The Entrance Exam, Part 2

While the other students were still busy selecting their materials, I had no time to hesitate.

Time was ticking, and I had to move fast.

I laid out the materials on my workbench and calculated the amount of mana required for the upcoming task.

I brought them over, but the mana consumption is going to be insane.

These materials possessed extraordinary properties and demanded highly specialized techniques.

In particular, the powerful suppression magic woven into the wood caught my eye.

Did someone seal it to prevent even a trace of the wood's life force from escaping?

On the surface, it seemed like a pointless endeavor.

To anyone who didn't know how to handle such materials, it would look like nothing more than ordinary wood.

What on earth were they thinking, putting these materials out here?

In terms of the game, these were top-tier materials that required a minimum level of 85 to process.

Furthermore, they demanded a profound understanding of both magic engineering and blacksmithing, along with extensive experience.

But that wasn't a problem for me.

My blacksmithing skill, honed in the game, had already reached the maximum level of 100, and my magic engineering proficiency boasted a score of over 90.

In the first place, once you passed level 50, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠magic engineering was no longer an option—it was a necessity.

To take the next step as a blacksmith, the fusion of magic and technology was inevitable.

Only then could one forge legendary weapons imbued with extraordinary power.

I entered a state of flow and began to immerse myself in crafting the weapon.

First, I focused my attention on the white mana stone.

Though it looked tranquil on the outside, an immense amount of magical power was swirling within.

As I cast resonance magic on the stone, the faint fluctuations of mana became vividly clear.

Sensing the stone's vibrations closely, I carefully tuned my own mana.

A transparent blade formed of sharp mana began to delicately refine the mana stone.

It was a process of meticulously shaving away impurities.

It was similar to defusing a bomb with a complex web of wires.

A single mistake could trigger an explosion or alter the properties of the mana, rendering it useless.

Click.

Perfect.

Holding my breath, I shaved away the final impurity. Instantly, the mana stone began to emit a brilliant light.

A blue radiance flooded the workshop.

At this sight, the gazes of several applicants and judges snapped toward me.

Surprise and awe were written all over their faces.

Someone whispered softly.

"What is that? How is a mana stone shining like that...?"

A murmur rippled through the crowd, but I ignored it and focused on my work.

Inside the now transparently glowing stone, the refined mana flowed as placidly as a calm lake.

I had pushed the mana stone's potential to its absolute limit.

I began to engrave Dwarven runes onto it.

Intricate and delicate patterns were etched deep into the stone.

The ancient incantation began to breathe with life.

Following the laws of resonance, the mana within the stone began to amplify.

Next, I turned my attention to the ancient wood.

Like invisible shackles, the suppression magic bound the wood.

It was sealed so tightly that not a single speck of life force could escape.

Seriously, what a stubborn piece of wood.

But to me, the flow of the magic was as clear as day.

Using a blade formed of sharp mana, I began to unravel the suppression magic.

Like an ice sculptor carving along the delicate grain, I unraveled the spell thread by thread along the wood's natural patterns.

It was delicate work.

Slowly, the life force that had been dormant for ages began to stir.

An ancient vitality spread through the wood, as if resurrecting.

Now, the wood breathed with life, ready to serve as the core of the weapon.

I had finished applying all the necessary magic to the special materials.

Finally, I could begin forging the actual weapon.

A glowing red block of iron was placed on the anvil.

My hand gripped the hammer.

The hammer struck down upon the red-hot steel.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The rhythmic, deafening ring of the hammer echoed through the hall.

The testing hall filled with the metallic din and the scorching heat of the forge.

My heart pounded wildly as I poured myself into the creation of the weapon.

Nothing existed in my world except the weapon before me.

Amidst the sparks and the molten glow, the perfect design I had envisioned in my mind began to take physical shape.

Sweat dripped down my forehead, but I didn't care.

I focused entirely on pouring my absolute best into completing the weapon.

I was so absorbed in the forging that I lost track of time, until the proctor's voice boomed across the room.

The moment I set down my hammer, a profound silence fell over the workshop.

Resting proudly on the workbench, the warhammer emitted a soft blue glow.

I muttered, staring at the cooling warhammer.

As the heat gradually dissipated, the hammer radiated a blue, auroral light.

The mana stones sat proudly on both ends of the hammerhead, and the wooden handle, pulsing with life force, fit perfectly in my grip.

