Liam raised his hand as all 39 other contestants on the platform turned to look at him.


    "That''s me, Senior."


    The three examiners narrowed their eyes as they observed Liam, none of them able to believe that this young man was only a 9-Star Spirit Lord. The enchantment Liam had inscribed on a sword was so perfect that it had reached the high-quality level!


    How difficult was it to reach the top of a class? Less than 10% of professionals in a class could produce items of the same class and high-quality!


    Typically, only a professional of the highest class would have a good chance of producing high-quality items on the first try.


    But Liam clearly had only two Spirits in his soul, and his apparent cultivation level was 9-Star. Judging by his appearance, he was young and hadn''t yet had the time to become a Third Class Runemaster.


    The chief examiner then asked Liam, "How far have you progressed in your studies? Have you begun to learn the Pinewing Combination?"


    The Pinewing Combination was the main textbook for Third Class Runemasters.


    "I''ve started studying it, but I haven''t put the theories into practice yet, Senior."


    The three evaluators understood Liam''s situation and realized that they had an outstanding talent who had begun studying Third Class before even receiving his Second Class certification!


    The three examiners were convinced that if Liam had indeed begun studying Third Class material, the exceptional quality of his incantation made sense. They then shifted their focus to the other enchanted artifacts in their hands.


    Among Liam''s 39 competitors, only five understood the chief examiner''s question, looking at him and the stage referee with sharp, impressed eyes.


    "How is this possible?" one man who had revised his bet with Ann asked, his face pale.


    Ann herself was surprised by Liam''s answer. ''It seems he started studying Third Class in secret… Maybe he''ll become a Third Class Runemaster before I do.''


    Ann felt a sense of urgency growing in her heart. She had already begun studying the Pinewing Combination, but lacked the cultivation to apply what she had learned. Without becoming a third realm cultivator, she couldn''t become a Third Class Runemaster!


    ''I will use the merit points Liam will grant me today to enhance my cultivation. The most important thing is to become a Spirit Earth cultivator as soon as possible. I can''t let Liam surpass me so easily!''


    While spectators and competitors pondered over him, Liam recovered some of his mana during the three-minute break. But soon, the stage referee would start the second test of the exam, drawing the attention of all his competitors away from him, even as the spectators and examiners continued to scrutinize him.


    Runemasters who passed could take their enchanted items home, according to the rules of the certification test. This was why Liam had chosen the sword, his favorite weapon, along with the bow and arrow.


    The bow and arrow were remarkable for combining two distinct pieces. With these, he could implement a rune system split between them, creating a truly challenging Second Class item.


    For the bow, besides the runes for absorbing mana and connecting with the user, Liam wanted three key characteristics for the weapon''s structure. First, super resistance, ensuring the artifact could withstand repeated use without losing its properties. Second, highly efficient elastic energy transformation, to transfer the bow''s energy to the arrow, increasing its speed and attack power.


    Third, a special sight capable of defining the target with high precision for shots.


    For the arrow he would enchant in the ultimate test, Liam planned to use special runes. The arrow wouldn''t need a rune to bind it to its user, but it would require one to absorb mana. It also needed to strengthen its structure, as its normal construction couldn''t endure the combined effects of the bow and impact with targets.


    In short, if the arrow''s body wasn''t super-strong, it might break with a single shot. Even if the shot didn''t destroy it, it could break upon striking an enemy wearing armor.


    In addition to resistance, it would be beneficial if the arrow could penetrate mana barriers and have a paralyzing effect or even poison its target.


    Arrows were long-range weapons, meaning their target could be some distance away from the shooter. If the shot wasn''t lethal, it could allow the target to escape. Therefore, having effects to stun or gradually incapacitate the target was helpful for users of this type of weapon.


    As Liam approached the end of the second test, he had less than 50% of his mana remaining. He was already contemplating the next test, but not in as good a condition as when he began the certification. This was like his competitors, some of whom were already showing signs of struggling to complete the next and final phase of the exam.


    Giles, for instance, was so pale that he looked as if he might faint at any moment!


    Fred was still standing but extremely sweaty, his eyes now focused on the upcoming challenge.


    Liam glanced around while the examiners evaluated the incantations from the second test. He noticed some participants appeared less fatigued than he was, likely showing his lack of experience in the profession.


    ''Everyone gave their best in the first test. But the truth will reveal itself in the third test. Those who falter in the quality of their incantations will quickly drop in the rankings, while those who remain steadfast will maintain or even improve their positions.''


