The Herb King



"This is impossible! There's actually such a pill!" One of the Appraisers on the stage suddenly exclaimed as he inspected the pill in his hand. Using the magical monocle, he saw the vigorous energy inside the pill. It was only in his hand, but he could already feel the pill's nourishing effects. 

"What's going on?" Another Appraiser came to check the situation, but when his eyes landed on the pill, he revealed a stunned look. "That pill... Let me see it for a moment." 

Soon, more Appraisers and Alchemists crowded over the pill. They didn't even bother to check the other pills handed by the participants.

Omar landed before them and scolded them with a dark look. "What are you fools doing?! Can you not be more serious about your job?!" 

The Appraisers and Alchemists immediately made way for the old man when they heard his words.

"Sir Omar, you can't blame us for this. You can check this pill yourself. I believe that you will recognize its value." An Appraiser handed the pill to Omar. 

The old man furrowed his eyebrows when the pill landed on his hand. "This is..." He was stunned when he noticed the dense energy inside the pill. He also had the urge to swallow it down and he immediately threw the pill into his mouth.

"Sir Omar, what are you doing?!" 

"Sir Omar!"

The Appraisers and Alchemists were shocked when they this scene. The old man didn't even hesitate to swallow the pill!

"Amazing! Amazing! Who made the pill?" Omar grabbed the Appraiser. He couldn't contain the excitement in his heart. When the pill entered his body, he felt a stream of world essence repairing the dead cells in his body and replacing them with new ones. If he wasn't a Level 5 Esper, he wouldn't have noticed this microscopic detail. 

"This... Hold on, let me check..." The Appraiser responsible for grading the pill stared at the document in his hand. "The pill is called the Tacnium Rejuvenating Pellet and it was refined by Christopher Leone. He is a participant from the Leone Empire." He read it out loud, making the others hear his words.

"So that pill was made by that genius? No wonder! Are there more of it?" 

"He is so young and promising! A new Alchemy genius is born!" 

Omar squinted his eyes when he heard the name. He then moved his gaze toward the young boy who was still wiping his cauldron. "Give him a perfect score. As for the others, I don't think their pills are better than the Tacnium Rejuvenating Pellet. Furthermore, that kid made three of such pills in one refining session!" 

After hearing the old man's verdict, the Appraisers and Alchemists nodded their heads in agreement. They also thought that Christopher's pill was the most valuable among the bunch. 

"Yes, Sir Omar! We'll do as you say!"

"Alright. Release the results immediately!" The old man instructed.

Soon, a virtual projection appeared on top of the stage. It was the final rankings of the Alchemy competition! 

1st Place - Christopher Leone - 300 Points

2nd Place - Judy Kristel - 299 Points

3rd Place - Brandon Flores - 298 Points

4th Place - Frances Canon...

The crowd cheered loudly after seeing the final rankings. Although they already expected Christopher's victory, it was still shocking for someone who had come from a small empire to win the Alchemy competition.

In the most prominent seats, Lark Whitmond sighed when he saw the final results. The participant from their team was only ranked fourth. She was three spots away from the participant of the Leone Empire. Although she was only three steps away from the top spot, Lark knew that there was a huge difference between the two young talents. "I can't believe that the Leone Empire actually managed to nurture a genius young Alchemist..." He muttered as he shook his head.

Suddenly, he heard a familiar mocking voice. "Don't forget our bet, Mr. Rank 6th of the Heavenly Might Rankings..." 

Lark stiffly turned his head and saw Einar looking at him with a harmless smile. This old man was truly infuriating, but he was strong so Lark held back his impulsive desire to smack the old man's head. "I'm a man of my word. I won't run from our bet! Hmph! He snorted as he crossed his arms.

Einar adjusted his sitting posture with a satisfied smile. 

"Grandpa Einar is so cool!" Olivia clapped her hands as she stared at Einar in admiration. Her sweet giggles made everyone around her smile.

Einar chuckled as he gently rubbed her head. 

Meanwhile, Omar was already announcing the date of the Martial Arts competition. Everyone was more excited about this since the Alchemy competition was quite boring. They wanted to see the best young talents of the Regalis Continent fight!

"I now announce that the Alchemy competition is over! Congratulations to Christopher Leone and the Leone Empire for being temporarily ranked first in the overall rankings! Moving on, the Martial Arts Competition will be held here two days from now! I want all the participants to sign up their names! Your opponents will be announced on the day of the competition!" Omar said as he scanned the young elites with a stern look. His gaze momentarily stopped when he found Christopher's figure. 

"The Martial Arts competition is finally here! I came to West Ocean City here for this!" 

"I'm so excited to watch the young warriors fight! I can't hold back my excitement!" 

For the Martial Arts competition, small empires could send two participants, while big empires could send four participants! Their final rankings will be added to the total points of their team. Going by this, the big empires certainly have the advantage. 

"Janrose, let's go!" Alec muttered calmly as he walked towards the stage. It was finally their turn to show their abilities! 

"Alright." Janrose nodded her head and followed him. 

The two of them were the strongest young talents of the Leone Empire. They carry the hopes of their team and nation. Their body felt heavy for some reason, but their eyes were filled with determination!