CH.499 Sage exam
<span style="font-weight:400">It was just a few dayster that I found myself in the Hero’s country again. This time I was invited by them. … Actually,st time I was also invited, because they wanted my help in finding out where the books went. But that one originated from me asking for the books, so it falls somewhere in the ‘my fault’ category.
<span style="font-weight:400">What they invited me for was a sage exam. No, I’m not taking an exam, Mariina is. You do remember who she is, right? Alice’s aunt, has a contract with an earth spirit, likes to use golems.
<span style="font-weight:400">And for some reason, the sages decided I should be there observing her exam.
<span style="font-weight:400">… Admittedly they didn’t even want me. They actually wanted Gaia, the superior spirit of earth there, and for some reason, the sages knew I could summon her. So they invited me, so I could summon Gaia.
<span style="font-weight:400">Which I wouldin about, but at the same time, I actually don’t mind. Because seeing a sage exam is worth being used like this.
<span style="font-weight:400">I also got acquainted with another sage. Because apparently they needed five sages overseeing the exam for a new sage. Unless special circumstances are ongoing, like if there aren’t that many sages alive, or if that many sages simply cannot make it.
<span style="font-weight:400">The fifth sage who observed the exam was named Ray Way, which really got me feeling like he is a traitor, for no other reason than his name. I mean think about it, and spoilers for Zexal by the way, the Ray-way in Zexal almost led to the bad end, because Ray wasn’t quite as nice as he was showing.
<span style="font-weight:400">Ray Way was highly skilled in both Wind and Dark Magic, and he used a type of necromancy magic. He could use it on people, but he mostly used it on monster corpses, because it is more efficient that way. And, you know, no questions about morality.
<span style="font-weight:400">He even had the Inventory skill, which he used to carry a bunch of monster corpses with him, so he could bring them out and re-animate them whenever he wanted.
<span style="font-weight:400">I spoke with him a bit about human necromancy, and he exined that while it isn’t technically illegal, most don’t do it, as monster necromancy is generally both better and easier.
<span style="font-weight:400">Monsters, on average, are more powerful than people. So while the corpses of adventurers, guards and knights make for good undead, mostmon people really don’t.
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<span style="font-weight:400">Eventually, the time for Mariina’s exam came. It really wasn’t as special as I assumed.
<span style="font-weight:400">I mean, when you hear ‘Sage exam’, you think it would be something fantastical, but realistically, it is just a magic showcase.
<span style="font-weight:400">And while Mariina is very skilled, more skilled than I could ever be solo, with Spirit synchro I could probably get close, if not equaling her skill.
<span style="font-weight:400">But that is because I didn’t really realize what was going on. This wasn’t technically an exam. Mariina was going to be a sage, this was more of a … tradition, I suppose. Because there are times when the people don’t study under a sage to be a sage.
<span style="font-weight:400">It was still cool to see, but I was kind of hoping for more.
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<span style="font-weight:400">And perhaps ask and you shall receive, because after Mariina was granted the title of Sage, the now six sages turned to me and told me it was my turn.
<span style="font-weight:400">I was naturally a bit taken back, but they told me that they wanted to make me a sage. It would grant me ess to the demon summoning books I wanted, if we are able to recover them.
<span style="font-weight:400">And while my skills might not be sage level, which they admitted they might be, my monsters more than exceed the skill required for a sage, and enter into the territory of a great sage.
<span style="font-weight:400">And since my monsters are a part of my skill, they said it would count, so they wanted a showcase from me.
<span style="font-weight:400">Naturally I agreed, because why wouldn’t I? I want ess to the sage library, and I already showed most of my skills during the exhibition match.
<span style="font-weight:400">So I ran through all of my skills in order. Well, only the magical skills and skills that require Mana Control to use. I even showed all of my Spirit summonings, just to prove that I did have a blessing of all elemental spirits, including Time and Space.
<span style="font-weight:400">I think that part really blew away the sages, as there has never been anyone with as many Superior blessings. At least as far as they know.
<span style="font-weight:400">They also liked seeing the Prototype Skills, as they were literally magical skills that no one else could use, and even told me that with me being the designer of new skills, they may be able to get me the great sage rank.
<span style="font-weight:400">That led us to talk about the Designing skill, and the fact that it actually helped in designing new spells. I never thought of that when I made the skill, I wanted to make it to help in weapons design, but apparently it does help in all kinds of designs.
<span style="font-weight:400">Which does make sense, just makes me realize that I’m somewhat close minded sometimes.
<span style="font-weight:400">And like that, I got myself the rank of Sage at the Sage’s tower.
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<span style="font-weight:400">With my new title, which even showed up in my status, though it has no effect, I ended up being a frequent visitor to the Hero’s country. Thank god I have that pass to get through the barrier, or it would be a pain.
