Chapter 805
Chapter 805 - 791: Seeds of the Future
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"The exam is coming up soon, and there are not only no study materials, but also no information about the exam questions or scope?"
𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺
When Lu Ping’an first heard this, he thought it was a joke, but after listening to a couple of explanations, he realized it seemed to be taken for granted.
The qualification for Explorers is a new affair; it has just been a few months since the first assessment, and it feels premature to start a second round of tests now.
Moreover, even if they were to begin, there would be the issue of whether to lower the difficulty.
Lower the standards? What would the first group who struggled to get their licenses think, and what about those who failed? And whose responsibility would it be if lowering the standards resulted in a decrease in troop quality?
Arbitrary revisions to the newly set standards isn’t a good thing. As the core of the "Exploration Team" and as a leader and Captain, one should always ensure high standards are maintained.
This is the core of the entire Nirvana Plan; it’s not possible to just arbitrarily lower the standards, but if the technological threshold is too high and there is a shortage of personnel at the frontline, what then...
"...Compared to other countries’ exploration efforts, our individual combat power holds an advantage, but in reality, our efficiency isn’t superior. In conditions where modern technology fails to function, human resources are extremely important—they even have many Ordinary People assisting..."
Since one cannot know the exam questions and content, it’s better to trace back and consider what kind of talents the architects of the exam are really looking for.
"...No, it won’t be like our standards. Last time, Xia Qin... the Masters from the Special Service Team didn’t pass. If we really went by those standards, the students might as well not even show up. Looking back at it now, those standards were actually a bit too much..."
Lu Ping’an reflected and offered suggestions.
He’s not only a young Explorer, he had also led two successful Exotic Realm explorations. In recent rumors, he has even been hailed as a legend among the younger generation and the Death God... although the latter is a bit ambiguous, those who knew Lu Ping’an spoke of him with a degree of respect and awe.
The School valued his experience and track record, and they made the right choice in bringing him over to provide tailored pre-exam training.
"The hardest part of the first exam was actually the Pollution Resistance hardware test, which even third-tier professionals might not withstand. Looking back now, that was probably because the first Worlds included the Silent Mountain Range, a hidden highly Polluted world. Without enough Pollution Resistance, death could be baffling..."
While pondering, Lu Ping’an thought differently from other teachers fixated on the Pollution Resistance exam; he even felt that such a test might not be assessed.
"In actual exploration, the level of Pollution varies from world to world. Selecting a suitable world is the responsibility of the Explorer Captain. It’s not realistic to expect everyone to have high Pollution Resistance. For those kinds of worlds, high-level professionals can just form their own teams. In truth, most real exploration involves a few Masters leading a group of noobs... ahem, Part-time workers."
In front of the friendly Mentors, Lu Ping’an didn’t hold anything back. He openly shared his exploration experience and speculated on possible exam questions and strategies.
In fact, considering the reasons for this exam and the focus of its content, Lu Ping’an could guess some of it.
"...There are still too few Explorers..."
Although the total number of Explorers is quite impressive, it is perpetually insufficient against the boundless unknown worlds and resources.
Under the current system, only when an Explorer obtains a License can they lead a Team....
"...We need more exploration teams, but honestly, combat is no longer the main requirement. If we need warriors, Explorers can recruit them themselves. Temporary or probationary qualifications for Explorers, who are also Exotic Realm explorers, need to be able to fight and lead a team alone...."
Lu Ping’an estimated that the final focus of the test should be on leadership abilities... Now that the system is laid out, with a core and quality in place, it’s time to increase the quantity.
Professional Warriors are easy to come by these days, and Otherworldly mercenaries are everywhere, but reliable and trustworthy team cores should still ideally be cultivated oneself.
"Of course, being too weak isn’t acceptable either. At least second-tier and above, otherwise one could easily die in bewildering ways, such as cheering on local Villagers during a fight, only to be casually stabbed to death.... No laughter, I’m serious, and I’ve witnessed it myself."
Throughout his journey, Lu Ping’an had seen too many deaths, whether humorous or regrettable. Exploration is highly profitable, it’s true – the lowest-ranking Explorer can earn as much in one go as ten years of work. But the ways they die are also incredibly varied and peculiar.
"To tell the truth, leadership talents are hard to train on short notice. If they had such abilities, they would have made a name for themselves already. If you have such talents, you might want to pull them aside for special training to enhance their survival skills..."
"....Professionals, especially R&D Type talents, are what we lack the most. You may not believe it, but I actually obtained my license as a technical talent..."
"Having the foresight to assess the situation is the most important, at least don’t be too stupid. I’ve summarized some basic rules of otherworldly exploration, so show them to the students when the time comes. Some people lose everything after one setback..."
Thoughtfully considering, Lu Ping’an began to take some interest in the examination for this temporary qualification.
He had vaguely sensed the reality of the demand side...
"We might also need to set up a few sub-teams..."
While Lu Ping’an had a way to smuggle people in, human resources were manageable, but the "upper limit" for other explorers had already been reached.
If it’s impossible to increase the quota in the short term, then the number of "sub-teams" could be increased.
For instance, a dual-explorer organized team like Lu Ping’an’s appears to have just 20 people, but once on the other side, no matter how they split up, there’s a limit.
If he had several "temporary license" holders, pairing up with veteran licensed professionals, that’s effectively several more teams, dozens more people.
This team-plus-team combination, each with its independence, can disperse and explore different areas at the same time, and with support from veteran professionals in terms of firepower, if well-coordinated, the efficiency of exploration can greatly improve.
"...Temporary licenses might become a supplement to the official licenses. When the time comes, even for otherworldly exploration missions, they would need to follow an official explorer..."
These bits of information, half-heard before but now pieced together, became much clearer.
Temporary licenses are mostly incapable of independent action; they still need to be associated with an official explorer, but there should be a certain "entourage quota" to supplement regular explorers.
"...Not to mention, it seems I really do have a demand over here."
Human resources on Lu Ping’an’s end are also limited, at least ostensibly... If several more teams could be added to carry out some patrolling, logistics, and reconnaissance tasks, it would lighten the load considerably in all aspects.
Therefore, he warmed up a bit to the idea and proactively inquired about the examinees’ situations.
"Oh, there’s such an excellent young craftsman? A promising part-time worker...cough, promising future."
"The grave digger is actually a geography scholar and a Feng Shui Master? Well, there really are outstanding talents in every field for the future..."
"Warriors? They really aren’t that important. The average standard of graduates from Ancient City University is rather low in combat power; it takes a few years to accumulate and refine. Unless one has individual strength surpassing their peers, if we really lack combat power, us team leaders would prefer to hire Foreign Domain mercenaries."
"Oh, and there are such rare talents too..."
Sure enough, by asking around, a number of high-quality talents emerged.
Those who dare to leave school to attempt adventure in the Exotic Realm naturally have some notable capabilities.
Counting and calculating, Lu Ping’an waited... Perhaps he might really be able to monopolize those good seedlings who pass the test.
Of course, he also contemplated that no matter how much he might lower the standards, the number who could pass the exams likely wouldn’t exceed the single digits.
"When I have some free time, I should practice with them a little more."
With Lu Ping’an being so amenable and enthusiastic, the mentors felt much relieved. With an "old stager" like him to help, this time should go a lot more smoothly.
But just at that moment, suddenly a phone call came in.
"What? The Exotic Affairs Bureau is asking me if I’m willing to be an examiner and an invigilator for the temporary license?"
— End of Chapter 805 —