Chapter383-The Enlightenment Competition
Daniel’s sudden performance left everyone in the room utterly stunned.
Who could have imagined that someone could break through two entire ranks in an instant?
This level of strength…
It was beyond comprehension.
Even if placed…
No, no matter where one placed him, this would unquestionably be considered the work of a once-in-a-lifetime genius!
Breaking through ranks seemed as natural to him as eating or drinking. If this wasn’t genius, what else could it be?
Because of this, no one doubted Daniel when he nonchalantly said he’d casually claim first place in the competition.
They knew Daniel truly had the ability to make that happen.
“Well… there’s no need to aim for first. Just making it to the top ten is enough,” Dixon said at this moment.
Now that Daniel had revealed his astonishing talent, Dixon didn’t want to put too much pressure on him.
“Don’t worry, it’s in the bag.”
Daniel smiled confidently.
Then, turning his gaze to Ed and Betsy, who were still dumbfounded, he said:
“You two, are you still planning to be my apprentices? All day long, you’re out running around aimlessly. Half the time, I can’t even find either of you, and when I need help, no one’s around.”
With that, Daniel left the room.
Ed and Betsy were still in a daze.
What had just happened? Weren’t they talking about winning the competition?
Why had the topic suddenly shifted to them? Discover more content at My Virtual Library Empire
They hadn’t done anything wrong!
Was not bothering Daniel somehow a problem too?
At that moment, Dixon spoke up behind them:
“You two fools! Hurry and follow him!”
“Master Daniel is about to teach you something valuable!”
Hearing this, the two finally realized the meaning behind Daniel’s words and quickly ran after him, disappearing from the room.
Watching this scene, Dixon smiled warmly.
Then, suddenly, he burst into laughter.
“Hahaha… Isn’t this what they call good karma?”
Over the next few days, Daniel began looking into the so-called Enlightenment Competition.
The competition was hosted by a faction known as Thousand Suns Hall.
This faction was considered one of the most prestigious and powerful groups within a hundred-mile radius.
Even the mages surrounding Greenstone City viewed joining Thousand Suns Hall as a source of immense pride.
Naturally, the Enlightenment Competition hosted by Thousand Suns Hall attracted numerous participants.
This competition was regarded as a potential stepping stone into Thousand Suns Hall itself.
Many people were eager to participate, even if their chances were slim. That faint glimmer of hope was something they couldn’t bear to give up.
This time, the turnout was even greater, with competition fiercer than ever.
The primary reason for this surge in interest was a rumor that had somehow spread before the competition.
According to the rumor, another, even more powerful faction was secretly watching this year’s Enlightenment Competition from behind the scenes.
If someone performed exceptionally well, they might catch the attention of this mysterious, powerful faction.
Thousand Suns Hall was already considered a dominant force in the region. If there was truly an even more powerful entity behind them…
That single rumor was enough to draw in countless hopefuls.
“Teacher, there are more and more people in Greenstone City these days,” Betsy said.
“It seems like this year’s Enlightenment Competition has attracted a lot of people!”
“There are only three days left until it starts. Shouldn’t we start making some preparations as well?”
Betsy’s eagerness mirrored her father’s.
Daniel had already seen this same behavior in Dixon a week ago. At that time, Daniel had simply told him to relax and leave everything to him.
Now, with Betsy displaying a similar attitude, Daniel responded in the same calm tone:
“Relax. There’s nothing to worry about.”
At that moment, Daniel was sitting under a tree, leisurely trimming his fingernails.
“I’m preparing right now, actually.”
Betsy stared at Daniel in astonishment.
You call this preparation?
This wasn’t…
“Teacher, aren’t you just trimming your nails? How is this preparation?”
Betsy was so exasperated she nearly jumped out of her seat.
But Daniel remained as unhurried as ever and replied:
“Since this Enlightenment Competition is a grand event, I naturally need to present myself well. I can’t have our forge’s reputation tarnished, can I?”
“So, how can this not count as preparation?”
Daniel looked at Betsy as he asked this.
“But this…”
Who was going to look at your fingernails during the competition?!
Daniel merely smiled and didn’t continue explaining.
After finishing his grooming, he tossed the nail clipper to Betsy.
Betsy caught the nail clipper, planning to return it to Daniel’s room.
However, the moment she took a closer look at the nail clipper, she couldn’t tear her eyes away.
What she noticed wasn’t the nail clipper itself or its function, but the forging techniques that had gone into creating it!
The craftsmanship exhibited by this nail clipper was breathtaking.
Daniel smiled as he saw Betsy frozen in place.
That nail clipper, of course, wasn’t just any ordinary tool.
Though he had genuinely been trimming his nails, Daniel had infused the nail clipper with countless forging techniques.
If Betsy could fully comprehend the skills embedded in that nail clipper, she would easily reach the same level of mastery as her father—and earn the title of master.
Over the past few days, Daniel had been teaching Betsy and Ed quite a lot.
Every lesson was packed with valuable knowledge, a token of appreciation for Dixon’s kindness.
Initially, Daniel hadn’t been particularly fond of Dixon.
After all, the man had always seemed eager to extract as much as he could from him.
Even when Dixon had sent over three apprentices, Daniel hadn’t paid much attention to them.
But the recent incident with Artisan’s Sanctuary made Daniel realize something.
Though Dixon could be a bit overbearing at times, he was, at his core, a good person.
To have gone to such lengths for Daniel’s sake…
How could Daniel allow him to be humiliated?
This was Daniel’s way of returning the favor.
“Alright, take it and study it carefully. It’s yours now.”
Daniel addressed Betsy, snapping her out of her daze.
“Thank you, Teacher!”
Then, as if remembering something, Betsy asked:
“By the way, Teacher, are you sure you’re not going to make any other preparations? Lately, I’ve noticed that many participants have been buying those Magic Array Cores… shouldn’t you get one too?”
Magic Array Cores were essentially activation devices, but their value lay in the magic arrays they contained.
Some magic arrays could temporarily boost one’s comprehension abilities, making them highly useful for the Enlightenment Competition.
Interestingly, Thousand Suns Hall didn’t prohibit the use of such items, which were almost like legal cheats.
As a result, most participants purchased Magic Array Cores to give themselves an edge.
Wealthier contestants even splurged on higher-quality cores.
“Oh, that? I’m broke.”
Daniel replied casually.
For one, he really didn’t have much money.
Magic Array Cores weren’t cheap, and during his time in Greenstone City—just over a month—he had barely managed to save up for a single mana stone.
Buying a Magic Array Core was out of the question.
Of course, the other reason was that Daniel didn’t think it was necessary.
For someone like him, participating in the Enlightenment Competition was already akin to unfair domination.
In the entire New God Realm, no one could match Daniel’s comprehension of the rules.