Elder Veylan Lie simply raised his hand and the crowd. They fell silent in that unique way crowds do when the excitement of waiting transforms into the reality of the moment—not a total hush, but a noticeable drop in sound that shows everyone is now fully engaged.
He discussed the final rule of the competition that had not been disclosed to the crowd yet: beast core scoring.
Each beast core carried a point value determined by the beast's rank at the time of collection—verified by the Grey Shadow Hall personnel at the extraction point through standard core assessment at the competition's conclusion. The values were fixed and not subject to interpretation.
Rank One beast cores are worth one point each. These are the most common cores found in the outer zones of the forest, making them easily accessible for any pair participating in this competition at the required cultivation levels.
