Indeed, in four hours' time, I was able to finish "reading" all three thousand books in the library. In fact, I'd actually used three hours and thirty minutes, while the remaining half an hour was used in digesting my newfound knowledge.
"Ah," I sighed gently, breathing out turbid gas from my lungs. I was seated cross-legged with my arms balance before my chest. If it hadn't been for the United Heavens cultivation method, I doubt I'd have had the energy to last this long.
My eyes were crimson and unstable, I had to concentrate all my energy on recuperating.
The cultivation method really worked wonders. At least, I'd regained half of my true essence reservoir that had been completely exhausted.
Just as I walked towards the door, I met an angry faced girl. I immediately realised it was the girl I'd totally forgotten about when I turned every nook and cranny, touching all the books I could find.
"You..." She had an ugly expression as she shook her index before my face.
"What about me?"
'Just what was wrong with this girl? Did she mistake me for her boyfriend snatcher or something? Besides, I wasn't in the mood for stupid jokes, I had to complete my 2-star examination within today, because I wasn't sure of when I'd be getting a day off again.'
"Why were you dancing around the library like an injured antelope?"
My eyes enlarged in apprehension. I could only sigh and look at her with an honest expression.
"If I told you that's how I read, would you believe me?"
She looked at me as though she was hearing things.
"Do I look five to you? Is that the best you could make up? You're definitely here to cause a ruckus in the Beast Guild."
I observed her, before speaking once more. "From the looks of things, you're from a rich clan. However, you've definitely forgotten that you've barely seen things in this life. They are so many Gifts you'd hear about and be thrilled by the abilities. Make research before blabbing. That's an advice."
Not minding her, I walked out of the library the same way I'd entered. The lass stood on that spot suddenly abashed by her action.
"Are there really Gifts that requires people to dance around books to read them?"
* * *
"Ah, so you're finally out. Your eyes... they look sour from reading too much. Are you sure you want to take the test today?" asked the middle-aged man on seeing me back in the Main Hall. Just beside him was the rude lad that had been addressed as "Juan". I sent the latter a smirk before facing the middle-aged man once more.
"Definitely. Let's get over with this, shall we?"
Juan snorted.
The middle-aged man nodded before gesturing to a young man some metres away.
"Yes, Zhang Wangqing?" the young man asked politely on arriving before us. I nodded a greeting and he returned it with a warm smile.
"The preparations, are they complete now?" Zhang Wangqing asked him, straightforwardly.
"Yes, this way please."
As we were led to the Beast Tamers' Examination Hall, the young man who introduced himself as Marion began to explain the things I needed to know about the 2-star examination.
"A little reminder, Miss Stephanie. The 2-star examination is quite similar to the 1-star examination, only the former is much easier and could be said to be just a part of the 2-star examination. If you can remember clearly well, the 1-star examination had just a major challenge called 'Knowledge in the Way of Savage Beasts' with three sub-stages, which includes basic knowledge, beasts identification and, knowledge impartation.
"The 2-star examination, on the other hand, has two stages. Namely, Knowledge in the Way of Savage Beasts, and Beast Taming. Today, you'll be taking the challenge in the first part. It'd be impossible to carry the second stage today, so you'll have to come back next week if you're able to pass the first stage."
As I heard this, I couldn't help but sign in relief. With how miserable I was feeling after all that hopping about, it'd have been difficult to tame a powerful beast without sustaining some side effects... technically.
Without further fuss, I was directed into the room for the examination. Just like the one I'd walked through for my 1-stat examination, this door also had some strange automatic control, and also displayed the results of the examiner above the frame.
Marion was a 2-star beast tamer, himself, and had explained to me that the test in the first two stages (basic knowledge and beast identification) would be monitored by teachers on the third floor; 3-star beast tamers.
For fairness, it was just the best approach. That could probably be the preparation the middle-aged Zhang Wangqing was inquiring about previously.
As the door slid open to a dark room, I stepped inside without wasting time after filling my Student ID. My surrounding seemed to have changed as I appeared before a grand wall. On it were several questions that numbered a hundred.
The Wall of Puzzlement!
I suddenly grinned on seeing it. It brought to mind my last experience in the Beast Hall where I'd taken my 1-star exam. Immediately I advanced toward it, I was engulfed with sudden calmness, like back when I first experienced the effect of the Wall of Puzzlement. Stabilising my thoughts, I picked the brush beside the wall, dabbed it into ink, then readied myself to answer the first question.
"What has large arms, an impenetrable defence and no brain?"
I chuckled at the question. There were many beasts that fitted here, just like the Scarlet Ape. However, one thing that was significant was that, all ape-type beasts matched the description.
"Ape-type savage beasts," I mouthed, after writing.
After waiting for three seconds, I heard a sound.
'Weng!'
A sound like coin dropping in a hollow room resounded.
Next question.
"Oh, this is simple. All you have to do is..."
Before long, in just a period of ten minutes, I'd answered half of the questions. My fingers were moving very fast, as sweat ran down the side of my face. I wanted to be over with this as soon as possible.
With the next fifteen minutes, I was able to clear the remaining questions, effortlessly. Most were basically on questions concerning the behaviours of certain animals. With my dense knowledge after reading thus far, if not for the second stage, I would even have challenged the 3-star beast tamer examination.
Series of 'weng!' sounds kept on playing across the room until the very last question had be answered.
It was only then that I was able to lease a short sigh of relief.
Suddenly, unlike seeing another door to indicate next stage, the scene around me changed. The space warped and the next moment, I was in a room with two white-bearded elders. They smiled very naturally, and both sat on benches. There were several savage beasts locked in cages in the background, so I quickly organised my mind and realised that this was the beast identification stage.
"Lass, you can start identifying these beasts, we'd add the result to your previous stage's points."
I curtseyed without saying anything. Walking up to the first, large cage. There was the Copper-winged Eagle. It was a male and had a very arrogant look in its eyes. It was quite easy to identify this one. Then, suddenly, I noticed the lethal energy pouring out from its wings and shook my head with a smirk.
"This is a Russet Poison-type Eagel!"
One of the men gave out a laugh filled with mockery.
"Do you have a problem, sir?"
"Even an infant could tell that's not what it is!" said the man.
"Oh really? What then is it?"