As Jared listened to the rules, realization finally dawned on him regarding the reason behind the Alchemist Fair competition’s stipulation for participants to be at least Third Level Top Tier alchemists.
With the tolling of a bell, nearly a hundred alchemists in the arena immediately began crafting pills. All the medicinal herbs and pill cauldrons provided were identical, which meant that everyone was on the same starting line.
The speed of pill crafting would now depend on their individual alchemical prowess. In no time, flames shot up, carrying with them the rich aroma of herbs, which then spread throughout the surroundings.
Roderick remained composed, keeping a watchful eye on Jared’s every move. After all, making it into the top twenty was enough to secure advancement; grabbing the top spot wasn’t an absolute necessity. Roderick observed Jared, curious to see if the poisoning had affected Jared’s alchemical skills at all.
Jared, too, had noticed Roderick’s sneaky but constant glances, so he calmly dropped the medicinal herbs into the pill cauldron and began his crafting.
As he worked, he made a show of struggling with things. Sweat began to form on his forehead. Roderick smirked at the sight as he knew his poison was taking effect.
With Jared’s consciousness field compromised, even the task of crafting a Third Level Top Tier pill seemed laborious. Roderick was confident that the later stages of the assessment would surely eliminate him.
He thought with glee that Jared would probably be weeded out after this very first assessment round. More than twenty minutes later…
Boom! Following a muffled sound, the air was filled with the scent of medicine. Someone had already successfully crafted a pill!
Following that, more booming sounded as others completed their pills. Roderick no longer played coy; he hastened his alchemical process. Soon enough, he produced a Third Level Top Tier pill.
When he turned to Jared, he was delighted to find the latter still struggling. Excitement bubbled within him as he observed. Finally, there was a blast from Jared’s pill cauldron too, and a Third Level Top Tier pill soared out from within.
Jared had secured his success as the twentieth contestant. Any later, and he would’ve been eliminated in the first round! After everyone completed their pills, the first twenty to finish presented their creations to the judges.
Although speed was a factor, quality remained a priority. If a pill that had been crafted was subpar, it would be discarded, and the alchemist’s ranking would be adjusted accordingly.
However, the judges ruled that the first twenty pills were of acceptable quality. After all, crafting a Third Level Top Tier pill wasn’t an insurmountable challenge for these alchemists. If they failed in the first stage of the competition, there would be no need to continue with the subsequent rounds.
“What’s up with Jared today? He spent so much time on a Third Level Top Tier pill that he was almost eliminated,” Viola wondered aloud. She had noticed how Jared was struggling just now.
“I’m with you. Something’s off about Mr. Chance. Making a Third Level Top Tier pill shouldn’t have taken him this long, right?” Ghaylen chimed in with a perplexed expression.
“Could it be that Mr. Chance is just too exhausted?” Yuven recalled Jared’s strange look yesterday when they had just left Solaris Sect.
Upon hearing Yuven’s words, Viola unexpectedly turned red. She thought Yuven’s comment about Jared being tired was a reference to their intimate activities the night before!
Ghaylen looked at the blushing Viola and smiled, refraining from commenting. Yuven himself felt like he might have said something inappropriate and became slightly awkward.
“The top twenty alchemists have been decided. The rest can leave the arena…” The elderly judge stood up and announced loudly. Many wore expressions of disappointment as they left the crowded arena, leaving only twenty people.
“Now, for the second round of competition. This time, you will be crafting Fifth Level Top Tier pills. In the time it takes for the sand to run out in this hourglass, the closer your pill is crafted to perfection, the better your chances of success in this second round!”
The judge added, “For this round, we will retain the best five participants. You will be using the same pill cauldrons and medicinal herbs!”
Once the twenty alchemists had heard the rules, they began their competition once more.
