Chapter 785
The Contestant's Work 2
Chapter 785 The Contestant's Work 2
In the brief interval between Dalia's departure and the next contestant's preparation to present their work, Professor Morrie turned his head slightly, his gaze falling on Wade, and a subtle smile appeared on his face.
Wade noticed his gaze and asked in a slightly puzzled low voice, "Professor... was there something wrong with what I just said?"
Professor Morrie shook his head gently, his smile deepening.
He spoke in a low voice, as if whispering, "The fact that one's ideas can be imitated... or rather, borrowed from is itself proof of an alchemist's excellence..."
He chuckled and said, “I was worried that with you sitting here, some people might question your abilities, but it seems that’s not the case now… How does it feel to be imitated and learned from by people two or three times your age, Vader?”
Wade didn't speak, but a strange feeling suddenly welled up in his heart.
This is different from someone trying to copy his Book of Friends or a clone of Kiki.
This time, it was an equally exceptional alchemist learning something more fundamental and personal, such as ideas…methods…and the like.
"Good evening, judges." The second contestant stepped onto the stage and said, "I will be showcasing a combination of devices for dealing with corrosive environments, including a potion that forms a protective layer on the skin after ingestion, and a respirator that can filter out toxic substances..."
The man from Australia displayed his works one after another, and Professor Murray watched him gently, his heart still filled with indescribable joy and pride.
Although he had long known that Wade was exceptionally gifted, far surpassing his peers, every new piece of evidence that proved this—whether it was Wade demonstrating amazing results directly or receiving affirmation and praise from others—was like an unexpected gift that made him overjoyed.
Before Wade, who else had ever brought him such joy?
Ah... well, there are exceptions... but it must be Steven in his cub stage...
When the child was little, his eyes were clear and bright, and he was as cute as an angel... Every time he heard someone praise his cuteness, his father, Morrie, felt as sweet as if he had eaten honey.
Unfortunately, not long after, Steven's body bolted towards the moose, and his beloved son was gone forever...
"...These are all the spells and materials I used!"
The second contestant, Ben Carter, finished speaking with great confidence, a "I've got this" expression on his face, and stood tall and proud as he accepted the scrutiny of the judges.
Although he was a little nervous, his confidence immediately swelled up as soon as he glanced at the silver-haired Professor Morrie!
That professor... kept looking at me with a gentle and gratified gaze, he must have thought my work was excellent, right?
Ben Carter tried hard to suppress the smirk from becoming too pronounced.
“Well then, Mr. Bent, let’s test the effect in practice, shall we?” Ms. Picqueli asked slowly.
"Of course! Madam! Absolutely no problem!"
Ben Carter decisively drank the potion in one gulp, then put on a respirator and goggles, and finally took out a magical aircraft that could dispel fog, provide lighting, and scout ahead, and said loudly, "I'm ready, esteemed judges."
Silas Hawthorne's lips twitched slightly, unsure how to comment—this contestant, why don't you just go buy a Muggle protective suit and wear it? That plane looks like a child's toy too…
Professor Bastian Abdullah raised his wand expressionlessly, and with a "whoosh," a thick cloud of green mist suddenly erupted from the tip of the wand, rushing directly towards Ben Carter and enveloping him.
Ben Carter didn't flinch at all, and said in a loud voice, "What a potent corrosive gas! But I didn't ask at all... uh?"
"Boom!"
The figure in the mist fell straight to the ground, seemingly without any struggle. Professor Abdullah quickly waved his wand, and the mist dissipated, revealing Ben Carter lying on the ground with his entire face glowing green, his eyes rolled back, and a large section of the protective layer on his face broken, causing his skin and lips to begin to ulcerate.
The therapist rushed over and carried the person away; the arena fell silent.
Then, someone couldn't help but burst out laughing, and the entire audience erupted in laughter, with even the staff around them laughing along.
After the laughter continued for a while, the judges finally gave their evaluations.
"The filtration efficiency is too poor... basically only 30%?"
"Indeed. And it has absolutely no adaptive ability."
"Actually, the isolation layer was not bad; it shielded his body from the poison gas, but its stability was too poor, and most importantly, his head was left unprotected..."
After discussing it, everyone carefully wrote down their opinions.
Unlike real exams, alchemy competitions don't award points immediately after the competition ends.
In reality, the judges will wait until all the contestants have finished presenting before giving appropriate scores based on their work.
After the laughter subsided, the subsequent contestants performed rather conventionally—the robes and cloaks were the most popular, probably because both offered relatively easy and comprehensive protection.
The contestant who kept hammering until the very end created a full-body plate armor set that was over three meters tall and covered half of his eyes.
"To withstand the high pressure of the deep sea, robes and cloaks are not enough, are they? Even with magic, it would be difficult to do so."
The contestant said in a low voice, "There are no shortcuts or tricks to deal with this kind of environment. We can only rely on absolute strength and an impenetrable defense! We can rely on the hardest materials and the thickest structure."
“Wait a minute, Viktor Kravchuk.” Fontana rubbed his temples as if in a headache, then looked up and asked helplessly, “I understand your reasons for choosing to forge plate armor, but… what about magic? Besides your forging skills, what about the alchemy you’re going to demonstrate?”
Without magic, what's the difference between this thing and an iron coffin if it's placed in the deep sea?
"I'm sorry, esteemed judge."
Kravchuk lowered his head and said with shame, "I originally wanted to create a puppet... that could work together when the wizard was inside me, but... there wasn't enough time."
“The competition time wasn’t just announced this morning, so why don’t you choose a piece that you can finish in time?” Abdullah asked.
“I…” Viktor Kravchuk said embarrassedly, “I also discovered the problem when I was halfway through building it, but it was too late.”
The judges: "..."
Thinking of the hammer that was swung to its last stroke, and looking at the terrifying height of the plate armor, they both thought to themselves, "Halfway through construction? You should have thought of that when you were designing it—it's no wonder it's not ready in time!"
After passing two more contestants, Wade encountered a situation where he needed to work for the first time—the contestant brought up a magical puppet that could walk all over the place.
(End of this chapter)