Chapter 113: Lance is in Excellent Form

As the morning light grew brighter, the pedestrian plaza bustled with activity. The meticulously arranged window displays of the large department stores caught the eyes of passersby, creating a lively atmosphere on this weekend morning.

On the second-floor glass facade of the Card Maker's Association, the seamless, giant magical screen had switched from the Association's rotating advertisements to a promotional broadcast for the upcoming registered card maker exam.

Families with energetic, laughing children and couples sharing smiles and enjoying the leisurely weekend filled the plaza. The outdoor seating areas of cafes and restaurants were occupied by numerous patrons. Gradually, people began to lift their gazes from the busy street to the Association's massive screen.

On the fifth floor of the Card Maker's Association, Lance and Hyperion chatted casually while looking out through the floor-to-ceiling windows at the expansive plaza below. According to the signs, heading toward the atrium would lead directly to the registered card maker exam area.

Having just performed a good deed, Lance was in high spirits, so he felt an extra boost of confidence regarding his card making. "I feel like I'm in excellent form today!"

He then checked the time and confirmed that it was nearly time to enter the exam hall and wait, so he began to say his goodbyes to Hyperion.

"...Good luck, Lance."

Hyperion felt that Lance being in such good form was certainly not good news for Sophia. Yet, she would wholeheartedly wish him success. She couldn't quite say whether her friend would unleash his absolute best—even if he was just doing it for fun.

Oh well, she was used to his casual attitude now.

Her feelings were complicated. She hoped Lance would pass and achieve a high rank, yet she worried that if he performed too well, it might be more than Sophia could handle emotionally. Still, it probably wouldn't be a major issue.

Hyperion was familiar with the exam process. Generally speaking, skipping Iron to qualify directly for the Copper Certification was already an incredibly difficult feat. Candidates were allowed five attempts to make cards. To pass, they must succeed at least three times, with the successful cards covering three distinct categories: spell, equipment, and summon.

This was precisely why passing the exam relied a little on luck. Once a candidate qualified, the Association evaluated the newly made enchanted cards. The final score was the aggregate rating of all the finished cards.

To reach the qualifying score for Copper, crafting three Blue Uncommon cards would yield exactly the required total. Anyone capable of that level of craftsmanship already possessed the actual skill of a Copper Certified card maker. Advancing further to Silver Certification was an incredibly daunting task.

Hyperion had discussed this with Lance before. She knew that while his card making skills had a high potential, his consistency was poor. He lacked stability, often needing to stick to Sealing type cards just to guarantee a successful attempt.

As for the Poet of Boundless Love, that Epic grade card was a masterpiece of his teacher. Lance himself had never even managed to craft a Pink Divine card.

Therefore, Hyperion felt that if he performed at his usual level today, crafting one Purple Rare card and two White Common cards to secure Copper Certification would already be a solid achievement.

Hyperion waved at Lance one last time. "Alright, Lance, I'll be waiting for you on the third floor."

She planned to check the situation on the third floor. If Ainor and Sophia were getting along well, she would likely stay with them and watch the exam proceedings via the magical screens located on that level.

Lance nodded, then turned and walked toward the exam area. "Mm, I'll come find you once I'm done."

***

A dozen or so minutes later, Lance had cleared the eligibility verification and was sitting quietly in the waiting area, anticipating the start of the exam. Natural light streamed in through the expansive rose window design in the vaulted ceiling of the spacious central atrium where the registered card maker examination was held.

Massive magical devices stood like silent giants along the walls of the hall. Faint light played across their surfaces, glowing mysteriously and magnificently. These colossal magical components wound and connected into one another. Constructed entirely of mithril and magic crystals, their cold, metallic hues delivered a striking visual impact.

Many visiting card maker exam candidates couldn’t help but marvel at these masterpieces of magical engineering when they saw such large-scale magical machinery for the first time. Lance, however, was long accustomed to such sights. After all, the Artificial Shadow Realm Activation Terminal was a prime example of one of these feats, and it had been used during his entrance exam at Ikerite University.