<span style="font-weight:400">As a sage, they made me hold a researchbat position. This means I’m basically free to do anything I want, and don’t have any duties at the tower.
<span style="font-weight:400">Previously, before they got the mana flowers from me, the sages and great wizard and witches living at the tower would have to manually fill up magic stones that fuel the magic circles the Sage’s tower upkeeps, but now, it isn’t necessary.
<span style="font-weight:400">I still have to send my research to the tower, which I don’t mind on most things. A lot of themon things like the improved enchanting we developed/are developing is something I’d want to share anyway. The same with Draconic enchanting, but that was something the tower already knew.
<span style="font-weight:400">Most of the research notes were written by Laura and Tahlia, because the two of them wanted to keep research books in the Factory’s library.
<span style="font-weight:400">And from there, I can just use HomeBase to print the book and deliver it to the tower when I next visit.
<span style="font-weight:400">Oh, and let’s finally get to why I’ve been at the tower so much. … okay, you know why I’ve been there. Library raid.
<span style="font-weight:400">I’ve been analyzing all of the books in the library, one by one. But there are like … over 60 million books in here. Not all of them are books, but books, research papers, even things like daily tablets. So over 60 million items.
<span style="font-weight:400">I focused on the sage section, because that section holds the most advanced stuff, and the stuff I want the most. And since I’m forwarding all of these books to the Factory, Alice can read any of them she wants.
<span style="font-weight:400">Yes the others can as well, but I think Alice and Janina will be the two to spend the most time there. Alice because she wants to learn new spells and Janina because she is bored. Then again, she is always bored.
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<span style="font-weight:400">With my title as a sage, a few other opportunities also opened up.
<span style="font-weight:400">Mainly, I could finally start looking into getting a ton of rewards for one of my oldest System missions. That being Granter of Magic.
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<td style="width:100%"><span style="font-weight:400">Mission: Granter of Magic</td>
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<td style="width:100%"><span style="font-weight:400">Goal: Grant a magic attribute to hard working people who don’t have one</td>
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<td style="width:100%"><span style="font-weight:400">Reward: Grants 1-5 monsters of the attribute given.</td>
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<td style="width:100%"><span style="font-weight:400">If the recipient is an extremely hard worker, cards maye in sleeves or toploaders</td>
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<td style="width:100%"><span style="font-weight:400">This mission is repeatable</td>
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<span style="font-weight:400">Because the Sage’s tower offers free attribute analysis. And they keep track of those records. So I just asked for the records, and told the sages I have a way of giving or altering people’s attributes.
<span style="font-weight:400">Which they already knew, because Mariina told them… So there goes my surprise factor.
<span style="font-weight:400">But they did agree to my suggestion, not that they need to. I’m a sage, I can tell them I’m doing that, and if they want to stop me, they need at least five sages to order me to stop.
<span style="font-weight:400">So the next time there was a free attribute analysis day, I was there. And those that had no attribute affinity were told that they could go through an experimental attribute granting ceremony, if they wanted.
<span style="font-weight:400">We didn’t get all that many people, but I did manage to get 12. Sadly most of them were children, and they didn’t exactly count as ‘hard working people’ for the mission, so the rewards I got weren’t all that amazing.
<span style="font-weight:400">Out of the 12, 9 wanted the Light attribute. Which is understandable, as it is the most appreciated attribute. One wanted Fire, one Earth and one Water.
<span style="font-weight:400">For the rewards, I got Consecrated Light, White Duston, Outstanding Dog Mary, Rainbow Kuriboh, Sage with Eyes of Blue, Priestess with Eyes of Blue, Gctikuriboh, Hieratic Seal of the Sun Dragon Overlord andst for the Light attributes, Fortune Lady Every.
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[copse]
<span style="font-weight:400">So yeah. While they are really good cards, I got only one card per person, and they all have low attack stats. Almost like ‘not hard working’ equals low attack.
<span style="font-weight:400">For the Fire, Earth and Water, I got Soul Resonator, Key Mouse and Number 71: Rebarian Shark.
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[copse]
<span style="font-weight:400">Yeah. One of those isn’t like the others. Rebarian Shark is lowkey OP. But I’ll get to that in a moment.
<span style="font-weight:400">First, Gctikuriboh. I don’t know if you know this, but his effect allows him to special summon a Gxy-Eyes Photon Dragon. Which means that by triggering his effect, and then using Compulse to return the Gxy-Eyes Photon Dragon to my hand, I can get myself a sleeved and toploader copy of Gxy-Eyes Photon Dragon.
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[copse]
<span style="font-weight:400">Next up, Fortune Lady Every. She is a Synchro. My challenge is one away from 60. So I summoned her and imed the next reward. Deep Sea Repetiteur and Deep Sea Minstrel.
