Volume 2: Chapter 4 – A Genius’s Fate
After saying goodbye to Ma Ke, I returned to the inn with Teacher Xiu. I suddenly thought of a question, so I went to look at my grades. I’m certainly ranked first, then wouldn’t I have many challengers in the future? Oh no, I didn’t expect this. This time I’m in trouble! It seems that Ma Ke’s teacher is truly wise.
“Teacher Xiu, if my exam grades are particularly good, then after I begin attending the Royal Intermediate Magic Academy, many people will come to challenge me?”
“Of course!”
“Ah? Then why didn’t you tell me to exercise a bit of restraint?”
“Zhang Gong, that’s because you will only improve from actual combat. If you don’t want to be knocked down by others, then you must put in great effort. Teacher did this for you sake.”
This is for my sake too. It seems that the days from now on will be no good. With a heavy mind, it was very difficult for me to enter the mediation state.
“It’s time to wake up Zhang Gong. We’re going to go see the notice of successful examinees.”
Hearing that we’re going to look at the notice, I immediately get up from bed. I want to immediately go take a look; I hope that my position isn’t too high up.
Arriving at the Royal Magic Academy’s gate, I saw four big yellow sheets of paper posted on the walls. The first three list the top five hundred examinees in each exam, while the last one lists the top 500 overall who would enter the last exam.
From the back, I immediately ran over to take a look. I must be in the four hundred’s and by all means, I must not be in the top one hundred. Right now, I didn’t have any of the pride from when I had just finished the exams.
No way. I felt dizzy.
My grades are: magic power: 9th place, magic perception: 1st place, magic control: 2nd place. (Unexpectedly first place is that fellow Ma Ke.) Overall grades: 2nd place. (The first place is someone called Hai Long Yang. All of his grades are in the top five.)
I’m done for. From now on I’ll be out of luck. Well, it’s not too bad. At least I’m not first place.
Just at that moment, a teacher came out from the academy. He walked to the overall grades notice and covered up number 10 and 11, then wrote Hai Long Yang over it.
“Everybody, due to Hai Long Yang using some dishonest methods during the tests, the academy has decided to drop Hai Long Yang’s ranking of first, down ten places to eleventh. Therefore the top ten students will all go up one rank.” Hearing the teacher’s words, the examinees in the surroundings all exploded like a pot. One after another, they began to comment and discuss this event.
“Wow. I wonder what kind of method this Hai Long Yang used. He truly has bad luck. He was originally first.”
“Since Hai Long Yang’s ranking dropped, then the top rank is this Zhang Gong person.”
The remaining comments I didn’t hear at all because I was already stupefied. Indeed, what good luck. No way, a genius can’t be this way!!!!”
Suddenly I became aware of someone behind me patting me, thus giving me a fright. I turned my head around and see that it actually turns out to be Ma Ke.
“What’s wrong Zhang Gong? What’s with the sullen face? Did you not get in? Let me go take a look at the notice.”
My ranking is over here. My magic power: 18th place, magic perception: 16th place, magic control: unexpectedly it’s 1st place. I’m done for! But it’s not too bad, my overall rank isn’t that high at 12th place. It’s still good. I’ll go take a look at yours.”
After looking at the notice Ma Ke had a blank look, afterwards he suddenly grabbed my pair of shoulders and cried out in fear: “Wow! Zhang Gong, you’re so awesome! Your overall rank is first place!”
Yelling like this, Ma Ke attracted nearly four thousand people’s gazes towards us in all directions.
I immediately reflected on my choices, while blaming Ma Ke, I promptly used short range teleportation and fled five hundred meters from the encirclement. Afterwards I consecutively used several teleportations to directly return to the inn. Furthermore at the same time I was teleporting, I yelled out: “Ma Ke, you’re awful!”
Now I can only hope no one saw my appearances clearly.
Teacher Xiu also returned with an odd smile.
“Zhang Gong, you truly deserve to be called my good student. You unexpectedly got first place. Not bad, not bad. However, before the test tomorrow, it would be best if you didn’t go out. At the very least there will be a thousand people outside waiting to challenge you. Hehe.”
“Teacher Xiu, can we go back to Senke city? I….”
Hearing that I wanted to go back to Senke city, Teacher Xiu immediately became angry. “What? Go back? Fine. You don’t need me to go back, maybe your parents will forgive you too. When you were setting out, your parents had such high hopes in you. Ah. You can go back and tell them you placed first in the exam but you were afraid of other student’s challenges so you returned. Will they be able to forgive you? How will you continue learning magic from then on?”
Recalling what mother and father told me before leaving, I have nothing to say anymore. (Even though I’m really lazy, I still have one strong point, which is obedience to my parents. If there wasn’t mother and father, then there wouldn’t be me!)
“Teacher, don’t be angry, I was just kidding. I’m going to put in great effort!”
Seeing that I have dispelled any thoughts of going back, Teacher Xiu immediately continued smiling from ear to ear. When all’s said and done, my first place rank in the first round of exams has lit up his face.
“I already told you the rules for tomorrow’s exam. It’s like this, the top five hundred people draw lots to determine who they will fight with. The winner gets 50 points, the loser gets 30 points. The results of the first round of exams will be added to the second rounds. The score will be calculated in accordance to the one’s ranking. The top ranker is you so in the second round there are 50 bonus points for you. In other words, even if you lose in tomorrow’s exam, you’ll have 80 points which will guarantee that you’ll be one of the two hundred to advance. The first round’s second place will have 49.9 bonus points in the second round, and so on. The last place will have no bonus points, so the preliminary round’s results give you a great advantage. The exam will not allow use of magical beasts or martial skills. (It’s a Magic Academy after all.)
It seems that it’s already impossible to escape the clutches of the Royal Intermediate Magic Academy. It turns out that being a genius is to still be born under an ill star. (That’s bullshit, Genius.) Tomorrow I must lose. I secretly made up my mind.