110 We’ve Struck Gold (4200)

“Is that him?”
In the surveillance room, a middle-aged man dressed in a burgundy suit, tall and imposing, was watching the monitor intently. On his right hand, he wore a ring set with a dazzling sapphire that resembled a shard of fractured ice.

The Ring of Ice Thorns—an identity ring awarded by the Ice Thorns Rune Crafters’ Guild to the presidents of its major branches.

This man was none other than President David of the branch.

Beside him stood five or six distinguished individuals of high society. David had just been discussing matters with these wealthy elites and various association heads.

They accompanied David here to observe as well.

“Yes,” replied the elder proctor overseeing the theoretical exam, glancing at the screen.

“What about his identity information?”

David turned to look at the female secretary beside him.

She wore a form-fitting professional suit, her long, slender legs clad in perfectly even stockings catching the eye. Beautiful and elegant, she was clearly more than just a pretty face to hold the position of secretary to the branch president of the Ice Thorns Rune Crafters’ Guild. Nora handed David a report.

“Forty-one years old, codename Knight. He appeared in Nirodo around 11 a.m. on August 22, 2017, subsequently involved in a chase linked to the Holy Flame Society and the Golden Spiral organization. On the same day, he joined the Golden Spiral...”

The report continued with introductions and pictures.

Unfortunately, Xiu Nan had only been in Nirodo for a few days, so information gathered by the Ice Thorns Guild about him was scarce.

Moreover, his true identity remained unknown for the time being. After all, he had infiltrated the cruise ship from an island midway, making it impossible to trace him through cruise schedules. It would be extremely difficult to uncover much in the short term.

President David shook his head, eyes fixed on the screen.

Xiu Nan was performing modeling work alone in a spacious room, surrounded by a plethora of modern experimental apparatus. In front of him was a rune workshop.

The practical exam was far simpler than the theoretical one, with only one requirement: to complete the modeling of a Level One Flame Serpent Rune within eight hours.

Though just a Level One Rune, the eight-hour time limit was strict. For ordinary rune crafters, what could be accomplished in eight hours? Complex Level One Runes had over a thousand circuits, while simpler ones still had more than a hundred.

An average rune crafter might manage three or four circuits in eight hours at best, and even then, the quality might not meet standards.

A straightforward Level One Rune would usually take a formal rune crafter a month of modeling, followed by two to three months of gradual compression and ignition.

Therefore, Xiu Nan’s exam requirement bypassed the formal rune crafter stage entirely, leaping straight to rune expert level. Having proven himself in the theoretical exam, there was no need to waste time.

The practical task was to model the Level One Flame Serpent Rune, which Xiu Nan was naturally familiar with. However, there was one issue: he was not adept at using modern equipment.

Most of the laboratory’s tools and devices were unfamiliar to him: illuminated cabinets, metal barrels exuding cold mist from their seams, and button-laden control platforms—none of which he had ever seen before.

The most familiar items were the rune workshop before him and the nearby modern gas stabilizer.

Though he could use only a few of these tools, possessing the gas stabilizer and the rune workshop was sufficient. Ancient rune crafters never relied on flashy gadgets; at most, a carving pen and a rune workshop could continuously produce rune models.

Mistakes couldn’t be revised? Impossible. An error in carving circuits only meant one lacked skill!

The Milodaren School attracted the best rune crafter apprentices worldwide, naturally fostering fierce competition and extremely strict requirements for apprentices’ fundamentals.

In contrast, modern practitioners had more convenient tools and computational methods. Assisted by these external factors, the basic requirements for rune crafters had seemingly relaxed.

Setting the task of building a Level One Rune model within eight hours as an assessment was challenging for contemporary rune crafters but quite easy for Xiu Nan.

Even using only the simplest rune workshop and gas stabilizer, he was confident of meeting the practical exam requirements.

“Not bad—the start is quite smooth.”

President David pinched his ring on his right hand and nodded. A good beginning was half the battle won.

Hearing this, the half-dozen elites nearby exchanged glances, their thoughts unreadable.

After watching the screen a while longer, David suddenly noticed a detail: from the beginning of the practical exam until now, the candidate had used only one tool—the rune workshop.

