Swoosh!
Just as the disciples were exclaiming in astonishment and causing a commotion, a powerful aura swept over them, which made it difficult for them to speak.
In an instant, the commotion quietened down and everyone looked toward the stage from where the aura was coming.
Adrienne retracted her aura and glanced over the crowd of disciples.
Max looked at her and thought in his heart, "She is indeed very powerful as well as beautiful."
She seemed to have become even stronger and more beautiful than the last time he saw her.
"I wonder how many LPs I would receive if I had someone as strong as her." He thought and couldn't help but become excited.
However, he then sighed and shook his head, dispelling this thought. Given her strength and status, she wouldn't even put him in her eyes.
"As the headmaster said, there will be a selection competition in four months, and the top ten participants will be allowed to take part in an inter-academy competition that will start six months after the selection competition." Adrienne said and continued.
"Those who want to participate can go to Elders' Hall and get themselves registered. Remember to work hard if you want to be one of the ten to represent our academy. Okay, that's all." She also went away, but her speed was nowhere close to the headmaster's.
The middle-aged man smiled wryly, seeing this. This junior of his wasn't the patient type. They still needed to talk to disciples a bit more, but she just left like that. He sighed and turned towards the disciples.
Many disciples were dissatisfied by her attitude, but they didn't say anything since they were only inner disciples and couldn't voice criticism against an elder, especially one who seemed to have high standing among the Elders.
The middle-aged Elder said, "If any of you have some questions regarding the selection or inter-academy competition, you can ask me now."
Hearing this, the disciples immediately started to ask their questions.
"Elder, may we know what rewards will be given to the top ten participants in the selection competition?" One disciple asked. Many others nodded, as most of them were curious.
The Elder nodded, "The rewards vary based on the ranking of the participants. For example, from top six to top ten, participants will be rewarded with ten thousand low-grade mana stones and receive pointers from the Elder until the start of inter-academy competition."
The disciple's heart thumped as they heard until then, ten thousand mana stones was a very large sum for them. On top of that, they will receive pointers from the elderly, which will help them a lot.
Although they had trained under an elder for one month but that was only basic training where they mostly focused on sparring.
The Elder then continued, "Those above the top six will get a total of twenty thousand mana stones and the low tier grade three 'Mana purifying liquid'. The top three will get an additional reward which hasn't been decided yet."
"Waah! The academy, famous for being miserly, is giving out such rewards. It's never been heard of before." A disciple almost screamed in disbelief.
Moreover, it's only for the selection competition. I wonder what rewards the participants in inter-academy will get." Another disciple added.
"I'm going to cultivate day and night and try to become one of the top rankers."
"You? With your measly initial stage two-star strength, you won't be able to rank in the top thousand, let alone top ten."
The disciples broke out into loud chatter. Even the elders were shocked by this and couldn't help but comment, "Such rewards, does the academy want to aim for the first rank in the rankings competition?"
The middle-aged man on the stage had a faint smile on his face as he watched the disciples getting excited.
However, hearing some disciples using words such as 'miser' and 'stingy' for the academy, he had a funny expression and could only shake his head.
Max also became excited after hearing the rewards and thought, "If I can rank in the top five, I'll receive twenty thousand mana stones. They might be enough to buy the required medicine for Flavia."
After some disciples asked more questions, they were allowed to return to their dorms to rest.
Max wanted to meet Flavia, but she was too embarrassed to talk to him after that small episode. Therefore, she went away.
Max could only sigh and return with Belen and company.
Seeing Max was now willing to participate now, Belen nodded in satisfaction.
However, she also told him that it wasn't going to be easy to rank in the top five or even top ten because older inner disciples and core disciples would also participate.
The majority of them should have already reached peak two-star status, with the more talented ones already in three-star status. Moreover, their mastery of their spells will be a lot higher than his.
"It's fine, there is no harm in trying." Max said. He then recalled something and inquired, "What is that Mana purifying liquid that the Elder mentioned?"
Leticia and others also looked toward her since they also wanted to know about it.
"Oh, that is something countless mages who have 'exceeded the ten thousand mana units' dream about." Belen said mysteriously.
Max and others were confused by how she phrased the sentence.
Leticia asked, "What does that mean? Those who have more than ten thousand mana units are three-star mages right? Why are you calling them like that? "
"No." Belen shook her head and said, "Not everyone who has more than ten thousand mana can be considered a three-star mage."
Hearing this, Max and Rima nodded. They knew that there were some other requirements to becoming a three-star mage. However, Leticia and Haory frowned; they clearly didn't know what she was saying.
Belen wasn't surprised and continued, "Normally people think that if someone has more than ten thousand units of mana, they are a three-star mage. However, it isn't always true since it's merely one of the requirements to become a three-star mage…"
To become a three-star mage, one needed to fulfill some requirements. First and easiest was to have mana exceeding ten thousand units. However, by simply fulfilling this requirement didn't make you a three-star mage.
You'll have to fulfill two more requirements which weren't easy and they hindered many mages from reaching three-star realm.
Without completing them, one's strength won't increase and the excess mana would be hazardous to them instead.
The second requirement was the transformation of inner mana.
Normally, every novice or one-star mage's mana was transparent, and when they form their mana core successfully, its color would turn red.
Similarly, when one reached the three-star realm, the color of their man would turn orange.
However, this transformation wasn't as easy as it was when one become two-star mage.
After someone reached the peak of two-star realm, they needed consciously to purify and condense their mana to the limits until it eventually turned from red to faint orange.
If their affinity and the understanding of their mana (Elemental one if they had awaken their element) wasn't high enough, this step could take decades to complete.
However, Once every last bit of their mana had transformed into orange color, its power will multiply several folds.
This transition was because the one particle of orange colored Mana was several times more potent than red mana. This was also the reason why, a single three-star mage could wipe out an army of countless two-star mages.
[A/N: Now please remember this point. You won't ever see someone of lower realm beat someone of higher realm 'Using their spells.']
The third requirement was 'to strengthen' the Mana core and channels or pathways through which mana flows in body, using this 'improved Mana.'
However, this step was very painful and dangerous because the mana now was one level higher compared to mana core and mana channels.
Moreover, in the case of those who had awakened some destructive element like fire, lighting, and wind etc., it posed even more threat if their affinity wasn't high enough. That's why academies etc. test the affinity of the disciples prior to giving them admission.
Because of this, countless people who could complete the first two steps fails in the third and last step.
"Oh, now I understand why some of my relatives can't become three-star mages, even though they have reached the peak of two-star years ago." Leticia nodded in understanding.
"So, this Mana purifying liquid helps in the second step." Max realized.
"That's right. If someone were to use this liquid when purifying and condensing their mana, the process become two times faster. Therefore, it's always in high demand. But like others precious things, its supply is scarce making its price sky high." Belen nodded.
Hearing this Max's eyes twinkled and he asked "So, what's its market price?"
Belen looked at him in surprise. Not only she, but Rima and others were also surprised.
Leticia almost yelled "What? are you thinking of selling it when you receive it?"
