Previous page password is bold portion: p69_Wa0l#ASt
Translator: SumTLMan
As we bid adieu to the Midsummer of the Gentle Rain Month, the Month of Flowing Fire is just around the corner. In this lukewarm season, the long-anticipated Novastar Competition, which has been in the planning stages for years, finally kicks off officially.
For spectators, the first day of the Novastar Competition is nothing short of thrilling, packed with roller-coaster moments and highlights.
In virtually every arena, tavern, and social gathering, there are essentially three hot topics under discussion.
Firstly, there’s today’s most riveting match: “Wisp” Yuridia VS “Cold-Eyed Cat” Yehi.
Yuridia is an enigmatic woman, shrouded in an air of melancholy that clings to her like a shadow. Yet, occasionally, a glimmer of light emerges from her eyes, and she can often be heard murmuring the word “hope.” She seems like a devout follower yearning for a glimmer of hope in the deepest darkness.
On the other hand, “Cold-Eyed Cat” Yehi hails from Winter Academy and is as aloof as his name suggests. Despite his handsome features, he gazes at others with the utmost indifference. Like a cat, he embodies aloofness, grace, and nobility, maintaining a discernable distance from everyone else.
Both competitors represent the zenith of apprentice-level power. Yuridia’s abilities are bewilderingly complex — sometimes obscure, sometimes luminous, as if she straddles the realms of light and dark. Yehi is no less impressive; his comprehension of his own bloodline has reached a level that even formal wizards find astonishing. His transformation into a black cat is virtually complete.
While Yehi, by virtue of his bloodline, holds an advantage in competitions among peers, the raw power unleashed by Yuridia is nothing short of terrifying.
Their skills are evenly matched, and the intensity of the match has the entire audience holding their collective breath, so as not to disturb the competitors. Every clash of theirs is so electrifying that spectators find themselves tensed to the tips of their toes.
In summary, it is an incredibly gripping contest.
The only regret is that the final outcome was slightly unexpected.
In the final moments of the match, Yuridia suddenly conceded and left without looking back. As a result, “Cold-Eyed Cat” Yehi emerged victorious.
Rumors circulated that Yuridia conceded to conserve her strength for upcoming matches. Others speculated that she was already running on empty, aware that she couldn’t win, and conceded to save face.
The latter rumor seemed more credible since the match had lasted nearly an hour, and both competitors were nearly spent. Yehi, being of a special bloodline, could evidently endure for a longer time. Perhaps Yuridia saw this and chose to concede proactively.
However, rumors are just that — unconfirmed stories. The only certainty was that “Cold-Eyed Cat” Yehi was deeply dissatisfied with Yuridia’s voluntary concession. In the subsequent matches, his opponents didn’t even get a chance to speak, revealing his internal resentment.
Though Yuridia conceded, the match was still deemed the most thrilling of the day. Those who watched found it deeply satisfying, even if the outcome left something to be desired. After all, the world is full of regrets, and it’s rare enough to find satisfaction in the journey.
The second buzz-worthy event was also a long match.
Although albeit less emotionally charged compared to Yuridia versus Yehi. It still had its highlights. This match was the showpiece of the Novastar Competition——The Spring Waltz VS The Deceiver.
Overall, the match was somewhat lackluster except for a few shining moments from the Deceiver at the start. However, the Spring Waltz, with his consistent aesthetic of combat, lent the match a dreamlike quality, elevating his status considerably.
Moreover, the audience was mostly comprised of exceptional individuals, who weren’t oblivious to the rationale behind the organizers’ match arrangements.
Going into the match, the Spring Waltz was already the consensus winner. With that in mind, the audience was more relaxed and content to admire the artistry of combat, feeling they got their money’s worth.
The third hot topic, and undoubtedly today’s highlight, involves a figure who has long dominated public discourse——Angel. He finally made his public appearance.
And not just any appearance; he showed up as a formal wizard, also representing a member of the Research Institute, taking center stage at Sky Mechanical City’s grandest event in recent years. To all those watching, Angel’s entrance was similar to being cloaked in radiant glory.
