Chapter 38: Assessment Ended, Generous Rewards!

Chapter 38: Chapter 38: Assessment Ended, Generous Rewards!

After assessing the situation, Chen Shang took a deep breath. "I have a way to deal with them, but it’s going to be costly. You two will have to compensate me."

"How much?" Twilight asked straightforwardly.

"A Dragon Blood Crystal. Swear by the Wizard’s Will that each of you owes me a favor!" Chen Shang stated his conditions.

A Dragon Blood Crystal? That was indeed a steep price. Ella and Twilight exchanged a glance. "Fine, but you are not allowed to harm our own interests!"

"No problem!"

Chen Shang waited for the two to swear their oaths, then closed his eyes to remotely control the Ben Bo’Erba above the rift valley—the actual body of Number Three! He had long been on guard against these apprentices who wanted to swoop in and steal the spoils, so Number Three had not participated in the battle from the very beginning. Instead, it had hidden above the rift valley. The Rune Circuit to remotely detonate the Dragon Crystal had also been carved in advance.

A breath later, a burst of dark red light exploded at the top of the rift valley. The Energy contained within the Dragon Crystal was immense. Like a miniature sun detonating, the dark red light spread in all directions from the top of the rift, burning everything in its path. The air, the rocks, and even that pouring pillar of white Energy were burning. The white light was completely swallowed by the dark red.

A short, sharp scream echoed from above the rift valley, followed by a flash of white light. Someone’s Protective Talisman had been triggered! But it wasn’t just one flash. The opportunistic bystanders hiding in the shadows above the rift were caught in the dark red light one after another, their Protective Talismans lighting up in rapid succession. They didn’t even have time to attack or flee. The Dragon Crystal’s explosion was far too fierce and sudden.

Just as these people didn’t waste time with words when launching a sneak attack, Chen Shang was equally swift and decisive when he made his move. The dark red light lasted for about a minute. By the time it faded, there was nothing left above the rift valley but a gray sky and a few wisps of dissipating smoke. It was no less devastating than a small-scale meteor strike.

Chen Shang turned off his protective shield and carefully put it away. Looking at the dissipating smoke above the rift, Ella felt glad she hadn’t turned against him.

"Where did you get that Dragon Crystal?" she asked.

"A friend gave it to me."

Ella was left speechless, wondering what kind of friend would give away something so incredibly valuable.

Before they could talk much more, Twilight suddenly spoke up. "The assessment is about to end."

Before she could even finish her sentence, the Protective Talismans on all three of them lit up simultaneously. They hadn’t been triggered passively; rather, the light actively surged out to envelop each of them, even including the three Ben Bo’Erbas. Chen Shang closed his eyes within the blinding white light.

When the white light dissipated, Chen Shang found himself standing in a grand hall. The domed ceiling was inlaid with glowing Crystal Stones, the floor was paved with solid black Stone Slabs, and the surrounding walls were covered with Rune Plates. Three people sat behind a long table. All of them were First Level Wizards.

In the center sat a man in a white robe, in his early thirties. His hair was a mess, as if he had just woken up. He leaned back in his chair, holding a Crystal Plate and looking down at something. To his left was a woman in a gray robe, her face expressionless. To his right was a young man in a black robe, looking around twenty-seven or twenty-eight.

As Chen Shang entered, all three raised their heads simultaneously. Six eyes locked onto him, scanning him from head to toe.

The white-robed Wizard in the middle spoke. "Starfall Laboratory, Chen Shang?"

"Yes."

"Sit."

The white-robed Wizard waited for Chen Shang to take a seat before setting down the Crystal Plate. "We watched your assessment process. You performed well.

"Now, we need you to explain your assessment design in person—namely, the ’Ben Bo’Erba’ Mechanical Armor you submitted."

The black-robed man on the right smiled and added, "Simply put, it’s a design presentation. Just explain your thought process, how you executed it, and why you did it that way. Make it clear, and don’t be nervous."

Chen Shang took a deep breath. He started from when he was pulled into the Plane Battlefield, how he encountered the Merfolk Race, and how he gained inspiration in the Merfolk Race’s Holy Land. As he spoke, he picked up a rune pen and began sketching and writing on the board.

Listening to his explanation, the three Wizards continuously posed tricky, highly technical questions. Fortunately, Chen Shang wasn’t a useless slacker who relied solely on his Golden Finger to scrape by. He had revised the rune structures for the Ben Bo’Erbas hundreds of times and engraved dozens of finished sets. He could explain those Runes with his eyes closed. From the Rune design to the Energy pathways and the choice of carrier, Chen Shang articulated everything eloquently.

"Four sub-systems, five connection points, and one master switch. A very good concept. The most crucial part is that you managed to connect them into a cohesive whole." The white-robed Wizard sat up slightly straighter. "Especially considering it only took you a year from stepping into the Plane Battlefield to comprehending the Runes. And it took no more than three years to create the final product. That makes it even more commendable!"

Chen Shang didn’t speak. He knew his high efficiency was ultimately due to the system entries. It wasn’t that he had connected four Runes into a whole, but rather that these four Rune abilities naturally belonged to a mythical creature called Ben Bo’Erba to begin with.

The three Wizards exchanged glances. The white-robed Wizard stood up, walked over to the three Ben Bo’Erbas, and carefully inspected the rune engravings on their bodies. Finally, he straightened up and clapped his hands.

"Alright. The Ben Bo’Erba Mechanical Armor has passed the review.

"You have a real talent for Biological Runes. Are you interested in working for me?"

Chen Shang wondered if he was being poached. He didn’t dare to agree blindly and quickly replied, "I am an Apprentice under Lord Haimer..."

"Hahaha, don’t be nervous. I was just asking," the white-robed Wizard laughed. He then began to scan Chen Shang’s body to record his information.

[First Level Apprentice, Chen Shang. Affiliation: Starfall Laboratory.

Constitution: 23 degrees

Spirit: 17 degrees

Magic Power: 19 degrees

Elemental Affinity: Fire, Water, Earth, Wind...

Specialty: Biological Rune Construction

Overall Evaluation: Excellent.]

"From today onward, you are a First Level Apprentice recognized by the Pan-Wizard Alliance," the white-robed Wizard said. He then took a silver badge from a drawer and pushed it in front of Chen Shang.

The badge was only the size of a fingernail, engraved with a book and an eye. They represented the two ideals pursued by Ancient Wizards: the Book of Wisdom and the Eye of Truth.

"Thank you!" Chen Shang pinned the badge to his chest as the Wizard spoke again.

"There is one more thing. You performed exceptionally well in this assessment, ranking first among the nearby laboratories. Is there any reward you would like?"

There were rewards too? Taken aback, Chen Shang fell into deep thought. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity; he definitely couldn’t waste this reward on basic Materials.

A moment later, he raised his head. "My lord, I would like a piece of Space Equipment."

The Wizard raised an eyebrow. "A piece of Space Equipment? Acceptable. Do you have any specific requirements?"

It could even be customized? Chen Shang felt a surge of joy. After some thought, he stated his request, "Ideally, the exterior should look like a book, with every page acting as a separate spatial compartment."

The white-robed Wizard saw through Chen Shang’s intentions at a glance. "You want to store your Biological Mechanical Armors?"