From dawn's first light to the twilight's descent, after an entire day's long wait, the Alchemy Competition is finally nearing its end.
For most people in the audience, they almost forgot why they came here today; the day felt more like camping than watching a competition.
Later on, the organizers set up soundproof spells over the audience boxes, so that as long as the curtains were drawn, no matter how loud they were inside, they wouldn't disturb the contestants competing below.
Aside from the FMC salesmen, who made a fortune during this period, some people did find the trip worthwhile—
They met people they always wanted to know, achieved some lucrative collaborations, or received some significant invitations.
After all, in this competition, except for those accompanying the judges and contestants, the rest of the audience were there due to their remarkable status, incredible wealth, or profound knowledge, thus earning their invitation.
In a relaxed atmosphere, a massive bell suddenly tolled, waking many people from their slumber. Pulling open the box curtains, they saw Harris energetically jumping onto the stage again, opening his arms and loudly saying:
"Ladies and gentlemen, after a long wait, the competition is finally about to end!"
Behind him stood a clock over three meters tall, its hands ticking away, showing that only thirty seconds remained until the competition concluded.
The FMC staff in blue uniforms hurriedly pressed a button, barely missing Harris's latter words.
—Since the competition was so dull, shortly after the opening ceremony, the Flow Mirror started broadcasting more interesting programs, but on the giant screen at the venue, it was always the contestants diligently refining their creations.
In the next second, numerous boxes opened their curtains, all laziness and leisure instantly dissipated, and the audience sat up straight, their eyes uniformly fixed on the arena below, which had been silent for so long, as excitement and anticipation reignited in their eyes.
The curiosity accumulated during the long wait reached its peak at this moment; everyone hoped to see something different.
"It's finally ending!"
"Look, it seems they've all finished!"
"Isn't there someone still busy over there?"
"I wonder whose work is the best?"
"Now, at this moment!" Harris shouted loudly, "We will see the answer to this competition! The wisdom and sweat of the contestants have solidified into the miraculous creations before them!"
"Ding dong, ding dong, ding dong..."
The dense sound of hammering almost merged into one, as the last contestant who hadn't finished their work frantically swung a hammer, sweat splashing, his expression fierce, with golden sparks flying everywhere, causing the silver-haired girl nearest to him to frown and dodge.
Harris raised his arm high, "There's only one last contestant who hasn't finished yet, let's count down together for him—10, 9, 8..."
"7, 6, 5, 4..."
The audience also grew excited, many standing in their box doors, raising their arms and shouting the countdown, while others loudly said, "It's too late, give up!"
Vid leaned back in his chair, gently tapping the armrest with his fingers, watching the shirtless contestant hammering intensely, and silently counting down in his heart.
"3, 2, 1..."
Finally, as "1" was shouted in unison by the entire audience, the burly man seemed to tremble slightly, tossing the hammered metal into a nearby water tank.
"Dong—dong—dong—"
Along with a "hiss—", thick white smoke arose from the water tank, and the competition-ending bell finally rang.
The man with a full beard let out a long breath of relief, leaning weakly against the workbench, his hands still trembling slightly.
"Ah... lucky, so lucky!" Harris bounced excitedly and said, "Obviously, our contestant Klafchuk still managed to finish his project on time! In the last second! It's truly a miracle!"
"Now, let's invite our panel of judges to inspect and evaluate the contestants' works! First, our first contestant—Dalia Rostigo!"
The silver-haired girl stepped forward, holding a silver-gray robe, looking stern and confident as she said:
"Esteemed judges, the work I present is an extreme cold-resistant robe, capable of withstanding low-temperature environments. The main materials used are the fur of Ice Wolves, spider silk from Acromantula, whale blubber from the Arctic Ocean, and hair from the Japanese Yeti... The spells are Hardening, Stasis, and Accommodation..."
After the contestant briefly introduced her work, Fontana enthusiastically turned to the others: "Interesting concept, what do you all think?"
Professor Morry nodded, "Russian Wizards have extensive experience in resisting the cold, I believe Miss Rostigo's work will not fail. However, the effectiveness needs to be verified later."
"Of course, that's for sure."
Fontana nodded, waving his magic wand, making the robe float in front of everyone. Except for Vid, the judges one after another cast detecting spells, causing the robe to shimmer with glows.
"Under the Freezing Spell, the internal temperature is basically constant," Fontana nodded and said.
Professor Morry also showed appreciation, "Though nominally it can counteract extreme cold, since it maintains a constant internal temperature, it should also be highly adaptable if placed in a hot environment."
Abdullah said slowly, "There's no delay... although it's a robe, the head and feet are within the protective range, which is very good..."
Ms. Picquery praised, "The completion is impeccable, and the robe's form is very practical."
"Stable... very stable... the effect might last for decades?" Hawthorne nodded approvingly, then suddenly raised a question, "With such high completion and stability, I guess this isn't your first time refining such a robe?"
Dalia was slightly tense, then calmed down and said, "Indeed, similar robes are quite common in my country, but I've also incorporated my own designs into this piece—the robe continuously adjusts to the most suitable temperature according to the external environment, and also features simple transfiguration abilities."
"Oh?" Several judges were surprised and cast spells to inspect again.
Then, Hawthorne and Ms. Picquery both laughed, while Professor Morry turned to say, "Vid, you should take a look."
Vid hesitated, "But I'm the judge for the Poppet-specific competition..."
This was also the reason he hadn't cast any spells to inspect before.
"It's alright, this piece is an exception," Hawthorne leaned on the table with his arms, looked at Vid across three people, and said with a smile, "You have the right to make an assessment."
Vid waved his magic wand, the light fell on the robe, and then he raised his eyebrows slightly, looking at contestant Dalia with some surprise.
The parts designed by Dalia herself clearly incorporated the recent popular designs of Anti-Curse Vests and Poppets, both of which were directly related to Vid.
Dalia pressed her lips tightly, silently watching the judges.
Vid remained silent for a moment, then revealed a faint smile, "Though the designs are somewhat similar, these spells aren't my original creations. On the contrary, I'm glad my work can provide some inspiration to other alchemists."
Before his voice fell, several of the older judges began to smile.
Alchemy, in itself, is a process of continuous learning and imitation. Such matters can be taken very seriously if calculated, but if not, it's just an interesting form of remote exchange and learning.
Then, Hawthorne looked at Dalia and said, "Despite that, concerning 'innovation', I'll deduct some points for you... Of course, this is just my personal opinion, not representing other judges' thoughts."
Dalia nodded slightly and said with some disappointment, "That is proper... I can accept it."