Rise of the Alchemy God

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Once again, Ethan found himself waiting.

There were still 10 minutes left before the end of the test, and 40 minutes until the results were released.

He wasn't entirely sure if the results would come out in half an hour, but he had heard from some gossip that they usually did within that time frame.

It was boring to wait, but there was nothing else he could do.

He had to stay here to collect his one-star apprentice badge.

As he waited, he began to think about his next steps.

After learning the basic knowledge of alchemy, Ethan tried to create a low-grade pill with the few low-cost materials he had, but he failed.

He had also bought a bronze refining cauldron at a low price, but he quickly found out that he wasn't capable of creating one.

Even though he knew the basic method for preparing materials and the subsequent pill refining process, he lacked the actual skill to do it.

He tried once, then twice, and then three times.

By the time he couldn't refine anymore due to lack of materials, he gave up.

He quickly realized that his path to becoming a renowned and wealthy alchemist was much longer than he had expected.

He was starting to reconsider his choice, but seeing the next daily mission he got distracted by those thoughts.

He had already bought some refining materials and was just waiting for the results.

He couldn't wait to put into practice the basic refining skill he would soon gain from the system.

Time passed, and one by one people began to leave the test room.

Finally, after 10 minutes, all participants were out and now eagerly awaited the results.

"How did you find the questions?" asked a boy cheerfully, seeming pleased with his answers.

"Poorly. I answered half the questions randomly," replied his friend, who had a look of panic and resignation.

A third joined them: "The test questions this time were tougher than usual. I spoke to a friend who took it some time ago, and he said theirs were much simpler," he added, clearly worried about the outcome.

"Well, that was to be expected, after all, it was none other than Expert Lei who set the test," said the first boy knowingly.

"I heard Expert Lei is very strict when it comes to alchemy. It's no wonder he's one of the closest people to becoming a master alchemist," he continued.

The gossip among the disciples began and intensified in no time.

Ethan, standing alone in a corner, tried to ignore it all and waited for the results to be announced.

He hadn't bothered to make friends with anyone, not because he didn't want to, but because he could tell that many deliberately ignored him.

He consoled himself with the thought that he wasn't the only one who seemed to be on the margins.

As time passed, all the chatter began to calm down, and everyone anxiously awaited the results.

Meanwhile, in the examination room, Expert Lei had already started examining the answer sheets.

"Passed."

"Passed."

"Failed."

"For the preparation of materials, does one need to cook everything in a pot?

This boy must have been hit by many pots on the head" he thought, shaking his head as he marked the answer sheet with a red pen.

After checking several answer sheets, he finally came to Ethan's.

Although he had only glanced at Ethan's sheet, not checking the number, but merely if he had written anything, he didn't realize it was Ethan's.

He took it and began reading the answer to the first question.

As soon as he read the first few lines, his expression, which had been bored, turned serious.

"This..."

After finishing reading the first answer, he had to pause for a moment to reflect on something before quickly moving on to the subsequent questions.

Unlike the other answer sheets he had examined quickly, he spent more time than usual on this one.

Unconsciously, he found himself immersed in it, spending several minutes before looking away.

After finishing reading it, his expression was serene, with a smile blossoming on his face.

"These answers are interesting," he said with a hint of approval.

As he examined each answer, he noticed something right away.

Not only were the answers correct and precise, but the way the examinee had responded was straightforward and correct.

Expert Lei had to admit that these answers were quite pleasant to read.

Not because of their correctness, but because of the understanding of the subject shown by the person who had written them, which an expert like him could appreciate.

"This boy must have studied very hard," he thought, recalling the examinee's number.

This answer sheet had been like a breath of fresh air amid the other sheets, which the more he read, the more he wanted to whip whoever had written them.

He had found others who had answered quite well, but this one in particular impressed him.

"Too bad he didn't answer all the questions. He could have gotten a perfect score," he lamented, remembering that the last person to get a perfect score was over three years ago.

Shaking his head, he returned to examining the remaining answer sheets, and in another 10 minutes, he announced the results.

Outside the examination room, a sheet with the results was posted on a bulletin board.

People waiting outside rushed to it as soon as they saw the attendant put it up.

Ethan and others joined the crowd, waiting for others to finish checking before proceeding.

After a few seconds, amidst a mix of joyful and disappointed shouts, Ethan arrived at the board and searched for his badge number.

The results were numbered according to badge numbers, so it didn't take long to find his.

[No.1: PASSED]

[No.2: PASSED]

[No.3: FAILED]

...

[No.69: PASSED]

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FRANK_LEE_JUNIOR:

Here's the chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.

If you have any advice, comments, or errors to report, please do so below.

See you tomorrow!