    He looked over and saw the ranking with the names of the top ten disciples in today''s exam at the end of the second test.


    [1st] [Liam Porter] [185]


    [2nd] [Isaac Oliver] [171]


    [3rd] [Aphra Munn] [163]


    ...


    [10th] [Martha McFadden] [141]


    In the first test, Liam scored an incredible 100 out of 100, the highest score of the test by over 15 points ahead of Isaac, the second highest score of the test so far.


    In the second test, Liam scored 85 points, while Isaac, his main temporary rival, scored 86 points, beating himself compared to the first round and beating Liam in the second round!


    The two glanced at each other reflexively, both thinking the same thing.


    ''He''s going to decline in this last test.''


    Not only did they think this, but the other competitors in the top ten believed that everyone would score lower in the third test than in the first two. Whoever minimized their drop could approach the top 3, given the small score differences among the top 10.


    For Isaac and Liam, with 14 points separating them, that number lingered in their minds.


    ''Considering how many points he lost in the second test, he is not experienced with Second Class runes. He''ll probably decline even more in the next test, likely scoring 60 to 70 points. In that case, I need to score between 75 and 85 points!''


    Isaac clenched his fists as he waited for the stage referee to signal the start of the third and final round. Despite his improvement in the second test, he didn''t expect to maintain the same performance now that he had only half his mana left.


    The three-minute break wasn''t enough for him or his opponents to fully recover, so they were all certain to lose points on the next score.


    ''80 points are realistic. I can do it!'' The experienced 8-Star Spirit Lord, who had been a Runemaster for about a year, relied on his skills as the referee signaled the start of the third round.


    As the 40 people began, Ann and her colleagues were almost certain that Liam would finish in the top 3. For him to fail, he would have to score minus 40 points in the final incantation, which meant producing something of low-quality and having his opponents maintain their performance, something difficult.


    Liam was unaware of what others thought of him and continued with his aim, soon beginning to inscribe the simplest runes on the body of the arrow.


    With only two minutes left in the third test, the first contestants who couldn''t endure any longer fainted or vomit in their seats, unable to complete the test.


    Giles was among those who disqualified themselves, unable to withstand the pressure of performing Second Class incantations and passing out while feeling ill.


    Virginia fared better than Giles, but she also couldn''t finish the test. She failed to complete her incantation during the inscription of the third rune. Her attempt nearly disrupted some nearby competitors when her work exploded, damaging the artifact and disturbing the surrounding mana.


    Liam, who was close to Virginia, contained the effects of her failure. At a crucial moment, however, he sensed something amiss as a tiny needle was hurled toward the tip of his brush.


    Fred broke out in a cold sweat from his desperate attempt, but he had underestimated the seriousness of the Runemasters Association examiners. This wasn''t merely a Demon Gate test, and just as his needle was about to reach Liam, one of the three fourth realm examiners intercepted it in the path of the blond boy''s throw.


    "Daring!" The Spirit Sky cultivator, dressed in black and unmasked, exclaimed as the pressure of his aura knocked Fred over, causing him to faint instantly with white foam forming at his mouth.


    "Disciple number 31 attempted to interfere with the results of a competitor''s test. He is disqualified and will be banned from further association tests for the next 6 months as punishment!" The stage referee announced, prompting several competitors to stop what they were doing to look at Fred.


    Liam shook his head as he watched the hall staff remove Fred''s unconscious body, not expecting such intervention on his behalf. ''I almost had to use my staff.'' He redirected his mana from his spatial ring back to the brush in his dominant hand.


    Having escaped the problem, Liam ignored the competitors in the top 5, who regretted the examiner''s intervention. Those contemplating underhanded tactics abandoned their foolish ideas and focused on the last minutes of the exam.


    Of the original 40 contestants, 26 successfully completed their Second Class enchantments by the end of the third and final test.


    After presenting their crafted artifacts to the examiners, these individuals waited anxiously for the results, each more or less aware of their performance but unsure of their competitors'' outcomes.


    Liam didn''t look at the examiners, but at the rank displayed on one wall in the area, where he saw the first scores being calculated, scores that were gradually changing the top 10, at least temporarily. Sёarch* The Novёl?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Before his arrow was examined, Liam saw Isaac''s score, which placed him in first with 77 points on the last test, totaling 248 points.


    ''I need 64 points to beat him,'' Liam thought as he observed the results for third and fourth place on the leaderboard and noticed that Aphra had lost her position to Linus McFadden.


    Then the three inspectors examined his arrow.