https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-659-Thank-Heavens-Lanchi-Isn-t-a-Journalism-Major/12585021/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-661-The-Demon-Tribe-Legend-as-Told-by-Lanchi/12585023/
Chapter 660: Lanchi's Examiner Ethics
Chapter 660: Lanchi's Examiner Ethics
The mellow sound of the Pariah strings began, slowly unfolding like a deep blue mysterious dusk gently settling in.
The delicate tinkle of the glass piano interspersed within, like mysterious starlight twinkling in the night sky.
In this grand hall within the airborne ship, Lanchi chatted leisurely with the young lady he had met upon his arrival in Flower City.
"Mr. Migaya is truly extraordinary. He rarely fails, and card crafting seems to be just a casual hobby for him. Yet, he passed the Platinum-level Card Craftsman exam with overwhelming prowess."
Lisancey's heart fluttered just thinking about Migaya's brilliance.
It was rare for a dazzling new star craftsman to become a Gold-level Card Craftsman and then participate in the Platinum-level exam in the same year, effortlessly soaring through.
To be eligible for the Platinum-level Card Craftsman exam, one must first attain the qualification of a registered Gold-level Card Craftsman by the Southern Continent Card Craftsman Association. Additionally, a certain number of years of work experience and contributions are required, including high-quality physical cards, new patents, and academic research, all of which can accumulate points. Only then can one apply for the advancement exam to the Platinum level.
Alternatively, one can also apply for the exam by obtaining a recommendation from a current Platinum-level or Magic Crystal-level Card Craftsman.
"Mr. Migaya's recommendation back then was probably obtained by his teacher from a Platinum-level Card Craftsman friend in another country. Many people didn't think he would make it, and even the examiners at the time weren't inclined to let the Kingdom of Hutton have a brand-new Platinum-level Card Craftsman."
Lanchi had also heard occasional stories about Migaya from Hyberrian.
"Who would have thought that a young man would directly control thunder and lightning in the arena? At that time, no one expected a newcomer who seemed to have just debuted to be so formidable."
That was just the beginning. It wasn't until later, when Migaya became one of the few Magic Crystal-level Card Craftsmen in the history of the Southern Continent Card Craftsman Association, that everyone truly realized they had underestimated him.
Yet, Hyberrian's expressions and tone always made it seem like Migaya had accomplished something ordinary, casually mentioning it in passing.
Platinum and Magic Crystal recommendations are limited, with only one allowed per session. It is often challenging to obtain one from a Platinum-level or Magic Crystal-level Card Craftsman.
This year, the Kingdom of Hutton did not have a recommendation for Lanchi either, as there weren't any newly advanced Gold-level Card Craftsmen who were exceptional enough to warrant an exception to participate in the Platinum-level exam.
In the case of Karen, who was able to take the Platinum-level Card Craftsman exam in her second year after attaining the Gold level, it was because a Platinum-level Card Craftsman from the Kingdom of Aiolan had given her a recommendation.
"Yes, and there was even a saying circulating at that time, 'No matter how strong you are, Migaya is above you.' It's truly awe-inspiring to achieve so much at such a young age."
Lisancey exclaimed admiringly.
"By the way, what were the exam topics for that session?" Lanchi asked.
As far as he knew, the Platinum-level Card Craftsman exam was held once every two or three years, and it was common for there to be sessions where no one passed.
If he hadn't been able to skip straight to the Platinum level in his rating last year, he might have been the one drawing the lottery this year.
Speaking of which, his high upper limit and low lower limit indeed made him well-suited for drawing lots.
"That session had topics on Magic Engineering Principles, Attribute Specialization, and Deck Testing," Lisancey replied, thinking back.
Since the release of the Southern Continent Card Craftsman Association's new regulations for the Solar Calendar, the Platinum-level Card Craftsman exam has had six dimensions of exam topics, with three out of six being chosen for each session, depending on luck.
Some card craftsmen rely heavily on luck, but a true all-rounder like Migaya would effortlessly pass regardless of the exam topics.
In addition to the three topics from that session, there were also categories for artistry, theoretical research, and specialization.
Magic Engineering Principles was a fundamental aspect of the exam, and those proficient in this area would also be formidable alchemists or artisans.
Artistry and theoretical research were indispensable foundations for card craftsmen.
Attribute Specialization involved maximizing one's most proficient innate magic attribute, suitable for specialized card craftsmen. The same applied to Type Specialization; some card craftsmen excelled at creating summon cards, while others specialized in spell cards.
The Deck Testing resembled the actual duties of a battlefield card craftsman. The more comprehensive their attribute and type coverage, the greater their advantage. Under certain restrictive conditions, the card craftsman had to create a set of countermeasure cards. This was followed by a practical simulation in the Shadow World, determining if the deck could help an AI projection pass the test or engage in a simulated battle.
"I hope some outstanding newcomers will emerge this year; it will make the exam much more exciting and worthwhile for the audience."
Lanchi sighed.
"Of course, the audience wants to see exceptional candidates, but it's unlikely that there will be another young genius like Duke Migaya, who gained entry through the recommendation system. However, some veteran card craftsmen who have honed their skills over the years may have a better chance of passing, and we might see many new faces this year."
Lisancey added, equally anticipating the event.
The concept of choosing three out of six topics for the exam not only conserved the precious time of the Platinum-level card craftsman examiners but also allowed for the possibility that candidates might have areas they were less skilled in, as long as they didn't have too many weaknesses.
The more proficient they were, the easier it would be to pass the exam, and the more weaknesses they had, the more they would have to rely on luck to get favorable topics.
From another perspective, while all-rounders were undoubtedly strong and had high stability, making them less reliant on luck, the truly remarkable candidates were those specialized types who happened to draw topics that played to their strengths.
This aspect made the Platinum-level Card Craftsman exam quite the spectacle.
"In theory... the difficulty of the exam also depends on the examiners. Sometimes you get those 'underground' examiners, and no one can pass, but there are also excellent examiners like Migaya, who might make it a little easier while still maintaining fairness."
Lisancey added.
With a total of three examiners and three rounds of exams, each round had a main examiner and an associate examiner. Thus, each of the three examiners would take turns serving as the main examiner and the associate examiner.
The main examiner for each round specialized in the topic of that round, while the associate examiner was less skilled in that particular area. To pass, candidates had to at least outperform the associate examiner.
After all, a Platinum-level card craftsman was expected to meet the standards of the Platinum rank. If they couldn't even surpass other Platinum-level card craftsmen in their areas of weakness, they had no qualification to advance.
"Are there really examiners who don't want anyone to pass?"
Lanchi asked in surprise.
"Yes, and there are also those who deliberately go easy on their juniors. But rest assured, any misconduct will be reported. After so many years of development, the Platinum-level Card Craftsman exam is now quite standardized."
Lisancey nodded.
Although the exam was divided into four test regions: the Eastern Region, the Western Hub Region, the Central Plain Countries, and the North Bank Region, the exam process for the Platinum-level Card Craftsman in the Southern Continent was unified and overseen by the Card Craftsman Association's headquarters in the Western Hub Region.
If any irregularities or examiner misconduct occurred in any of the test regions, the headquarters would immediately dispatch investigators to handle the situation.
So, there weren't any oddball examiners anymore.
(End of Chapter)
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