Chapter 1391: Smarter Than You Think (Part 1)

The students from Wilton Academy were feeling a little down, well, at least Moze was noticeably upset about what had happened. His record had just been beaten, and it didn’t sit well with him. He had complained about it relentlessly since they had left the event.

The other ranked students had asked if he wanted to try give something else a try but he just shook his head.

“I mean, you could have tried to beat his record right?” Piba said. “You saw what he did, you could have tried to emulate it and got a better time.”

“Nah.” Moze commented. “I could tell, his lighting control was way better than mine. It’s not something that I would be able to do, and even if I tried my best and did the same as him, I would have only gotten the same score, not better. I doubt anyone could actually have a better time than him, and imagine if I didn’t, what if I failed?”

“Well, you are right about that.” Yolden answered. “I’m really not sure anyone could get a better time, those items were really impressive, especially how they reacted to magic. Maybe an overwhelming magic from the get go could take care of it?”

Yolden was thinking about the display Raze had put on when he had beaten the dimension boss, but using Dark Magic in a place like this for an event like that, it really wasn’t an option.

“Come on, it’s just a silly little trial game,” Chiba said, trying to lighten the mood. “The real test is going to be at the main event. That’s where we’re going to beat them, not at these small games scattered around the place. Just because he can hit a floating ball out of the air faster than you doesn’t mean he’s a better mage.”

That did help cheer Moze up a bit, even if only slightly. Still, he was nursing a bruised ego. He had been enjoying all the praise that came with setting the previous record, and now it was gone.

The group wandered off to check out one of the scheduled shows. After spending some time there, they decided to try a few more events. That’s when Yolden spotted something… or rather, someone. Two of the top-ranking students from the Central Academy, Nannan and Bones, were together again, standing in front of a crowd.

“Oh? I wonder what they’re looking at?” Yolden asked, curiosity piqued.

A good number of students were gathered in the area, but oddly enough, there was nothing flashy drawing their attention. Instead, a few large boards had been set up, and standing in front of them was a professor.

“Come on now!” the professor called out to the crowd. “Can anyone solve these magical puzzles? If you get the right answer, you’ll win this fabulous high-level power stone as your prize! Each puzzle solved will earn a reward!”

The Wilton students moved closer, and as they did, they could hear other participants, some even from the Central Academy, struggling aloud. On the boards, there were five puzzles in total.

Each puzzle displayed a magical circle, except these weren’t straightforward. The formations were filled with extra runes and glyphs that didn’t quite make sense. The challenge was to tell the professor what effect each of the magic circles would produce.

“Wait a second… isn’t this, ?” Yolden said, his eyes widening.

“It is. It really is!” Moze replied, equally surprised.

A few students had already written in the empty spaces next to the puzzles, trying to figure out what the circles were meant to do. But it was clear they didn’t understand some of the more obscure runes scattered throughout the diagrams. One by one, they submitted their guesses, none of which hit the mark.

That’s when Nannan, confident as ever, stepped forward.

She studied the board calmly, analyzing the magical runes for a moment before speaking up. “The rest of the runes are just distractions,” Nannan announced. “We need to strip them away to reveal the true formation.”

With a confident smile, she walked straight up to the professor to deliver her answer.

The professor looked at her with interest and gave a smile in return. But then…

“I’m afraid that is not the correct answer,” the professor said. “You’ve only managed to identify part of the magical formation. There’s more to it.”

A wave of murmurs ran through the crowd. Even the Central Academy’s star student hadn’t been able to solve it? That said a lot. Either the professor had crafted some genuinely challenging puzzles, or… maybe there was a trick hidden within them.

That’s when Yolden, of all people, decided to step forward.

“Is it okay if I have a go?” he asked, raising his hand slightly.

“Of course!” the professor said warmly, his smile widening. “Any student is welcome to try.”

No one really expected much from Yolden. He wasn’t from the Central Academy or even known for being top of his class. But something about seeing Nannan fail must have shifted the crowd’s attitude. If she couldn’t solve it, maybe they all had a shot too.

Even so, as Yolden stepped up to the puzzle board, the students held their breath, just a little curious to see what would happen next.

“Well, it’s impossible for another academy to be teaching things that even the Central Academy hasn’t covered,” Nannan said, arms crossed and tone sharp. “But feel free to try. Let’s see what you’ve got.”

Yolden didn’t respond to the comment. Instead, after jotting down a few things on the board, she made her way over to the professor. Before she could speak, he cast a light silence spell around them, muffling their voices from the crowd. He didn’t want the other students overhearing the solution, this was a learning experience, not a shortcut.

****

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