From start to finish, he had only wielded the carving pen.

David rotated his ring and continued observing.

Half an hour later, he sighed softly.

“Does he disdain the other instruments? Or is it a matter of habit... His fundamentals are exceptionally solid. Let’s go...” He signaled the group to leave.

“President, what about our next steps...”

The elder proctor asked tentatively.

“What else can we do? Nora, notify Vice President Joan. Have him retrieve a golden badge from the secret vault on basement level three, along with the rune expert’s certified attire and certificate—have everything ready within three hours...”

****************

Unconsciously, the bright sun outside had set, and the laboratory lights turned on automatically.

Before the rune workshop, a figure stood motionless like a statue.

His body remained still, left hand pressing on the workshop, while his right hand danced in the air like ink being spilled swiftly.

A winding, complex circuit formed at the tip of the pen.

The carving pen paused and gently tapped at the end.

With a hiss, the entire Flame Serpent model suddenly lit up, emitting a faint red glow.

“It’s done.”

Xiu Nan exhaled, glancing at the clock on the wall. Seven hours had passed, leaving one hour remaining.

He was still a bit tense; given his previous performance at the school, six hours would have sufficed.

The laboratory door creaked open.

The proctor for the practical exam entered, followed by a middle-aged man in a burgundy suit.

The middle-aged man strode forward, taking the lead by a step ahead of the proctor. He smiled as he glanced at the Flame Serpent model, then applauded lightly as he addressed Xiu Nan.

“Congratulations, you have passed the practical exam as well...”

Xiu Nan looked toward the proctor in the distance.

“Don’t look at me. This is the president of the Ice Thorns Rune Crafters’ Guild Nirodo branch. If he says you passed, then you passed,” the proctor said enviously.

After all, rune experts were rare in Nirodo and its neighboring cities. Once word spread, the branch president came immediately.

“So?” Xiu Nan looked back at the middle-aged man.

“That’s right, you are now the sixteenth certified rune expert of the Nirodo branch! Congratulations!” The man stepped forward enthusiastically and shook Xiu Nan’s hand.

Half an hour later, the entire Ice Thorns Rune Crafters’ Guild in Nirodo buzzed with excitement over the news.

Employees flocked to the testing waiting hall, eager to catch a glimpse of the new rune expert. The once quiet hall suddenly grew noisy.

In the passageway connecting the testing area to the waiting hall, Lacey and her two companions emerged dejectedly, all having failed their exams. Though their seniors had warned them beforehand and they were mentally prepared, facing failure firsthand was disheartening. Years of preparation shattered in one defeat.

“Ah, it’s alright... We’ll wait for next year’s rune crafter exam. Our fundamentals are still too weak...”

The curly-haired boy sighed, trying to comfort them.

Suddenly, a figure with fiery red hair appeared from a right fork in the passage. The three’s hearts sank.

Judging by Mensa’s jubilant expression, he had likely passed all the formal rune crafter assessments.

Meanwhile, they had all failed.

They sighed and quickened their pace.

Behind them, Mensa sneered and followed.

Just as the four stepped out of the passage, Mensa prepared to mock the trio ahead.

A sudden roar of commotion greeted them, a dense crowd filling the entire lounge.

Over a hundred pairs of eyes stared sharply at them, causing Lacey and the others to swallow nervously and freeze.

“What’s going on?”

“Why are there so many people here?”

Mensa was dumbfounded as well, for most in the crowd wore rune crafter robes and badges.

All were formal rune crafters.

“Wha-wha-what...” The four were at a loss.

“Here they come! Here they come!” someone shouted.

The already noisy crowd erupted further.

“What’s coming?” Mensa was utterly confused.

“Don’t block the way.”

Suddenly, a large hand grabbed his shoulder and, like lifting a chick, shoved Mensa to the edge of the hall.

Lacey and her companions were treated the same.

Seven or eight burly men with dangerous auras stood on either side of the passage, clearing the way for an important figure approaching.

Mensa swallowed hard and had no energy left to mock Lacey. Like everyone else, he looked ahead.

Two figures walked side by side down the passage.

