Despite so people already knowing, a suppressed gasp echoed through the hall.
Vera sat by the window, her face still expressionless.
Only her cool and clear eyes flickered with an almost invisible, faint light.
"Second place."
Edlyn continued to read aloud.
"Adrian Visenfels, from the Visenfels family. Six crystal stones, three water and three fire. Magic model completion rate of 97%, synchronization coordination rated as excellent."
This ti, the gasps were even louder.
"Six stones! Truly six stones!"
"I heard about it earlier, but I didn’t expect it to be true..."
"Wait! That’s only second place, who’s first?"
This question was like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, instantly causing ripples.
The crowd, which had been marveling at Adrian’s results, collectively fell silent.
Indeed.
Second place was six stones.
Then what about first place?
"Could it be so monster from the East Coast? I heard there are a few very low-key ones over in the Seville Empire..."
"No, look at those from the East Coast, they are all looking at each other, clearly, it’s not one of them."
The murmurs arose, and everyone’s eyes road around the hall, trying to find the first place among the familiar faces.
Soone glanced at the area of the Star Tower, Cecilia subtly shook her head, indicating it wasn’t her.
Others looked at the Blood Rose area, where the students who had been boasting earlier now looked at each other, evidently clueless as well.
So gazed at the silent group from the East Coast, who still remained expressionless, though there was a trace of perplexity in their eyes.
Adrian himself slightly turned his head.
His grey-blue eyes slowly scanned the hall, pausing on each face before moving on.
His face, which always carried a calm smile, now showed a subtle change, not disappointnt or discontent, but a deeper, more watchful scrutiny.
Edlyn stood behind the podium, her deep and unreadable eyes quietly observing the disturbance below.
She remained silent until the murmurs gradually subsided, until all eyes once more converged on her.
Only then did she gently speak.
"First place."
Her voice was not loud, yet it made everyone hold their breath.
"Duke, Black Sail."
For a mont, the entire hall was silent.
Then, it exploded like a boiling pot.
"Duke? Who’s that?"
"Black Sail? Soone from Black Sail?"
"Never heard of it... Black Sail from the West Coast?"
Edlyn ignored the commotion. She continued reading:
"Seven crystal stones, Earth Elent. Magic model completion rate of 100%, synchronization coordination rated perfect."
This ti, the hall beca completely silent.
Every word from Edlyn’s mouth was like nails being driven into everyone’s ears.
Adrian’s smile faintly stiffened for an instant, his grey-blue eyes turning to the unnoticeable figure in the corner with an expression of genuine seriousness for the first ti.
Vera also turned her head, her cool eyes flickering with a scarcely perceptible complexity.
The booklet in Cecilia’s hand fell to the floor with a snap, and she didn’t even bend down to pick it up.
The students from Blood Rose who had been boasting earlier now wore brilliant expressions.
So had their mouths open with nothing to say, so were blushing, and so looked incredulously at the young man in the corner dressed simply in a magic robe.
"Seven... seven stones?" soone stamred to repeat.
"Earth Elent... seven stones?"
"The Earth Elent is the hardest to absorb, its elental particles are heaviest and most difficult to mobilize..."
"Did he cheat? I’ve never even heard of this guy!"
"Are you crazy? Cheating right under Lord Edlyn’s nose?"
The whispers surged like a tidal wave and ebbed similarly.
Everyone turned to look for the one called Duke.
Duke sat quietly in the corner, faced with the gazes directed at him, his face displayed little expression.
Lis’s mouth hung open, staring at him blankly, and she finally managed to speak after a long pause:
"Didn’t you just say... that you should be able to pass?"
Duke glanced at her.
"Qualified," he said.
Lis was rendered completely speechless.
Edlyn tapped the podium lightly, and the murmurs ceased abruptly.
"I personally oversaw everyone’s assessnt process, ensuring that all results are authentic and valid."
No one said anything more.
But all their eyes followed Edlyn’s earlier gaze, falling on that person in the corner.
Duke sat quietly in the corner, faced with the gazes directed at him, his face displayed no extra expression.
His back still rested against the chair, his hands naturally folded in front of his knees, and even his breathing remained unchanged.
But in his mind, a small voice was echoing.
"...I should have absorbed one or two less."
He truly didn’t expect things to be like this, he rely made full use of the ti, who knew others were so lacking.
"Careless."
Duke lightly sighed in his heart.
But on his face, there was still no expression.
As it stood, all he needed was to obtain the highest contribution.
The crowd was still in a stir. So whispered, so pointed, and so still scrutinized him with disbelief.
Then, a figure stood up.
Adrian Visenfels.
He rose lightly, causing everyone around to instinctively make way for him. His grey-blue eyes pierced through the crowd, landing straight on Duke, the faint smile at his lips still present, yet now carrying an additional elent.
He walked over to Duke and halted.
"Adrian Visenfels." He extended his hand, his voice gentle and composed, with the slightly rolled elegance typical of West Coast nobility.
Duke lifted his head and glanced at him.
Those grey-blue eyes were close at hand, without arrogance or probing, only a kind of pure, heartfelt appreciation.
Duke stood, extended his hand, and shook his.
"Duke," he said.
At the mont the two hands clasped together, there was a low chorus of gasps around them.
"Lord Visenfels actually took the initiative to greet..."
"Though said, Duke looks so ordinary..."
"I think he’s quite handso, with a restrained charm, quite attractive..."
Adrian ignored the discussions, he released his hand, his eyes still on Duke, his gaze holding a contemplative glow.
"Seven Earth Elent stones," he said, with a hint of admiration in his voice, "Earth elental particles are the hardest to mobilize, yet you managed to absorb seven complete stones and still maintain perfect synchronization..."
He paused.
"You must have High-Level Earth Elent Affinity, right?"
At those words, another wave of gasps swept through the surroundings.
High-Level Elental Affinity.
There was no one present who did not understand the significance of this term.
Ordinary Elental Affinity alone was an attribute most Elental Mages envied greatly.
Because it is a talent, which cannot be acquired through effort.
And High Affinity was a rare ability, one in ten thousand, signifying a person’s near-instinctual resonance with a particular elent.
Adrian himself had High-Level Water-Fire Dual Affinity, enabling him to reach his current phase at the age of twenty-four.
And now, he looked at Duke, his tone so sure it allowed no room for doubt.
Duke was silent for a mont.
He could have denied it, could have brushed it off.
Could have said it was rely good luck, stronger spiritual power, more practice.
But he glanced at Adrian’s grey-blue eyes, suddenly feeling that denying it held no sense.
"Yes," he said.
A simple word.
Yet it was like a pebble thrown into an already uncalm lake.
"High-Level Earth Elent Affinity!"
"My god, another High Affinity..."
"No wonder he could absorb seven stones, with High-Level Earth Affinity, the elental particles must be like seeing a dear one..."
"A talent like this in Black Sail? How co we’ve never heard of it?"
Adrian smiled.
The smile, unlike the previous composed and polite one, was more genuine, a smile from the heart.
"No wonder," he said, "I said, ordinary affinity couldn’t possibly achieve this level."
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