Chapter 30: Excellence!

Once a project is submitted, all that remains is to hope and wait. Handing the mask to Jolord, Richard stood by, anxiously awaiting his evaluation.

The mask had been seamless in its creation, almost too seamless, casting a shadow of doubt in Richard's mind.

Could a wizard's test truly be this simple?

Time seemed to drag, with mere minutes feeling like hours.

"Well done."

Jolord examined the mask, turning it over in his hands.

The white bone mask glowed with a soft luster, and under the light, delicate gray patterns spread like branches within.

The runes on the back were somewhat rudimentary but strategically placed to minimally impact spellcasting.

Jolord nodded; the mask's craftsmanship was impressive for a low-level apprentice. As long as the magic conduction circuit was intact, it qualified as a proper magical item.

A stream of magic flowed from Jolord's fingertip, tracing the mask's conduction circuit and lighting up each rune.

When all the runes were imbued with magic, an intangible mental shockwave burst forth from the mask.

"Hmm?"

Chaxes and Anna voiced their confusion at the unexpected effect.

How could a concealing mask emit a mental shockwave?

More perplexed than his students, Jolord considered the mask's true quality.

"This isn't a substandard piece," Jolord noted, more to himself than to the others.

"Anna, Chaxes, you've been too idle lately," Jolord chided, turning to his bewildered students. "Why didn't you inform me of the design switch?"

Anna, confused, looked at Jolord. She'd been swamped with experiments. Chaxes, though often seen drinking on the fifty-fifth floor, never neglected his own studies and meditations.

"Teacher, I don't understand what you're saying."

"Don't understand?" Jolord scoffed. "A premium Pale Mask? You've put in quite the effort."

Premium? Pale Mask?

Anna and Chaxes exchanged puzzled glances, unsure of their mentor's meaning.

Why would they craft a Pale Mask?

And wasn't the test supposed to involve a concealing mask? How did Richard have a Pale Mask?

Could it be... the mentor gave the wrong test?

Neither were fools; they quickly deduced the error. After a shared look confirming neither was involved, Anna spoke up.

"Teacher, I swear by my sea of soul, I had nothing to do with this magical item."

Swearing by one's sea of soul was a wizard's most solemn vow, rarely invoked except in significant circumstances.

Chaxes echoed, "Teacher, like Anna, I had no involvement. You know my skill level—adequate for standard items, but even with a threat to my life, I couldn't produce a premium magical item."

Hearing his disciples' affirmations, Jolord's expression darkened further.

"Boy, did you make this yourself?"

Richard swallowed nervously, nodding.

From their conversation, it seemed he'd crafted something extraordinary.

"Swear by your sea of soul," Jolord urged, his deep eyes, filled with countless compound eyes, focused intently.

"Before you swear, understand this: breaking such a vow stains your soul, regressing your mental power and hindering your advancement to wizard or master wizard."

Jolord's words served as a caution, but Richard, knowing his work was honest, was undeterred.

"This magical item was crafted by my own hands, without assistance," Richard vowed.

An invisible, faint ripple emanated from his soul, reaching an unknowable place.

Moments passed with no magical disturbance, indicating Richard's mental power hadn't regressed.

"You... truly made it," Jolord murmured, handing the mask to Anna. She tested it, then handed it to Chaxes, both equally astonished.

"How is this possible?"

"A premium Pale Mask! How are the conduction circuits so flawless?" Chaxes exclaimed.

Jolord exhaled. He thought he'd seen it all with prodigies like Anna, Chaxes, and his previous students, each gifted in their own right.

Yet their talents paled beside this mask.

"Richard, do you realize what you've done?" Jolord praised. "The Pale Mask is meant to test intermediate apprentices, yet you've completed it as a newly advanced low-level apprentice, achieving premium quality."

"Even my mentor couldn't achieve this."

The mask returned to Jolord, who inspected it anew, discovering something else.

The materials were surprisingly subpar.

"Can you tell me how you did it?" Jolord inquired, his tone serious. "The python skull's loose structure typically causes mercury conduction circuits to branch, reducing efficiency."

"Traditionally, only mutated python skulls could yield premium Pale Masks. But your mask used ordinary, even inferior, materials. I suspect it's from a juvenile python."

Richard nodded, "You're right; it came from a juvenile."

"So how did you achieve this? I don't demand your secret. By wizardly custom, I'll offer equivalent knowledge in exchange."

Jolord handed Richard a crystal sphere.

Equivalent exchange, an ancient wizard law, forms the foundation of wizard civilization.

"This is the formula for a Focus Potion, which helps wizards physiologically calm down, preventing casting errors from pain or excitement."

"This is a popular item among apprentices," Anna confirmed.

Richard examined the crystal, then spoke to Jolord.

"I made no improvements. If anything, after crafting, I thought the mask was fragile, so I reinforced it with an alchemical enchantment array."

"Enchantment?" Jolord paused, handing Richard the crystal.

With his extensive alchemical experience, Jolord grasped the secret behind Richard's success upon hearing his explanation.

The black mercury, when magically charged, didn't branch out. The enchantment array continually infused magic into the mask, maintaining the mercury's cohesion, preventing branches, and enriching the conduction circuit's surroundings.

This enriched magic transformed the surrounding bone material, preventing branching.

The solution was simple, like a sheet of paper, yet he'd been stuck at the threshold for years.

"This formula is yours. Also, Apprentice Richard, do you agree to become my student, under Jolord Oliva?"