The First Assessment
After all the teams had gathered in the square, the candidates gradually quieted down after their initial restlessness and excitement, and began to wait quietly for something.
This situation lasted for several minutes, and soon, as the bell signaling the start of the exam rang, something changed in the square where the candidates had gathered.
The center of the square had been surrounded by a fence, and all the candidates were driven outside the fence. Before long, a high platform gradually rose in the center.
Standing amidst the throng of heads, Lin Xiaolu shook her head, trying to pierce through the wall of people in front of her. However, this didn't allow her to see what was happening. Moreover, as some magical girls in front of her chose to fly because they couldn't see clearly, Lin Xiaolu's vision was completely blocked by the dark mass of people.
She looked at the wall of people in front of her with a bit of helplessness, then looked around and found that Bai Jingxuan and Mint had flown into the air at some point, and the magical girls behind her were also gradually floating up into the sky. Without further hesitation, she put her heels on the ground and rushed into the air.
At this moment, in the center of the square, a woman wearing a floral dress stood on a high platform, draped in a silk shawl and holding a parasol. As the platform rose, she slowly became the focus of everyone's attention.
"Good morning, everyone."
Without stopping the candidates from floating into the air one after another, and after using Spell Formula to ensure her voice could be heard throughout the entire venue, she spoke in a rather casual tone:
"I am the chief examiner for your first practical assessment, Rose, a researcher at the Luen Nore Research Institute. I am very pleased to be a witness to this crucial moment in your growth."
"At the same time, I am also the technical lead for the dedicated testing room for this assessment. All technical content in the upcoming assessment has undergone safety verification by the examiner team, ensuring you will not be in danger during the process. So, please unleash your talents and strive for a higher ranking."
"Although I'm sure all of you candidates here already know what the upcoming assessment will be about, there have been slight changes to the standards and Rule this year, so just in case, I'll explain it to you again."
"The practical assessment will be conducted using a point Rule. The Examination Institute will award you points based on your performance during the assessment."
She waved one hand in the air, and countless magical specks of light formed a huge, surrounding light screen behind her. As she spoke, the text "Rule of Points" was projected onto this light screen.
Immediately, a chorus of phone cameras went off at the scene.
"In principle, everyone can only earn points based on their performance in each assessment item. However, in reality, besides exam scores, there are three other possibilities for point adjustments."
The examiner still didn't restrain the candidates' behavior; he merely blinked and continued:
"The first factor is 'teammate performance.' Since the practical assessment is conducted in three-person teams, if your teammates achieve excellent results, you will receive bonus points; conversely, if your teammates perform poorly, you will have extra points deducted."
"The second factor is 'discipline.' If a candidate disrupts the examination room order and discipline during the exam, hindering the normal conduct of the exam, points will be deducted depending on the severity of their actions. Additionally, depending on the different standards for each assessment, there is also the possibility of additional point deductions or bonuses."
"Finally, an additional factor for this Queen Year is the 'attendance evaluation.' Your performance during the assessment will be selectively displayed to the guests on the viewing platform by the Magic Mirror in the examination room. If any candidate's performance is outstanding and receives the guests' approval, they will receive extra points."
"After all four assessments are completed, the Examination Institute will add up all the scores and rank them. The ranking will be your final score."
After saying this, the examiner looked down from the platform and said, "These are the basic regulations for the practical assessment."
With a flick of her hand, the content about the "points Rule" projected behind her disappeared. Some of the magical girls, who were slow to realize that they should have taken a picture earlier, stirred up a slight commotion.
However, the examiner continued her speech at her own pace, waving her hand once more, and new images and content appeared on the projector.
It was a huge three-dimensional structural diagram.
At first glance, it looks a bit like a Rubik's Cube, but upon closer inspection, you'll find that what's depicted in the picture is definitely not a small object like a Rubik's Cube, but a behemoth: a schematic diagram of a square building with so many layers that it's impossible to count them with the naked eye, and its area seems to be bizarrely large.
The size of the building can be determined because a passageway-like structure is vaguely visible in the image, interspersed with shrubs and flowers. Yes, such a massive building is entirely composed of flowers and shrubs; the passageways appear as tiny as the fibers of plant branches in the image. As for the flowers and leaves, they are less than a dot in this image.
The mere sight of such a bizarre "building," completely impossible to achieve in the Material Realm, was enough to silence many test-takers.
"Now let's get down to business and talk about the first practical exam you're about to face."
Seemingly satisfied with the candidates' reactions, the examiner's expression visibly brightened.
"As you can see, the testing ground for this exam is located in the back Garden of the Silver Gallery, and it takes the form of a 'maze.' The Garden has now been transformed into a huge, multi-layered maze by the Spell Formula set up by our Research Institute, capable of accommodating everyone present to explore together. Your task in this exam is to find your way out of it in the shortest possible time."
"Let me make this clear first: the diagram behind me is just to give you a general idea of the maze's layout. Please don't take it as a real map. If you actually follow this diagram to find the exit and waste time, I won't be responsible."
"The candidate with the shortest time will be the first place in this assessment, and then they will be ranked in order. We will award points according to their ranking. First place: 100 points, second place: 95 points, third place: 90 points, the top ten: 85 points, the top fifty: 80 points... all the way down to the last place, who will only receive the basic 30 points."
"To put it simply, that's it. However, there are a total of five additional Rule. Three of them are explicit Rule, and the other two are Hidden Rule."
"The first Rule is: theoretically, there is no time limit for the assessment; however, the magic concentration throughout the maze will continuously decrease. When the magic concentration drops below a certain level, your movements within the maze will be restricted, and you may eventually become completely immobile. If any examinee loses the ability to move within the maze, their score will be recorded as a failure. A failing examinee will not receive any points, which is 0 points."
"Article Two: Attacks or interference with other candidates are not prohibited during the assessment process. If a candidate loses the ability to move due to an attack by another person, then, as in Article One, it will be recorded as a failure."
"However, if a candidate who is eliminated due to an attack can identify their attacker, including but not limited to clearly describing their physical characteristics, stating their candidate number, or giving their magical girl code name... as long as you can identify who attacked you, then after we examiners conduct a fact-checking, the attacker's score will be recorded as failing. At the same time, you will be able to obtain the attacker's points for this assessment."
"The third rule prohibits all actions that directly or indirectly damage the labyrinth. While theoretically, magical girls below the Blossom Rank shouldn't even have the possibility of damaging the labyrinth, I know there are definitely a few individuals among you who can reach that level. Therefore, damaging the labyrinth is prohibited, and violators will also be marked as failing."
Having said all that, the examiner removed the projector behind her again, but this time, she lowered her hands, as if she had already completed her task.
"Please strictly adhere to the above three rules. If you have no further questions, you may now proceed to the back Garden of the Silver Gallery. The assessment will officially begin in 10 minutes."
Are you done talking?
Holding her phone, Lin Xiaolu snapped a picture of the maze diagram before the other person finished, and looked up with some confusion.
The other party previously mentioned five "Rule," but only stated three before ending the discussion. So, what are the remaining two Rule?
"Ah, about the remaining two 'Hidden Rule'."
As if hearing Lin Xiaolu's thoughts, the examiner on the stage suddenly stopped in his tracks, turned around to look at the candidates below the stage, and revealed a somewhat inexplicable smile.
This was also the first time since the examiner appeared that he had shown such an obvious expression on his face:
"The Hidden Rule will be revealed to everyone during the assessment process once certain progress has been made."
"Then, everyone, please explore the maze diligently and strive for higher scores!"
"I wish you a resounding victory."