderate enough to suit all students. Moreover, considering that the Fourth Prince is also in the same grade, the topic can't be too difficult, so as not to embarrass the prince. His reputation is nothing, and if he is left behind because of it, it would be a burden for the Eastern Academy to bear.
The magical screen on Rameel's office desk beeped, and he frowned as he glanced at the screen. "Why is she here..." After hesitating for a moment, he pressed the button to open the door.
Vasch stormed in, full of momentum, "Uncle Dean, I want to be the examiner for the alchemy department's fourth-year year-end exam!" Rameel was helpless with her calling him "uncle" - he had surpassed her grandfather's age and was of the same generation as the Old Prime Minister.
He frowned, "Little Vasch, you are an assistant in the warrior department. It's not appropriate for you to be an examiner for the alchemy department." Vasch argued, "Alchemy department's creations are originally used by warriors. It is fitting for me to be the examiner and test their weapons."
Rameel was an old fox and knew that things wouldn't be that simple. However, dealing with this little troublemaker wasn't easy. Moreover, his target was just Ge Zheng and nothing big would happen. Besides, letting Ge Zheng handle this little mischief would be entertaining for him to watch.
"Alright, no problem, I agree," Dean Rameel said irresponsibly, passing the trouble to Ge Zheng. Vasch was overjoyed and sweetly said, "Thank you, Uncle!"
The alchemy department's year-end exam was the most complex, so it commenced a week earlier than the other departments. All students entered the standard laboratory of the academy, those with storage space provided it, and those without underwent checks to prevent students from bringing in items bought from outside to pass off as their own.
Ge Zheng didn't need to worry about invigilating, being the second-in-command of the alchemy department. He and Master Aquina inspected the exam hall and then slipped back to his residence to prepare for alchemy.
Seven days should be enough.
The materials for the Human Equation had been ready for a long time, but he only had the time now to refine it. This alchemical process might cause an explosion, so, naturally, Ge Zheng couldn't refine it in his small building. He constructed a temporary laboratory in the open space behind his house, set up the Ge formation, added the common "Night Maiden Black Veil" outside, explained to his family, and then entered the rudimentary laboratory to begin this round of alchemy.
...
Honest Dunk continually stirred the pot with a big ladle, mixing the beef and potatoes in tomato sauce. Flames roared under the pot, and the bottom of the pot was sizzling.
Comis, with his small stature, stood in front of the desk while Narodon sat beside it, allowing them to have a "equal" conversation. Narodon's business was going well, and the steward was calculating with him.
Solgvin was sitting in the dining room, bored, licking his lips and sticking out his tongue.
Dinola was still asleep, and with just a call from Dunk for the meal, she would sit across from Solgvin in between two breaths.
Miss Feifei had her own student dormitory, but she always arrived promptly at meal times. Gronia's situation was similar.
This was how the unremarkable and ordinary life of the family was.
However...
"Boom!" A pillar of black smoke rose from behind the house, causing the three-story magic small building to shake, startling Dinola who jumped out of bed, drawing a long knife from under the pillow and looking around, "Who's there!"
Dunk was weighing the spoon when the hot tomato sauce, potatoes, and beef stew poured over his head and then skidded on the ground, knocking his head on the stove. "Ouch..."
Solgvin, caught off guard, bit his tongue when he tried to lick his lips, and jumped around in pain, "Waa, waa..."
Comis had just been discussing data with Narodon when the two heads accidentally collided. Although Comis was short, the Desert Elf's head was hard, and both of them had painful bumps on their heads. "Ouch..."
Feifei and Gronia were coming together, but just as they reached the door, the magic small building shook, causing one of Comis's potted plants to fall and shatter at their feet, leaving their faces pale. "Ah..."
The black smoke transformed constantly like a devil in the air. The crude wooden house had been blown to pieces, and splinters had been hurled several meters away. However, the Night Maiden Black Veil hadn't dissipated despite the explosion, shrouding the area in a dark mist, making it impossible to see what had happened inside.
Luckily, Ge Zheng had foreseen the situation and used the Matrix Moving Shield to protect himself, avoiding the impact of the explosion. After the explosion, walking through the debris, he found something in the molten furnace.
A blood-red ball, like molten lava.
