Chapter 117: Lances Exam Result

Chapter 117: Lance's Exam Result

On the third floor of the Card Maker's Association, the midday sun struck the glass wall. Its light mingled subtly with the orange glow of the Epic grade card displayed on the magical screen, refracting into countless mesmerizing, psychedelic halos that made the entire hall look immersed in shimmering, rippling light. At the same time, the floor erupted with waves of discussion and exclamations of shock.

Outside the building, the Hutton Pedestrian Plaza also rang with celebratory cheers. Like distant ocean waves rising from the crowd before the outdoor screen and crashing against the glass wall, the sound was clearly audible even from the third floor lounge area.

Yet, the atmosphere at the couches stood in stark contrast to the jubilation of the onlookers. The air between Hyperion and Sophia had frozen solid. The tension was so stifling that Hyperion felt as though she could barely breathe.

When Sophia first caught sight of that orange glow, she had gone momentarily blank, as if her brain had short-circuited.

"Orange... Epic grade?"

From her understanding, the absolute limit for someone of their age was crafting a Purple Rare card. Only professors and the rare, monstrously talented third year student could possibly craft a Pink Divine card.

Epic cards were a realm reserved for the world's elite card makers, like those on the level of Duke Michael!

After snapping out of his daze, Prince Ainor's first move was to grab Sophia by the shoulders and ask, his face beaming with excitement, "Sophia, do you know what certification an Epic card gets assigned? Did you see that? Lance is absolutely incredible!"

Even having witnessed the registered card maker exam countless times, he couldn't begin to guess what certification his new best friend would be assigned!

Sophia was utterly dumbfounded. She stared blankly at the magical screen. Her expression was like that of someone just waking from a very long dream, unable to adjust to reality. She simply allowed Ainor to shake her back and forth.

On a nearby single-seater sofa, Hyperion buried her head low in her hands, feeling like she was on tenterhooks. She felt as though all was lost as she muttered over and over in a voice barely above a whisper, "Stop it, please stop... Your Highness Ainor... really, stop... please, give it a rest..."

If not for her promise to wait for Lance to return, she would have activated her invisibility and fled without a moment's hesitation!

***

Meanwhile, in the examination hall on the fifth floor of the Card Maker's Association, people could see that Lance was utterly consumed by exhaustion. On the magical display, his figure, strained to the breaking point by the immense mana usage pressure, flickered a few times before he exited the artificial Shadow Realm. He reappeared in the spacious atrium, instantly drawing the attention of the examiners.

Even if he still had the time, he had long since reached the limit where he could no longer continue and attempt to make a fifth card. At this moment, Lance felt an endless wave of fatigue surging from every corner of his body. His eyelids grew heavy. The only thing he longed for was his bed in his dormitory.

Once he returned to Ikerite University, he would likely collapse and sleep for a long, long time. He might sleep even longer than he had after finishing that portrait of Talia back in South Vantina.

As Lance stepped out through the Void Gate of the artificial Shadow Realm, Chief Examiner Lawson's eyes were wide with shock. Although the broadcast feed did not publicly display the candidates' exam results, as the chief examiner, he could view the specific results and details directly on his monitoring terminal.

There, displayed in clear, unmistakable text, was the line: Candidate Lance Wilford, Platinum Certification.

This assessment struck him like a bolt of lightning, leaving him utterly stunned. His heart pounded wildly, as if he had been charged with a sudden, overwhelming surge of delight.

He stared at the terminal, the text echoing in his mind as he double-checked to ensure he hadn't misread it. The result remained clearly visible. A rush of intense excitement soon followed.

Lawson was the vice president of the Ikerite branch of the Card Maker's Association, and he had overseen registration exams in the capital for numerous years. However, the number of candidates certified as Gold had only appeared a handful of times.

Those rare occurrences usually went to seasoned Rank 6 or 7 card makers who had never taken the exam before. They achieved it by crafting a Pink card during the exam.

This was the first time Lawson had ever seen someone certified directly as Platinum. More importantly, the candidate was a young Huttonian citizen! The Epic grade represented the pinnacle of enchanted card making, and it was an immense, formidable barrier.

Many Gold Certified card makers who were already at the peak of their careers would spend their entire lives without ever managing to create a single Epic masterpiece. Platinum Certification signified that the card maker in question possessed the potential to craft Epic cards.

The Crystal Certification, meanwhile, represented the level of mastery required to make such cards effectively. Above that lay the Legend Certification, which was an honorary title that no one in the Southern Continent of the current era could claim to possess.

Thus, even though there was only a single level separating Platinum and Gold, the gap between them was vast, like the difference between the sky and the earth. Seeing Lance return to the hall, Chief Examiner Lawson immediately assigned a deputy to take over his duties before walking briskly toward the young man.

"Lance, could I have a word with you in private?" Lawson asked with a sincere tone. Noticing the evident exhaustion on Lance's face, he quickly added, "I know you need to rest. I promise not to take up too much of your time. We can talk as we walk."

Lance roused himself a little and replied with a smile, "Of course, Mr. Lawson. My friends are waiting for me on the third floor."

He was curious to find out exactly what grade his creation had reached to earn such a respectful attitude from the chief examiner.

"Please, follow me." Lawson nodded, his voice calm and composed as if he already regarded Lance as a fellow member of the Association.

He led Lance slowly into a corridor that connected the main hall to the inner areas of the fifth floor. It was a passage typically reserved for the Association's staff. The corridor featured warm wooden walls. The subdued tones contrasted sharply with the novel, modern style of the rest of the building, evoking a sense of calm and stability.

Upon reaching the end of the corridor, the space suddenly opened up, revealing a massive, floating staircase. Unlike ordinary stairs, this one was composed of individual blocks of translucent immortal crystals. They floated in mid-air like clouds, moving with a mysterious rhythm that felt akin to the heartbeat of the building itself.

As Lawson and Lance stepped onto the staircase, the crystal steps began to descend slowly, carrying them toward the third floor. The movement of the stairs stirred the surrounding air, creating a cool, refreshing breeze.

While standing on the crystal steps, Lawson turned to look at Lance as he said, "Lance, first of all, congratulations on being rated as a Platinum Certified card maker."

"Platinum?" Lance raised his sleepy eyes in mild surprise. He hadn't expected to be assigned Platinum right off the bat.

After all, the rumored genius female card maker, who was due to arrive soon from the Kingdom of Yaloran to study Dean Lawrence's Wind Primal Tablet, only held Gold Certification.