On the left was the middle-aged man in the burgundy suit, wearing the Ice Thorns ring symbolizing the branch president, exuding authority.

On the right was someone both Mensa and Lacey knew well: Xiu Nan, wearing the black rune crafter robe certified from the exam, a delicate badge on his chest.

Not dull bronze.

But glowing golden yellow!

A rune expert!

Lacey’s eyes nearly popped out.

What the hell? All of us were rookies taking the rune crafter exam for the first time! How did he become a rune expert?

Just a few hours ago, he was still asking what the Golden Bull Trade Association was. Thought he was a novice—turns out...

Lacey and her two friends felt parched and frustrated, as if a rant was long overdue. This big shot sure had a wicked sense of humor, pretending to be a newbie asking questions, then revealing his true strength.

But in an instant, Lacey felt a sense of pride. Her thoughts now were: “I once spoke to a rune expert...”

She glanced around and suddenly realized that annoying Mensa was nowhere in sight. Standing on tiptoe, she scanned the crowd but saw no trace of the fiery red hair. Was he hidden by the crowd—or had he fled?

“President David, I will consider your invitation seriously,” Xiu Nan said to the middle-aged man beside him.

David smiled knowingly. “The physical test and secret ring expert combat test you requested have been prepared. You can begin in half an hour.”

“Alright, thank you. I’ll be off then.”

Xiu Nan nodded. He needed to inform Mask, handing over the rune crafter robe and certification for safekeeping.

“Hm?” Just as he stepped forward, he suddenly sensed a familiar yet strange gaze—cold and somewhat chilling.

Scanning around, he saw a sea of heads but couldn’t identify the source of the stare. Checking briefly with the Jessica pendant, there was no danger alert.

“Strange...” he murmured, shaking his head in puzzlement.

“What’s wrong?” President David asked curiously.

“Nothing, just a bit tired.”

“Understandable, after ten hours of intense testing...”

The waiting hall was comfortably arranged, dotted with sofas, tables, even partition screens.

On one brown sofa, a handsome young man with an alluring charm was tenderly embracing a girl, whispering sweet nothings while slowly leaning down to kiss her.

“My dear, you are the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen...”

So-called sweet talk:

Ugly people’s words sound greasy and repulsive.

Handsome people’s words sound affectionate and sincere.

The young man was handsome and knew how to please girls. Somehow, in just one afternoon, he had charmed a beauty.

“Ahem...”

A cough interrupted their intimate moment.

“Who dares to...”

The young man turned his head and instantly froze.

His eyes were caught by the glittering golden badge. He looked up sharply, then down again—yes, the golden badge!

What?! Damn, I was just trying to flirt, and you’ve already got your rune expert certification?

Isn’t that a bit too much?

Xiu Nan looked at Mask’s puzzled expression, nodded affirmatively, pointed at the badge, and beckoned him over.

“Wh-what is it?”

The girl, who had just closed her eyes, opened them.

“N-nothing, my dear. It’s just that from now on, you’re no longer the most beautiful girl—I am...”

Mask’s voice suddenly turned coquettish and charming, his devilish face transforming into that of a fox-like temptress.

He stood up, his lithe and tall figure arching forward, chest thrust out, taut and poised.

In half a second, Mask transformed from a charming rich second-generation brat into a famous sultry actress from TV, renowned for her provocative allure.

Mask swiftly moved to Xiu Nan’s left side, wrapping his arm around him. Chest forward, before he could even act coy—

A certification certificate was stuffed into Mask’s arms.

“Mask, speak properly. Don’t gross people out.”

“I still have the physical test to take, and might have to go to the guild’s western district...”

“Goodbye, I must take my leave.”

Xiu Nan swiftly finished his instructions and vanished. If Mask were a beautiful witch, he could tolerate it—after all, she truly was female and pleasant to look at. But with Mask’s current disguise, the best course was to say goodbye first thing upon meeting.

In the brightly lit hall,

Mask smiled softly as he watched Xiu Nan’s departing figure. He pulled out a phone from his chest pocket and dialed.

“Beep!”

“Hello, sis? We’ve found treasure...”