The legendary warrior

Each and every single warrior that was before the presence of the dark stone tensed at the sight of it. It didn't look particularly special nor gigantic, yet it stood like a tall mirror that caused an intimidation amongst everyone. Beneath the surface of the stone was a mystery that was yet to be discovered.

"Take a look at this! Is this the stone for the measurement of weapons? It's quite a sight to behold, is it not?" a warrior blurted out in excitement. "The Casting Guild is astounding! How did it manage to obtain such a stone?"

another warrior exclaimed, disbelief and shock evident on his face and as well as everyone else's. It was a groundbreaking moment for all the warriors present at the scene.

The weapon-measuring stone was unlike any other gem in the world -- the purest and rarest out of all stones hidden in the depths of the earth. It took an unbelievable amount of time for the stone to be the way it was, millions of years deep underground with airtight surroundings.

"It is known that this stone can measure the difference between two weapons with all due precision, and I'm talking about a one-to-ten thousand scale here. Its power is miraculous! I still find it hard to fathom that we're actually graced by the presence of this precious thing!" one of the warriors exclaimed, with a hint of curiosity in his voice.

'What? It can test out a difference to such degree? How is that possible?

I wonder how it's able to do that, ' Ricky thought to himself, fixated on the dark stone. A great amount of curiosity suddenly consumed his mind.

"I assume you three, being the casting geniuses that you are, already have an idea of how this dark stone works. I think it's the perfect time to put this stone to test."

Elder Alexander beamed proudly to Zack, Ivan, and Ricky.

"Please, allow me to be the first one to try the magical abilities of this gem!" Zack pleaded, taking a step ahead to show his eagerness. His eyes were glassy, and his stance expressed how immensely he wanted to do the test first.

"Excellent!"

The elder praised the young warrior for bearing such great courage and confidence.

Elder Alexander nodded in approval. In just a matter of seconds, his calm expression turned into a serious face, getting ready for what was about to happen. The old man raised his hand, and turned his palm towards Zack's head. Steams of invisible white energy coming from the stone quietly flowed into Zack's body. The next moment shocked the boy. Zack figured he had lost all abilities to manage his own powers when he tried to gather some spiritual energy himself. In order to avoid disruptions during the measurement, Elder Alexander had locked up Zack's magical abilities.

It didn't bother Zack at all, as he was genuinely curious about something else. Taking a deep breath, he began to execute his actions. He stood firmly, then crouched and stuck out the long spear that he had in his right hand. With a heavy sound, the weapon hit the surface of the magical stone.

Right then and there, the stone began to shake. A sharp, cracking sound was heard, and everyone held their breaths as they eagerly waited for the next moments to unfold. A bright line appeared on the surface of the dark stone, and gradually, more lines began to form.

"According to hearsay, mortal-level weapons could leave hundreds, even thousands of bright lines on the Weapon-measuring Stone! An average intermediate Mortal Level weapon could leave at least four or five hundred lines!" the warriors gossiped as they witnessed the test done on Zack's weapon.

"By showing how many lines on its surface is how the Weapon-measuring Stone works? That's amazing!"

Ricky whispered to himself after hearing the others' words, still in awe of the

stood there, allowing more changes to occur before them. Eventually, the stone stopped quivering, and a total of five hundred and seventy lines could be seen. Everyone

is just remarkable! It definitely reaches the intermediate stage among the weapons at the Mortal Level! Zack is a

terms

he made sure that all the lines on the surface disappeared. The stone had a self-healing ability. Every time a casting weapon would attack and leave marks, they didn't stay too long. Once new lines ceased to generate, the surface was cleared in a minute. He shifted his eyes towards the other two contenders. Clearly, he was very pleased with Zack's casting skill and hoped to

forward. He had cast a black halberd during the last round of the test. Against the

his weapon with ample force and went straight for the surface. Again, the

it happened for the first time, everyone at the scene clapped

hyped up to a whole new level. Ivan felt a strong sense of pride with his casting skill. He looked at Ricky with disdain, obviously waiting for him to fail and be embarrassed instead of being praised. Ivan had so many mischievous ideas packed in his head.

halbert is probably the closest to reaching the advanced Mortal Level at this point. How could he have possibly cast such a great weapon in only five hours?"

A wave-like shock travelled among the warriors from the front line up to the end.

test, Ricky

witnessed his subtlety and sophistication when he was casting his own.

causing tension to brew. Then, Ricky lifted his weapon using his strong, right hand, and then struck at the stone with all

tremble once again. Harsh lines began to show very, very quickly. As the clock ticked, more lines appeared, causing an uproar. The marks that Ricky's weapon was leaving on

face

had to accept that Ricky's weapon had left a total of six hundred lines on the surface. He didn't want to seem bitter in front of others who knew him. However, there was no way to erase that

Wow! Does that guy's weapon still belong to the intermediate Mortal Level?

and applauding, in great awe of Ricky's weapon. The result of

their suspicions. Ricky's Pounding Skill was the only reason he could have done this. Warriors had their own little theories about him and his weapon. In short, not all heads in the crowd were happy.

had made such an excellent weapon in just a small amount of time. The casting skill that he performed was subtle as always, yet

the world did this happen? What is your secret?" Ivan cursed Ricky in his heart ever so strongly. He wanted to

casting master than he was. However, he wouldn't allow anyone, especially not a loser like Ricky, to stain his

by exposing my casting skill. I hope it's all going to be worth it in the end, ' Ricky thought to himself. He was already feeling the sentiments of the other warriors for him -- greed, and even plans of getting him killed. He wondered what price he was going to pay for such an experience.

result is pretty undeniable. We all have witnessed it. Ricky, the luckiest man amongst everyone, has won the third round! Rules are rules, and the stone shall now be handed to its rightful

Elder Alexander

picked up a brown stone with a hint

well as the lines around its surface. The ring had an interwoven texture like that of a dragon's

exuded such strong, earthly powers.