The Wizard Has A Biochip

Chapter 19: Building the matrix mechanism

Before my eyes, the Biochip’s hologram remained perfectly aligned with the components scattered across the desk.

Even so...

I had no intention of finishing early.

I picked up the first gear.

Studied it for a few seconds.

Turned it over twice in my hand, as though trying to determine its proper orientation.

Only then did I fit it onto the axle.

Next, I picked up the small hammer.

Carefully drove two nails into the wood.

Tap...

Tap...

Without rushing.

All around me, dozens of hammers produced similar sounds.

Some candidates were already showing signs of nervousness.

Others were dismantling what they had just assembled.

Meanwhile...

I simply followed the hologram.

Piece by piece.

Screw by screw.

Always maintaining almost the same pace as everyone else.

From time to time, I even pretended to think.

I discreetly rubbed my chin.

Flipped back a few pages in the book.

Compared them with the illustration.

Slightly furrowed my brow.

As though I were genuinely having trouble.

After nearly two hours...

The main structure was already complete.

The gears rotated freely.

The axles were perfectly aligned.

The crystal sat firmly in place.

Only the final step remained.

The magical matrix.

I discreetly glanced around.

It was exactly as I’d expected.

A few of the more capable candidates had already finished.

They sat back wearing satisfied smiles.

But they were few.

The overwhelming majority were still stuck on the final stage.

Some stared desperately at the book.

Others erased runes they had only just written.

One young woman even began crying quietly after realizing she had reversed two magical numbers.

Correctly interpreting those codes truly was the hardest part.

But...

That wasn’t a problem for me.

The Biochip continued projecting the completed matrix over my vision.

I picked up the silver pen connected to the blue crystal.

The moment my fingers wrapped around it...

I felt a faint current flow through my hand.

The tool was powered directly by the user’s magical energy.

I carefully placed its tip against the small metal plate.

Then I began.

The first rune.

Then the second.

The magical numbers.

The connecting lines.

Every stroke matched the hologram exactly.

My magical energy flowed steadily through the pen.

Thin glowing lines remained engraved upon the metal surface.

Not a single mistake.

Not a moment of hesitation.

Even so...

I deliberately kept a slow pace.

Every now and then, I stopped.

Consulted the book again.

Let out a sigh.

Just like any other candidate.

When less than thirty minutes remained...

I completed the final connection.

The small magical matrix emitted a faint glow.

Then...

The entire structure responded.

The gears began turning on their own.

Click...~~

Click...~~~~

Click...~~~

The small metallic needle began moving in a perfectly steady circular motion.

A faint smile crossed my face.

But I didn’t stand up.

I folded my arms.

For the remaining minutes, I simply watched the other candidates.

.

.

.

.

.

Then...

The last grains of golden sand disappeared.

Buzzzz...

The enormous hourglass began to vibrate.

Its golden light intensified rapidly.

BOOM!

It burst into hundreds of tiny rays of light, which slowly faded into the ceiling of the room.

Silence settled over the hall.

The mage calmly rose to his feet.

His gaze swept across every candidate.

Then he spoke firmly.

— Time is up.

— Anyone who failed to complete the mechanism...

— Has failed.

— Those who finished their mechanisms...

He raised one hand.

— Please.

— Stand up.

I rose along with the others who had passed the first stage.

There were far fewer of us than when the examination had begun.

Only about five students.

— Bring your mechanisms to my desk.

— I will evaluate them personally.

— Your constructions will be graded according to their quality.

— Only those who have truly produced a functional mechanism...

— Will be accepted as students of my master, Totil Uril.

I carefully picked up my mechanism and walked toward the evaluator’s desk.

There were two young men, including myself, and three young women.

Behind us, dozens of candidates remained seated.

The looks they cast in our direction said everything.

Envy.

And resentment.

I placed my mechanism on the table.

The others did the same.

For a few moments, the five of us quietly observed one another.

No one spoke.

Everyone was trying to memorize each other’s faces.

After all...

If we passed, we would probably be studying together for years to come.

Before touching any of the mechanisms, the mage slowly raised his head.

His gaze swept across the room.

The failed candidates were still there.

One girl wiped away her tears with her sleeve.

Another young man stared fixedly at his own mechanism, unable to accept the result.

Some had already begun walking slowly toward the exit.

The mage sighed.

There wasn’t the slightest trace of compassion on his face.

— Those who failed...

— May leave.

— Try again next year.

Some lowered their heads.

Others departed immediately.

Within a few minutes, the enormous hall was nearly empty.

Only the five of us remained.

The room became strangely quiet.

That was when the mage finally smiled.

Very faintly.

— Now we can begin the real test.

He rested his elbows on the desk.

— Before anything else...

He made a small gesture with one hand.

— My name is Lucas Borm.

— I am a direct disciple of Master Totil Uril.

— This is my final year before completing my training.

His gaze passed over each of us.

— Introduce yourselves.

The first young man stepped forward.

— Edgar Halls.

A brown-haired girl spoke next.

— Lina Veres.

Then another young woman.

— Sofia Arden.

It was my turn.

I gave a slight bow.

— George Gil.

Finally, the last girl answered.

— Lina Doris.

Lucas nodded.

— Very good.

He pulled the first mechanism closer.

It belonged to Edgar.

He carefully connected a small activation crystal.

A faint glow spread through the structure.

The gears began to turn.

For two seconds...

Everything seemed to be working.

Then...

Crack...

One of the runes flared brightly.

BOOM!

The mechanism exploded into small metal fragments.

Lucas didn’t even blink.

He picked up a small quill.

Made a note.

— Incorrect matrix distribution.

— Unstable energy flow.

He pushed the wreckage aside.

