The First Stage, Scattering Four Wings

Hudi chuckled upon hearing this. "I didn't expect you to be so humorous."

Seeing that Hudi didn't believe him, Fang Heng shook his head. "I'm serious."

Hudi simply didn't believe him and pushed his glasses up his nose, trying to comfort Fang Heng. "Of course, I know you're serious, man, but people also need to see reality. Even if you manage to fight your way through the qualifiers, you'll still be no match for the Chosen from the major guilds."

Fang Heng found this self-deprecating remark very strange. Last time it was Miya; although her words were different, the meaning was similar. "Is the gap between ordinary Chosen and those from clubs really that big?"

"Of course. The Chosen from clubs are all selected from the trainee stage. If not one in ten thousand, then at least one in a thousand. Plus, they have the backing of major guilds, so they have both talent and resources. How can ordinary Chosen compare?"

"But aren't there lone wolves in the Second World too?" Fang Heng pressed. By "lone wolves," he meant Chosen without club or guild backgrounds, though not necessarily true loners; they could be a small team or an adventuring party.

"How many lone wolves are there?" Hudi shook his head. "At least I'm not that kind of genius. I have that much self-awareness."

"But Hudi, Chosen should never give up these two pursuits," Fang Heng said seriously, disagreeing with his attitude. "One is the curiosity that never stops exploring, and the other is the drive that absolutely refuses to give up on pursuing victory."

These were two famous quotes from the preface of the Chosen's handbook, widely circulated among the first generation of Chosen. But Hudi suddenly realized his new friend was still very young and couldn't help but pat his shoulder and shake his head without speaking.

Seeing that Hudi still didn't believe him, Fang Heng didn't insist further. Ahead was a huge wooden chest filled with Clockwork Sprites uniformly distributed by the organizers, neatly stacked row after row. Their brass shells reflected a beautiful glow under the lamplight.

Clockwork Sprite Type II.

As soon as Fang Heng saw it, he couldn't help but think, "The organizers are really rich—" But then he remembered the organizers were the Kaolin Merchant Alliance and the Elpaxin Grand Guild of Artisans, so it wasn't surprising. It was just a shame that these Clockwork Sprites had to be returned after use.

Otherwise, this chest alone would be worth a sky-high price.

After Fang Heng received the Clockwork Sprite and linked it to the main crystal, he tried moving its copper-plate wings and found them exceptionally agile. Indeed, they were much easier to operate than the old-fashioned sprites.

Hudi watched him test it with surprise, and asked with growing suspicion, "You've never used one of these before?"

The answer was yes, Fang Heng had indeed never used such a high-end item before.

So he subconsciously nodded.

But Hudi clearly misinterpreted his reaction. He patted Fang Heng's shoulder and said, "It's okay. I see you have some talent in manipulating the wings. It's your first time, so it's your first time. Just follow me when we fly later."

His tone was very sincere.

So sincere, in fact, that Fang Heng looked at the guy speechlessly, unsure of what to say for a moment.

Fortunately, the organizers began the lottery draw at this point—dispelling the awkwardness. Because there were too many participants and limited space, the organizers had to divide the more than forty people into four groups. Fang Heng happened to be the first to draw, so he stepped forward. A small goblin held out a wooden box, looking at him fearfully.

He smiled kindly at the little guy and then reached into the box. The little goblin deliberately tilted the box and rolled its big, dark eyes, seemingly thinking about something.

Fang Heng ended up pulling out a slip of paper with "D12" written on it.

"Group D, number twelve," the gnome then shouted.

Fang Heng finally understood what the little goblin had been doing. It was said they had some special abilities, which he must have used for this small matter. He saw the little goblin wink at him, and Fang Heng couldn't help but chuckle, shaking his head at it.

The little goblin couldn't help but feel a bit dejected.

Hudi drew in the third batch of people and got Group B. He walked back holding the slip of paper, looking dejected, and said to Fang Heng, "Bad luck. You're on your own now."

"It's okay with me," Fang Heng smiled.

"Of course, it's okay with you," Hudi said dejectedly. "Group B is full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers. That guy Eternal Worm is in it."

"Eternal Worm?"

"Don't ask. It's just the ID of some annoying fatso. But even though he's annoying, his skills are considered outstanding among ordinary Chosen."

Fang Heng comforted him, "Don't worry, the first round isn't a competition anyway."

"But the second round is," Hudi replied glumly. "The second round is a showdown between the winners of Groups A and B and the winners of Groups C and D. Theoretically, there are only four spots in total. I was hoping to make it to the second round."

"Wait, didn't you say your goal was just the first round earlier?" Fang Heng asked, slightly confused.

Unexpectedly, Hudi pushed his glasses up his nose and replied righteously, "But didn't you say it yourself? Never give up on pursuing victory. He chuckled, 'Heh heh, I think what you said makes a lot of sense.'"

Fang Heng looked at the shameless guy, momentarily speechless.

However, he also found that talking with this thick-skinned fellow somewhat lessened his nervousness. Indeed, he was also nervous, as he had no idea what Combat Artificers from the First World were like.

