As the guardian kingdom that defends humanity against the invasion of the beast tide, the Crawford Kingdom had enjoyed a yearly tribute of massive fortune from their neighboring kingdoms.
The accumulated wealth and centralization of power in the kingdom allowed it to develop rapidly, entering a new era. It's been 500 years since the start of the Human Restoration Era, when hope was restored to humanity after the Great Wall was built. The Great Wall was the symbol of humanity's hope.
Year 524 HR, the present era.
After experiencing a boom in steam-powered technology, humanity have come a long way from using swords and spears.
With the development of guns and bloodline ability, they were also no longer as helpless against the beasts beyond the walls.
Bloodline ability wasn't something everyone has, but those who do were granted peerage and became nobles.
During the early construction of the Great Wall, there was not a single noble who did not contribute for the great cause.
Although the main role of building the Great Wall was handled by the Hero King's powerful metal manipulation ability, the nobles had assisted in every possible way to hasten the transport of metals to the area. Only a select few with special fire element abilities stayed on site to smelt the metal wall into one solid structure.
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Lina had continued her job as a teacher the following day.
"In the year 118 H.R, who can tell me what happened?" Lina questioned her class on history.
The answer was not hard if they had done their homework. All sorts of hands were raised. The male students were particularly more enthusiastic to answer to look good in front of the teacher.
"How about you answer for the class, princess Stella?"
Lina ignored the males and chose the princess from the neighboring Durham Kingdom.
As the leading kingdom in terms of development, their educational institutions are also attended by nobles and royalties of other kingdoms.
"Answering the teacher, the year 118 H.R was the year when the Crimson War erupted." Stella answered.
During that year, the beasts had shown clear signs of increasing intelligence and mounted a second beast tide.
The beasts were able to scale the wall by climbing on top of the corpses and bodies of their own.
The Great Wall was not as tall and big back then as it is now.
At the time of the Crimson War, the wall had only possessed a height of 30 meters.
The humanity had neglected the Great Wall after a hundred years of peace and they had paid dearly for it during the year the beast tide erupted.
Guns and other advanced weaponry had not been invented then.
They had to rely on the use of swords and their bloodline ability.
It was truly a bloody battle. Corpse of both sides piled like mountains, while their blood flowed like rivers, dying the land crimson red.
After being snapped out of their illusion of peace, humanity had moved in full force to upgrade the wall with heightened passion, allowing the wall to reach a staggering height of 120 meters as of today.
"Very good." Lina praised as she gestured for Stella to return to her seat.
Stella's seat was not far from Leon's seat. Lina discovered that the seat was empty and became a little absentminded. The events of last night had cause a small ripple in her heart.
Although she does not believe in love after being saved once, she had become more curious about the boy, who is usually quite humble and timid.
What Leon displayed last night was a clear contrast to how he was usually seen.
'How did he get so powerful? Did he awaken?'
Bloodline ability is something that all humans on Gaia innately possess. However, rigorous training or special pills are required to awaken the ability.
To date, only the nobles enjoy the privilege of receiving awakening pills within their circle. Commoners simply can't afford it.
When a person awakens their bloodline ability, they also receive an overall boost in their body strength and speed, allowing them to be comparable practitioners of the 1st layer tempered body.
Hence, Lina had a misunderstanding that Leon had awakened, considering the strength he had displayed that night was not something an ordinary person like her would possess.
She was a bit sad that she can never awaken. Her Greene family had a support-type wood element bloodline ability that passively grants them superior regeneration. So long as their body parts were not severed, all their wounds would be healed back into perfect state within a short period of time.
The previous heads of the Greene family were all muscle brains and did not make full use of their ability. As their ability can also be actively used to save the lives of others.
They can also make use of their ability in alchemy to create better recovery pills.
But that is all a what-if situation. They cannot unseal their bloodline ability and can only lament in regret. There is also no medicine for regret. Damn.
In class, Lina's absentmindedness did not go unnoticed.
Seeing as if their teacher appeared to be love-struck, they started guessing among themselves who the lucky bastard could be.
"Hm? Leon Bradford is absent today."
"Huh? It wouldn't be Leon, right?"
"What!? How can it be that bastard!!"
A student snapped when the students arrived at that guess. Lina awoken from her absentmindedness at the abrupt noise.
"Edric Grey, do you have a problem with my teaching?"
