Chapter 1944 Second Exam

Chapter 1944 Second Exam

In the vast expanse of the magus universe, the Golden City held a prestigious position, yet its apothecary community faced a shortage of senior figures. With only seven grandmasters and sixty-eight apothecary masters, they were distributed among eighteen branches serving over three hundred planets and more than a hundred billion lives in the sector. The scarcity of skilled practitioners was evident, especially considering Golden City's rank as the eighth-largest sector in the magus universe.

For the Mastery exam, a panel of judges was formed, comprising three grandmasters and twelve masters, ensuring that the esteemed title was bestowed only upon the most deserving candidate. Leading the panel was Grandmaster Hazard, the most senior apothecary resident in Golden City. The second position was held by Grandmaster Hypotia, a successful female grandmaster renowned for managing the city's most prosperous apothecary shop. The third judge was Grandmaster Odoro, known for serving as a city advisor and holding seats on the city council.

All fifteen judges were seated in a row, their discerning eyes fixed on the hall's entrance as the twenty participants, including Emery now known as Merlin, prepared to face the challenges that would determine their fate within the esteemed ranks of Golden City's apothecary elite.

"We have a celebrity today," Grandmaster Odoro remarked, pointing at Eugene Houten, the young master of the Houten family. "With a figure like him becoming an apothecary master, more people will be interested in apothecary."

His two grandmasters colleague offered no comments. Instead, Hypotia turned to Hazard, inquiring, "Senior Hazard, I heard you registered one artisan today. Which one is it?"

With unwavering confidence, Grandmaster Hazard replied, "You have seen him before. Don't you recognize any of them?"

Hypotia glanced around and then realization dawned on her. "Ahh... it's that young man. I remember the one who can create that tier 1 pill with four originalities."

"Yes, indeed, that one."

Feeling slightly left out of the conversation, Grandmaster Odoro expressed his discontent. "Well, even if he is good, Eugene got the first rank in the exam, 96%... What an amazing score. What rank is your candidate?"

Within seconds, the results were revealed. "Excellent quality 95%," announced Grandmaster Odoro, his tone carrying a note of admiration. The other master apothecaries nodded in acknowledgment, recognizing Eugene's prowess. Grandmaster Odoro extended his congratulations, affirming, "This is indeed the best quality one can achieve in the given time."

Grandmaster Odoro's words proved prophetic as the subsequent 15 participants struggled to match the quality achieved by Eugene Houten.

"87% great quality"

"90% excellent quality"

'79% fine quality"

The best among them managed a 92%, and half fell below the crucial 90% mark. Three unfortunate participants experienced catastrophic failures, their concoctions erupting in spectacular fashion and resulting in an outright exam failure.

The fluctuating numbers on the scorecards painted a clear picture of the daunting challenge posed by the tier 6 [Soul Strengthening Pill], and the difficulty of achieving an excellent quality rating within the stringent 10-minute timeframe.

Eugene Houten couldn't resist allowing a confident smirk to play on his lips. His gaze shifted subtly to Grandmaster Odoro, silently acknowledging the unspoken agreement between them. Eugene had received advance knowledge of the recipe to be used in the second exam, allowing him to practice the exact recipe beforehand. It was a privilege granted in anticipation of his future assistance to Grandmaster Odoro once he secured a seat on the city council.

As the results unfolded, Eugene's confidence remained unwavering. He discreetly exchanged a smiling gaze with Grandmaster Odoro, who, despite being aware of the underlying arrangement, maintained an impartial expression.

"Next participant!" Thank you for reading