It was rare for blacksmiths to reach 100% efficiency in producing items of the same grade as their magic stage!

Most would advance to the next stage before even reaching 95% efficiency. In fact, the normal range was between 80% and 90% efficiency on items of the same grade as a professional progressed through the ranks.

Most would only gain access to the understanding needed to produce items of 100% efficiency or purity when they changed magic stages and were able to see the world differently.

As one advanced through the ranks, one would not only experience an improvement in the richness of one's mana but would also undergo a qualitative evolution that would increase all of one's attributes. Among them, talent and the ability to see the world evolved, and it became easier for people to see old mistakes and how certain things would work better.

In this world, advice is good for guiding people. But to solve a problem, it wasn't enough for someone to tell you what to do. You had to understand why you were making a mistake and why it was causing you to make a mistake. Until you understood that, even if someone told you, it wouldn't make a difference in solving the problem.

This was the reality for 99% of the magicians in Polaris Realm, and the case of people who managed to achieve a level of mastery over their own abilities as high as Vicente's was very infrequent.

Hearing Vicente's score from that evaluator, the men watching him from behind the false wall of that room opened their mouths in shock.

"98%?"

Gulp!

"That boy..." Isaac became more serious, seeing that Vicente wasn't just a good talent but a one-in-a-million prodigy!

Benson smiled in satisfaction when he heard this result and noticed that the shield Vicente produced was already of a higher quality than the last weapon the young man in front of him had produced earlier.

'He'll probably get 100% on the third test.' Benson thought to himself as he saw his student reach his goal.

"Who is this boy, Benson? What is his innate ability? He hasn't used a single bit of his special power." Isaac asked in a low tone.

"Haha, that's not for you to know, my friend. Vicente won't use his power." Benson laughed, still looking at the exhausted young man in the room.

"Don't talk nonsense. This is a matter of great importance to the Association." Isaac said in a louder tone. "With a talent like his, we can improve our chances in the annual Forge Tournament. He could bring us a lot of resources and opportunities!"

"But master, this year's tournament is only three months away. There won't be time..."

"Tsk! I'm not talking about this damned year. In 2 or 3 years of preparation, Vicente could represent our post and win first place! But that depends on how his skills develop." Isaac said to his foolish pupil.

"Oh?"

"Isaac, I don't mind my disciples competing. But I've never forced them to participate in these events."

"Let me talk to him. He certainly has ambitions that can be fulfilled by participating in this tournament," Isaac said, confident in the competitive spirit of the younger generation.

"Good luck, hehe."

Meanwhile, the level 5 Acolyte said. "But he won't be able to hide his powers for much longer. He'll have a hard time in the next trials."

It was tough to have a blacksmith with the same ability to create all kinds of artifacts. Each would have more difficulty with certain types of artifacts and more ease with others.

Vicente probably had an easier time making defensive items based on his efficiency in making that shield. With that in mind, the 2nd-stage blacksmith was confident that the black-haired young man would have to use his skills in the next tests.

Benson heard this and said nothing.

These men didn't know it, but the type of artifact Vicente found most difficult to make were shields!

He said to Isaac. "If you want to see his skill, you must convince him to show you. I promised him I'd never talk to anyone about his skill."

Hearing this and seeing Benson move to another area where they could watch Vicente's next test, Isaac frowned.

'Fucking King! You don't give a damn about your class! That's why you'll never be better than Henry!' Isaac clenched his fists.

...

After leaving the previous room, Vicente returned to the waiting area, where there were fewer people now that some of the young blacksmith apprentices had failed the first test.

But when he returned, Vicente not only saw Nate and Eli already sitting on the waiting bench, but he also saw a ranking of the young people who were taking the test for the 1st-grade blacksmith's license that evening.

On one of the walls in this area, a ranking appeared, showing the position of these young people, considering the preliminary results so far.

More than an hour after the first tests began, and with 15 people registered for today's tests, Vicente was in second place, behind only one young man who had already passed the second test of the night.

Seeing Vicente's name above his own, Eli frowned when he saw the rank update, something the Association used in all tests of this type to encourage its members.

"How is this possible?" Eli stood up from where he was and asked himself in disbelief.

He scored 88 points on the first test, an impressive score that would have put him in first place on standard days.

But still, had Vice passed him?

Even Nate frowned. He had scored 87 points, but he couldn't help but be shocked by Vicente's preliminary result.

'Could it be that he was tested on the item that was easiest for him to produce?' He wondered, thinking that he might get a better result in one of the next tests since he hadn't been tested on his preferred type of artifact.

Vicente ignored them and quickly sat down to wait his turn.

With fewer young blacksmith apprentices present for the following tests, it wouldn't be long before Vicente was called again, this time to room number 6.

In a room similar to the previous one but with a different examiner of a higher level than before, Vicente was soon asked to make a spear.

He had plenty of time to rest between the 1st and 2nd tests, so he had no trouble showing off his forging skills and surprising his observers once again!