2026-09-02 00:32:44
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45.
The magical display remained suspended above the hall as the final numbers stopped changing.FUNCTIONAL: 68,421ELIMINATED: 41,907Then the display changed.The list of qualified participants began scrolling across the enormous screen.Liam watched as names, races, years, and scores appeared one after another.A few students immediately started cheering when they saw their names. Others searched anxiously through the list, desperate to find out whether they had made it through.Then the system displayed Liam's result.[PARTICIPANT EVALUATION]Name: Liam CarterRace: HumanYear: FirstRune: Mana ConversionFunctionality: 100%Stability: 94%Mana Efficiency: 97%Originality: 72%Overall Score: 81%Ranking: 30,000 / 68,421Liam stared at the result for a moment."Thirty thousand..."It wasn't exactly impressive.Out of more than sixty-eight thousand participants who had qualified, he was sitting almost in the middle.Alex leaned over to look at his result."At least you passed.""That's
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Liam stared at the formation.Nothing happened.It only produced a bright light, and the design itself was very rough.Then, suddenly, the mana crystal sitting beside Alex's rune disappeared.Liam blinked in shock."Where did the crystal go?"Alex didn't answer immediately.Instead, he pointed beneath the rune plate.Liam leaned forward, and his eyes widened slightly.The mana crystal was there, but it looked completely different. It had been reduced to a tiny glowing sphere that floated just beneath the plate."What is that?""A mana storage sphere," Alex said.Liam looked at him.Alex smiled."I made a rune that compresses the mana inside the crystal and stores it without letting it leak."Liam stared at the small sphere."So you turned the entire crystal into that?""Not exactly. I compressed the mana inside it."Alex tapped the rune plate."The crystal itself was only a container. I thought I could make the rune use the mana directly and compress it into a smaller form."Liam look
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Liam looked down at the empty rune plate.He had thirty minutes.There were no restrictions on what they could create. No required effect. No minimum power.Liam rested the tip of the rune pen against the plate but didn't draw immediately.What should I make?A combat rune would be the obvious choice. Something that could release fire, strengthen the body, or create a defensive barrier.But thousands of students were probably thinking the same thing.Liam glanced at the mana crystal beside the plate.The crystal contained a limited amount of mana, so whatever he created had to work within that limitation.He finally made his decision.He would create something simple.A mana conversion rune.Its purpose was straightforward. It would take the raw mana from the crystal, regulate its flow, and release it at a stable rate.It wasn't powerful or flashy.But if he could make it stable and efficient, it would prove that the rune worked.Liam began drawing.He carefully added the central circ
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Liam headed toward the Magical Engineering area with Alex beside him.Unlike the other competition grounds, which were already filled with noise and excitement, the engineering area was located inside one of Blackthorn Academy's large halls.Even from outside, Liam could hear the sound of conversations coming from within.When he stepped inside, he was slightly surprised by how many people had gathered. Students filled most of the hall, while teachers stood scattered around the edges. Humans were everywhere, but the other five races were well represented too.It made sense.Magical Engineering was one of those fields that attracted almost everyone.It wasn't simply about fighting or having a powerful cultivation level. It was about taking an idea and turning it into something real.A student could have weak physical abilities and still create something capable of changing the battlefield.Weapons, defensive equipment, transportation devices, magical tools, automated formations.The po
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Liam stared at him, unsure of what to say.Then he looked toward Lucas.Lucas gave him a small nod.“He broke through last night.”Lily was sitting nearby, calmly drinking from a glass.“Congratulations,” Liam said.Karl’s grin widened.“Thank you.”There was something particularly annoying about the way he said it.Liam sighed.So that was it.Everyone in Room 1313 had now broken through to Silver.Lucas.Lily.Karl.Liam looked down at his hands.He had spent the past three weeks pushing himself harder than ever, and somehow, everyone else had still moved ahead of him.Even Karl.That one hurt.“Don’t look so depressed,” Karl said.“I’m not depressed.”“You look depressed.”“I’m thinking.”“About how I’m stronger than you now?”Liam slowly looked up.Lily covered a small smile with her hand, while even Lucas looked amused.“Forget it,” Liam muttered.Despite Liam’s frustration, there was one major advantage to having three Silver-ranked members in the room.Their weekly room challen
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The questions started before Liam had even left his seat.Elena was the first to turn toward him.“What exactly did you do?”Liam blinked.“Do?”“Yes, do.” Elena leaned closer. “Lily walked straight past everyone in the arena, came directly to you, and thanked you in front of thousands of people. What did you do?”“I watched the fight.”Alex gave him a blank stare.“That’s it?”“That’s it.”Adrian folded his arms.“Think about it, Liam. She didn't thank you before the fight. She thanked you immediately after everything was over.”Liam adjusted his glasses.“I don't know what you want me to say.”Elena narrowed her eyes.“You seriously have no idea?”“None.”The three of them stared at him.Liam stared back.After several seconds, Alex sighed.“Fine. Either you're telling the truth, or you're hiding something.”“I’m telling the truth.”Nobody looked convinced.But in the end, they couldn't figure it out.There was simply no obvious connection between Liam and what had happened during t
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