Everything so far fell within the expected range: a twenty to forty percent boost in a specific type of magic, an improvement rate in a particular utility path, or a modest five to ten percent increase to one's mana affinity.
That was, until the first of the descendants from the prominent wizard clans stepped forward to receive theirs...
The very first of them was blessed by the Repository with a tear-shaped artifact called Ocean's Essence, which boosted the young aristocratic apprentice's water elemental magic by a staggering 80 percent, harvesting gasps of envy and gazes of respect.
The others of their elite kind received similar boons, though in different elements or forms.
Shockingly, a few commoners also obtained such artifacts.
Three in particular—Elden Fern, Liora Whitemane, and Riven Salazar—received items that made even some of the lesser-blessed aristocrats green with envy.
They were the so-called "diamonds in the rough."
Hal clenched his fists, humbled by the reality that he wasn't one of the chosen.
His former friend, Korren, on the other hand, received something that stood above the average but still fell short of the elite, somewhere between the masses and the prodigies.
The fake certainly had the brightest-looking future among everyone from Poporo Village.
But then came an anomaly...
The young man next to Korren in the queue tried to retrieve something from the repository and stuck his hand longer than most but failed to grab anything no matter how hard he tried.
So the poor hopeful apprentice decided to temporarily pull his hand out and informed the deputy-headmaster that he couldn't seem to grab anything.
And then came the harsh slap of reality.
Everyone can only stick their hands inside the repository a single time in their lives, second entry would be blocked by unexplainable arcane forces.
If one couldn't obtain anything from the repository, then it only meant one thing: the arcane did not have a gift for them.
The young man was devastated at the discovery, descending the stairs the next moment with a lost gaze.
As it turned out, it was possible to obtain nothing, causing Hal, Ennya, and the others who have not yet acquired their artifacts, to become slightly nervous.
'Phew... calm down, Hal. Thousands of students have already received theirs. Only one didn't... the rate of not obtaining anything is abysmally low.' Hal consoled himself.
Indeed, receiving nothing was even rarer than obtaining an elite artifact.
There was no need to panic.
He had never done anything evil in his life, and surely, the gods would spare him from such a cruel fate.
The arcane blessing ceremony inevitably proceeded after the rather horrifying wake-up call.
Fortunately, aside from the poor young man named Kraisel, everyone had at least received something.
Even those who got artifacts of an evidently lower-tier than the others couldn't help but feel thankful for what they received.
They got something, at least!
"Ennya Kasai!" called the deputy headmaster in a loud voice.
It was finally the red-haired midget's turn.
The once-excited Ennya suddenly froze for a moment before standing up and walking toward the Arcane Repository with a stiff face, her ponytail bouncing adorably.
She seemed more nervous now than excited.
If she obtained nothing...
The red-haired midget shuddered, unwilling to continue that line of thought.
Swallowing nervously, she reached her right hand into the portal and made a grabbing motion, relieved to feel something soft, almost ethereal, and oddly ticklish.
Ennya was glad to at least receive something.
She didn't even dare hope for her possibly nonexistent void orb of infinite destruction, or anything with similar boosts.
She would've been content with something decent, like what the masses received.
But then, as she pulled her hand out, the world turned upside down.
In Ennya's grasp was a blinding vermillion core that burned to the high ceiling like it had been plucked from the heart of the sun, its heat flooding the entire venue.
A moment later, mana-woven words shimmered into view, revealing the artifact's name and effect:
"Ifrit's Core — Grants a 500% boost to fire elemental magic and a 20% increase to mana affinity."
The red-haired young lady stood stupefied, unable to process what was happening.
"Eh? w-wha...I-I'm s-sorry, w-what should I... Deputy Headmaster? I-I'll return it now..."
The artifact in her hands overwhelmed her so much that, for a moment, she didn't want to have anything to do with it.
Ennya felt as though she were a filthy thief who had stolen something far too important, something she had no right to touch.
Her reaction was understandable.
After all, even the Deputy Headmaster didn't know what to do.
He simply stared back and forth, from the core to Ennya, then back to the core, then to Ennya again.
Everyone in the venue, including Hal, was confused to the high heavens, as the item in the red-haired midget's hands seemed like something no human should ever possess.
With the Ifrit's Core, even if her mana affinity was 1%, she still had an unbelievably high chance of becoming one of the Magna Novem—the Arcanum Imperium's nine mightiest wizards.
The artifact she obtained was nothing short of an utter cheat, making it impossibly difficult for the young aristocrats not to rip their hair out in absolute envy and frustration.
"Hahahaha! Superb! Ennya Kasai! Such superb talent!" the Deputy Headmaster bellowed, laughing uproariously.
"Everyone, I apologize for the sudden change of plans, but my assistant will take over from here. I shall personally escort Miss Kasai to speak with the Headmaster. A total of 80% mana affinity and a 500% boost in fire magic... I can only say we may be witnessing the rise of the mightiest Flame Magna in history."
Overflowing with emotion, the Deputy Headmaster strode over to Ennya, took her by the wrist, and vanished with her the next moment, leaving the flabbergasted students to wrestle with their own thoughts.
Why couldn't the lucky one be them?!
Even Hal, who wished Ennya nothing less than the brightest of futures, couldn't help but feel the envy creeping in, just like the rest.
Why couldn't he be the one to grab the Ifrit's Core?
If he had been the one to register first, would the core have ended up in his hands?
Was there perhaps a mistake?
The core was something he believed someone like him was destined to have...
Unfortunately, the Arcane Repository didn't grant artifacts based on one's position in the queue.
It gave items tied to one's fate.
It was Ennya who was destined for greatness, not him.