The Stonehearted Knight
Chapter 147: The Crystal Refiner (3)

Chapter 147: The Crystal Refiner (3)

All eight test takers stood in front of monoliths side by side. Hex was the last person in the row, with the elderly man beside him.

Their presence didn’t go unnoticed. Quickly, a small crowd formed, standing outside of the platform with the monoliths. If even one of the eight achieved the Adept level, they would have something to tell their families and friends.

"The test is simple. Everyone refines ten Demon crystals. As long as they can achieve A quality for all ten, they will have passed. Everyone gets one hour to finish the refinement."

The clerk repeated the rules but with the added time limit. Hex was surprised but when he looked around, he noticed everyone else knew about it.

’I have never refined multiple crystals within one hour. Hopefully, it won’t matter too much.’

Hex saw the manager from the Merchant Union whispering with another clerk, pointing at some of the other test takers.

’She is already thinking about recruiting someone else. Wait till I show you my worth.’

Hex didn’t mind her action. He just wished to gain access to more Fiend crystals. He could earn and increase his energy at the same time.

Ding!

The clerk knocked on a small gong at the side, signaling the start of the test.

Hex picked the first crystal and put his hand on top of the monolith. The suction force from the monolith appeared immediately. Hex forced the chaotic energy into his body, building a circuit. But as soon as the circuit was created, the monolith in his inner space started to buzz.

This was unexpected but Hex didn’t lose his calm. He knew his heart wouldn’t allow the energy to go berserk. He focused on the monolith inside. He noticed a pleasant surprise.

’The flow of energy is quicker yet steady. My artifact is acting like a secondary regulator, keeping the cycle active in both directions.’

In just a few minutes, he sensed all the chaotic energy inside the crystal being refined into innate energy. He poured the amount required to keep the crystal active.

Just as Hex suspected, he barely gained energy from the crystal. Luckily, his goal was different.

When he put the refined crystal in the box, he raised a few eyebrows and shocked some people.

None of the other test takers were as quick as him. Only when he picked up the second crystal did Delia finish hers. As she was putting her crystal in the box, she noticed Hex starting his second crystal.

"You are just wasting time and resources," the elderly man grumbled. He was sweating heavily but he was third to finish his refinement. "I can believe the lassie to be quick but a teacherless fellow like you can never achieve the same result."

"Mister Beron, please keep your voice down," the clerk said calmly.

But Beron’s words resonated with the manager and some people in the crowd. They shook their heads, eying Hex with some contempt.

Hex ignored them. His discovery of the way his monolith reacted and the increase in refinement time, amazed him.

He refined the second crystal, familiarizing himself with the process.

’This is amazing. In a few days, I will come to test with a Fiend crystal. Usually, it takes me one hour for one Fiend crystal, but if I use the reduction in time for Demon crystals as a reference, I might be done within a half hour.’

Hex was so focused that he failed to notice that the time he required to refine the second crystal was a few seconds less than he spent on the first one.

Seeing him finish first again, a murmur broke in the crowd. They ridiculed Hex’s behavior. Some even proposed to ban him from the Temple for some time. Only a few people looked at him seriously.

"Find out who he is and whether someone has already acquired his services."

A young man with blond hair stood behind the crowd. He was one of the few who believed and even hoped that Hex truly was capable.

"Right away, young master," his servant whispered, hearing his order.

No one knew but Hex was lost in his own world. He didn’t notice the ridicule or admiration. His focus is on refinement.

’This feels comfortable. I finally understand what an artifact is and how to interact with it. It seems the more I bond with it, the smoother it will understand my intentions and instructions.’

His hands moved as if they were sentient beings. The feeling of being completely in control and in tune with the energy around him was incredible.

Hex felt his energy grow, even if the growth was minuscule. His senses sharpened as he bonded with his artifact.

After a while, he moved to pick up another crystal but stopped when he saw he was done. He didn’t even notice the passage of time.

"Sir Mike, please wait at the side for the others to finish. You are the first to have refined all ten crystals in less than an hour."

One of the clerks came up to him and spoke politely. The elderly clerk didn’t believe Hex truly refined all the crystals to A quality but even if he came close to it, he deserved respect.

Not many thought so though.

"I can’t believe people are willing to waste time and resources just to get a few minutes of fame."

"Indeed, there are many shameless people in the world."

The manager came up to Hex. "I am surprised at your speed. Don’t worry about the result. If all the crystals are at least C quality, I will hire you. We will train you and the benefits will be to your liking."

Although she was polite, Hex knew she didn’t believe in his abilities. She did, however, consider him worthy to be trained. In her eyes, if they could rope in Hex now, they could bind him to them for a long time, earning a fortune through him, in exchange for a fraction of the amount.

’She wishes to earn money at my expense, I wish to train with their resources but on my terms.’

As Hex waited, he observed the others inside the Temple. Most onlookers were Squires and weaker Knights. The only group that gave him a dangerous vibe, was the group of the blonde young man.

’He seems interested in my abilities. I wonder if I can earn something through him too.’

Hex wouldn’t let any opportunity slip. He needed five thousand drops of chaotic energy, which was equivalent to at least three two thousand Fiend crystals. He would use all the options to gather that amount as quickly as possible.

Ding!

The sound of the gong pulled him out of his thoughts. Time was up. Three people failed to complete the task. They were already disqualified. But there were still five people left.

The clerk in charge of the test walked up to the boxes.

"We will start testing the quality now."

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