Chapter 784
The Contestant's Work
Chapter 784 The Contestant's Work
From the first light of dawn to the fall of dusk, after a long day of waiting, the alchemy competition was finally drawing to a close.
For most of the people in the stands, they had almost forgotten why they came here today, and the day felt more like a camping trip than a game.
The organizing committee later installed soundproofing spells on the audience's boxes. As long as the curtains were drawn, no matter how noisy they were inside, they would not disturb the athletes who were competing.
Aside from the FMC salespeople who made a fortune in the process, some others found the trip worthwhile—
They met people they had always wanted to know, reached several profitable collaborations, or received significant invitations.
After all, apart from the judges and contestants' companions, the rest of the audience members were invited because of their extraordinary status, astonishing wealth, or profound knowledge.
In the relaxed atmosphere, a loud bell suddenly rang, waking many people from their sleep. Pulling back the curtains of their boxes, they saw Harris, once again full of energy, leap onto the stage, spread his arms, and shout:
"Ladies and gentlemen, after a long wait, the match is finally coming to an end!"
Behind him was a clock more than three meters tall, its hands ticking away, indicating that there were only thirty seconds left in the game.
The FMC staff member in blue uniform hurriedly pressed a button, thankfully not missing the second half of Harris's sentence.
—Because the competition was too boring, shortly after the opening ceremony ended, the broadcast started showing other interesting programs. However, the huge screen in the stadium always showed the contestants' hard work.
The next second, the curtains of many private boxes were pulled open, and all the laziness and laziness were instantly dispelled. The audience sat up straight and turned their eyes to the long-silent arena below, their eyes rekindling with excitement and anticipation.
The curiosity built up over the long wait reached its peak at this moment, and everyone hoped to see something different.
"It's finally over!"
"Look, they seem to have finished!"
"Isn't there another guy working over there?"
"Whose work is the best?"
"Now, right now!" Harris shouted, "We will see the answer to this game! The wisdom and sweat of the players have been solidified in the miraculous creations before them!"
"Ding ding ding ding ding..."
The dense hammer blows were almost continuous. The last contestant, who had not yet finished his work, was frantically swinging his hammer, sweat splattering everywhere, his expression ferocious, and golden sparks flying in all directions. The silver-haired girl closest to him frowned and dodged.
Harris raised his arm: "There's one last player who hasn't finished his work yet, let's count down together for him—10, 9, 8..."
"7, 6, 5, 4..."
The audience also got excited, with many standing at the door of the private box, raising their arms and shouting the countdown, and some even yelling, "It's too late, give up!"
Wade leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers lightly on the armrest, watching the shirtless athlete vigorously pounding the hammer, silently counting down in his mind.
"3, 2, 1..."
Finally, as the audience shouted "1" in unison, the burly man, as if his hand was trembling, threw the iron he was hammering into the pool next to him.
"When-when-when-"
With a hiss, thick white smoke billowed from the pool, and the bell finally rang to signal the end of the competition.
The bearded man let out a long sigh of relief, leaning against the control panel as if all his strength had left him, his hands still trembling slightly. "Ah...lucky, so lucky!" Harris exclaimed excitedly, jumping up and down. "Clearly, our Kravchuk athlete finished his event on time! At the very last second! It's a miracle!"
"Now, please welcome our judging panel to examine and evaluate the works of each contestant! First up is our first contestant—Dalia Rostig!
The silver-haired girl stepped forward, holding a silver-gray robe in her hands, and said with a cold and confident expression:
"Distinguished judges, my work is an extreme cold robe capable of withstanding frigid environments. The main materials used are the fur of a direwolf, the silk of an eight-eyed giant spider, the grease of an Arctic whale, and the hair of a Japanese snow demon... The incantation is solidification, stillness, containment..."
After the contestant briefly introduced their work, Fontana turned to the others with great interest: "Good idea, what do you guys think?"
Professor Morrie nodded: "Russian wizards have extensive experience in resisting the cold, and I believe Miss Rostig's work will certainly not fail. But we'll have to verify its effectiveness later."
"Of course, that's for sure."
Fontana nodded, waved his wand, and made the robe float in front of everyone. Except for Vader, the judges all cast the testing spells, and beams of light appeared on the robe.
“Under the freezing spell, the internal temperature remains essentially constant,” Fontana nodded and said.
Professor Morrie's face also showed appreciation: "Although it is nominally able to cope with extreme cold, since its internal temperature can always be kept constant, it should also have a strong adaptability to high-temperature environments."
Abdullah said slowly, "There was no delay... Although it's a robe, the head and feet are still protected, which is good..."
Ms. Piqué praised, "The finish is impeccable, and the robe's form is also very practical."
"Stable...very stable...the effects should last for decades?" Hawthorne nodded with admiration, then suddenly asked, "With such a high degree of completion and stability, I guess this isn't your first time crafting this kind of robe?"
Dalia was slightly nervous, but then calmed down and said, "Indeed, similar robes are very common in my country, but this piece also incorporates my own design—the robe will always adjust to the most suitable temperature according to the external environment, and it also has a simple transformation function."
"Oh?" Several judges were somewhat surprised and used the spell again to check.
Then Hawthorne and Ms. Picqueli laughed, and Professor Morrie turned to him and said, "Wade, come and take a look too."
Wade hesitated, "But I'm a judge for the puppetry competition..."
This is also why he didn't use the spell to test it before.
“It’s alright, this piece is an exception.” Hawthorne propped himself up on the table with his arm, looked at Wade across three people, and smiled, “You also have the right to make your own judgment.”
Vader waved his wand, and light fell on the robe. He then raised his eyebrows slightly and looked at Dalia with some surprise.
The parts designed by Dalia herself clearly incorporate the design ideas of anti-curse vests and magic puppets that have been popular in the last two years, and both of these products are directly related to Vader.
Dalia pursed her lips and silently watched the judges.
After a moment of silence, Vader smiled faintly: "Although the designs are somewhat similar, these spells are not my original creations. On the contrary, I am pleased that my work can inspire other alchemists."
Before he finished speaking, the older judges all smiled.
Alchemy itself is a process of continuous learning and imitation. If you take it too seriously, it can be very serious. If you don't, it's just an interesting way to learn and exchange ideas remotely.
Hawthorne then looked at Dalia and said, "Nevertheless, I'll have to deduct some points from your 'innovation' score... Of course, this is just my personal opinion and doesn't represent the opinions of the other judges."
Dalia nodded slightly, and said somewhat disappointedly, "That's how it should be... I can accept it."
(End of this chapter)