Translator: AnubisTL
The Noren Academy's Task Assessment Center was located deep beneath the academy, on the tenth subterranean level.
Here, sunlight never penetrated, and only the icy glow of magic energy lamps illuminated the space.
Countless complex magical instruments hummed and whirred, filling the air with a strange, pungent odor—a mixture of various materials far more intense and varied than the scent of a typical laboratory.
This was one of the busiest areas in the entire workshop.
As part of a wizard organization that ruled over multiple planes, Noren Academy controlled several smaller planes.
Moreover, with wizards constantly launching expeditions to conquer new planes, the academy received a daily influx of massive quantities of new materials from various sources across these planes.
These materials required rigorous testing to determine their properties, grade, and potential uses.
The assessment process was exceptionally detailed and tedious. Different materials underwent dozens, even hundreds, of tests, including evaluations of physical strength, energy conductivity, elemental corrosion resistance, chemical reactivity, stability, and curse resistance.
Even with the wizards working tirelessly around the clock, the testing queues often stretched to despairing lengths.
Due to a shortage of manpower, even the wizards' frequent protests couldn't alleviate the problem.
Today, the wizard responsible for testing isolation materials—an elderly man with silvering hair and crow's feet, whom his colleagues jokingly called "Resistance Barrier"—sat at his testing station as usual.
His job was to place newly submitted isolation material samples into specific magical instruments and run a standardized testing procedure.
The work was monotonous and tedious. Most mature materials produced by high-level wizards went directly to higher-tier testing or research departments.
The materials he handled were mostly novel creations from low-level wizards or apprentices. These materials were often filled with impractical fantasies and varied wildly in quality.
"White iron-based isolation material? Hah, another 'new isolation material'," he muttered, habitually picking up a specially numbered sample bottle. Seeing the crude label, he couldn't help but chuckle derisively.
Inside the bottle were several unremarkable-looking material fragments, resembling ordinary white iron coated with a thin layer of gold powder.
He was long accustomed to such things.
These newcomers always seemed to believe that by randomly finding some seemingly special ore or haphazardly combining alchemical ingredients, they could concoct some earth-shattering new invention.
And they would meticulously conceal the specific names of their materials, fearing others might steal their "exclusive formula."
Naive, the old wizard thought, shaking his head inwardly.
Even if the academy contract didn't strictly prohibit anyone from coveting research results, no one would dare.
As official wizards, they possessed a broader perspective and deeper knowledge. To them, the apprentices' concoctions were like crude toys made by children—there was no need to steal such rudimentary techniques.
Those so-called "formulas" were likely riddled with errors, even violating basic principles of alchemical common sense.
Despite his internal skepticism, he dutifully placed one of the material samples into a large testing instrument and initiated the standard analysis procedure.
This was the meticulousness ingrained in wizards through years of experimentation—even when facing a hopeless outcome, they adhered to protocol.
The instrument whirred to life, runes glowed, and energy waves scanned the material's internal structure.
"Initiating basic tests... Physical impact resistance... Blunt force impact... Grade: Inferior..."
The old wizard listened to the instrument's monotone voice, habitually lowering his head to record the results without looking up.
Soon, a series of physical resistance tests concluded, and the final results appeared on the instrument's screen:
Physical Impact Resistance: Inferior
"As expected," he muttered, curling his lip as he transferred the material to another instrument for further testing.
"Energy impact resistance..."
Energy Impact Resistance: Inferior
"Ha! Just as I thought." Seeing both initial results were inferior, the old wizard's expectations plummeted to zero.
He had already suspected this when he examined the material's structure. It was clear that the golden substance on top was the only truly functional component, while the rest of the base structure relied entirely on white iron for support.
He had initially hoped for some energy resistance from the material, but now it seemed he had been overly optimistic.
The poor physical and energy resistance indicated fundamental flaws in the material's structure and energy conduction mechanisms.
Unless it demonstrated extraordinary resistance to corrosion, this material would undoubtedly be deemed worthless.
"Next up is the corrosion resistance test... starting with elemental corrosion resistance..." He pressed a button to initiate the next round of testing.
Given its inferior physical and energy resistance, achieving even a first-circle official wizard's level of corrosion resistance would barely qualify it as "usable."
To truly garner attention, it would need to reach the standards of a second-circle or even third-circle wizard.
These requirements were already stringent for official wizards, making them virtually impossible for a material developed by an apprentice to meet.
Yet, as he waited for the results with this mindset, the detection instrument emitted a soft but crisp notification tone.
The results were in.
Elemental Corrosion Resistance: Superior!
Evaluation: Equivalent to a third-circle official wizard!
Whether it was his imagination or not, the instrument's voice seemed to carry a hint of excitement.
The old wizard's hand jerked violently, nearly dropping the recording tablet!
"What?!" He snapped his head up, staring at the instrument's screen in disbelief.
Superior? Third-circle level?!
He rubbed his eyes, thinking he must be mistaken.
Having worked as a materials tester for decades, he had seen countless materials and even tested the research results of official wizards.
An elemental corrosion resistance equivalent to a third-circle wizard's level was something even most second-tier wizards' creations couldn't achieve!
And this result came from a material with a crudely labeled submission and the appearance of scrap white iron?!
This single result alone, even if all other tests were inferior, would be enough to capture the attention of official wizards!
Yet his astonishment was premature.
"Corrosion resistance..." A new set of test results immediately followed.
Spirit Erosion Resistance: Superior!
Assessment: Equivalent to a fourth-circle official wizard's level!
Mind Control Resistance: Superior!
Assessment: Equivalent to a fourth-circle official wizard's level!
Corrosion Resistance: Superior!
Assessment: Assessment exceeds current instrument's range! Upgrade testing recommended!
Curse Resistance: Superior!
Assessment: Assessment exceeds current instrument's range! Upgrade testing recommended!
(End of the Chapter)
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