019. Recognizing Reality
Plop, plop, plop—
Li Aozi stepped into the examination hall one step at a time, sat in his seat without a word, and entered his exam number.
Luther saw 'Leo' arriving so late and couldn't help but let out a chuckle. Realizing his slip, he quickly covered his face. He only relaxed when he noticed 'Leo' didn't look his way at all.
'This guy, as I heard, only found out during the test that he hadn't awakened his mental power, cried from the shock, didn't he? How embarrassing to only awaken mental power at this age.'
But this is normal, after all, not everyone is qualified to become a mage.
Luther glanced at his newly issued aptitude certificate:
First-class magical sensitivity—Excellent
Mental fluctuation—Good
Imagination—Good
Spatial awareness—Good
Logical thinking ability—Good
Elemental affinity—Good
"One Excellent, five Goods—stronger than last time. The magic vein cultivation fluid I spent a fortune on really worked. With this talent, even if my written test score is a bit lower, some university will still lower the bar to admit me."
In contrast, 'Leo' now sat expressionlessly, his face indifferent, clearly mentally unstable from awakening his mental power earlier.
Seeing 'Leo' looking so silent and beaten, Luther felt much more at ease:
"Hmph! 'Leo' really is just a muscle-bound, simple-minded gorilla."
Luther was full of confidence. He had thoroughly prepared for this exam, and with his aptitude, the score he needed to pass could be lowered even more.
Then came the long certification process. He sat upright the entire time as the other examinees took their seats, each placed under strict physical and magical barriers.
It took a full five minutes before the screen in front of Li Aozi displayed that certification was complete, revealing a page with the examinee information.
[Name]: Leozi
[Gender]: Male
[Exam Number]: ZX120094
[Elective Courses]: "Magic Basics," "Fundamental Worldview"
[Time Remaining Today]: 7 hours, 59 minutes, and 56 seconds
[Begin answering questions?]
"You are about to start today's exam. Please check if your personal information is correct."
He raised his hand and gently tapped the screen.
[Begin answering: Please answer within the designated exam area, any content beyond will be invalid]
The reflection in his blue-green eyes showed densely packed exam questions. Besides a calculator and scratch paper at hand, there were no other aids.
All the examinees began answering, though their screens were physically and magically separated, it was still possible to catch glimpses of people focused on their calculations and thinking.
Luther wrote feverishly. His calculation speed was fast, starting immediately with the content he was best at.
This was the moment that would decide someone's future. No matter how good your talents were, if you didn't meet the written test requirements, there would be no real breakthrough.
"I must win, I absolutely must! Once I become a mage, no one will bully me again. That lowlife Leo is only fit to stay in the countryside, being an idle, penniless fool for life."
His eyes burned with determination as he thought about Leo's past bullying, his aging parents, and the girls who supported him, all of whom had high hopes for him.
'I can't afford to lose!'
Luther's will grew even stronger, becoming more careful and calculating with every problem he encountered.
'Phew, I'm really on fire today. By the end, I should be able to finish at least 400 questions.'
He spared a glance at 'Leo' and scoffed.
Leo was sitting there staring blankly at the screen.
He wasn't calculating or reasoning; he was just flipping through the questions one by one, seemingly taking a look at them all.
'Caught off guard, huh? This is the magical aptitude test! The biggest exam in all of civilization. You think you can just walk in and take it without any preparation? You might as well drop dead. People like you don't stand a chance of passing!'
Feeling smug, Luther refocused and immersed himself back in his own test.
Plop.
Li Aozi's finger swept across the screen, bringing up the final page of content.
At this point, all the questions had been entered.
Li Aozi remained silent. He pushed aside his scratch paper and calculator, then lifted his hand and tapped the screen.
His eyes flashed with a black-and-white spiral as the exam questions rapidly shifted.
[Sequence Three • Paradox]
Assigning the questions the attributes: hidden and revealed.
The objective questions' ABCD choices automatically turned red, key information in the reading comprehension questions became highlighted, and the experiment questions displayed standard procedures, while the subjective essay questions revealed the scoring points and standard template text.
The proctor passed by Li Aozi, glancing at his screen filled with red-highlighted, fully answered questions, but didn't seem the least bit surprised.
To the proctor, nothing unusual appeared on Li Aozi's screen. The image reflected in his eyes showed no conspicuous red highlights.
Li Aozi remained silent, his fingers swiping across the exam paper again.
Assigning the blank areas the attributes: empty and filled.
In the next moment, the text on the exam paper appeared neat and orderly.
For the 3,500 objective questions, the previously highlighted answers became as solid as quenched steel, dull and firm, with every correct answer selected.
The 600 subjective questions, relying entirely on the most standard answer templates and correct answers, displayed cold, concise text.
The 12 experiment questions, each following the exact procedural steps without deviating from standard understanding, were perfectly executed.
As for the 10,000-word essay, it followed the basic answer template, and all Li Aozi had to do was blend in his writing style. He started with a bold statement to grab attention, gradually backing it up in the middle, repeatedly referencing the topic, clarifying the thesis, and finally padding the essay with famous quotes to meet the word count.