In his impression, Combat Artificers in the Second World were synonymous with toughness. For them, multi-tasking was as natural as breathing or drinking water.

If you can't multi-task, what kind of Combat Artificer are you?

Although Fang Heng was somewhat confident in his own skills—after all, he had learned from various masters (online)—what he truly worried about was his level. This competition was limited to Chosen within Tier 2, and there was a span of fifteen levels from Tier 1 to Tier 2.

Just as he was lost in thought, the competition finally began.

The gnome referee puffed out his cheeks and blew a sharp whistle. Eleven Clockwork Sprites flew out simultaneously.

The venue for the first round of the competition was very simple: first, an artificial obstacle course, then a curved aerial corridor made of iron rings, and finally, an artificial turbulence zone created by Magic Devices.

The entire competition only required participants not to touch obstacles, not to land midway, and not to collide with each other. It didn't require ranking or have any time limits, making it extremely lenient.

Fang Heng was still a bit puzzled.

Because, in his opinion, only the last stage posed a slight difficulty, requiring a test of the operators' basic understanding of airflow. However, most Combat Artificers wouldn't deploy their Clockwork Sprites in adverse weather conditions.

But that was all. Fang Heng couldn't help but think, "Can such an assessment really stump people?"

Yet, it truly did stump people.

Right at the start, two people were eliminated for colliding with each other. Then, another two fell at the first obstacle—they hit the obstacles. The second stage was even more brutal; only four people passed in total. And as soon as one of them flew out of the curved corridor and entered the turbulence zone, their Clockwork Sprite was blown away due to insufficient preparation.

The Clockwork Sprite drew a beautiful arc and happened to hit the gnome referee right on the forehead, unexpectedly knocking him off the table. Others rushed towards the direction in a panic, and the scene instantly became chaotic.

Fang Heng stared at the scene, dumbfounded, and thought, This Clockwork Sprite Type II is really something... it's even better at bumping into people than the old models.

The gnome took a while to get up. He was fine, just exasperated, and yelled, "Out! You're out!"

The operator then dejectedly walked off.

In the end, only one of the last three participants finished smoothly, while the other two stumbled to the finish line. Fang Heng saw that the first-place finisher was a woman, around twenty-seven or twenty-eight, with big wavy hair and a rather attractive face. As this beauty completed her flight, she even had her Clockwork Sprite circle her once, drawing gasps of admiration from the onlookers.

Hudi whispered to Fang Heng, "That woman is Blood Night Demon Moon. She used to be a famous Combat Artificer in the Elpaxin area. Later, she found true love in the First World and returned to the real world to get married, have children, and recuperate for two years. Now that she's back, she's a bit rusty, and her condition has declined. Others jokingly say she's 'three years of brain fog after childbirth'—"

Fang Heng couldn't help but find the rumor amusing. However, it was true that Chosen could temporarily leave Aethelria and return to reality after paying a certain price. He just didn't know what he, as an illegal immigrant, should do.

He actually missed his uncle's family a little. He had no parents since childhood, and his uncle's family treated him as their own. Apart from opposing his becoming a Chosen, it was just like home to him.

At this point, the first round was declared over. Only three out of eleven participants passed. This elimination rate, to be honest, was somewhat beyond Fang Heng's expectations.

He couldn't help but look at the Clockwork Sprite in his hand—Is controlling this thing really that difficult?

Hudi patted his shoulder and stood up.

"It's my turn," he said, adjusting his glasses. "Watch me teach that fatso a lesson. You need to do well later too."

Fang Heng nodded.

The second round, Group B, had even more participants than the first round, with a total of thirteen contestants. As soon as the race began, Fang Heng realized Hudi hadn't been exaggerating. This group was indeed much more reliable than Group A. No one was eliminated before the second checkpoint, and nine people passed the second checkpoint.

Fang Heng's natural focus was on Hudi. After a quick glance, he breathed a sigh of relief. He found that Hudi's control level was surprisingly not bad. Although he stumbled, he still passed the third checkpoint.

Then there was the 'fatso' Hudi mentioned. Fang Heng immediately spotted the guy who was a whole size larger than the others. "Whoa," Fang Heng thought, "this guy's equipment is really top-notch." First, there was a 'Central Nervous System' AE type Magic Furnace, with an alien interface connected to a four-sided pyramid-shaped shield generator.

A Porter Small Shield Recharge Increaser Type B—

What a spendthrift, Fang Heng drooled. This thing was no cheaper than his own Magic Furnace. Not to mention the Flexible Construct control enhancement plugin on his main interface, which was also a rare C-grade item.

However, this guy's skill truly matched his equipment; it was exquisite. Whether compared to Hudi or the woman named Blood Night Demon Moon earlier, he was clearly more than a notch above them.

But in Fang Heng's eyes, it was just so-so.

Seeing the Clockwork Sprites these people were controlling, he couldn't help but think of the Combat Artificer from the Jefflitte Redcoats he encountered in the Elven Ruins. Now, it seemed that person must have been a considerable master.