The surface of the red sphere was constantly wriggling, with red and black colors alternating, emitting a soft blood light, tightly enveloping the red sphere. Ge Zheng held it with his hands, his palm touching the blood light but not reaching the core of the red sphere. On the surface of the red sphere, from time to time, a certain area would suddenly light up, with the emitted blood light being particularly intense. After a flash, the area would quickly darken.
What is this? Ge Zheng threw a appraisal spell. Ding Dong, the result was: Unable to appraise!
Ge Zheng was somewhat surprised. His situation was special and couldn't be judged according to the general alchemist. His appraisal spell could appraise items below level twelve, but the level of this item unexpectedly exceeded level twelve.
The blood-colored red sphere pulsated like a heart, alternately flashing red and dark, and Ge Zheng couldn't explain why, but he always felt that this red sphere seemed like a living thing.
He absentmindedly opened his storage space and began picking out items one by one.
After searching for a while, he came out with two items in his hand: on the left hand, it was one of the two items concocted by the dragon master Albert's dual solution equation under the cloak of the wisdom goddess Parachelso, a strange item that even Parachelso's appraisal spell could not identify.
On the right hand, it was a “noble's toy” similar to a long-handled drill head, concocted during a match with the alchemist Angola of the Stoka City in the Wangshan City.
Now it seemed that this thing was not a noble's toy at all. Behind the long handle, Ge Zheng originally thought it was filled with magic crystals, but now it seemed to be specifically made for this blood red sphere.
He inclined his palm and the blood-red sphere drift down, hopping into the groove and seemed very happy.
As for the other item concocted from the dragon master Albert’s dual solution equation, it was shaped like a shell, as if it were a lid.
He placed the item on top of the groove. The "shell" and the "drill head" seemed to respond to each other and extended four silver-white metal rods, which locked each other together.
With a “click,” a combination alchemical item was born.
With this work in his hand, Ge Zheng lightly twisted the drill head, and a red light shot out, spraying five feet and stopping.
Silently, a hole appeared on the ground.
Ge Zheng was greatly surprised, and watched incredulously at the beam of red light in his hand. He tentatively used the light beam to draw a groove on the ground, and then threw an appraisal spell again. Ding Dong, a magical script jumped out: Eternal Rupture, special item, unknown attribute, unknown effect, unknown level.
"Eternal Rupture!" Ge Zheng silently repeated the name. Suddenly, he remembered a movie he had seen on earth, and the laser sword in it looked exactly like this?
He smiled and nodded to himself, murmuring: "It’s a good thing."
Considering his arsenal: Matrix Moving Shield, Alchemy Flying Sword, Cross Divine Punishment, Eternal Rupture, which one wasn’t unusual and extraordinary? Ge Zheng also felt a bit of a headache. Although he was no longer able to maintain a low profile like he did in Wangshan City, being so high-profile and different was still not good. Ge Zheng had learned this truth from the earth.
Taking down the formation and retracting the Nightshade Veil, Ge Zheng walked out of the dense fog, only to see a pair of curious eyes outside. Ge Zheng smiled awkwardly: "What are you looking at? Everything exploded, what else could be good."
The crowd was disappointed. Ge Zheng didn't distrust everyone, but he felt that this weapon, more bizarre than the alchemy flying sword, was better kept a secret for now.
Lunch was a letdown, and everyone blamed Ge Zheng's alchemical failure. Ge Zheng could not win against a group of voices, so he had to obediently pay for everyone to eat and drink.
This alchemy took a full seven days. By the afternoon, alchemy's end-of-year exam had ended, while the exams for other departments were just beginning.
The mentors collected the students' works one by one, labeled them with the student's names, and then conducted a unified assessment.
When the chief examiner announced the results, there was an uproar in the department: How could a warrior class assistant be the chief examiner of the alchemy department? And it’s that most difficult Vixi!
The alchemists were so close to protesting, but the results were somewhat unexpected.
Vixi was unusually easygoing this time. For the fourth grade, with a 100% pass rate and a 50% excellence rate, it was the best result in years.
Gechel reminded her in a low voice, "Dear chief examiner, there is usually a certain proportion of non-passing quota each year." Vixi glanced at him and nodded: "This quota should be calculated based on the entire grade, right?" Gechel nodded: "That's right." Vixi patted her chest: "Rest assured, this chief examiner has it all figured out."