I Am A Wizard Who Can Travel Between Earth And The Other World

The terms of the test had been agreed upon in advance.

Walter, the head of the Runewright Workshop, had insisted that each workshop supply its own shield-bearers for the evaluation.

Surprisingly, the proposal was accepted without much resistance.

Shine Workshop, a front for the powerful underground Dark Workshop, had no trouble fulfilling the request.

They possessed a cadre of skilled magic-wielding warriors, a necessity for maintaining control in the shadows. By contrast, Runewright struggled to find a suitable candidate. Fortunately, the broker Jay intervened, and through his connections, Jang managed to secure capable participants.

A man named Ferrari stood to one side of the training field, overseeing the group of ability-users chosen to carry Ferrari's shields.

Across from them, about twenty meters away, stood the combatants of Shine Workshop, clad in matching battle uniforms.

While Walter surveyed the scene, he sensed someone approaching.

Turning, he saw a man walking toward him—Peter, one of Shine Workshop's senior officials. Walter knew from Gin who Peter truly was: an agent of the Dark Workshop.

"Ah, you must be the head of Runewright Workshop," Peter greeted with a polite bow.

"I'm Peter, a director from Shine Workshop."

Peter extended his hand with a disarming smile. Though hesitant, Walter shook it.Peter grasped his hand firmly and shook it with a practiced friendliness.

"I've been looking forward to this day," Peter said cheerfully. "I'm thrilled to see how things unfold."

"Likewise," Walter replied evenly, refusing to show any weakness.

Peter chuckled softly, noting Walter's defiant glare. He wondered how long that expression would last. Somewhere, his superior, Abby, was likely watching the scene with keen interest. Peter knew all too well that Peter relished the moment when his opponents' pride crumbled. Peter had never shared that particular enjoyment—until now.

'Curious… I thought they'd make a bigger fuss about the stolen sulsik,' Peter mused. He had expected more resistance. A confrontation would have made things more entertaining.

Dismissing his thoughts, Peter moved to take his seat.

The competition was about to begin.

The Deputy Mayor of West Ham arrived to oversee the test. He took his seat in the observation area, flanked by Peter and Walter.

The contest would consist of three stages.

First, soldiers would fire upon shield-bearing combatants from both workshops.

The participants would have to block the gunfire while minimizing their exposure.

Next, heavy weapons would be used—each side would endure five artillery shots to test the shield's durability and absorption capabilities.

Both workshops were confident their shields could withstand the blasts, having tested them thoroughly.

The final phase was the most crucial: a duel of magic.

Each workshop had prepared a mage to attack the opposing side's shield-bearers. Shine Workshop had put forth none other than Abby, a dangerously aggressive sorcerer whose abilities surpassed the typical artisan.

For Abby, the test itself was a mere formality.

In his mind, Shine Workshop had already secured victory.

They had invested heavily in bribes and influence, ensuring that this deal would lead to more opportunities across other cities. Supplying West Ham's military with shields would serve as a stepping stone to dominate the region's magical artifact market.

Abby stood a short distance from the training grounds, observing the proceedings with a calculating gaze.

He planned to make a dramatic entrance during the final stage to leave no room for doubt about Shine Workshop's superiority.

'The shields are identical anyway,' Abby thought. 'The real game will be about impact.

I'll ensure no one questions the result after today.'

Though he had confirmed the shield's remarkable durability, he had devised a tactic to exploit its limitations.

By manipulating the force of his magical attacks, he could generate shockwaves powerful enough to destabilize the shield-bearers without directly breaking the shield.

He had practiced this maneuver extensively.

Abby's gaze shifted to the opposing side. He spotted a figure standing calmly among the Runewright team. 'That must be Gin,' he thought. 'The one who created the shield's sulsik.'

The Dark Workshop had sabotaged Runewright's attempts to recruit outside mages,

ensuring Gin would have to face them personally.

The first test commenced.

Ten shield-bearers from each workshop took the field. Observers noted how eerily identical the shields looked. However, no one openly raised the issue—though many silently acknowledged how far Shine Workshop had gone to copy Runewright's design.

The Runewright warriors clustered tightly together, their shields overlapping for maximum protection.

In contrast, Shine's combatants spread out in a looser formation.

The soldiers began firing.

Tat-tat-tat-tat! Gunfire echoed across the field as automatic rifles unleashed a hail of bullets. Not a single shield showed any sign of damage.

Gasps rippled through the audience. The shields' resilience exceeded all expectations.

Next, soldiers armed with heavy weaponry stepped forward.

Five artillery rounds were fired at each group. Once again, the shields absorbed the impact flawlessly.

The energy was dissipated so efficiently that the surrounding ground buckled and cracked under the redirected force, but the shield-bearers stood firm.

The demonstration had already impressed the gathered officials.

The shields had proven their worth. All that remained was the final showdown.

Abby rose from his seat and strode forward with quiet confidence, his presence exuding authority. Across the field,

Gin stood and calmly stretched. He carried none of the tension or anxiety typical of someone facing such a high-stakes battle.

The crowd fell into hushed anticipation. The stage was set. It was time to decide which workshop would triumph.

The moment Owen entered the private reception room, he immediately offered an apology to Gin.

"My sincerest apologies for today. The elders of my family have never gone to such extremes before…"

Gin waved the apology away with a calm smile. "It's fine. I actually found it rather entertaining."

And he meant it. How often did one encounter such an experience?

Throughout the entire conversation earlier, invisible magical currents had quietly pressed against the barrier of energy he maintained around himself.

The elders of the family Owen had been testing him, trying to pierce his defenses without revealing their intent.