At least, they were nowhere near as good as these people.

As he was thinking this, the second round of the competition quickly ended. Three people were eliminated in the third checkpoint, leaving six participants, including Hudi, to pass.

A pass rate of nearly half was enough to indicate the skill level of this group.

Hudi walked back beaming and said to Fang Heng, "How was it? Not bad, right? Now it's up to you. Don't be nervous. I took a look at your basic operation skills just now, and they're actually excellent!"

Fang Heng looked at him, a mix of amusement and exasperation on his face.

After passing the first assessment, this guy seemed like a completely different person. He was walking on air, adopting an air of wanting to teach others, already seeing himself as a senior Pioneer.

However, he knew Hudi meant well, so he nodded.

Seeing that Fang Heng was "teachable," Hudi was delighted and was about to impart some life experience to this "newcomer" when a sarcastic voice suddenly cut in:

"Is this your new little brother, Mr. Our-Trash-Combat-Artificer?"

Hudi's expression changed, and he turned around.

At this moment, Fang Heng had already seen the fat guy packing up his equipment and walking over, stopping not far away with ill intentions.

"What else do you want?" Hudi turned back and said coldly.

The fat guy looked at Fang Heng's glove with a mocking expression and couldn't help but laugh out loud, "Look at you two, birds of a feather flock together. Where did you find this clown? Haha, this glove is hilarious. Buddy, why did you come up with such a piece of junk?"

Hudi's face turned blood red, and he angrily retorted, "Shut your stinking mouth! No one thinks you're mute, you fat pig!"

The fat guy's expression also changed, "What did you say?"

"Fat pig," Hudi replied, enunciating each word.

The fat guy's face turned extremely grim. He said coldly, "Very well, you wait for the next round." Then, with a dark expression, he glanced at Fang Heng again and sneered, "Don't wet your pants from fear later and embarrass your big brother Hudi."

Fang Heng looked at the guy with a face full of question marks.

What did I do to offend him? Is this guy out of his mind?

After the other party left, he couldn't help but turn to Hudi and say, "Now I kind of understand why you call him 'fatso'."

"Glad you understand," Hudi agreed wholeheartedly.

At this time, the third round of the competition had also concluded. Fang Heng looked over again; a total of four people passed. The gnome referee picked up the megaphone and called for the next round of contestants to enter.

Fang Heng realized it was his turn.

He took a deep breath and stood up. Hudi also walked over and patted his shoulder, "Don't be nervous, it's easy." Fang Heng nodded, picked up his Clockwork Sprite, and walked forward.

The contestants' positions were marked on the ground with white circles, indicating their order. He was contestant number twelve in Group D, the very last one. He stepped into the circle, lifted his Clockwork Sprite—and, like the other contestants, displayed his control glove.

Unexpectedly, this simple action drew a burst of laughter.

"Wow, this guy's glove is awesome."

"Haha, is this the legendary beggar's outfit?"

"Beggar-style Combat Artificer."

"Bro, you've pioneered a new school of thought."

Among them, the fatso called 'Eternal Worm' laughed particularly loudly, which annoyed Fang Heng greatly. However, he himself felt a little embarrassed; his equipment was indeed a bit too outrageous.

He couldn't help but habitually scratch his face, but he didn't expect that at this very moment, the gnome referee blew his whistle—

Fang Heng hadn't reacted yet, so he was immediately a moment late.

The surrounding laughter couldn't help but grow louder. This young Combat Artificer was simply too amusing; he was still spacing out when the match had already begun. That fatso was laughing so hard that tears were about to stream down his face.

When Hudi saw this scene, he couldn't help but stomp his feet and beat his chest. His new little brother friend was still too young, too inexperienced!

But it was precisely at this moment that Fang Heng calmed down instead. With an exceedingly concise movement, he pulled down his goggles and adjusted the depth of the lens.

Seeing this action, Hudi subconsciously quieted down—So professional, a strange thought flashed through his mind.

Fang Heng lifted his hand upwards.

With a soft hum, the four pairs of copper wings on the Clockwork Sprite Type II vibrated simultaneously. Four intertwined, spinning curves traced a beautiful golden trajectory, causing the Clockwork Sprite to tremble gently.

It flew up, paused briefly in mid-air, and then suddenly transformed into an arrow, shooting forward.

In an instant, it surpassed three or four other Clockwork Sprites.

The entire process was as smooth as flowing water, without the slightest flaw.

The surroundings suddenly fell silent—

Faintly, there was a low sound of inhaled breath.

Short-path takeoff.

Four wings dancing—

As the saying goes, an expert's move reveals their skill. This simple takeoff maneuver had conquered everyone. Even the woman called Blood Night Demon Moon shot up from her seat, knocking over her chair.

And Hudi's Clockwork Sprite landed on the ground with a bang, his mouth agape.

What had he seen? That was the operational skill of a professional Chosen.

You might not believe this, but the word count made the first move; it just couldn't stop. Editor, it's really not my fault... Also, please vote for recommendations and add to your collection.