Chapter 87 – Competition
Competition
“The registration area is just ahead!”
After walking through the garden zone, Bicky took the initiative to familiarize Leylin with the registration area.
“The academy competitions are split into many categories. There are some potion brewing ones, some for harvesting plants, and other lesser known subjects. However, the liveliest event is still the fighting competition. Any acolyte is able to join, and the reward is the most generous!”
“Although the acolytes are able to participate in many events, Professor Kroft said that you had better join the potion brewing event!”
Bicky looked at Leylin, not masking her worried expression.
“Don’t worry; I am only prepared to join the potion brewing event!” Leylin smiled as he consoled Bicky.
Leylin did not want to compete head on with those genius fifth-grade acolytes. Behind them were the support of many professors, and they would definitely carry magic artifacts with them.
Moreover, the battle prize was not attractive to him at all. This prize was obviously prepared as a final chance to give to those average acolytes.
Although Leylin came only as a mere formality, naturally he had to choose the simplest way to do it.
The front of the education area was lined with several black desks. The banner behind them had words like Potioneering and Fighting.
Many acolytes were crowding around the tables to register.
Looking on, it seemed like they were acolytes who had recently rushed back to the academy.
Leylin thought for a while before directly registering for the Potioneering battle.
“Hold on to this! Your assigned number is 32, and the competition will start tomorrow afternoon at 3 o’clock. Please be punctual and come to the large hall in experiment zone 13 in order to participate!”
The administrative staff wearing grey robes handed a parchment paper over to Leylin, and also routinely gave him a numbered card.
“Next!”
With the impatient voice of the grey-robed person sounding, Leylin rubbed his nose, shook his head, and walked away.
“Let’s go to the restaurant to celebrate!” Leylin said to Bicky, who was beside him.
“It’s better if I pay for it, as a celebration for us meeting again after such a long time!” Bicky’s face revealed a joyous expression.
……
On the second day, Leylin arrived 5 minutes earlier at Hall 13.
At this moment, many Potioneering acolytes were already waiting here. Some recognised Leylin and smiled as they greeted him while some faces were extremely unfamiliar.
This was not strange, as most magicians holed themselves up, often staying in their experiment labs to conduct experiments, especially those who practiced Potioneering and Alchemy.
Merlin and Bicky also entered the crowd, smiling at Leylin.
* Ding Ling Ling! * With a crisp bell sound, a black-robed figure emerged from the crowd.
“Official Magus!” Leylin exclaimed silently. Although he was not the same as before, compared to an official Magus, he was still an ant.
The A.I. Chip was also helpless, as it was blocked by the defensive force field surrounding the official Magus.
“All of you, enter the main hall and go to your respective allocated areas as is indicated by your card number. I will only wait for 5 minutes, and those who aren’t there by then will be immediately disqualified!”
The black robed figure’s voice was extremely hoarse and unpleasing to the ears.
After finishing his speech, the black-robed Magus shook his robe, and his body split apart, turning into innumerable bats, which flew away.
The acolytes that were present looked each other in the eye.
* Bang! * Not knowing who made the first move, the whole hall clamoured and squeezed through into the main hall.
Although Leylin was not in a hurry, his body was involuntarily pushed into the hall with the crowd.
With a great effort, he managed to get to his experiment table.
The number 32 was scribbled on the corner of a pure white table. There were also a few herbs, ingredients and a piece of parchment paper on the table. With just a whiff Leylin knew that these were the necessary ingredients for a healing potion.
“Five minutes are up, any acolyte who has not found their place is deemed disqualified!”
The black robed Magus’ voice sounded again. At the same time, there were cries from many acolytes.
Leylin saw an unlucky fellow beside him, who was just one step away from his table, grabbed by a black bat and thrown outside of the hall.
“The topic, this time, is to brew a healing potion! The formula and ingredients are on the experiment table, and you will have 3 hours….”
After dealing with the group of disqualified acolytes, the black robed Magus’ voice sounded yet again.
“Your every move is under my vigilance, so do not try to cheat your way through it. If not, I will educate you on a lesson of blood!”
“As expected!” Leylin picked up the parchment paper, and it was indeed the formula of a healing potion.
“Such an elementary potion like this, I have brewed it so many times that I could vomit !”
Leylin felt extremely frustrated, but he still skillfully picked up a beaker…
To an outsider, Leylin’s every movement now was textbook standard. His arms were strong, and they did not quiver. During the process of brewing, every action was filled with a unique aesthetic movement.
* Drip! *
A drop of green liquid was placed into a test tube, and the whole test tube momentarily turned red.
“It’s completed!” Leylin looked at the A.I. Chip’s recording time, “1 hour 20 minutes? It seems like I have become a little bit rusty!”
“En! Very good, it’s completed!”
A black bat immediately flew onto Leylin’s experiment table and scrutinised Leylin’s potion.
