Magic Academy, test grading classroom.
A group of mage apprentices were working like bees, writing non-stop and marking the "Intelligence Level Test" papers that had been delivered.
This matter concerned the lifeline of the mages for the next hundred years. After all the papers for the Mysterious Magic Unified College Entrance Examination were scanned and digitized, they were sent over to the Magic Academy for final scoring.
However, there were many blank scrolls and the overall workload was manageable.
"This hurts my eyes. How dare he come for the exam?" The lanky mage apprentice could not help but mocking after reading through a few nonsensical answers.
"Never mind. Weren't we all like this at the start? Let's hurry. We have to finish by six o'clock." A pretty teenage female apprentice urged.
However, in the next second, her clear eyes froze and she found it hard to look away.
"Leak? Were the questions leaked?"
The girl's palms were sweating, and her fingertips were trembling like Parkinson's disease. The ergonomic mouse became hard to control.
"What is it?"
A few curious and eager apprentices immediately surrounded her.
The middle-aged mage who was in charge of reading the papers happened to pass by. He lowered his head and glanced at the curved screen in front of the girl's desk. The screen was filled with words.
"The questions were designed by the higher-ups of the association. The difficulty level is beyond imagination. Even if the questions were leaked, a group of people working overtime might not be able to come even close to a correct answer."
The middle-aged mage was dressed in a pure white luxurious robe and had an intense aura. Within two seconds, his stiff face melted.
"A list of forbidden techniques? We have had plenty of respondents with such answers right? It still doesn't balance out the first-mover advantage. This is just an ordinary person who didn't manage to make it over the line."
In a rare show of courage, the girl rebutted. "There's more behind."
The analysis of the 26 conventional gameplays were laid out in detail, and it was pointed out that 19 of them were a sure-win.
The apprentice at the back could not help but mutter to himself, "Other than the forbidden techniques, there are also the rules of exchange, the opening rules of Yamaguchi, Soosõrv… The average time for one question is less than 24 minutes. How did he come up with it?"
The middle-aged mage nodded and concluded, "Using the forbidden moves to prove the sure-win would be a deviation from the right path. However, the layout is perfect, the balance measures are detailed, and the methods are ingenious. You can give 40-45 points."
The girl was slightly embarrassed. "Teacher, there's more behind."
The silver screen flashed as a new page appeared.
"Zemelo's theorem—in a finite two-person game of perfect information and in which chance does not affect the decision making process. Either the first-player or second-player must have a winning strategy."
"Combined with the mathematical integration method, according to the following proof, the black player must have some sure-win strategy."
All-round attack!
This was already the most powerful way to solve most of the gomoku games!
This was because they both satisfied the "finite" and "non-chance" elements.
The middle-aged mage's face turned pale.
The tall, thin apprentice said, "Professor, this just ensures no sure-loss, whereas the question asks for a sure-win."
However, as if the girl did not hear his comment, she clicked to the next page—
"Proof two: Gomoku and Threat-Space Search to prove sure-win for first player."
Under the subtitle were numerous programming proof algorithms!
The middle-aged mage finally lost his composure. Without even analyzing the proof, he shouted, "Show me the answers to the other questions!"
The girl said nervously, "Teacher, I don't have the authority."
"Open the interface. I'll transfer magic power and activate the authorization code," The middle-aged mage said solemnly.
Soon after, the answers to the remaining questions of the mysterious examinee were presented to everyone.
"Another thesis? Non-cooperative game theory? In infinite games, Nash equilibrium tends toward Pareto Optimality, from mutual betrayal to mutual loyalty?"
"Damn, someone actually managed to calculate this equation in the examination hall? That's 80-90 points!"
"The question gives the idea of natural selection and survival of the fittest. Someone actually managed to deduce the 'genetic algorithm'? Simulate the best solution under the pressure of natural evolution?"
"These answers have exceeded the original 'standard answer', right?"
Admiring sighs and exclamations rang out throughout the room.
One after another, the questions which encompassed topics that had taken many years to research, were written neatly and clearly on the answer sheets. Not a single variation to be seen.
The test candidate had been confident from the beginning to the end. His thoughts were clear.
In the end, the faces of these mage apprentices, who had always believed themselves to be prodigies, turned pale from surprise.
