NOVPUBThe melodious strings of Parriet unfurled leisurely, as though a mysterious deep blue night was descending silently.
The tinkling sounds of the glass harp interwove, like mysterious starlight twinkling in the night sky.
On one side of the grand hall within the airship, Lanci chatted leisurely with the young lady whom he had met upon his arrival in Huadu.
"Duke Migaya is truly incredible, he almost never fails. Card Making seems to be just a hobby he stumbled upon without much care, and yet he passed the Platinum Level Card Maker examination with overwhelming superiority."
Lixancy’s heart raced just thinking about Migaya’s heroic stature.
To become a Gold-level Card Maker and then take and pass the Platinum Level examination in the same year was a rarity, a stunning new prodigy among magic artisans.
To participate in the Platinum Level Card Maker examination, one first needs to be a Gold-level Registered Card-making Master of the Southern Continent Card Maker Association, and additionally, one requires a certain number of years of work experience and contributions, including high-quality real cards, brand new patents, and academic research, all of which accumulate points to base your application for advancement to the Platinum examination on.
Alternatively, being guaranteed and recommended by a current Platinum or Magic Crystal Level Card Maker could also make one eligible to take the examination.
"The recommendation Migaya got that year seems to have been from other countries’ Platinum Level Card Maker friends, whom his teacher reached out to. Many were skeptical of him, and the examiners at the time did not wish to allow Hutton Kingdom to gain a new Platinum Level Card Maker."
Lanci had also occasionally heard stories about Migaya from Hyperion,
"Who would’ve thought that a youth would take control of thunder and lightning right there on the battlefield? At that time, no one expected someone who appeared to be a rookie to be so formidable."
That was just the beginning. What truly no one expected was Migaya later becoming one of the few Magic Crystal Level Card Makers in the history of the Southern Continent Card Maker Association.
Yet Hyperion always seemed to regard what Migaya had done as something quite ordinary, briefly mentioning it before moving on.
Slots for Platinum and Magic Crystal recommendations are limited, with only one chance per term, and it’s often difficult to secure from the hands of current Platinum or Magic Crystal Level Card Makers.
This year, Hutton Kingdom didn’t have a recommendation for Lanci either, mainly because there weren’t any new Gold-level Card Makers suitable for an exceptional attempt at the Platinum exam.
Like Carlen, who took the Platinum Level Card Maker exam on her second year of being a Gold-level, thanks to a recommendation from a Platinum Level Card Maker in Yarolan Kingdom.
"Exactly, there was even a saying that circulated back then, ’No matter how strong you are, Migaya stands above you.’ Achieving fame at such a young age is really dashing."
Lixancy expressed her sincere admiration.
"By the way, what were the exam questions for that term?"
Lanci asked.
As far as he knew, the Platinum Level Card Maker examination was held every two to three years, often with instances where not a single participant would pass.
If he hadn’t been ranked directly at Platinum last year, he might be the one trying his luck now.
Speaking of which, he really was the type with a high ceiling but a low floor, well-suited for taking a chance.
"That term’s topics were Magic Engineering Principles, Attribute Specialization, and Deck Testing,"
Lixancy replied somewhat uncertainly after thinking for a moment.
Ever since the new regulations of the Sun Calendar were released by the Southern Continent Card Maker Association in recent history, the Platinum Level Card Maker examination encompassed six dimensions of questions, with each term consisting of six choices from which three were chosen at random, depending on luck.
Some Cardmakers heavily rely on luck, but a truly versatile Gold-level Card Maker like Migaya, can easily pass any examination question he encounters.
Besides the three aspects of that session, there are artistry, theoretical study, and Category Specialization.
Understanding the principles of Magic Engineering is fundamentally essential; Cardmakers proficient in this are typically also capable Magic Device Craftsmen or Magic Artisans.
Artistry and theoretical study are indispensable foundations for a Cardmaker.
Attribute Specialization is about maximizing one’s strongest inherent magic attribute, suitable for specialized Cardmakers; similarly, Category Specialization may differ among Cardmakers— some excel at making Call Cards, while others prefer Spell Cards.
Deck Testing closely mimics the role of Battlefield Card Makers, where comprehensive strength in both attributes and categories offer an advantage. Under certain restrictions, Cardmakers are asked to create a set of strategy cards, with the Artificial Shadow World initiating a live simulation to determine if the set can help the artificial intelligence’s projected creature pass the test, or to directly engage in a simulated battle.
"I hope some promising newcomers emerge this year. It would make for a better spectacle and give the audience their money’s worth."
Lanci sighed.
"Of course, the audience wants to see candidates perform spectacularly. Sadly, it’s probably hard to find another young talent like Duke Migaya recommended this year. The seasoned Cardmakers might have a higher chance of passing. Perhaps we’ll see quite a few new faces this year," said Lixancy, also full of anticipation.
The philosophy behind selecting three areas out of six for the examination not only conserves the precious manpower of Platinum Level Card Maker examiners but also allows candidates to have weak spots— though not too many.
The more areas one excels in, the easier it is to pass the exam, and conversely, the more areas one struggles with, the more one must rely on luck to draw the right questions.
On the other hand, while all-rounders are certainly formidable with their high stability and minimal impact from luck, truly strong are those specialized candidates who happen to encounter all the right exam questions.
This is what makes the Platinum Level Card Maker examination so entertaining.
"Logically speaking... the difficulty of the exam also depends on the examiner. Sometimes you encounter those tough examiners that no one can pass, but there are also fair ones like Migaya who might set an easier test on a just basis."
Lixancy added.
Since there are three examiners and three rounds of exams, each with a main and an auxiliary examiner, each examiner will act once as the main examiner and once as the auxiliary.
The main examiner of each round represents their strongest area, while the auxiliary represents their weaker area. To pass, candidates must at least defeat the auxiliary examiner.
After all, a Platinum Level Card Maker must at least reach the pass mark of another Platinum Level Card Maker; if they can’t even surpass the weaker points of their peers, then they simply don’t qualify for promotion.
"Are there really examiners who don’t want people to pass?"
Lanci asked, surprised.
"Yes, there are those, and there are also those who intentionally go easy to let juniors pass. But don’t worry, any violation will be reported. After many years of development, the Platinum Level Card Maker examination is still quite standardized,"
Lixancy nodded.
Despite the partitioning into four examination areas—the Eastern Region, Western Hub Area, Central Plains Countries, and North Shore—the process for the South Continent Platinum Level Card Maker examination is standardized and watched over by the Southern Continent Card Maker Association at the Magician Card Association Headquarters in the Western Hub Area.
If any examination area encounters issues like examiner dereliction of duty, they would be immediately corrected by the headquarters.
So now, there are no more eccentric examiners left.