In recent years, the registered card maker exam had evolved from a standard written and practical test into an examination conducted within an artificial Shadow Realm. Once the exam began, candidates would carry a Portable Card Making Kit made from enchanted cards and enter a harmless, single-player, Level 1 artificial Shadow Realm.

These isolated Shadow Realm dimensions ensured that candidates remained free from external disturbances while making cards. They also could not interfere with one another. Simultaneously, it allowed the Association to easily record and evaluate the entire examination process.

The proceedings were not only transmitted to the headquarters of the Card Maker's Association, but also broadcast locally, displayed on the giant screen outside the Ikerite Association branch and on magical screens located on every floor.

Typically, once the card making exam commenced, visitors at the Association for business or trade would often pause to watch the proceedings as a form of entertainment. Even out on the Hutton Pedestrian Plaza, some citizens would find a spot to rest, such as a bench built into a decorative planter or the stone ledge of a tree bed, and watch the exam unfold.

This public visibility made many candidates, whether first-timers or those who had failed multiple times, quite nervous. In stark contrast to the anxious card makers around him, Lance appeared remarkably composed. His calm demeanor made it seem as though he had come not to craft cards, but instead to proctor an exam.

Having already participated in two simulated Shadow Realm exams and one real challenge, he remained completely unruffled. Ever since returning from that dreamlike Purgatory Corridor Academy, Lance felt as though his heart had been left behind in the ancient Demon Kingdom. Perhaps he would never again experience the highs and lows of those emotions.

So, Lance waited with a tranquil mind. At some point, the sound of measured footsteps drifted from the main hall to the ears of the waiting examinees. The atmosphere accompanying the examiner's arrival naturally hushed the exam hall, quieting the low murmur of conversation that had previously filled the air.

Lance looked in the direction where everyone else was all looking. A figure walked in from the side entrance of the hall. The man was dressed in a dark suit, with accessories on his outer pocket and lapel signifying his status as a certified card maker and a senior examiner for the Card Maker's Association.

He was a middle-aged man, likely in his forties, who was dressed impeccably. However, there was a hint of slight weariness around his eyes. He walked briskly to the front of the waiting area and surveyed the crowd of examinees.

There was no shortage of young people in the waiting area. These aspiring card makers were mostly students from Ikerite University or schools in other cities, such as the Holy Order Research Academy or the Sacred Divine Craftsmanship University, who had come to take the registration exam.

Although other major cities in the Kingdom of Hutton offered the registered card maker exam, the number of available slots was limited and the schedules varied. Consequently, many candidates would take the train to the capital, Ikerite, to sit for the exam sooner.

Generally, most faculty and students at Ikerite University paid little attention to this exam. Only those from the College of Magical Engineering took a keen interest in it. If a student performed exceptionally well on the exam, the Association would relay the good news to Professor Boralo, the dean of that college.

Whenever a promising student from the College of Magical Engineering participated in the exam, the professors would eagerly await news of their success. However, it seemed there were no particularly promising new students from the college taking the exam today, so the professors likely hadn't given the event much thought.

The middle-aged man mused idly for a moment before speaking up, "I am Lawson, today's chief examiner."

Even without a lengthy introduction, his status as a Gold Certified card maker was enough to command authority.

"Each of you will enter a private, harmless artificial Shadow Realm where you are free to choose your environment. The exam lasts for a maximum of five hours. Once it begins, you will have a thirty-minute preparation period to review the specific rules and purchase card making materials. The exam officially starts at nine o'clock and concludes at two-thirty in the afternoon. Also, should you get hungry during the process, you may purchase lunch within the artificial Shadow Realm."

After briefly outlining the procedure, Lawson slotted a key, which shimmered with a faint, milky-white luster, into the Artificial Shadow Realm Activation Terminal. Immediately, the space directly in front of the magical device warped. The air shifted from nothing to a deep, dark hue until, finally, a man-made Void Gate fully materialized.

Meanwhile, other staff members from the Card Maker's Association began guiding the candidates into the artificial Shadow Realm. At the same time, across the entire glass wall of the Card Maker's Association, the displays finally switched over to the live broadcast of the registered card maker exam!