They had just witnessed the birth of a peerless genius.
A big shot who could monopolize the resources of the entire guild had appeared.
On the first level were ordinary people who struggled to answer the questions. On the second level were apprentices who barely managed to scrape through. Middle-aged mages would be at the third level, while the examiners who set the questions would be the fourth.
And this test candidate was on the fifth level, peering down at the mortal world through the clouds.
As shocked as they were, so much so that they doubted the meaning of their lives, the crowd was still mesmerized by the answers.
A graceful solution was like flowers in the mortal world, making one's thoughts dance.
However, like all things in life, things came to an end.
The script was blank.
"Where's the answer to question nine?"
"Hurry up and check out the answer to question 10!"
"Huh? It's blank too?"
Everyone, including the middle-aged mage, looked at each other in confusion.
"As I remember, the ninth and tenth questions are the kind of questions where you could still muddle through to gain some points." The young apprentice frowned. "Why didn't he answer the easiest ones?"
"Yeah, 50 points for each question. It takes real skill to get 30 points, but it shouldn't be difficult to get five or 10 points here."
A genius who solved the first eight questions in a row could not answer the last two consolation questions?
It was a little ridiculous.
The middle-aged mage's eyes gradually became profound as an inconceivable thought arose spontaneously.
"Show us the results of his other subject!"
The young girl's expression changed slightly, and she quickly clicked back to return to the database to search.
Thereafter, her voice trembled, as if there was a fish bone stuck in her throat, making it difficult for her to speak.
"250 points!"
"250 points for Basic Knowledge, 400 points for Intelligence, a score that is the complete opposite of ordinary people. Interesting." The middle-aged mage shook his head on the spot and left with a bitter smile.
The rest of the apprentices were confused.
"What happened?"
"Hey, think about it, how many points did you get to get enrolled in here?"
"400 points for Basic Knowledge and 250 points for Intelligence. A total of 650 points, just nice for the minimum level. Isn't everyone like that?"
'Spell models' cast by a mage required a lot of memory, and 'Super magic techniques' required a lot of practice to turn it into muscle memory so that it would be instinctual.
The "Basic Knowledge" paper tested one's memory.
However, diligence could make up for one's lack of talent to eke out those 400 points. The Association of Mages recognized that hard work was the only way for most people to earn points.
"This doesn't explain why he didn't answer the last two questions."
"Are you stupid? How did you manage to get in? This guru got 400 points out of 8 questions. Since he had already crossed the line, why did he need to write anymore?"
"Damn!!!"
Gasps filled the entire classroom.
He was really so confident that he could score 400 points with those first eight questions?
If he lost even a single point, he would end up kneeling before the hard minimum line of 650 points and suffer for life!
Was this the confidence of a true 'genius'?
At this moment, the middle-aged mage had already walked to the main entrance. Looking back at the apprentices who were still discussing, he couldn't not help but chuckle.
"Prepare to welcome this new student. You will see that the end point you have been pursuing is only the starting point for these geniuses. I have to report this matter to my superiors first."
-----------------------------------------
Lin Qi, the subject of the above furore, staggered down from the prison wagon, his hands and feet cuffed with steel shackles.
After this night, whether he was fated to be reincarnated again was about to be revealed.
It had to be said that his luck was used up after solving the eighth question.
What were the last two questions?
He couldn't even understand them.
So for the last 48 minutes, Lin Qi turned back and copied the 92-year-old Victor Allis's essay "Gomoku and Threat-Space Search," which proved a sure-win for the black player.
'Sigh, it's better than nothing. I hope the grading teacher will give me some points for that.'
3% depended on fate, 7% depended on hard work, and the remaining 90% was up to the teacher's discretion.
Looking at Lin Qi's middle finger, which bore the marks of having held a pen too long, one of the guards asked curiously.
"When I left the examination hall, I heard someone say that the answers to the third question were 688, 1599 and 8600. You seemed to have filled in the wrong answers."
Lin Qi couldn't help but shoot a look at the guard beside him.
Brother, that's the only question you can discuss with me.
He gave a small smile and explained, "The answer is wrong."
"Why? I just pressed the calculator on the car. It's correct."
"Your calculator doesn't have enough decimal points."
"Huh?"
"Your result should be 4.000000000180019123."