©Novel Buddy
The Strongest Businessman-79 Chapter 79: The Mystery within the Tes
After the conflict between the nobles, Roland and Hai group settled outside of a restaurant in front of the Noble Test Center. The crowd also focused on the Noble Test Center for update regarding the test. In each side of the center, there are enormous black retangular boards called Spirit Blackboards whose function is to provide the updates in the duration of the examination.
Spirit blackboards have the names of the participants enlisted on them. After their names, another column could be seen. It shows what page the participants are currently at. Aside from these, they also display the number of the participants which were about 5,000 in number. It also indicates the test topics for every corresponding page of the exam:
First Page: Geography of the City
Second Page: Basics of the 5 Major Professions (Alchemist, Blacksmith, Businesmen/ Mystical Magnate, Beast Tamer, Herbal Doctor)
Third Page: Strategic and Management Skills
Fourth Page: Glorious Foundation Period
Fifth Page: Rising Domination Period
Sixth Page: Falling Thunder Period
Seventh Page: History of the Mystical Clouds
Eighth Page: History of the Red Cloud State
Ninth Page: Cultivation Theories/Techniques
Tenth Page: Cultivation Theories/Techniques
In each Noble Test, there would only be 9 topics because the last two pages are pages which have questions that always center on Cultivation Theories, Techniques and Manuals. Among the selection of over 60,000 questions, they can be categorized into 14 different topics excluding Cultivation. The other 8 topics of the test can be interchanged according to the random choices of the treasure but the 9th topic would always be about cultivation.
The blackboard then revealed. The current progress of the participants as they answered the test. The numerous clans and sects that have gathered on the square outside the test center were all scanning for their respective candidates.
"Its only been three hours and yet our Young Master is already on the second page hahaha!" A elder of a small clan mused.
"That's our Young Master!" Another elder said.
"Hahaha, Old Rahf, how about your clan's young master? Is he doing fine?" The elder from earlier sarcastically said.
"Tsk, Old Turner, don't get cocky! Our Young Master has also reached the second page."
"Hahaha, is that so? But I was pretty sure that he was only at the first page several minutes ago." The elder continued to sneer.
"You! Just wait and see my Young Master will still score better than your spoiled descendant!" Old Rahf continued.
"How dare you! Tsk, if it wasn't for the young Impartial Spear personally guarding this test. I would have mopped the floor with you!" Old Turner rebutted.
"Hmph, try it then!" Old Rahf countered. In the end, they couldn't fight and could only stare with killing intent at each other.
Other clans had similar conflicts like Old Rahf and Old Turner. Theses minor clans tried to compare with each other and even betted treasures and spirit stones on which representative will score higher than the other.
"Mistress is performing outstandingly and she's already on the 3rd page!" An elder from the Hundred Hills Grand Clan rejoiced
"Old Malu, hahaha it seems like your Stone Edge Manor would be left behind by our Mistress!" Another elder spoke with disdain at the Stone Edge Manor's camp. This caused the crowd to gasp in astonishment. To quickly answer those 40-60 questions despite it being an essay? Just how frightening would the golden daughter be?
"Hahaha, you're too overconfident! Our Young Master has reached the third page five minutes earlier than your mistress!" An old butler from the manor confidently said. The crowd gasped once more. There was another person who could answer as fast as the golden daughter? The crowd couldn't help but admit in their hearts how genius these two are.
"Our Wonder Child is even better than you lot it has already been half an hour since he arrived at the third page! Hahaha!" An arrogant butler said with confidence. The crowd's hearts jumped. The Wonder Child was even more frightening than the others?!
"These noble powers really do love up to their reputation. They could all nurture such frightening kids. Haaaayst." An old veteran could only sigh as he thought of the dazzling genius that those three have shown to the crowd today.
"Lo-look, the Child Strategist has just reached the fourth page!!" An inconspicuous commoner spoke out from fright.
"WHAT?!" The crowd's hearts stopped when they heard that remark. The Child Strategist was even more terrifying than the previous three! She already crossed the page where the other three genius were still answering!
"Hahahah what do you expect from Lady Ciara's wisdom as the crowned Top Strategist of the whole city!" A suitor from another clan said while his eyes emitted burning determination to conquer the Child Strategist.
This remark helped the crowd fee l that the Child Strategist's crossing of the fourth page was quite sensible since the third page was about the strategic and management skills of the participant in both business and war. It could be said that Child Strategist was a fish on the water when she arrived at the 3rd page's topic. That's why she was able to easily finish the page.
"Of course, my sister's prowess in strategizing could even be superior than mine so it wouldn't be hard for her to answer all those questions in just three hours or so." A 1.9 meter tall scholarly young man who was of 28 years of age generally stated. It seemed like his words were from virtuous scrolls from his elegant manner of speaking.
"It's Charlton Meadows! The Head Strategist of the Thundercloud Guards!" A female screamed in admiration.
"No way. The youngest Head Strategist in the history of the Thundercloud Guards had even admitted that he is inferior to Lady Ciara's!!" Another suitor was evidently shocked and it was not only him, the entire crowd had the same reaction as well. It should be known that he was also a dazzling strategist since he was able to lead the different battalions and armies of the Thundercloud Guards to efficiently battle with their foes.
His most dazzling achievement was a mission against a Mortal Moulting Realm with 100 Origin Realm experts with varying strengths yet he was able to create a scheme to destroy them with the similar number of experts and only 10 casualties! He was a very talented strategist yet he claimed to be inferior to his decade younger sister? Now, this was just unfathomable.
