Chapter 779
The Magic of Alchemy
Chapter 779 The Magic of Alchemy
At the edge of the venue, several huge mirrors were already suspended in the air, and a group of staff members in dark blue uniforms were busy making final preparations. The words "FMC" were printed in large letters on the back of their uniforms.
Wade glanced around but didn't recognize anyone. These were probably all members of FMC's US branch.
Dozens of deep blue birds took flight in unison, their eyes shining like jewels and their chests glowing slightly—just like the previous magic school league, these birds were the "cameras" responsible for filming the various scenes.
But this time, Wade was no longer the center of attention; instead, he was able to sit on the sidelines and watch others compete for that ultimate honor.
Shortly after, one of the FMC staff members raised his wand high and fired a red spark into the sky. The spark exploded high in the air, attracting everyone's attention, and the entire arena fell silent.
Fontana stopped talking at the right moment, put on a polite smile, and quickly squeezed out a reminder through gritted teeth: "Ladies and gentlemen, from now on, pay attention to your image, the live broadcast is about to officially begin!"
Fontana initially didn't care much about the so-called live broadcast during the magic school league.
But as the competition progressed, he witnessed the terrifying influence of global live streaming and saw how those who performed poorly in front of the camera were ridiculed by those around them. Suddenly, he became extremely concerned.
The others also sat upright in their chairs, hoping to present their best selves to the camera.
High in the sky, a dark, blurry camera suddenly flashed, first focusing on the empty arena, then sweeping around the audience and judges' seats, and finally settling on a high platform in front of the arena.
At this moment, an elderly man, leaning on a cane, slowly walked onto the stage.
He looked unusually old and frail, with sparse, snow-white hair, a gaunt face, and a hunched back. But his deep-set eyes were unusually bright, with a slight smile, and everyone who saw him seemed to see a kind elder from their memories.
He walked onto the stage, adjusted his reading glasses, and whispered into the magic megaphone on the table:
"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, fellow alchemists... Welcome... Welcome to this Alchemy Innovation Competition. I am the chairman of the Alchemy Organizing Committee—Bastian von Krupp."
The entire venue fell silent, and everyone's eyes were fixed on the old man.
He was weak and spoke slowly, as if each word was carefully considered:
"I hereby declare...the 35th International Alchemy Innovation Competition...officially open!"
The next second, a series of fireworks exploded, providing a commentary on Krupp's words, and the entire audience erupted in a long round of applause.
The applause was not as intense as during a Quidditch match or a magic school league, but it was still like a wave, stirring up everyone's emotions.
As the applause subsided, Krupp continued:
"As is tradition, before the competition officially begins, we invite the participants of this year's competition to give us a performance."
"In this exhibition, all the exhibits will be the contestants' past alchemical works. You will see innovation dancing with ancient laws, and imagination giving matter wonderful forms."
"This is not just a performance, but also... a preliminary presentation of the contestants' alchemical concepts and skills."
"Now... let's welcome our contestant!"
As soon as the words were spoken, the lights in the venue changed again, focusing on a small door hidden by dense vines. Then, one contestant after another walked out. Some were confident, some were excited, and some had faces full of fear and timidity as they were pushed to the front of the stage.
Wade was shocked: "...We still have to perform?"
“Of course,” Professor Morrie said softly. “It’s a tradition of alchemy competitions… The creation time during a real competition is too short, and the contestants’ works may not necessarily represent their highest level.”
“Fortunately…” Wade said with lingering fear, “Fortunately, when I participated in the league, there was no such procedure.” Abdullah laughed, “That’s because your competition itself is very interesting… If the Alchemy Competition doesn’t first display something attractive, most of the audience won’t be able to sit until the end when it officially starts.”
“And now…” Professor Morrie added, “If anyone takes a liking to the works exhibited by the contestants and wants to reach a further cooperation agreement with them, they will have to wait until after the competition ends.”
As they spoke, a pale-skinned, icy beauty walked steadily to the center, her silvery-white braid hanging down to her waist.
She spread her hands, and a rhombus-shaped ice crystal appeared in her palm. Then it split into two, then into four, and in the blink of an eye, countless tiny ice crystals appeared, slowly rotating around her, looking exceptionally gorgeous and dazzling.
Finally, the woman waved her hand sharply, and the ice crystals flew out and crashed into the center of the arena, forming circular patches of frost on the ground.
“Duplicate a spell? That’s quite ingenious,” Professor Morrie said, stroking his chin, then asked, “What do you think, Wade?”
"Is this a weapon? It could be used in a large-scale war," Wade said.
“It’s not that powerful right now, but perhaps we can improve it in the future,” Silas Hawthorne said from the other end of the long table.
Then came a man with a bronze complexion, around thirty years old. He raised a golden bowl above his head and whispered a spell. Suddenly, the bowl burst forth with a strong golden light, so bright that it was impossible for people to open their eyes.
“Oh, it’s quite suitable for this sinkhole,” Mr. Fontana said with a smile. “The light is dim here, so this bowl can be used as a small sun.”
“It can also be used in places with a lot of dark creatures,” Professor Morrie said. “It might be surprisingly effective against vampires and iniquities.”
Ms. Piqueli shook her head slightly and said, "How about the Sunlight Spell?"
“But not everyone can master the Sunlight Charm, madam.” Hawthorne seemed quite fond of the bowl.
When everyone regained their sight, they found that the bronze-skinned man had gone down, and now standing in the center was a witch wearing a sari and many ornaments.
She placed a dried seed into a glass bowl filled with a clear liquid, then held her hands above the bowl and murmured a chant. The seed sprouted, branched out, grew leaves, and finally blossomed into clusters of pink and white flowers at a speed visible to the naked eye.
“Professor Sprout has a similar magic to make plants grow quickly,” Wade said in a low voice. “However, the key to her performance should be the liquid in that bowl.”
"Yes...look, Wade, how wonderful!"
Professor Morrie remarked with a sigh, "Many wizards spend their entire lives without mastering certain powerful spells or exquisite skills. Talent, effort, opportunity... these things determine that certain powers are destined to be wielded by only a very few people."
His gaze followed the alchemical artifacts imbued with extraordinary abilities, and his voice trailed off:
"But alchemy... can break this constraint."
“We study the nature of matter, analyze the laws of magic, and encapsulate magical wonders within seemingly ordinary objects… This is even more stable and obvious than using spells directly, and it’s also simpler to operate, allowing even those with weak magic or who are not skilled in this art to access that wonder.”
"That's the magic of alchemy, Vader... It's about creating eternal miracles that can be passed down and replicated."
(End of this chapter)