My Joker System: From Low Mana Trash to the Mightiest Wizard!
Chapter 64: Manaforge Initiate Competition: Awarding Ceremony (2)

Chapter 64: Manaforge Initiate Competition: Awarding Ceremony (2)

"D-Damn it, congratulations, man."

"Hahaha, I’m not a man, but thanks, brother!"

After a swift fist bump with Elron Porter, who was right beside her, Dig Bick headed over and proudly ascended the stage.

She wanted to remove her mask, etch her face into the memories of those present, and announce her name for the world to know.

Unfortunately, her humble background forced her to settle for being a celebrated young arcanist known only by her alias, at least for now.

Dig Bick shook old Buster’s hand and was guided to the tenth-place podium, standing there and enjoying all the exposure she needed to jumpstart her career.

As much as the pleased chief wanted to linger the attention on her for a few more seconds to help a budding, backgroundless arcanist, the show must go on.

"Now...in ninth place..."

The ninth to seventh places were somewhat expected, as the skills of the seeded candidates were more or less on the same level.

The only factor that might have made the difference was whether one of them had slept better than the others.

Still, the crowd was on their feet, taking note of the faces on the podium.

Many wizards silently vowed to save enough money to buy from these novices once they reached a higher level, hoping to do so before the prices of their brands skyrocketed.

It was then that the old man dropped another bomb upon them.

"In sixth place, this young arcanist’s mastery of the rare thunder element allowed him to craft a high superior-grade Thunder Elemental Staff that grants its user a 7% increase in mana affinity, a 5% increase in mana regeneration, and an 18% increase in thunder elemental magic. Give it up for the unseeded competitor at the 149th station, Elron Porter!"

The crowd and the hopeful participants fell silent once more.

However, unlike Dig Bick, who had a hunch that it was her that was about to be called, Elron was dumbfounded, pointing at himself in disbelief.

Did he hear correctly?

He was in sixth place?

He surpassed more than forty seeded candidates under the tutelage of well-known masters?

Only halfway through ascending the stage did the realization sink in—he was one of the ten best novices in the Manaforge Initiate Competition.

A surge of energy coursed through Elron’s body, knowing his fate would change after today.

Perhaps the masters who were still searching for apprentices would personally reach out to him.

At last, he could revive his clan’s legacy.

Arriving at the sixth-place winner’s podium, Dig Bick gave Elron a quick air fist bump from the tenth podium, further lifting the young man’s spirits.

The two, despite only speaking after the latter was announced a winner, silently felt a sense of camaraderie, each sensing the other’s passion and hunger.

They were like peas in the same pod.

It was then that the onlookers and unseeded participants realized the order in which they were called yesterday wasn’t random.

After all, it couldn’t be a mere coincidence that both the competitor called third and the one called second to last managed to upset the seeded candidates.

No.

It seemed the first to be called had actually scored the lowest in the preliminaries, leaving the young man with the alias Kia Malifa feeling depressed.

Inevitably, their attention turned to the arcanist in the 150th workstation.

Joker...

The words of the crazy adept from earlier replayed in the minds of those who had heard them, while those who hadn’t simply wondered how Joker managed to defeat the two in the preliminaries, as though it was already a fact that he was the champion of the unseeded, despite the announcement that the 100 unseeded competitors weren’t ranked.

Then, as though confirming their theories...

"In fifth place..."

Buster explained the bonuses of the elemental staff of the fifth-place winner, causing the crowd’s eyes to widen as more words came out of the old man’s mouth.

Wasn’t the chief appraiser talking about...

"Let’s all give a round of applause to Irish Dumont!"

Instead of cheers, a deafening, awkward silence followed.

Why was one of the Big Four in fifth place?

Even the young miss from the prominent Arcanist Clan of Dumont couldn’t believe what she had just heard.

But she wasn’t foolish.

Irish decided to swallow the humiliation for now, ascending the stairs with heavy steps.

She would first see who had taken her spot, and if her loss turned out to be unjust, then the organizers had better prepare for hell.

To the appeasement of her heart...

"Cornelius Gray!"

Old Man Buster didn’t mince words and continued to brutally announce upset after upset, prompting the scouts assigned to monitor the competition in Azmarin City to continuously send urgent messages to their superiors.

Something crazy was happening in the Manaforge Initiate Competition!

Everyone completely lost their minds when even Allyson Blaire, the disciple of the nineteenth-ranked master, the renowned Pascal Pascaluta, fell victim to the mysterious participant.

Only Altair Snowcrest remained to defend the prestige of the Big Four.

Not caring in the slightest about the other three’s frustrations, the chief pressed on.

"In second place... this young man’s peak superior-grade Wind Elemental Staff boasts a whopping eight percent bonus in mana affinity, seven percent bonus in mana regeneration, and an astonishing twenty-two percent boost in wind elemental spells."

Meanwhile, the white-haired, dashing young man named Altair was already clenching his fists and gritting his teeth in frustration.

That was the artifact he made.

If even he was second, then who the hell was first?

Buster knew all too well how to hype up and mildly rile the crowd.

He simply scanned his eyes over them, smiling mysteriously as he tortured them with curiosity.

"Now then, everyone, may we present to you the biggest surprise of the Manaforge Initiate Competition."

Deliberately pausing for a moment, Buster grabbed the Flame Elemental Staff that one of his subordinates was holding. Its bright vermilion glow mesmerized the audience, though not everyone.

A horrified few who recognized the artifact were left speechless, their jaws hanging open in utter disbelief.

"Speak! Who?! Who made that?!" raged those nearby.

Fortunately, they didn’t have to bear the torture any longer, as the old man continued:

"This Flame Elemental Staff grants its user a ten percent boost in mana affinity, and while it didn’t grant any mana regeneration bonuses, it boosts its users’ fire elemental magic by twenty-five percent, breaking through to common-tier mastercraft-grade."

The crowd was dumbfounded yet again, a majority stuttering the words:

"M-M-Mastercraft?!"

Buster then added, further adding mystery to the identity of the winner, even if only for a few more seconds:

"I shall not announce your name, young arcanist. You know who you are. Come up here and let your mask, alias, and skills be known to the empire."

Soon, a young arcanist with a jester mask slowly walked forth, heading to the stage and ascending the stairs with grace.

Hal wanted to scream his heart out in triumph and glory.

But that would’ve been unsightly and unfitting for a champion, no?

Arriving at the champion’s podium, Hal was confused when he was handed a Manatech Microphone.

"Now then, Manaforge Initiate Champion, you may introduce yourself and say a few words," old Buster guided.

Hal’s heart was pounding out of his chest, but he also understood that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to boost Joker’s brand.

He couldn’t pass it up.

Fortunately, he had always been good at performing under pressure.

"Hello, everyone. You may call me Joker. Due to my humble origins, I have to hide behind this mask and alias for now. However, worry not. One day, I shall announce my name to the empire, and I promise that, like today, I will turn the Imperium upside down with my existence.

I will be selling my wares to Wanzin’s Arcane Emporium in the near future, so you’d better keep a close watch, as I’m certain they’ll sell out fast.

That’s all from me."