Its sheer quality was so flawless that it was impossible to believe it had been crafted by a mere student.

"I did it..."

Though exhausted, a wide smile spread across my face.

As I placed the hammer back onto the workbench, a murmur of awe rippled through the surrounding students.

Once the allotted time ended, the evaluation began.

The judges meticulously inspected the submissions, delivering their critiques.

"Number 21, Thomas Beriton. The balance is off, and the finish is rough. Disappointing."

"Number 45, Elizabeth Parker. Not bad, but it lacks creativity. I expected a more original weapon."

The students waited for their results with tense expressions.

With evaluations swinging between pass and fail, the air in the waiting area grew heavier.

"Number 82, Edward Charles Granger!"

Finally, my name was called.

I stepped forward with confident strides and stood before the judges.

Then, I placed my creation, the Hammer of Aether, in front of them.

Elena could not calm her racing heart.

Even as she evaluated the other applicants' work, she was secretly waiting for Granger's turn.

Having already watched him forge the weapon, her expectations were sky-high.

The delicate touch with which he refined the materials, the precise engraving of the Dwarven runes, and the intricate design of the mana circuits...

Every single moment had felt as moving as watching a masterclass art performance.

Passing or failing was no longer the question.

Elena simply wanted to inspect his creation with her own eyes as soon as possible.

"Number 82, Edward Charles Granger!"

As his name was called, Elena held her breath and watched him.

With every step he took, a powerful presence radiated from him.

The warhammer in his hand was emitting an immense aura all on its own.

"Oh my, what in the world is this...?"

Beside her, Elizabeth Fahrenheit, the professor of materials processing, muttered in sheer disbelief.

She quickly turned to Elena with sparkling eyes.

"Did you ask me to get those legendary materials knowing this would happen?"

In truth, Elena had requested legendary-grade materials from Elizabeth a few days ago.

Elizabeth had grumbled at the time, asking if it made any sense to use such precious materials for a freshman entrance exam.

Setting aside the difficulty of acquiring them, the cost far exceeded the budget allocated for the weapon creation department's entrance exam.

"I mean, I thought you were just using the exam as an excuse to secure research materials for yourself..."

Even as she grumbled, Elizabeth's eyes remained glued to Granger's creation.

Gasps of admiration rippled through the other judges as well.

"There's no need to look any further. We can just give him a perfect score for the material evaluation."

Elizabeth declared flatly.

Each professor had specific evaluation criteria they focused on, grading other areas as extra points.

Elena stepped forward and placed her hand on the warhammer's shaft.

She did this to sense the mana circuits woven into the weapon.

Generally, weapons had pathways through which mana flowed—mana circuits.

Rather than being intentionally created by the blacksmith, these pathways usually formed naturally based on the inherent properties of the materials.

The degree to which the materials harmonized and created synergy determined the weapon's quality.

However, the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠moment Elena channeled her mana, she knew.

This was no natural mana circuit.

The injected mana flowed in seamlessly.

Each circuit was vibrating and moving on its own, like a living organism.

Tiny particles of mana gathered and swept into the mana stone, triggering a reaction that amplified the energy thousands of times over in an instant.

Elizabeth, standing beside her, touched the hammer and gasped in shock.

"My goodness, Elena! What year did we learn mana engraving when we were in school?"

"I believe it was in our eighth year," Elena replied.

She was a woman who had once served as the dean of the continent's greatest magic academy.

Yet, even she had never seen a student with this level of talent.

As I set the weapon down, praise poured from the judges.

"Truly marvelous. This is far too perfect to be a student's work. It feels like the craftsmanship of a veteran master."

One judge, unable to hide his admiration, inspected the warhammer closely.

"The ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠weight distribution and material polishing are flawless. It couldn't possibly be any better."

Another judge nodded, unable to conceal his astonishment.

He checked every single detail of the warhammer and continued.

"The Dwarven runes and patterns engraved on the warhammer—not a single line is wasted. It feels like appreciating an ancient work of art."

The delicately engraved Dwarven letters, the exquisitely flowing mana circuits.

These were all techniques I had developed independently.

Everyone had no choice but to acknowledge it.

"To think a freshman made this... the skill is ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠simply outstanding. It is truly a masterpiece."

The judges nodded in unanimous agreement.

Then, a declaration was made in a firm voice.

The moment the judges finished speaking, thunderous applause and cheers erupted throughout the testing hall.