Gardener of Eden

Chapter 86: Chapter 86: Glory

Stepping up to Station 07 for the final show of the individual trials, Seraphina stood calm and composed as the surrounding alchemists scrambled to calibrate their apparatuses.

Instead of rushing into a high-speed brew, Seraphina demonstrated absolute control. With patient, surgical precision, her agile hands deconstructed each provided raw ingredient—stripping volatile mana veins from spirit herbs, measuring liquid densities by touch, and isolating pure elemental essences without a single wasted motion.

One by one, she transferred the meticulously prepared reagents into her gleaming artifact—the Crucible of Eternal Transmutation. Channeling a thin, highly refined thread of her own mana into its runic matrix, she locked down the internal environment of the vessel. Exercising flawless thermal discipline, she modulated the underlying flame, holding the volatile kinetic balance at the exact micro-second of peak equilibrium.

A clear, vibrant radiance flared within the crucible, settling into a perfectly crystallized, shimmering liquid. The diagnostic crystal above her workstation flashed as the senior invigilators logged her final score:

[ CRAFTING EVALUATION RESULT ]

Item: Tier C Strength Elixir

Purity: 98%

Effect: +30% Physical Strength for 30 Minutes

Unclasping the Crucible of Eternal Transmutation, Seraphina secured her masterpiece for the judges and unhurriedly wiped her gloves. As the final horn echoed across the Royal Colosseum to signal the official conclusion of all individual categories, she walked back up the marble stairs and rejoined her team in Squad 07’s private balcony.

”A Tier C elixir at ninety-eight percent purity,” Rowan said with a proud grin, adjusting the brim of his Enchanted Straw Hat as she took her seat. ”Flawless finish, Seraphina.”

”That closes out our fifth run,” Caelen added, giving her a sharp nod.

Before they could discuss the hidden standings further, the heavy oak doors of their private balcony suite clicked open. Dean Theresa Sterling stepped inside, her silver-trimmed cane tapping softly against the polished floor as the door sealed shut behind her.

Looking across the five seated cadets—Caelen, Mirei, Barney, Seraphina, and Rowan—Dean Sterling’s usually unyielding expression softened into a look of quiet, genuine pride.

”Regardless of how the encrypted imperial slates reveal the final numbers, you five have delivered a stellar performance today,” Dean Sterling said, her voice rich with satisfaction. ”You represented Sol-Aethel with absolute excellence before the entire continent, the foreign delegation, and His Imperial Majesty Himself.”

”We came here to sweep every seat at the Emperor’s table, Dean,” Barney chuckled, resting his hands behind his head.

”And you made every single academy and capital cadet on that sand realize exactly what Squad 07 is made of,” Dean Sterling replied with a rare, approving smile.

Down on the main arena floor, the central holographic array began to flare with brilliant golden light, signaling that the imperial judges and Emperor Aurelius IX were preparing to unveil the final, grand championship standings.

***

An hour of intense deliberation passed as the imperial board of evaluators tallied every micro-score, mana purity rating, and combat metric. A sharp, reverberating chime echoed through the Royal Colosseum, calling the fifty thousand spectators to attention as the central holographic display flared to life, casting massive golden slates across the arena sky.

One by one, the final standings for each individual category materialized before the entire continent:

Melee Combat: Caelen earned 3rd Place, securing a podium finish among the realm’s absolute elite swordsmen.

Ranged Combat: Mirei locked in 3rd Place, her rapid-fire precision claiming a top-three spot against the empire’s master marksmen.

Blacksmithing & Forge Artifact: Barney took 2nd Place, his C+ solar-mythril twin daggers outshining every capital artificer except the royal master’s apprentice.

Alchemy & Reagent Dispersion: Seraphina claimed 2nd Place, her 98% pure C-Tier Strength Elixir placing her as runner-up in a fiercely contested division.

Farming & Herbology: Rowan Vance claimed 1st Place Champion, completely sweeping the division with an unprecedented perfect evaluation for sprouting the extinct ancestral peach tree.

When the point values consolidated at the bottom of the array, the team rankings flashed in blazing crimson and gold:

GRAND CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM STANDINGS

1st Place: Imperial Royal Academy’s First Fleet

2nd Place: Sol-Aethel Academy (Squad 07)

3rd Place: Frost-Spire Elite Vanguard

A thunderous roar erupted from the grandstands as Sol-Aethel secured 2nd Place Overall in the entire Imperial Exhibition Tournament—a historic achievement for their academy.

However, Emperor Aurelius IX’s imperial mandate was absolute. Only the 1st place champions of each individual division earned the invitation to the Royal Estate for a private one-day banquet and an item from the Vaults of the Imperial Treasury. Because Caelen, Mirei, Barney, and Seraphina had placed 2nd and 3rd, Rowan stood as the sole member of Squad 07 who earned a seat at the Emperor’s table and access to the sovereign vaults.

Inside Squad 07’s private gallery suite, there was no resentment—only immense, roaring pride.

”Second place in forgecraft across the entire empire, and second overall as a team?!” Barney let out a boisterous laugh, slapping Rowan heavily on the shoulder. ”I’ll take those results any day! Now you go empty out the Emperor’s treasury for us tomorrow, Cap!”

”You’re representing Sol-Aethel and Squad 07 at that table, Rowan,” Seraphina said, a rare, genuine smile gracing her lips as she folded her arms.

Caelen and Mirei both offered firm, approving nods. ”Make sure His Majesty knows our squad is coming for 1st place overall next time,” Caelen said with a quiet smirk.

Dean Sterling stepped forward, her cane tapping against the marble floor as she looked at her five students with uncharacteristic warmth. ”Sol-Aethel has never placed this high in the history of the exhibition tournament. You have all made the academy proud. Rowan, prepare yourself well—a day inside the Royal Estate with the Imperial Family and access to the Imperial Treasury is an opportunity that will define your future.”

Rowan adjusted the brim of his Enchanted Straw Hat, resting his hand against the Hoe of the World-Tiller over his shoulder. Looking up toward the gilded royal booth, he met the golden gaze of Emperor Aurelius IX, Crown Prince Julian, and Princess Lyra, who were all watching the newly crowned cultivation champion.

”I’ll make sure to pick something worthy of the squad,” Rowan said with a calm, confident smile.