"But, the Child Strategist still can't compare to those two when it comes to genius." The crowd lamented as they focused on the two names of the most dazzling geniuses in the city. This was because Alchemist Asiel and Riki Panther have long reached the 4th page!
Unlike the Child Strategist who just arrived at the 4th page, the crowd has already seen that Asiel and Riki have almost simultaneously reached the 4th page. The crowd was totally shakened when they saw how fast they were both answering the test.
The first to finish the first page was Riki Panther while Alchemist Asiel somewhat lagged behind a bit for one minute. It only took them slightly more than 15 minutes to finish the entire page! On the second page, however, Riki Panther got overtaken by Alchemist Asiel as he finished the second page first but Riki did not lag behind as he quickly followed and finished the page. What's more was that it only took them 30 minutes to arrive at the third page!
When they reached the third page, they shook the crowd once more.when they only finished it in one hour at the same time and is now more than an hour in the fourth page! The crowd could not understand how they were able to clear the third page that fast and at the same time at that. They all knew how hard the test was since they were mandated to take this examination. That's why when they saw how these two were able to clear the stages one by one. They just couldn't help but admit their inferiority towards them.
"What monstrous geniuses..." The crowd could only sigh as any one of them.would pale in comparison to these two geniuses.
"It seems like it's going to be Sir Asiel and Sir Riki who is going to be fighting for the first place in thise year's test." A noble said awestruck.
"I wonder what the Test Center's rewards for the Top 3 are for this year?" A burly tall man who stood out in the crowd wondered.
"You're right. Last year, the third place got a Peak of the Low Earth Rank Battle Technique while the second got a Mid Earth Rank Cultivation Manual! The first place then received a pair of Earth Ranked Movement Techniques and Battle Techniques that are inherently compatible with each other. What a lucky bunch they were!" A thin man recollected.
" That's right. But, it was not only last year's batch of the top three competitors of the examinees, every year's batch get something good always!" Another commented.
Roland and the others were merrily discussing about various things and were occasionally laughing from Ron's silly jokes when the group of nobles approached them and disturbed their conversation.
"Hahahah, have you checked the Spirit Blackboard yet? Hahaha, that's the disparity of commoners from nobles! Hahaha, you even claimed that your wastrel of a master can compete against our noble lineages?! Laughable!" A dark-brown haired young lad spoke with sarcasm and disdain.
"Your master isn't even worth carrying the shoes of our Sir Riki and Sir Asiel!!" A dark-skinned noble added.
"Psh, are you guys fucking retards? You can't even see right, huh? How about opening your eyes and see what page our boss Dylan is at!! You think you are all great, huh?! Think again, Sir Dylan is already at the 4th page!!" Ron said with incomparable ferociousness. The crowd was shocked by this statement.
Another person was also at the fourth page other than Alchemist Asiel and Riki Panther as well as Child Strategist?! But this was too unbelievable so when the crowd heard Ron, they could not help but laugh out loud since they could not believe that there was such another genius and this genius was a commoner?!
"Ahahhahahahahahahaha." The crowd laughed when they heard Ron's claim.
"What a bluff~"Before another arrogant noble could interject another person shouted from the crowd.
"No way! It's true!!" The person shouted pale-faced as though he had seen a ghost.
""WHAT?!" The crowd could not believe it. Therefore, they tried their best trying to scan for the name of Dylan Ford and there it was.
[FORD, Dylan, Age:18, Test Status: Page 4-In progress- Execellent]
The treasure also indicates initial hints with regards to the ratio of correct and incorrect answer of the examinee. There are only four grades used to indicate this are. Failing, Good, Very Good and Execellent. Failing is gained when the participants has less than 40%. Good is acquired when the taker has 40%-55% correct. Very good is for 56-70% while Excellent is for 70% or greater.
Half of the participants had a Good grade while a third was in the failing grade. Then, 16% of which had a Very Good mark while the remaining .7% was doing Excellent in their tests. Thus, to have an Excellent mark meant that you were a genius among geniuses already!
"Hmph, do you believe me now?!" Ron arrogantly said.
The crowd was silenced when they saw those words. Every single one of them were flabbergasted to the point that their hearts almost jumped out of their hearts. A commoner was that kind of abnormal genius? Unbelievable.
Inside the Noble Test Center...
While those were happening outside, the participants were trying their hardest in order to be able to answer all the questions.
It has been 8 hours already. The participants where nearing the end of the test. By now, all of the participants are either on the latter 2 pages or reviewing their answers despite being done. Some of the participants were despairing by the fact that they lacked confidence in passing the exam. Others were rechecking their answers in hopes to get a better score than 60.
While others, we're thinking of such. Dylan was critically analyzing his papers to review them. This was because Dylan had long finish the exams an hour ago! After reviewing twice, he was sure that all of his answers were right! Yes, he was absolutely certain because of his trained and developed photographic memory!
However, when he reached the last question of the ninth page and the tenth page, he didn't completely answer them to keep a little bit of a low key. This is because when you don't fully answer every question for at least a 5-sentence Paragraph it would be declared as incomplete by the machine and would still consider you as unable to move on to the next page and would still display your prior page despite answering the next page already
There was also other reasons for Dylan's incomplete answers and one of those who are already finished are all forced to leave the Test Center. Another reason was that he was able to discover something peculiar about the test.
When he was reviewing his answers a second time, he realized there was an unusual pattern among the test it was as if it was not standardized but systematized. It seemed like the whole test was a Cultivation Art!!