What kind of Combat Artisan would he be if he couldn't operate multiple threads?

Although Fang Hong was somewhat confident in his own skills—after all, he had learned from the masters on the internet—he was actually worried about his level. This competition was limited to Invokers with no more than two stages, and there was a fifteen-level span from Level 1 to Level 2.

As his mind wandered, the competition finally began.

The Dwarf Referee puffed his cheeks and blew a sharp whistle, and eleven Clockwork Fairies flew out at once.

The first round's venue was very simple, starting with a man-made obstacle area, followed by a curved airborne corridor made by iron rings, and finally, a turbulent zone created by a Magic Guided Conductor.

The entire process of the competition only required that one must not touch the obstacles, nor land in the middle of the course, nor collide with each other. There were no requirements for ranking or time, which made it extremely lenient.

Fang Hong was still a bit puzzled.

In his view, only the last part posed a little difficulty, requiring the competitors to demonstrate a basic understanding of airflows, but most Combat Artisans generally wouldn't release Clockwork Fairies under harsh weather conditions.

However, that was about it, and Fang Hong couldn't help but think, "Can this kind of test really stump anyone?"

Turns out, it could indeed stump them.

Right at the start, two competitors were eliminated due to colliding with each other, then two more fell at the first obstacle—they crashed into the barriers; the second obstacle was even more brutal, with only four competitors making it through, one of whom, just upon exiting the curved corridor into the turbulent zone, wasn't prepared enough and got his Clockwork Fairy blown away.

The Clockwork Fairy traced a beautiful arc, hitting the Dwarf Referee right on the forehead, unexpectedly knocking him off the table. The rest hurried towards the scene, resulting in complete chaos.

Seeing this, Fang Hong couldn't help but be stunned and thought, "This Mark II Clockwork Fairy is really impressive... even better at hitting people than the old models."

It took the Dwarf a while to get up, and although he was okay, he was quite frantic as he shouted, "Out! Out!"

Thus, that controller walked down dejectedly.

In the end, only one competitor among the last three finished the race smoothly, and the remaining two struggled to reach the finish line. Fang Hong noticed that the first-place winner was a woman, around 27 or 28 years old, with big wavy hair and decent looks. When she completed the flight, she even had her Clockwork Fairy circle around her, eliciting a wave of awe from the spectators.

Hudi whispered to Fang Hong, "That woman is called Blood Night Demon Moon. She used to be a famous Combat Artisan around Elpaxin and then found her true love in the first world. She left to get married and have children and took a break for two years. Now, having returned, her skills have rusted, and people jokingly call her 'dumb for three years after pregnancy.'"

Fang Hong chuckled at the rumor. Indeed, Invokers could temporarily leave Eteliria and return to reality after making certain sacrifices. He just wondered what he, a stowaway, should do.

His heart ached a bit as he missed his uncle's family; he was orphaned at a young age, and his uncle's family treated him as their own, except for opposing his choice to become an Invoker. To him, it was like his real home.

At this point, the first round was over, and only three out of eleven people had passed. This rate of elimination was somewhat unexpected to Fang Hong.

He couldn't help but look at his own Clockwork Fairy—thinking, is controlling this thing really that hard?

Hudi patted his shoulder and stood up.

"My turn," he pushed his glasses up and said, "Watch me teach that fatso a lesson. You need to hang in there later."

Fang Hong nodded.

The number of competitors in the second round of Group B was even greater than the first, totaling thirteen. From the start, Fang Hong realized that Hudi's claims weren't just boasts. This group was indeed much more reliable than Group A, with no one eliminated before the second obstacle and nine making it through the second obstacle.

Fang Hong first paid attention to Hudi and breathed a sigh of relief after a glance. He realized that his control level was decent, though a bit rough, but he still made it through the third obstacle.

Then there was the 'fatso' Hudi mentioned. Fang Hong spotted the individual who was noticeably larger than the others, "Wow," he thought, "That guy's equipment is really good." First was a Central Nerve AE-type Magic Guided Reactor with a tetrahedral Shield Generator on its abnormal interface.

The B-type potter miniature shield recharge rate enhancer—

Such a tycoon, Fang Hong drooled. This thing was not cheaper than his own Magic Guided Reactor. Not to mention the Flexible Construct control enhancement plugin on the main interface, which was also a rare C-quality item.

But this guy's skills were indeed on par with his equipment, superb, whether compared to Hudi or the previously mentioned woman named Blood Night Demon Moon, he clearly outclassed them by more than a little.

But to Fang Hong, that was all there was to it.

Watching these people control their Clockwork Fairies, he recalled the Combat Artisan from the Jiefulite Red Cloak Team he encountered in the Elf Ruins. Now, it seemed that the opponent must at least be a formidable expert.

At least far superior to any of these people.

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