Chapter 46 - 46 Practical Exam 1
Link had no interest in pursuing regular library studies anymore.
Both with heavy hearts, they each returned to their dorms to adjust their mindset and ponder on their gains and losses.
After a round of deep meditation, Link entered the Hall of Mind and reviewed, from start to finish, the causes, developments, handling, turn of events, and ’ consequences of today’s incident.
He summed up his gains and losses and drew on experiences.
Only by actively learning from experiences can one better improve oneself. After accomplishing these, Link took out his handheld smart device, navigated a few screens, and entered the “Academic Points” exchange page. Originally, Link intended to use these “Academic Points” to gain access to obscure documents that couldn’t be found even in the high-tier literature library and boost his academic research.
But today’s incident made him realize the importance of timely self-armament.
The protection offered by a single First Ring level Magic Vest was simply not enough to save his life.
After browsing through the Magic Tools he could afford to exchange on the exchange page for a good while, Link finally made a difficult choice.
He exchanged two “Academic Points” for a pair of plain glasses.
At the same First Ring level, these glasses were two ranks higher than the vest. It had three functions: disguise detection, invisibility piercing, and spherical protection shield.
The disguise detection and invisibility piercing were, as the names suggested, highly useful for surveillance, early-warning systems, and tracking.
However, Link valued the spherical protection shield the most.
In the event of an attack, the user can actively activate the spherical protection shield to protect their head and neck;
The defensive power of the shield is at the average level of First Ring level defensive witchcraft.
Even among wizard apprentices, only a handful of third-class wizard apprentices, who were about to be promoted to official wizards, could master a carefully selected First Ring witchcraft as their Destiny Witchcraft.
Thus, with the First Ring Magic Vest and glasses, Link’s personal safety was undoubtedly greatly enhanced.
Satisfied, Link closed his handheld device, washed up, and went to sleep.
The next day.
Since today was the mid-term examination day, Link didn’t leave his dormitory too early.
He stayed in the study room and adjusted his greenhouse simulation equipment.
As for the Silver Star flower buds, he had long since sold them to the store where he had gotten his greenhouse simulation device.
The sales yielded not much, half a standard first-level Magic Stone.
It was just enough to offset the cost of purchasing the seeds.
His spare change was now eight Magic Stones.
Of course, Link knew he had sold at a loss, but what could he do?
Continue cultivating them?
He neither had the space nor the special nutrient solution.
He had nothing.
Just so he wouldn’t be at a complete loss, he had to accept the price offered by the middleman.
The reason he had to adjust the greenhouse simulator was two-fold: routine maintenance, because it was second-hand after all and should be used with care, and having tasted the sweetness before, he planned to find another extraordinary economic crop like the Silver Star flower and see if he could accomplish something.
Earning money from a job was stable but slow after all.
It was impossible to start a business as it took up too much time and the risk was too high.
He could only conduct research, authorize or transfer the patents, and work on making a living.
After carefully maintaining the potentially long-term future source of his livelihood, Link set out.
He ate at the cafeteria and then followed the crowd to the examination room. Ravensmouth Biological and Medical College had admitted over 400 Storm Sea New Bloods.
Only one had advanced fifth-rank qualifications, a girl who was as low-profile as Link with a style similar to his and was not into socializing or entertainment, focusing solely on studying, never taking off her veil in public.
Just behind Link, the second person to be promoted to First Rank Wizard Apprentice had reported to the college, and it was her.
Six had fifth-rank qualifications while eight had below fifth-rank.
Only two or three out of these fourteen people, who were steadfast and serious about their studies, were not swayed by the numerous flattery, and were not lost in fleeting social interactions and entertainment.
Even the absence of benefits from being promoted to the top five by the college didn’t serve as a wake-up call for them.
Only when the news of the three exams and two district competitions came out did they realize their duty as Storm Sea New Bloods.
Link had once sneered at them in his heart.
So you think high qualifications are impressive?
Do you have Magic Stones? Resources? Patronage from elders or your family? You have nothing and you don’t work hard. How can you accomplish anything! There were more than 160 people with fourth-rank qualifications, the number structure was also pyramid-shaped with fewer at the top and more at the bottom.
About 220 or so people had third-rank qualifications, the largest group, and they also performed the most mediocre.
Interestingly, the number structure of people with third-rank qualifications resembled an Inverted Pyramid.
Seventy percent were in the top third-rank, over twenty percent in the middle third-rank, and less than ten percent in the lower third-rank.
When Link learned of this, he faintly understood why no middle or lower third-rank people were detected in the Quete Archipelago.
It’s not that there aren’t any, it’s just that Wizard Palo didn’t give them the opportunity.
He thought about it seriously and found reason in it.
Resources are limited, using more means having less.
If the number of people with lower qualifications is high, they will use more resources, but the returns may not necessarily increase proportionally.
The world is unfair.
And so…
The live tests naturally took place in the lab buildings.
A large crowd flocked there and subsequently dispersed according to their exam locations.
Link and Jasmine were assigned to different exam locations.
The two parted ways in the lobby on the first floor of the lab building.
There were two exams in the morning, the first was “Botany,” and the second was “Zoology.”
The content of the tests was largely similar, identifying the species, names, characteristics, functions, etc. of plants/animals, explaining speciments, making specimens, dissection, formulation, processing…
Anything recorded in the textbooks, anything discussed in class, could appear in the test.
The tests were comprehensive and in-depth.
They not only tested the breadth of the New Bloods’ knowledge but also the depth.
A busy morning filled with testing with no time for breaks, when it ended, the lab building was filled with people, filled with cries of dismay.
Link walked out of the lab building with a calm face.
The difficulty of the tests was indeed high, but they were not too tough for him to handle.
The highest level of the “Mind Closure Technique,” Hall of Mind, and his diligent studies since enrollment, were not in vain.
He didn’t expect a perfect score, as there were bound to be mistakes and omissions.
However, a score close to perfection was absolutely achievable.
Jasmine also looked relaxed, the tests covered the content she had diligently studied, so her results would certainly not be bad.
After having lunch and a short break, it was time for the “Human Anatomy” practical exam, which lasted the entire afternoon.
The format of this test was quite simple; you dissect as you explain.
Each person randomly picked a part of the human body, then received a simulation model tool of that part and had to dissect it and explain it systematically according to the requirements.
The so-called simulation model tools were actually products of human body alchemy.
Appearance, texture, blood circulation, the nervous system were all realistic, or rather, they were real.
This test began amidst a slightly sweet and fishy smell, and ended in a vivid mixture of red and fragmented white.
With so many difficult points and such a high intensity, even Link found it a bit hard to handle.
The New Bloods were not just crying out, they were howling everywhere.
It was difficult, really difficult!
Fortunately, it was over..