"Second place, Holt Elvin."
The head of the procession stepped forward slowly, his demeanor as steady as a mountain.
"You can choose three advanced magic potions or one advanced alchemy item, plus five complete magic stones."
Holt's response was crisp and decisive: "I choose the alchemy item 'Heart of the Earth'."
This answer seemed to be exactly what Hayek anticipated; he nodded slightly and signaled his assistant to bring a heavy black ebony box.
When the box was opened, inside was a fist-sized brown crystal, its surface covered with tiny patterns resembling the veins of the earth.
Inside the crystal, some sort of energy seemed to flow slowly, like an underground stream, emanating a sense of weight and timelessness.
"'Heart of the Earth', capable of repairing earth element structures and enhancing their toughness and strength," Hayek explained succinctly:
"For your combat style, this is undoubtedly the most suitable choice."