— Failed.

Edgar’s face turned pale.

He opened his mouth.

But no words came out.

He simply lowered his head.

The second mechanism was placed before him.

Lucas repeated the exact same procedure.

The machine started working.

The gears spun.

Then they jammed.

The next instant...

BOOM!

Another explosion.

Lucas remained completely indifferent.

— Axles misaligned.

— Runes partially overlapping.

— Failed.

The girl closed her eyes.

A single tear silently rolled down her cheek.

Without saying a word, she gathered the remains of her mechanism.

The third candidate stepped forward.

His mechanism lasted a little longer.

Five seconds.

Six.

Then a crack appeared in the crystal.

BOOM!

Another explosion.

Lucas let out a long sigh.

— No! Please...

The young man’s eyes widened.

— Master Lucas!

His voice trembled.

— Please...

— Give me another chance!

He took a step forward.

— This is the fourth time I’ve tried to enter Magical Engineering!

— I’ve studied for an entire year!

Lucas didn’t even raise his head.

He continued writing.

— Then give up.

— Not everyone is born to build.

Only then did he look up.

His voice turned cold.

— Leave.

The young man stood frozen for several seconds.

Then his shoulders slumped.

He slowly turned around.

And silently left the room.

Now...

Only two of us remained.

Me...

And the brown-haired girl.

She was squeezing her hands so tightly that her fingers had turned white.

As Lucas pulled her mechanism closer, she closed her eyes.

She whispered softly.

— Please...

— Work...

Lucas connected the activation crystal.

The structure lit up.

The gears began turning.

One.

Two.

Three revolutions.

The small needle remained perfectly steady.

No vibration.

No malfunction.

Lucas slowly raised an eyebrow.

Then smiled.

— Finally...

He ran his fingers over the structure.

Examined the runes.

Checked the alignment.

Then nodded in satisfaction.

— I’ve finally found something truly decent.

The girl slowly opened her eyes.

Lucas looked directly at her.

— Congratulations.

— You passed.

For a moment, she seemed unable to believe it.

Then she gave a small jump of excitement.

Nearly lost her balance.

She placed both hands over her chest.

Clenched her fists.

— I did it...

Her voice was barely above a whisper.

— I actually did it...

Lucas carefully set her mechanism aside.

Then slowly turned his head.

His gaze finally settled on me.

Without saying a word...

He pulled my mechanism to the center of the table.

His expression remained completely neutral.

I stayed silent.

He carefully inserted the activation crystal.

A gentle glow spread through the entire structure.

Click...

The gears began to turn.

The small rod moved exactly as it should.

The needle began its steady rotation.

One revolution.

Two.

Three.

No vibration.

No unusual noise.

No loss of energy.

Lucas observed everything carefully.

Then he leaned in even closer.

He picked up a small metal magnifying lens from the table and began examining the magical matrix engraved on the plate.

His eyes traveled over every rune.

Every magical number.

Every connecting line.

For the first time since I had entered the room...

I saw a genuine smile appear on his face.

— Excellent.

He gently brushed a finger across the metal plate.

— The connections are remarkably clean.

— The energy distribution is virtually perfect.

He raised the mechanism toward the light.

— And the matrix inscription...

— Very well executed.

His eyes met mine.

— You possess surprisingly precise magical penmanship for an acolyte who has only recently advanced to Level 1.

I gave a slight nod.

— Thank you.

He deactivated the mechanism.

Then carefully pushed it aside.

— Passed.

Beside me, Lina smiled faintly.

I simply let out a long breath.

The first stage was finally over.

Lucas opened a small drawer hidden beneath the desk.

From inside, he took out a large metal stamp.

Then he extended his hand.

— Your identity scrolls.

I immediately handed him mine.

Lina did the same.

Lucas unrolled hers first.

Carefully laid it on the desk.

Then pressed down the stamp.

A golden symbol appeared at the bottom of the scroll.

He repeated the exact same process with mine.

Lucas rolled both scrolls back up.

Then returned each to its rightful owner.

— Congratulations.

— As of today...

— You have officially been accepted as apprentices of Master Totil Uril.

I carefully stored my scroll away.

Before I could say anything...

Lucas snapped his fingers.

Snap!

Glowing particles appeared above the table.

They spun rapidly.

A few seconds later, two complete sets of clothing materialized before us.

I looked at them curiously.

Each set contained almost identical items.

Trousers.

A shirt.

Gloves.

A long hooded robe.

Boots.

Socks.

And resting atop each set...

Was a small ring.

Its surface was engraved with two intertwined golden gears.

Lucas pointed first to the green set.

— Lina.

— Your strongest affinity is Plant.

— Therefore, green is the primary color of your uniform.

Then he pointed to the other set.

The white fabric seemed to emit a faint glow of its own.

— George.

— Your dominant affinity is Light.

— Your uniform will be white.

I carefully picked up my clothes.

The fabric was much softer than it looked.

— This ring officially identifies you as apprentices of Arcane Engineering.

— Wear it whenever you are inside the laboratories.

— Tomorrow.

— Early in the morning.

— Report to Master Totil Uril’s laboratory.

— Don’t be late.

Lina answered first.

— Yes, sir.

I nodded immediately afterward.

— We’ll be there.

Lucas merely gave a slight nod.

Without another word...

He turned around.

Walked toward the rear door of the room.

And quietly left.

Moments later, he disappeared down the corridor.

Now...

Only Lina and I remained.

She looked at me.

Then smiled.

— Looks like we’ll be studying together from now on.

I smiled back.

— Looks like it.

She adjusted the green uniform in her arms.

— See you later, George.

— See you.

She gave a small wave.

Then left the room.

...

1979 Words