The exam paper was cold, with no trace of humanity, but also without any errors.
Even machines, in the process of learning, would incorporate and reflect human habits and emotions. Their writing may be incomplete, but it is still based on the learning of human thoughts and emotions.
But Li Aozi's paper didn't have any of that.
Cold, numbing to the dead, and concise, putting machines to shame.
Even the most repetitive parts of the essay lacked any sense of human care. Those passionate words, those proverbs looking to the future, and those inspiring phrases became nothing more than codes in Li Aozi's combination, devoid of any vibrancy.
But he knew that such a paper would be absolutely correct.
Perfectly tailored to the grading mechanism of the intelligent magical spirit, without a single unnecessary word.
[You have completed all exam content. Would you like to submit your paper?]
[Submission successful. Please wait in place as your score is being processed.]
Luther was still furiously writing. Today, he felt as if he had divine assistance, solving sixteen questions in just five minutes!
At this rate, he might even finish 700 or perhaps 800 objective questions today!
"This is amazing, I'm the only one today kissed by Lady Luck!"
Luther's eyes were burning with passion, and as he found his groove, he could feel that the difficulty of this exam wasn't too high.
"The level of these questions is much lower. I can do it. This time, I can definitely score 380 points, no, even 375 points will be enough to pass and get into college!"
In contrast, 'Leo' must be struggling with impossibly difficult questions, probably on the verge of tears.
Thinking this, Luther glanced casually in Leo's direction.
From his angle, he could just barely see 'Leo' sitting motionless in front of his screen, quietly waiting.
"Ha, just as I thought. Leo, oh Leo, now you understand what kind of pressure I've been enduring all this time, don't you? Exams aren't easy at all—this is a grueling five-day marathon that tests both willpower and endurance."
Watching Leo's stiff back, Luther felt a sense of triumphant relief.
Leo must be unable to handle it. Everyone around is diligently answering questions, fully absorbed in the atmosphere, while he sticks out like a sore thumb, probably itching to submit and leave as soon as possible.
Plop.
'Leo' suddenly stood up, casually grabbed a piece of paper, and turned to leave.
"Hmph, couldn't take it anymore, huh?" Luther chuckled to himself, feeling even better, and redoubled his efforts.
The grueling eight-hour exam was difficult to endure, and there were still five days to go. By the afternoon, Luther was feeling dizzy and lightheaded, his brain exhausted from the intense concentration, and he began to feel faint from low blood sugar.
"Damn, I got up too late today and didn't have time for breakfast."
He quickly stopped answering and ran outside to eat and rest. The hallway was crowded with examinees from all over, each taking the opportunity to munch on bread while pondering the exam, reviewing their previous answers for mistakes.
In the distance, some noise could be heard, and when Luther looked up, he saw a group from the Scholarship Society gathered, eating while discussing the problems they encountered on the exam. This was within the allowed range of exam rules, and if someone happened to encounter a question another person had already solved, discussing it outside wasn't considered cheating.
After all, the exam questions were randomly generated, and the chance of encountering the same question was as unlikely as winning 5 million in the lottery, getting hit by an asteroid, and being confessed to by six girls at the same time—all without having to pay a dowry.
But Luther knew that the Scholarship Society, through their collective assistance, had greatly alleviated their psychological stress. They would likely be among the top scorers in this batch.
Most examinees would crack under the pressure and mental strain by the third day, especially those alone in unfamiliar places. They would easily be overwhelmed by the difficult questions and the long periods of intense concentration.
The Scholarship Society's presence partially solved this problem. Not only that, but their rotation system providing logistical support helped the examinees avoid physical exhaustion as well.
Luther suddenly felt conflicted. He now wanted to join the Scholarship Society, but the thought of Leo being part of it made him feel disgusted.
However, he quickly reconsidered: Leo had already left, his status must have plummeted by now. If he joined now, with his excellent aptitude and intelligence, he could easily replace Leo and perhaps even become the leader of the Scholarship Society.
Acting on his thoughts, Luther stepped forward, about to inquire about joining, when Cardife, who was chatting, suddenly said:
"By the way, you guys who just came out don't know yet, right? Leozi already left."
"Huh? Leozi isn't taking the exam anymore?"
"What, really? Is that true?" Luther felt a surge of joy and immediately stepped forward, saying, "Everyone, no need to worry, it doesn't matter if Leo left. The Scholarship Society still needs a leader, and I would be happy to take on—"
Before he could finish, he was met with scornful looks from the group.
"Shut up."
Miti snapped impatiently:
"Leozi was accepted as a special recruit by the Crystal Tower's magic university, which is why he left us. Who the hell are you? What gives you the right to call Leozi 'that guy'?"
"… Accepted? But he just left the exam hall!"
"Yeah. That's what we're discussing right now."
Cardife clicked his tongue in amazement:
"Because he finished a long time ago."
Happy New Year!
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