In the following days, Noah dedicated himself to mastering Dark Summon and delving into various books in the library. He absorbed everything he needed, from history to magic spells and knight fighting styles. While the previous Noah had been intelligent and well-informed about the city and the magic within the academy, commoners in the kingdom were not privy to such knowledge.
The old Noah had always been alone, with no friends or family. The new Noah had no intention of changing that, especially with only a month left. There was no point in forming friendships with commoners or noble offspring.
Ten days before the exams, Noah completed his exploration of the library. He was confident that not even the principal possessed more knowledge than him. Additionally, he had mastered Dark Summon to perfection. Noah now commanded an army of twenty rank 2 shadow knights, whom he had taught the knight techniques available at the academy. Dark Summons utilized the summoner's magic skills but adhered to their technique. Noah instructed his summons to employ only his knight techniques.
He had also mapped out his future plans. Noah intended to visit the Alchemy Guild and obtain a rank 1 doctor's license. Subsequently, he would practice medicine in public. Following that, he would travel, acquiring knowledge from various sources. The real fun would commence then.
"Today, we will conduct the graduation exam for this year. All papers are magically enhanced, so any cheating attempts will be detected. You have three hours," declared a beautiful female teacher, prompting students to commence their exams.
Noah's experience was nothing out of the ordinary—just another tedious exam period with straightforward questions. He finished in the first 30 minutes, as the answers consisted of spells that were graded automatically by the magical paper. Noah had answered all the questions correctly, earning a perfect score. However, while submitting his papers, he overheard some whispering.
"What's the point? A commoner is a commoner."
"Pff, with a physique like his, he won't become a knight, and with that knowledge, perhaps a professor. We'll be able to boss him around."
He heard their remarks but paid them no mind. He graduated with a degree and a recommendation letter from the principal. As a reward for securing first place, he received two gold coins—the most Old Noah had ever seen.
For context, in this kingdom, a loaf of bread cost two bronze coins, with 100 bronze equating to 1 copper, 100 copper to 1 silver, and 100 silver to 1 gold. Most commoners earned a mere 2 silvers a month unless they possessed a specific profession.
Noah proceeded directly to the Alchemy Guild. He approached a friendly receptionist and said, "Hello, I'd like to take the exam for a rank 1 doctor, please."
"Please wait a moment," she responded, retrieving an application form from a drawer. "Fill out this application, and the exam will begin at 4 pm."
"May I use the library here to pass the time before the exam?" Noah inquired, knowing he could absorb additional knowledge with his perfect memory.
"You are allowed to use the first floor," she replied. Noah wasted no time and headed straight for the library. However, he was disappointed to find the same books from the academy, suggesting that the academy had sourced their books here. Nevertheless, he discovered a few new additions, and he claimed a table to begin his reading.
Three hours later, he concluded his study session, having increased his knowledge even further. Now he had a deeper understanding of the bar set by this kingdom. He proceeded to the exam hall and awaited his turn.
There were four other students present, most of whom regarded Noah with hostility. Perhaps they knew he would be the first to succeed, putting additional pressure on them. One of them, trying to alleviate the tension, remarked, "I didn't expect you to be here, Noah. you choose to become a doctor? I can offer you a position in my new hospital."
"You're very kind, Romy. I'll consider it," replied Noah, aware that Romy was poking fun at him. However, he had no intention of engaging with this noble brat.
Romy and the others were left speechless, unsure whether Noah was exceedingly naive or merely mocking them. Nevertheless, they had no time to respond as the exam was about to commence.
"You have 30 minutes. Identify the ailments afflicting these individuals and propose two or more treatment options," instructed a rank 2 doctor—an elderly man with gray hair and purple eyes. Behind him stood six people, all appearing unwell.
Noah and the four other students each attended to a patient. With his perfect memory, Noah swiftly used his God's Eyes to assess their status:
Patient Name: Mark
Occupation: Carpenter
Race: Human
Danger Level: 0%
Talent: Insignificant
The "Danger Level" was the most crucial aspect detected by God's Eyes. It indicated the percentage of danger the individual posed to Noah. Noah employed his God's Eyes to examine different parts of Mark's body and quickly identified the issue—an infected splint. It was a simple problem to resolve.
Without directly speaking to the patient, Noah grabbed a piece of paper and began writing multiple treatment options. He even suggested a potion for healing the wounded area. Rank 1 doctors typically worked with ordinary humans, so there was no need to employ magic or aura. This didn't mean they couldn't use such abilities, but most magic users were ranked 2 or higher and paid little attention to ordinary individuals.
The elderly doctor overseeing the exam was thoroughly impressed upon reading Noah's paper. He immediately granted Noah a pass and the badge as a rank 1 doctor.