Chapter 116
Chapter 116
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 116 – Lan Qi’s Evaluation Result
May 22, 2024 – Author: Poor Xixi
On the third floor of the Card Master Association, sunlight spilled across the glass curtain wall, blending faintly with the orange glow radiating from the magic screen’s image of that Epic card.The light fractured into countless shimmering halos, filling the entire hall with an illusion of rippling waves.
At the same time, waves of exclamations and murmurs swept across the floor.
Even outside the building, in the Hedon Pedestrian Plaza, cheers erupted like a festival.They rolled upward like distant tides, swelling from the crowd gathered at the big screen below and crashing against the glass wall—clear enough to be felt even in the conference area on the third floor.
But unlike the joyous atmosphere of the crowd—
—between Huperion and Sophia, the air felt frozen solid.
So heavy it nearly suffocated Huperion.
When Sophia first glimpsed that orange radiance, she froze as if her mind had short-circuited.
“Orange… Epic?”
In her understanding, for people their age, being able to produce a purple Rare card was already the absolute limit.
Only academy professors and a handful of monstrous third-years could possibly create a pink Sacred-grade card.
But orange Epic—
—that belonged solely to the realm of the world’s very top card masters, those at the ducal level like Duke Migaya!
“Sophia, do you know what rank an orange Epic will be rated at? Did you see? Lan Qi is incredible!”
Prince Ainor, snapping back to his senses, instantly grabbed Sophia by the shoulders, his eyes alight with excitement.
Even though he had watched countless Registered Card Master examinations, he could not begin to judge what level his closest friend might be rated at!
Sophia, however, seemed utterly stupefied.Her gaze at the projection screen was empty, like a doll freshly woken from a dream, unable to adapt to reality—limply allowing Ainor to shake her.
On a single sofa off to the side—
“Please stop, please stop… Your Highness Ainor… really, just stop… spare your divine powers…”
Huperion buried her head desperately, muttering in the lowest voice possible.
At this moment she felt like the world had ended, sitting on pins and needles.If not for her promise to wait here until Lan Qi returned, she would have already vanished without hesitation using her invisibility!
Meanwhile, elsewhere—
Inside the Card Master Association’s fifth-floor atrium exam hall, Lan Qi seemed utterly consumed by exhaustion.
His body, collapsing under the immense pressure of mana, flickered several times in the image before withdrawing from the artificial shadow world.Finally, he reappeared in the vast central hall, drawing the full attention of the examiners.
By the fifth card, he had already reached his absolute limit, even if given more chances.
At this moment, Lan Qi felt boundless fatigue pouring from every corner of his body.Even his eyelids weighed like lead. His dormitory—his bed—became the only thing he longed for.
Once he returned to Ikerite Academy, he would probably collapse into sleep for ages.Perhaps even longer than the time after finishing Talia’s portrait at the southern Mantina border.
When Lan Qi stepped out of the void gate of the artificial shadow world, Chief Examiner Lawrence’s gaze was already filled with shock.
Although the broadcast wouldn’t show candidates’ scores—As the chief examiner, Lawrence could see the results directly from the invigilation terminal in his hand.
And there it was, in stark, undeniable text:
【Candidate Lan Qi Wilfort – Platinum Rank】
That single line struck him like thunder splitting the skies.
His heart pounded wildly, as if struck by a storm of joy.He stared at the terminal, mind echoing with the words, confirming again and again whether his eyes deceived him.
But no—it was real. And with that realization surged an uncontrollable wave of excitement.
Lawrence, Vice President of the Ikerite branch of the Card Master Association, had overseen the capital’s Registered Card Master examinations for many years.He had only witnessed a few cases where candidates were rated Gold.
And even those were usually long-experienced sixth or seventh-tier card masters who had never registered before—managing to craft a pink Sacred card in the exam.
But to be directly rated Platinum—this was his first time ever seeing it.And more importantly—it was a youth from their very own kingdom!
An Epic orange card represented the absolute ceiling of card-making.
Many gold-ranked masters, even after a lifetime, could never produce one true Epic.
Platinum Rank meant a candidate had already demonstrated the possibility of crafting one.Mythril Rank meant one had mastered the art of Epics.
Above that was only the Grandmaster Rank, which in this age was merely an honorary title—no one in the entire southern continent was worthy of it.
So even though Platinum was only one step above Gold, the gap was like heaven and earth.
Seeing Lan Qi return to the atrium hall, Chief Examiner Lawrence quickly passed on his duties to an assistant examiner, then strode briskly toward him.
“Student Lan Qi, might I have a word with you?”
Lawrence asked sincerely, his gaze falling on Lan Qi’s exhausted face.He quickly added, “I know you need rest. I promise it won’t take long—we can talk as we walk.”
“Of course, Mr. Lawrence. My friends are waiting for me on the third floor.”
Lan Qi gathered what little spirit he had left, replying with a smile.
He was curious—what kind of evaluation had he achieved, to make the examiner treat him with such respect?
“Please, this way.”
Lawrence nodded, his voice calm and steady, as if he were already treating Lan Qi as an association member.
He led him into a passage that connected the hall to the fifth floor’s inner section—a place normally restricted to association staff.
The corridor was lined with warm wooden walls, its steady tones a sharp contrast to the association’s otherwise modern design, creating an atmosphere of calm stability.
At its end, their vision opened up—to a massive floating staircase.
Unlike ordinary steps, these were made of semi-transparent immortal crystal blocks, drifting like clouds in midair, shifting with a mysterious rhythm—as though echoing the heartbeat of the building itself.
As Lawrence and Lan Qi stepped onto them, the crystal stairs began to descend slowly, carrying them toward the third floor.The movement stirred the air, raising a cool, refreshing breeze.
“Student Lan Qi, first of all—congratulations. You have been rated Platinum Card Master.”
Standing on the crystal steps, Lawrence turned slightly to look at him.
“Platinum?”
Lan Qi lifted his weary eyes in mild surprise.
He hadn’t expected to be rated straight at Platinum.
After all, that genius magical engineer girl rumored to be coming soon from the Yaloran Kingdom Academy—seeking to study Dean Loran’s Primal Slate – Wind—was said to be only Gold Rank.