"Sorry teacher, no I do not." Edric steadied his emotions and answered.
"Mm, don't do it again." Lina did not continue. She did not want to offend Edric, who is the son of Albert Grey, the Earl of Ebonmaw.
The Grey family was rumored to have connections with the underworld. Lina was still afraid of the lawless denizens of the underworld and didn't want to take the risk even if it is just a rumor.
Achoo**
While this was happening, Leon who was searching for an antique shop in the Commoner's District suddenly sneezed, unaware of what had transpired in the classroom.
"Which bastard is cursing me?" Leon said aloud, attracting the attention of the surrounding passerby.
"Hahaha take it easy, young man. That is just a superstition." A kind old man patted him on the shoulder and said.
Turning around, Leon saw the facial features of the old man and knew the old man was sick through his skill of observation as a doctor.
In the past, he had reached the 6th Tier, Divine Medicine Master. His skills as a doctor was not shallow, but he was still far from being comparable to his father, the only 9th Tier, Divine Medicine King. However, for him to become a Divine Medicine Master at the age of 30, he was already considered a super genius.
Unlike cultivation which can be boosted with divine pills and miracle elixirs, to progress in medicine, he had to study and practice.
As a doctor, he was planning to save the old man since he had bumped into him. Although the [Heart of Saint] mantra had been drilled into him, he wasn't so stupid as to believe he can save everyone. But he can still help those within his reach. Since he had seen the old man, he was not going to ignore him. Perhaps it was fate that they met each other.
But he would not tell the old man his illness right away. No one would believe it if some stranger suddenly say you are sick, unless you are already aware of it.
"You right, Old man. If I was a famous villain, wouldn't I be drowned by the wave of curses directed at me?" Leon tried to crack a joke, but it wasn't that funny. "By the way, you don't happen to know where I can find a pill cauldron?"
"Pill cauldron? Are you aspiring to be an alchemist?" the old man taken aback and questioned.
"Hm? You know about alchemists, Old man?"
Leon was raised by a common family; he naturally didn't think there would be any alchemist around since he couldn't even find a shadow of Divine practitioners in this world.
"Of course, it's not something privy to commoners, but all the nobles would know about alchemists. The alchemists are quite important to nobles after all. However, to become one is far too difficult." The old man's mood dropped as he explained.
He used to be a young man aspiring to be an alchemist too. Unfortunately, reality was cruel. He did not have the talents. Pity he realized it far too late after spending decades of practice and an unaccountable amount of resource and wealth.
When Leon had learnt of the old man's story, he did not feel any sympathy and looked down on him instead.
"Old man, are you idiot? How can you spend decades of practice but not have any results?" Leon insulted him. How can someone spend decades and not even become a Tier 1 Alchemy Adept? How lacking is the development of the alchemy profession of this world!?
"You-! Don't be too arrogant, young man. Alchemy isn't something anyone can learn just because they want to." The old man was angry and warned.
"You are mistaken about something, old man. I am not aspiring to be an alchemist. I am already an alchemist." Leon stated confidently.
Having heard what the young man said, the old man did not believe him and thought he was being pretentious.
'How can an alchemist not have a pill cauldron and know anything about other alchemist!? What a joke!'
However, Leon was not lying. True, alchemy is very profound and comprehensive. So much so that one can spend hundreds of years studying and would still be far from learning all there is to learn about alchemy. Medicine was just one branch of alchemy. But before Leon became a Tier 6 Divine Medicine Master, He was already a Tier 5 Alchemy Sovereign.
Wanting to take the young man down a peg, the old man thought of ways to make him drop his arrogance. The old man's eyes lit up when he thought of a way.
"How about accompanying this old man to his home? I have a pill cauldron at home. If you can really concoct a pill with it, I will gift it to you." Said the old man.
Leon eyes lit up at the old man's words. He was able to infer that the old man was in possession of a pill cauldron and had planned the choice of words to lead to this situation.
"Remember the words you said, Old man. Don't let people say I'm bullying the old when I take away your cauldron." Leon smirked.
"Hmph! Save your rubbish till after you actually concoct a Tier 1 pill." The old man fumed as he took the lead.
Following the old man, he was not surprised that the old man lived in the Upper District, where the nobles reside.
What he has yet to understand was why he was in the Commoner's District and was quite kind and humble, when talking to other commoners. Of course, only if you don't agitate him.
Before long, they arrived at a big villa.