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[copse]
<span style="font-weight:400">I then summoned Repetiteur for the challenge.
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<td style="width:100%"><span style="font-weight:400">Summon unique Synchro Monsters</td>
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<td style="width:100%"><span style="font-weight:400">Unique Synchro Monsters summoned: 61</td>
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<td style="width:100%"><span style="font-weight:400">Aromaseraphy Rosemary; Aromaseraphy Sweet Marjoram; Red Dragon Archfiend; ck Rose Dragon; Psychic Lifetrancer; Clear Wing Synchro Dragon; Magical Android; Avenging Knight Parshath; Goyo Guardian; Nitro Warrior; Thought Ruler Archfiend; Ruddy Rose Dragon; Cosmic Fortress Gol''gar; Light End Dragon; Power Tool Dragon; Garden Rose Flora; T.G. Hyper Librarian; Dark End Dragon; Hundred Eyes Dragon; Lightning Warrior; Seven Swords Warrior; X-Saber Souza; Stardust Dragon; Minerva, the Athenian Lightsworn; Shooting Quasar Dragon; Blue-Eyes Spirit Dragon; Shooting Star Dragon; Turbo Warrior; Tempest Magician; Revived King Ha Des; Queen of Thorns; Iron Chain Dragon; Doomkaiser Dragon; ckwing Armor Master; Earthbound Servant Geo Gryphon; el Synchro Stardust Dragon; Ally of Justice Catastor; Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier; mvell Uruquizas; Mist Wurm; X-Saber Urbellum; Power Tool Braver Dragon; Ancient Fairy Dragon; Ancient Sacred Wyvern; Arcanite Magician; Archfiend Zombie-Skull; ckwing Armed Wing; Dark Strike Fighter; Exploder Dragonwing; Hyper Psychic ster; Sea Dragon Lord Gishilnodon; Trident Dragion; Turbo Cannon; XX-Saber Gottoms; Red Rising Dragon; Scarlight Red Dragon; Red Nova Dragon; Red Supernova Dragon; Garden Rose Maiden; Fortune Lady Every; Deep Sea Repetiteur</td>
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<td style="width:100%"><span style="font-weight:400">Next Reward is given at 65 unique Synchro Monsters</td>
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<td style="width:100%"><span style="font-weight:400">Next Reward: Superheavy Samurai Warlord Susanowo + Superheavy Samurai Big Benkei</td>
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[copse]
<span style="font-weight:400">Interestingly, my next reward isn’t your usual Synchro + Tuner reward, but instead I have a Synchro and a non-Tuner. Probably because Warlord Susanowo needs a Superheavy Samurai non-Tuner.
<span style="font-weight:400">And I do like Superheavy Samurais. Kind of. I love that they can attack in defense position. But I don’t like their ‘no spells and traps’ gimmick. I think that is a bit much. If it was just ‘no spells’ it would be better. In my opinion.
<span style="font-weight:400">And now to Lesbian Shark, I mean Rebarian Shark. He is my fifth Xyz monster, so I get my first Xyz summoning challenge reward. But that still isn’t what makes him OP. I’m getting to that.
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<td style="width:100%"><span style="font-weight:400">Unique Xyz Monsters summoned: 5</td>
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<td style="width:100%"><span style="font-weight:400">Crimson Knight Vampire Bram; Dhampir Vampire Sheridan; The Zombie Vampire; Number 24: Drags the Vampiric Dragon; Number 71: Rebarian Shark</td>
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<td style="width:100%"><span style="font-weight:400">Next Reward is given at 5 unique Xyz Monsters</td>
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<td style="width:100%"><span style="font-weight:400">Next Reward: Number 39: Utopia Double + Double or Nothing!</td>
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[copse]
<span style="font-weight:400">Utopia Double and Double or Nothing is a fine reward. And thanks to Utopia Double, I should be able to get other Utopia monsters, so I’ll experiment with thatter on.
<span style="font-weight:400">And now, we finally get to why Rebarian Shark is overpowered. See, it has this fun little effect. “If this card is sent to the GY: You can choose 1 "Rank-Up-Magic" Spell from your Deck and ce it on top of your Deck.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Or as it trantes for me, “If this card is sent to the GY: Pay 1 Pack token to generate 1 random "Rank-Up-Magic" Spell.”
<span style="font-weight:400">So yeah. I can get Rank-Up-Magics.
<span style="font-weight:400">Which might sound useless at first, after all, I don’t have XYZ monsters that need Rank-Up-Magics.
<span style="font-weight:400">But remember, monsters operate on a Rank system. So if Level Up! can level up people … well, I’m sure you are smart enough to figure out what Rank-Up-Magics can do to monsters.
<span style="font-weight:400">