NOVPUBEnon hurriedly spoke to Christina and shot Kyle an apologetic look.
"It seems we can’t go over there for the time being, but I promise you, I will definitely take you to the southern border to see Aquidan Mountain!"
Christina’s face bloomed with a smile as she hugged Enon, making a promise to her.
"Hmm..."
Enon seemed to find the lady’s intimate behavior somewhat improper and fidgeted, trying to break free but unable to overpower Christina, so she could only let her gaze drift, observing the reactions of other nobles in the distance, and nodded in a low voice.
Lanci watched the two of them, a faint smile appearing on his face.
With Enon around, even if Christina fired him, he wouldn’t have to worry too much about the Bathist family anymore.
Although it hadn’t been long, he had enjoyed working for the Bathist family or rather, enjoyed playing around in Floral City Pariel.
He then looked up, switching his gaze back to the hologram screen of Skycrown Hall.
On the screen, an epic battle was underway.
The Artificial Shadow World simulated the Shattered Temple, surrounded by soaring columns embellished with Divine Era battle relief carvings, and at the central altar square, two figures in full armor were engaging in a deadly duel.
A valiant fighter draped in Crimson Battle Armor that glowed like molten lava, wearing a Flame Iron Horned Helmet, held aloft a scarlet lance, while the opponent, a Steel Demon Tribe member with three heads and six arms clad in Gun Armor, wielded several weapons, his entire body seemingly forged from pure steel.
As many viewers watched with bated breath, the fighter in Crimson Battle Armor suddenly thrust his lance forward, from which a stream of dazzling molten lava surged out towards the Demon Race member, whose war axe whistled down to meet it, instantly forming countless sharp Qi Blades on the edge of the blade, splitting the onslaught and clearing a path.
The fighter did not stop there; the ground around him began to melt into pools of magma, which erupted from the surface, quickly forming a roughly three-person-tall crimson colossus at his feet. The Demon Race opponent had already leapt up, axe in hand, chopping directly towards the giant’s head and spraying magma everywhere!
The event in progress was the second round of the Platinum Level Card Maker exam, the highly anticipated "Deck Testing."
Deck Testing is the most direct comprehensive test for a Cardmaker’s skill level, where they must craft a counter deck on the spot under given constraints, then imbue the deck into intelligent projections in the Artificial Shadow World and initiate real combat simulations.
"Rocky, who do you think will win?"
Christina looked up anxiously at the butler standing behind the sofa.
"I don’t know."
Lanci delivered an impeccable answer.
He was not an examiner, so how could he know what the outcome of the battle would be.
And if it were up to him to take the Deck Testing as a Cardmaker, he could only come up with something bizarre; whether it would win was uncertain to him.
At that moment,
"Hold on a moment."
A voice rang out in the audiovisual, and then the entire Artificial Shadow World seemed to freeze.
The figure on the split screen was the one who called a halt to the testing.
A silver-haired nobleman was remotely connected to the assessment.
He appeared to be under thirty.
Countess Rosalinda, the chief examiner, and Bruden, the deputy examiner, began to wait silently for him to speak.
"Adjust the environment to change the weather, increase the Fire Attribute affinity by five percent, balance out the basic attributes of the Demon Race and human combat simulacra, and increase the basic attack attributes for both sides; otherwise, their limits cannot be tested."
He instructed.
"But if we choose a Demon Race simulacrum, it’s inherently harder to match Magic Cards; tweaking the numbers might affect its racial specialization," Countess Rosalinda hesitated slightly as she spoke to the silver-haired inspector on the other side of the screen.
"Do as I say."
The silver-haired inspector did not engage in further arguments or explanations with her; he merely gave his order.
Rosalinda took a deep breath and adjusted the settings as he had requested.
And Bruden, the Platinum Level Card Maker serving as the deputy examiner, just sat silently to the side.
That’s because the other man’s authority was indeed higher. 𝖓𝔬𝖛𝔭𝔲𝖇.𝔠𝔬𝖒
"Who’s this guy thinking he’s all that, meow?"
Cat Boss looked puzzled, glancing at the giant screen in the arena and asking.
"This one is an examiner from the Magician Card Association Headquarters in Camberra, the western hub of Canberra Kingdom, and he is also a Platinum Level Card Maker," Christina turned to explain to Little Black Cat.
Although she beckoned to Cat Boss twice, he wouldn’t let her hold him.
"So Countess Rosalinda has to listen to him too?"
Cat Boss looked at the giant screen, then back to Christina.
On the screen, the silver-haired nobleman named Lockins, with long silver-white curly hair tied up behind him, the ends curling slightly upward, eyes as clear as ice, always carrying a hint of condescension around his lips, occasionally writing on a magic device tablet.
He had directed several exams already, nearly taking all of Countess Rosalinda’s authority as the chief examiner.
Whenever the chief examiner, Countess Rosalinda, reviewed a part and he was dubious, Lockins would smack his lips in impatience and start instructing the adjustments.
"Indeed, you’re correct. As an examiner from headquarters, Lockins has authority over the chief examiner, as long as he complies with the rules and regulations. But the reason he conducts the exams with such an air of arrogance is mainly that he doesn’t get along well with Countess Rosalinda," Christina replied.
