Chapter 63: Manaforge Initiate Competition: Awarding Ceremony (1)

Words : 1111 Updated : Sep 17th, 2025

Chapter 63: Manaforge Initiate Competition: Awarding Ceremony (1)Almost an hour has passed since the organizers took everyone’s artifact for official appraisal. Most of those in the crowd had also returned from a quick meal, discussing with the people beside them: "Hey, brother, who do you think would win?" "Honestly, I think it’s going to be the third seed, Cornelius Gray. I’ve observed all four and the other three seemed mostly doing basic stuff to me. Only Cornelius was the one who dared to be fearless, and I think that would be enough to give him the slight push he needed to win, especially since they’re all neck and neck in terms of skill..." "Hahaha, a fair assessment, but lacking in knowledge in arcanist matters." chimed a middle-aged novice. "It’s a pity that I haven’t passed the Adept Arcanist Examination in the past decade, but I can assure you that Altair Snowcrest fully deserved his reputation as the first seed. He’s half a notch above even the other three." It was then that another, younger arcanist of the same rank butted in, utterly unhinged: "Pfft! Brother, you still dare give your opinion despite not having passed the Adept Arcanist Examination after trying for ten years? Aren’t you just spouting crap here with your unreal comprehension and talent? It’s obvious that the fourth seed, young miss Irish Dumont was superior both in looks and skill!" "Hmph! You damned simpleton, aren’t your words way less reliable?!" Such conversations happened throughout the Azmarin Public Square, making the wait feel shorter than it should’ve. The arguments between mundane enthusiasts, novice arcanists, and adepts, entertained and enlightened the less knowledgeable people in the crowd, giving them insights as to who was winning. Most of the adepts were split between Altair and Allyson, though. Some even dared to say that Irish Dumont was all aesthetics and that Cornelius was trying too hard to stand out. Since they were already Adept Arcanists, people felt more inclined to believe them, as they were more knowledgeable than anyone in the crowd. The fact that they were saying mostly the same things, just phrased differently, only added to their credibility. The novices who believed that it was either Altair or Allyson pointed their noses skywards, utterly delighted that the Adepts saw the same things they did. Perhaps they would also be adepts soon? Searᴄh the Nôvel(F)ire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. However, despite the discussions revolving mostly around the four, there was one adept in the crowd who was saying something completely different from all the others. The eccentric man claimed that the Arcanist at the 150th workstation, using the alias "Joker," had a fair chance of upsetting the four. While he admitted he didn’t know whether Joker would win, he boldly declared that the less-visible Arcanist was on the same level as the Big Four. Of course, most people nearby only pretended to consider his words out of respect for his rank, but inwardly, they were sneering at him in disdain. They believed the adept was simply trying to draw attention to himself by going against the popular opinion. Nonetheless, a considerable number of eyes turned Hal’s way, inspecting his appearance, at the very least. The discussions soon ended, however, as the covers of the appraisal tent flapped open. Master Appraiser Buster Collins and the organizers exited the tent, carrying a small projector device, ten small cards, and a list printed on an elegant piece of stiff paper. Some of them wore strange expressions as if trying to suppress their excitement. The crowd instantly fell silent. There was no longer any need for speculation, as the organizers were about to reveal the official results. The participants, meanwhile, had varying reactions. Some were nervous, others excited, and a few looked as if they didn’t care at all. Buster scanned his aged and seasoned eyes over the crowd, then at the participants. "Everyone, I am delighted to see that most, if not all, of you stayed to await the results. You’ve made the right choice, as the competition has a massive surprise in store for you," the old man began, pausing to let the crowd murmur among themselves. The first thing they thought was that someone had managed to take one of the top four spots from the Big Four. The second possibility, which only the most unhinged and courageous in the crowd dared to voice, was that the winner wasn’t one of the four top seeds. "I believe you’re all eager to know the results of the competition, so I shall not delay further." Buster continued a few moments later. He then ordered one of his subordinates to activate the projector device, causing a vivid, blank holographic screen to appear two meters above the stage. The top ten winners will be announced. However, only the champion and three runner-ups would go home with rewards in hand, though only the first-place reward would be considered decent by the Big Four. "In tenth place..." One could hear a pin drop as the crowd waited with slightly bated breaths. "This young arcanist’s common-tier Ice Elemental Staff has reached mid-superior grade, boasting a thirteen percent boost in ice-elemental magic and a modest five percent increase in mana affinity," explained Buster, causing a majority of the seeded candidates to frown. They already knew they weren’t in the top ten just from the first artifact alone. The next moment, the blank holographic screen warped into a larger version of the official effect card of the Ice Elemental Staff. A majority of the onlookers blanked out as they read who the tenth-place winner was at the bottom of the enlarged, projected image: == Crafter: Dig Bick == "Indeed, the one who managed to grab tenth place and upset a majority of the seeded candidates is none other than the young arcanist in the 148th workstation. An unseeded candidate who fought her way through the flames of the preliminaries. Let us all give a round of applause for Dig Bick!" But before everyone could snap themselves out of their bewilderment and cheer for the unexpected top ten... "SHAAAAAAA!!" A feminine roar echoed throughout the Azmarin Public Square the next instant as the young female arcanist with the alias Dig Bick triumphantly struck a victory pose, compelling the crowd to roar alongside her. This was indeed a massive surprise. Almost no one paid her attention and those who did never even dared mention her name for fear of being judged by others. And so, Dig Bick did it herself. She announced her existence to the Imperium through her skills.

Chapter 63: Manaforge Initiate Competition: Awarding Ceremony (1)

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