“Sir!” Leylin hurriedly bowed.
“I recognise you! Aren’t you Leylin? The apprentice of that old geezer Kroft! The heavens are really unfair; he already had such an outstanding apprentice, Merlin, yet now, it even sent you to him….”
The bat seemed to recognise Kroft, and muttered by the side. Leylin maintained his silence throughout.
Leylin had no thoughts of establishing a relationship with a Magus, and he did not have the ability to do so either.
“Alright! Let me sniff the potion!
It could be seen that after seeing Leylin keep his silence like a log, the bat cursed for a while before suddenly speaking.
Leylin opened the plug on the test tube and placed it below the bat’s head.
“En! Healing potion! The quality is excellent! Kiddo, you have passed!”
The bat somewhat regretfully flew away, and let off an unpleasant voice, “Leylin! Consider changing professors and joining me….”
Towards this, Leylin could only smile wryly.
……
The Potioneering competition carried on for two days and one night.
Fortunately, the acolytes could all manipulate the energy particles to strengthen their bodies, so they could endure throughout the entirety of the competition.
Leylin had also been brewing potions in these two days.
Along with the intensity of the competition, the topics given by the academy became more and more difficult. Bicky had already been eliminated in the third round. At the very end, they moved on to beginner potions.
Through these series of tests, Leylin distinguished himself above the rest, and stormed through the competition with his senior, Merlin.
As for the contents of the finals, it was to brew a Hofdor’s Water of Radiance. This was a kind of healing potion that was able to treat injuries caused by negative energy spells. Even amongst the beginner potions, it was known to be extremely difficult to brew.
Although Leylin had the confidence to brew it successfully with the A.I. Chip, for concealment reasons, he spontaneously pretended to make a mistake, and lost to Merlin, taking second place.
Deep in the night, Leylin returned to his dorm, and tossed the second prize reward, a Fiery Combustion Potion, aside.
This type of attack potion had a might of 8 to 9 degrees, which could be considered to be an extremely remarkable trump card for a level 3 acolyte. However, it was not worthy in Leylin’s eyes.
Since a year ago, he could already brew a potion like this on his own.
“It’s finally over. What’s left is to wholeheartedly prepare for the secret plane bloodbath!”
Concerning the bloodbath between the few academies, it couldn’t just be glossed over hastily like the academy competitions.
Even during the intra-school fighting competition, there was only a loss of a few acolytes’ lives due to mishaps.
However, during the bloodbath, it was two against one, and their enemy’s goal was to eradicate the Abyssal Bone Forest Academy.
* Dong Dong Dong! *
While deep in thought, Leylin heard a knocking noise outside the door.
“Who is it? It’s so late already!” Leylin was rather unhappy as he opened the door.
“It’s me!” Outside the door, there was a girl wrapped in a cloak, and her voice sounded coquettish.
“You are… Bic…” Before Leylin could finish, his lips were already sealed. The door closed and the cloak slipped off, revealing an ample yet provocative and naked body.
“This is… What’s happening?”
After Leylin recovered his senses, he was already lying on his own bed, with a girl continuously writhing on top of him.
Feeling the pleasure underneath his body, Leylin resisted his urges and temptation to touch Bicky’s waist, which made her stop in her movements, “Why are you doing this?”
“Because… I can’t think of a better way to console you! Leylin! Don’t be upset! The loss is only temporary…”
Bicky pouted lovably.
“I…”
Leylin was extremely at a loss for words. If he could look in the mirror, he would definitely be putting on a wry smile.
He deliberately lost on purpose, yet he did not think that this silly girl Bicky would actually be fooled by him. Thinking that he would be devastated, she offered herself to ‘console’ him.
At the same time, Leylin lost all his hopes towards the wanton practices in this world.
“Alright then! How about Fayle? Aren’t you his girlfriend?”
Leylin asked.
“He wouldn’t know. Besides, before marriage, I have my freedom!” Bicky revealed a coquettish smile and gradually started to thrust her waist again.
“So then, what happens after marriage?” Leylin was somewhat unhappy and quickened his motions.
The delicate beauty panted for a while before speaking with great effort, “Ma… After marriage, I have to guard my body for Fayle!”
Leylin then performed another deep penetrating thrust, which made Bicky moan with a shrill voice. She then collapsed in Leylin’s embrace, as if all the bones in her body were removed.
“You are really… Alright then! After I have borne a child for Fayle and confirmed with a blood test, whenever you want it, you can look for me…”
Bicky’s face blushed, and buried her head in Leylin’s arms.
“What is this? I let Fayle wear a green hat in advance?”
Leylin thought at the back of his mind, as his hands involuntarily grabbed on Bicky’s peaks of abundance, and began to move wildly.
In the morning, Leylin stroked the bare body of the girl, and he did not know whether to laugh or cry, “I never thought that I would become a friend with benefits….”