His appearance settled various speculations that had been swirling around, much to the chagrin of those who had bet against his advancement. At the same time, it made his fellow apprentices feel somewhat ashamed.
In this era brimming with prodigious talents, he stands as a beacon for all apprentices aspiring to walk the path of wizardry, especially with dark and turbulent times looming on the horizon.
Whether people are currently envying him, cursing him, discussing him, or admiring him, he has already left them far behind…
However, Angel isn’t concerned with the public’s fervor. He has already retreated from the bustling central city to the seclusion of Achillea Comprehensive College.
Angel stands at the center of an amphitheater-style classroom, surrounded by rows of seats that rise up in a circle. The seats are sparsely occupied, but not because no one wants to attend Angel’s class. It’s because he has strictly limited the class size to fifty students.
This circular classroom could accommodate nearly 500 people, and there are over 300 seats. Distributing them among just fifty heads naturally makes it appear sparse.
Angel looks around, recognizing several familiar faces among the fifty, such as Baroque’s disciple, the second level apprentice Glen, and a man seated in the front row of the amphitheater, frantically waving at Angel.
This individual appeared rather disheveled, with unkempt, frizzled gray hair and multiple rings of dark circles under his eyes. His wrinkled alchemist’s robe only emphasized his disarray, making him the very picture of a reclusive, homebody alchemist.
His name was Nielson, and he had a brief acquaintance with Angel.
Back when Angel wanted to save Jon through Sanders and return to the Feran Continent, he was transported by Suis. However, due to the impending planar fusion, the space in the Paramjit Plateau was unstable, and Suis could only send him to the nearby Arelle Principality.
Angel, along with talents like Drew, rode the Gondola from the Arelle Principality to Paramjit Plateau. En route, they encountered a man manipulating alchemical puppets, intent on hijacking their Gondola.
That man was Nielson.
Upon recognizing Angel’s identity, Nielson abandoned his plans for theft and instead engaged in a discussion about alchemy.
“Back then, I even invited you to study at Achillea Comprehensive College. And now, you’ve started teaching there. Ah,” Nielson sighed, catching Angel’s eye.
Angel nodded subtly to acknowledge that he heard him but didn’t strike up a conversation with Nielson immediately as he was in a classroom setting.
With a few minutes left before the lesson began, Angel continued observing the crowd that had flocked to his class.
What gave him a twinge of regret was that, although many familiar faces were present… These people were generally not specialized in the field of enchantment alchemy.
Take Nielson, for instance, who was specialized in mechanical alchemy and particularly skilled with alchemical puppets.
Or take Glen, whom Angel hadn’t even heard was involved in alchemy.
The only individual Angel recognized, and could confirm was studying enchantments, was a female apprentice named Bolie.
Angel had previously seen Bolie in Fingernail Alchemy House, engaging in debates on alchemy with others.
Surveying the room, Angel could discern from the alchemical robes people wore that they were either involved in mechanical alchemy or concoction preparation; some even dabbled in the study of potion-making.
Massaging his temples to alleviate a headache, Angel was relieved that he had recently revisited the alchemical texts he had recorded while in the Nightmare Plane. Otherwise, speaking solely about enchantment-focused alchemy would likely baffle the audience.
Nonetheless, Angel primarily focused his talk on enchantment.
Although he possessed a wealth of theoretical knowledge in other branches of alchemy, enchantment remained his main expertise. He planned to touch on topics somewhat related to enchantment, but the primary focus would be on the core principles of alchemical techniques.
For instance, he was well-acquainted with the concept of an “Alchemical Illusion Realm.”
While this realm is a blend of illusion and alchemy, its technical focus is not on the illusionary aspects but rather on the integration of raw energy with alchemical processes. After all, not everyone is versed in the art of illusion.
Angel resolved to meticulously dissect every aspect of these topics, from the rudimentary to the complex, shedding light on both their fundamental and more challenging nuances.