Chapter 1944 Second Exam In the vast expanse of the magus universe, the Golden City held a prestigious position, yet its apothecary community faced a shortage of senior figures. With only seven grandmasters and sixty-eight apothecary masters, they were distributed among eighteen branches serving over three hundred planets and more than a hundred billion lives in the sector. The scarcity of skilled practitioners was evident, especially considering Golden City's rank as the eighth-largest sector in the magus universe. For the Mastery exam, a panel of judges was formed, comprising three grandmasters and twelve masters, ensuring that the esteemed title was bestowed only upon the most deserving candidate. Leading the panel was Grandmaster Hazard, the most senior apothecary resident in Golden City. The second position was held by Grandmaster Hypotia, a successful female grandmaster renowned for managing the city's most prosperous apothecary shop. The third judge was Grandmaster Odoro, known for serving as a city advisor and holding seats on the city council. All fifteen judges were seated in a row, their discerning eyes fixed on the hall's entrance as the twenty participants, including Emery now known as Merlin, prepared to face the challenges that would determine their fate within the esteemed ranks of Golden City's apothecary elite. "We have a celebrity today," Grandmaster Odoro remarked, pointing at Eugene Houten, the young master of the Houten family. "With a figure like him becoming an apothecary master, more people will be interested in apothecary." His two grandmasters colleague offered no comments. Instead, Hypotia turned to Hazard, inquiring, "Senior Hazard, I heard you registered one artisan today. Which one is it?" With unwavering confidence, Grandmaster Hazard replied, "You have seen him before. Don't you recognize any of them?" Hypotia glanced around and then realization dawned on her. "Ahh... it's that young man. I remember the one who can create that tier 1 pill with four originalities." "Yes, indeed, that one." Feeling slightly left out of the conversation, Grandmaster Odoro expressed his discontent. "Well, even if he is good, Eugene got the first rank in the exam, 96%... What an amazing score. What rank is your candidate?" Grandmaster Hazard's smile faded slightly as he observed the results and responded with a light chuckle, "Odoro... Rank doesn't matter in the Apothecary... what's important is having the heart to help the people." The female grandmaster chuckled in agreement, "You are always wise, Senior." Grandmaster Odoro, with a hint of skepticism, proceed by explaining the task for the second exam to the 20 participants. "The second exam is simple. Each of you received the same amount of ingredients and the same recipes." He pointed at the enormous dark cauldron in the center of the room. "You just need to concoct it and achieve the highest quality product. You each have 10 minutes." Despite the seemingly straightforward nature of the task, the grandmaster's instructions belied its true complexity. Firstly, the assigned pill was a tier 6 [Soul Strengthening Pill], a formidable challenge even for accomplished apothecaries. Secondly, the precise amounts of ingredients provided left no room for error, requiring meticulous accuracy in the concoction process. The inclusion of phoenix grass, renowned for its volatility, further heightened the difficulty level. The final and most challenging aspect was the allotted time of 10 minutes. This demanded a display of not just knowledge and precision but also a mastery of internal spirit energy to accelerate the concoction process. As the participants absorbed the details of the task, beads of sweat formed on their brows, and the atmosphere in the room grew tense. Amid the palpable pressure, the grandmaster proceeded to reveal the marking conditions. "The quality percentage will be the marking of the exam," he declared. This piece of information intensified the desperation among some participants. To achieve the coveted 90% average score to passed, they now needed to create a pill of at least excellent quality, boasting a potency of 90% or higher. With the limited 10- minute timeframe, this requirement seemed nearly insurmountable, instigating a sense of urgency and unease among the aspirants. The room, once filled with the buzz of anticipation, now echoed with the internal struggles of the apothecaries as they grappled with the daunting task ahead. "Alright! We can start with the first rank," declared Grandmaster Odoro, casting his gaze toward Eugene Houten, who reciprocated with a respectful gesture before making his way to the center of the room. Eugene, a scion of the Houten family, exuded confidence as he approached the task. Channeling his spirit reading ability, he deftly manipulated the cauldron's temperature, ensuring it reached the optimum level for the intricate concoction. With measured precision, he added the ingredients one by one, adhering strictly to the provided recipe. As the minutes ticked away, he navigated the fine balance between speed and accuracy. In the final five minutes, Eugene unleashed his crescent magus level spirit force, a display of his formidable skill. The room witnessed a dance of energy as he seamlessly consolidated the ingredients, shaping them into a cohesive pill. The air was charged with anticipation as the cauldron opened, and a pure white pill gracefully hovered into the air. Within seconds, the results were revealed. "Excellent quality 95%," announced Grandmaster Odoro, his tone carrying a note of admiration. The other master apothecaries nodded in acknowledgment, recognizing Eugene's prowess. Grandmaster Odoro extended his congratulations, affirming, "This is indeed the best quality one can achieve in the given time." Grandmaster Odoro's words proved prophetic as the subsequent 15 participants struggled to match the quality achieved by Eugene Houten. "87% great quality" "90% excellent quality" '79% fine quality" The best among them managed a 92%, and half fell below the crucial 90% mark. Three unfortunate participants experienced catastrophic failures, their concoctions erupting in spectacular fashion and resulting in an outright exam failure. The fluctuating numbers on the scorecards painted a clear picture of the daunting challenge posed by the tier 6 [Soul Strengthening Pill], and the difficulty of achieving an excellent quality rating within the stringent 10-minute timeframe. Eugene Houten couldn't resist allowing a confident smirk to play on his lips. His gaze shifted subtly to Grandmaster Odoro, silently acknowledging the unspoken agreement between them. Eugene had received advance knowledge of the recipe to be used in the second exam, allowing him to practice the exact recipe beforehand. It was a privilege granted in anticipation of his future assistance to Grandmaster Odoro once he secured a seat on the city council. As the results unfolded, Eugene's confidence remained unwavering. He discreetly exchanged a smiling gaze with Grandmaster Odoro, who, despite being aware of the underlying arrangement, maintained an impartial expression. "Next participant!"