Chapter 109
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 109
Chapter Title: Preliminaries Judgment
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"Before we begin the preliminaries, allow me to introduce the three professors overseeing the judging in the third exam hall."
Whoosh—
Three figures ascended the platform at the front, and a blue screen naturally formed overhead, magnifying their appearances for all to see.
"Professor Charles Reynolds of the Elemental Department. Professor Rebecca Clodel of the Enchantment Department. And Professor Ran Fei of the Magic Engineering Department."
A kindly old man smiling softly. A graceful woman standing expressionless. A young man worn ragged by his workload.
Lee Se-hun watched the judges on the platform with an intrigued look.
'Charles makes sense... but Rebecca? Didn't see that coming.'
Was it to knock Lea out somehow? Or just to judge firsthand?
While Lee Se-hun sized up the inscrutable arrival, the host pressed on.
"These judges will now circulate the hall, evaluating the spells you've crafted—or the 'spell armaments' born from them."
The cadets in the hall stared tensely at the figures on high.
They were the arbiters of effort and time poured in. Here, their word was absolute.
"Participants, have your demos ready to go the moment the judges arrive. Wait quietly at your stations. Thank you."
With the host's cue complete, the professors descended. The aerial feed tracked them, focus sharp.
"Brief intro, if you would."
Charles smiled at the first station. The cadet stiffened.
"S-Summoning Department, second-year Danny Ridley. My entry: a device for real-time mana circuit swaps, letting skeletons wield diverse skills."
Danny slotted the blue crystal from his desk into the skeleton's waiting ribcage.
Wooong!
Blue light bloomed, tinting the bones faintly azure. Rebecca asked flatly.
"An enhancement spell?"
"Yes. And beyond that..."
"One question."
The weary voice cut in. Ran Fei eyed the skeleton, gaze hollow.
"External mana fluctuations causing misfires—you guard against that?"
"O-Of course. Direct hits aside..."
Clap.
Ran Fei clapped lightly before Danny finished. Faint mana wafted over the skeleton.
Zzzt—
The crystal sparked wild, light dying fast. Danny's eyes bulged.
"Wh-What..."
"That was the post-cast ripple from mid-tier Lava Shell. Looks like seventy-two waves could neutralize it. Prepared?"
"..."
Danny froze under the blade-sharp query. Ran Fei turned.
"Your thoughts?"
"Hm..."
"Hm..."
Danny pinned final hopes on the pondering pair.
'Flaws, sure—but spot the potential...!'
Charles and Rebecca were famed for leniency among cadets.
Danny prayed they'd flip the verdict.
"Redo from the top."
"Brings the conversion spell's flaws, dumps the upsides."
No quarter given.
"We align. Pack and head out."
"...Yes, sir."
Danny's face drained. He packed in quiet defeat. The professors moved on, unfazed.
"Intro, please."
The trio's ruthless gauntlet ground on. Lee Se-hun stroked his chin at the blue feed.
'Subpar completion or potential: cut. Potential alone: hold. Both strong: through... That the pattern.'
Avg: 30% fail, 50% hold, 20% pass. One quirk stood out.
"Third- and fourth-years dropping or holding more than I'd figured."
Louise muttered, staring agog at the screen.
Tops across years ran close sometimes, but higher usually edged out.
Here? Years blurred—even fails and holds spread uniform.
"Combat's one thing. This? Year-blind."
"Really? Higher years look sharper..."
"Completion's secondary. Potential rules."
Flawless copy of the tried-and-true? No special slot worth the ivory tower's coin.
"Potential, huh... You could flop too?"
Your gear's killer, but what if they nix the upside?
Louise teased, tension her hook. Lee Se-hun smirked.
"Think I will?"
"...Jerk."
She huffed away. He zeroed back on the grading feed.
'Generous potential bar... Dawn's pull weak here? Or reined in.'
Counter to Dawn's line-worship dogma. Which? He mulled.
"Intro, please."
The trio pulled up.
"Forging Department, first-year Lee Se-hun. Demo aid: Martial Combat second-year Louise Valente."
Louise dipped her head. Eyes hit the bare desk.
"Entry where?"
Desk clean, bodies too—no artifact vibe. Lee Se-hun replied even.
"On the assistant. Louise."
Cued, she mana-fed Hati.
Shzzk!
Black plate surged from neck, cloaking jawline. X-etched mask form. Professors blinked stunned.
"My creation: spell control gear. Curbs waste or rampage mid-cast."
"Spell control?"
Ran Fei gaped.
Boost or drain spells? Easy. Control? Nightmare.
Spells flexed wild by context—how pin 'right shape'?
To Ran Fei's doubt, Lee kept it simple.
"Demo incoming. Info window first."
Whoosh!
Louise summoned Hati's readout. Professors' eyes popped.
"Hero-grade... whoa."
"Ink-Heavy Darkness, no less."
Listed effect or skill? Proof of polish and promise.
"No wonder internals hid—MHD shielding outside meddling?"
"Among intents."
Clap!
Ran Fei clapped casual, rippling mana again.
Whoosh!
It ghosted by harmless.
Hati stone-still. Ran Fei's eyes widened, then awed mutter.
"Masterful..."
[A bond has been established with target 'Ran Fei'.]
'Hm. Curveball.'
Bond from nowhere piqued him. Ran Fei wheeled to peers.
"You align?"
"Yup. Speak for us."
"Same."
Consensus sealed, Ran Fei nodded to Lee.
"Pass. Verification waived—tweak as needed."
Post-prelim stress-test skipped. Obvious Achilles: shatter on impact.
"High hopes."
"Solid work."
Ran Fei and Charles shifted. Feed trailed. Rebecca back-glanced, then skewered Lee with eyes.
"You turned Lea into that, Cadet?"
"Yup. Desk-dodger, so desk-topped."
"That girl..."
Sigh heavy with headache. Face reset, she spoke pure pro.
"Sloppy speck? Fail. Too lethal."
Lee dipped head calm.
"No sweat."
"...Solid work."
Rebecca departed. Se-hun's prelims done.
Shzzk!
Louise collapsed Hati to choker. She eyed the profs—Charles especially—queasy.
"Not even a nod..."
"Nope."
Pampered pupil outside, prized guinea inside—yet blank sail-by.
'Figured some ploy at least...'
Dawn could've jabbed easy, erosion-style.
Lee knew, built blocks.
'Charles low-rank? Or me too hot.'
Ludwig's eye, hero heavies' watch—even Dawn radicals balk direct.
Judgment settling...
Whoosh—
Hall lights snuffed total.