In the brief moment after Dalia left and the next contestant prepared to showcase his work, Professor Morry slightly turned his head, his gaze falling on Vid with a subtle smile.
Vid noticed his gaze and asked quietly with a hint of confusion, "Professor... Was there anything wrong with what I said earlier?"
Professor Morry gently shook his head, the smile in his eyes deepening.
Speaking in a low voice as if sharing a secret, he said, "Being imitated... or rather having your ideas borrowed, is itself a strong testament to an alchemist's excellence..."
He chuckled, "I originally worried that sitting here, someone might question your abilities, but now it seems that's not the case... What's it like, Vid, to be emulated by those two or three times your age?"
Vid didn't speak; a strange feeling suddenly welled up within his heart.
This was unlike when someone tried to counterfeit his Friendship Book or mimic his Poppet.
This time, it was another exceedingly outstanding alchemist studying something more intrinsic and personal from him, like thoughts... methods... that sort of thing.
"Good evening, judges." The second contestant took the stage and said, "I want to present a set of tools meant for dealing with corrosive environments, including a magic potion that forms a protective layer on the skin when ingested, and a respirator that filters out toxic substances..."
This man from Australia proceeded to showcase his work, with Professor Morry watching him warmly, his heart yet filled with indescribable joy and pride.
Though he had long known Vid's innate talent was extraordinary, surpassing his peers, each new piece of evidence that attested to it—whether an astonishing result directly shown by Vid or praise from others—felt like a delightful surprise that filled him with joy.
Before Vid appeared, who else had ever made him feel such delight?
Ah... Not that there was none... It had to be Steven during his younger years...
When that child was small, his gaze was clear and bright, as adorable as an angel... Every time he heard someone praising Steven's cuteness, Professor Morry as a father felt as if honey was filling his heart.
Pity it didn't last long, as Steven's stature grew rapidly like a moose, and his once-adorable son was lost forever...
"...That's all the magic spells and materials I used!"
The second contestant, Ben Carter, confidently finished speaking, wearing an expression of certainty, stood tall and proudly accepted the scrutiny of the judges.
Despite some nerves, a glance at the silver-haired Professor Morry instantly inflated his confidence!
That professor... had been looking at him with gentle and gratified eyes, surely thinking his work was very excellent?
Ben Carter strived to keep his lips from curling too noticeably.
"Well then, Mr. Bent, shall we proceed with a practical test of its effectiveness?" Ms. Picquery asked slowly.
"Of course! Ma'am! Absolutely no problem!"
Ben Carter decisively drank the magic potion, donned the respirator and goggles, and finally took out a magic plane capable of dispelling fog, providing light, and scouting ahead, loudly saying, "I am ready, esteemed judges."
Silas Hawthorne's mouth twitched slightly, unsure how to evaluate—this contestant, why not just buy a set of Muggle protective wear? That plane also seemed like a child's toy...
Bastian Abdullah raised his magic wand with an expressionless face, and with a "poof" sound, a thick green fog suddenly spewed from the tip, directly engulfing Ben Carter.
Ben Carter didn't flinch at all, loudly saying, "What a potent corrosive gas! But I'm completely... uh huh?"
"Thud!"
The silhouette inside the fog fell straight down, seemingly having no struggle.
Professor Abdullah quickly waved his magic wand, dispersing the fog, revealing Ben Carter lying on the ground with glowing green skin, eyes rolled back, his facial isolation layer damaged extensively, causing his skin and lips to begin festering.
The healer quickly ran forward, carrying him off the field in absolute silence.
Afterward, someone couldn't hold back and snickered, followed by hearty laughter erupting throughout the audience, even the surrounding staff joined in laughter.
Once the laughter subsided, the judges presented their evaluations—
"The filtering efficiency is too low... barely thirty percent?"
"Indeed. And it has no adaptive capability at all."
"Actually, the isolation layer was rather decent, blocking the toxic gas from his body, but the stability was poor, especially the crucial head area lost protection..."
After discussing it among themselves, they cautiously wrote down each of their opinions.
The Alchemy Competition doesn't operate like a real exam where scores are immediately given at the end.
In reality, the judges wait until all contestants have showcased their work before assigning appropriate scores based on the pieces presented.
After the laughter faded, subsequent contestants performed routinely—the robe and cloak designs were most popular, likely because both offered comprehensive protection more easily.
And then there was the contestant who hammered away until the end, creating a set of full body plate armor over three meters tall, even partially covering the eyes.
"Combating deep-sea pressure, neither robes nor cloaks would suffice, even with magic it's difficult."
The contestant spoke in a deep voice, "To handle such an environment, there are no shortcuts, no tricks, only absolute strength and flawless defense! Using the hardest materials and heaviest structures."
"Wait, Victor Kravchuk," Fontana rubbed his brow as if he had a headache, looking up to ask with a sigh, "I understand your choice to create plate armor, but... what about the magic? Besides blacksmithing, what alchemy are you showcasing?"
Without magic, that thing placed under the sea is hardly different from a steel coffin?
"I'm sorry, esteemed judges."
Contestant Kravchuk lowered his head, remorseful, saying, "I originally intended to create a poppet that could cooperate with a concealed wizard inside, but... ran out of time."
"The competition time wasn't announced just this morning, so why didn't you choose a piece you could realistically finish?" Abdullah asked.
"I..." Victor Kravchuk said bashfully, "I realized halfway through that this was an issue, but by then it was too late."
The judges: "..."
They recalled the hammer that swung relentlessly to the end, and then looked at the shocking height of the plate armor, simultaneously thinking, "Halfway done? You should've considered in the design phase—that finishing it in time was impossible!"
After a couple of contestants passed, Vid encountered his first situation needing work—the contestant brought along a poppet capable of walking all over the ground.