Microclimate Bottle
Under the watchful eyes of everyone in the side hall, Lucien gently placed the seemingly ordinary crystal bottle on the long table in front of the judges' panel.
The bottle is completely transparent, with only extremely fine, cloud-like textures at the bottom.
Lucien drew his wand, tapped it lightly, and a condensed yet gentle beam of light fell on the mouth of the Microclimate Bottle.
On the transparent surface of the bottle, complex and orderly Ancient Runes lit up from the inside out, their light and shadow shifting like breathing.
The space inside the bottle began to change: first, a very faint white mist emerged from the bottom, slowly swirling upwards to simulate the dampness of a fog; then, a warm golden halo rippled out from the center of the mist, the temperature subtly rising, presenting the brightness of sunlight.
As the Ancient Runes continued to move, the scene inside the bottle underwent even more intricate changes.
The professors on the judging panel immediately leaned forward and began to carefully examine the work that had been submitted in advance.
The essence of creating Microclimate Bottle lies in the refiner's precise control and combination of elements. Each simulation of a climate is a wonderful application of elemental balance.
Therefore, the evaluation criteria are also very intuitive: just by seeing whether the final product can stably simulate several distinct "climates", one can roughly judge its quality and the level of the refiner.
Madame Maxime nodded slightly, her eyes filled with undisguised admiration.
Professor Shafiq looked relaxed, clearly not worried about the result; his thoughts were probably already on how to arrange his precious extra vacation after the game.
Professor Laurent observed carefully, watching intently every subtle flow of elements and the echoing of Ancient Runes within the bottle, marveling at it.
The more closely he examined the work, the more he felt that the level of alchemy displayed in it far exceeded the scope of a student's abilities.
The professors exchanged a few words in hushed tones, but did not announce Lucien's specific grades on the spot.
All scores will be announced along with the other contestants' entries after the five-hour competition has completely concluded.
This was intended to avoid affecting the mentality of players who were still competing and to maintain a fair competitive environment.
However, Lucien's early completion, nearly two hours ahead of schedule, inevitably affected the mood of the other contestants.
Riemann and Phoebe, who were more familiar with Lucien, were alright; they had already witnessed Lucien's alchemical skills.
Riemann glanced up briefly before lowering his head again to focus on the bottle that was beginning to take shape in front of him. He wasn't under any pressure to win the championship, so he just needed to perform at his normal level.
After a brief moment of gazing, Phoebe's lips curved into an almost imperceptible smile before she regained her composure and continued to guide the silver-red intertwined magical flow within the bottle.
However, the impact was much more pronounced for the other three contestants.
One of the Durmstrang students seemed a little agitated after the professors began their review.
He was in a hurry to adjust the schedule, and when he poured magic into a half-finished part, the output fluctuated slightly.
"Click--"
A soft, yet remarkably clear sound rang out in the otherwise silent hall.
Several fine cracks instantly spread across the surface of the component in front of him, and the cold air that had been gathered inside dissipated, condensing into a small patch of white frost on the alchemy table.
On the judges' panel, Professor Durmstrang, who was leading the team, frowned and his expression darkened slightly.
The professor's brow finally relaxed slightly when he saw the student, after a brief moment of panic, take a deep breath, decisively wave his wand to remove the damaged parts, and quickly retrieve the second set of materials to begin refining.
Fortunately, the damaged part was not the most critical or time-consuming component, so if we act quickly, it can still be repaired.
Professor Durmstrang's gaze involuntarily drifted again to the Microclimate Bottle quietly changing on the judges' panel, then to the pile of materials urgently needing processing on his student's stage, and he sighed inwardly at the obvious gap between them.
Only three hours into the match, Lucien, at Maxime's suggestion, found an empty seat in the Beauxbatons student section.
His sudden transformation from contestant to spectator drew the attention of the Beauxbatons students, whose curious, inquisitive, and admiring gazes fell upon this young genius from Hogwarts.