Book 2: Chapter 166: The Power Ranking List
Vol 2 Chapter 166: The Power Ranking List
Never argue with those who refuse to communicate, never try to change someone else's firmly held truth. This was the principle Master Blue Star had taught Valerian. Though she didn't fully grasp its meaning, it didn't stop her from trusting her master and following this guidance.
In fact, for a Magical Girl in Central City, having a roommate with such strong admiration for power might not be a bad thing. Simply because Central City truly had powerful Magical Girls.
As the technological, industrial and cultural center of human society, Central City not only had a population far exceeding ordinary cities, but also maintained a much larger Magical Girl force. While a typical city might need fewer than ten - single digits - Magical Girls to maintain safety (some smaller cities managing with just three to five), Central City required teams of over a dozen, sometimes even twenty-plus members to patrol its vast urban area and protect its dense population.
Not only did Central City's forces outnumber regular cities in quantity, but each city also ensured at least one Magical Girl at the "Strong Flower" level in their squads. More strategically located cities might even have flower card holders stationed there.
So perhaps this same roommate who annoyed Valerian would behave like an obedient girl in front of Central City's squad captains?
As these random thoughts crossed her mind, Valerian slowly massaged shampoo into her scalp with both hands. The water droplets on her skin brought a cooling sensation, refreshing her mind that had grown dull from prolonged studying.
Better stop these meaningless musings. She should focus on adjusting her instant spell arrangements for the practical exam based on the book's content.
Valerian had come to this examination carrying her family and squad's expectations. If possible, her goal was to rank first in the white card exam.
Truth be told, by pure combat ability, current Valerian could already attempt the character card exam. Judging by previous years' difficulty, her chances of passing weren't small. The reason she chose the white card exam instead of jumping levels was simple - this was a Queen's Year, when the magic nation's Queen would personally observe the examinations. For an exam witnessed by the Queen, "first place in white card exam" would shine infinitely brighter than merely "passing the character card exam."
Valerian herself didn't particularly care about this distinction. Originally, she thought obtaining a character card earlier would allow her to join higher-level Remnant Beast hunts sooner, which could only benefit her growth. But her family and squad seniors seemed deeply invested in her becoming that "number one."
Wanting to meet their expectations, Valerian chose to register for the white card exam.
She had assumed this choice would make her exam participation almost a foregone conclusion. Yet after arriving in the magic nation and interacting with more examinees, she discovered this year's white card exam might be far more challenging than imagined.
In fact, many Magical Girls shared her "better to be the head of a dog than the tail of a lion" philosophy. Some had been eligible for the white card exam years prior but delayed coming to the magic nation until now.
Such examinees would undoubtedly make this year's competition pressure far exceed previous years. Not only did their delayed participation mean they possessed strength far beyond typical first-time examinees, but their absence in previous years also meant those exams lacked many strong competitors. The resulting gap in competition intensity between this year and last might be measured in multiples.
Many age-mates had come to the magic nation for this exam. This generation of Magical Girls, raised in an era of information abundance, displayed remarkable proficiency with social media. Most current examinees had joined some peer communities, and recently, busybodies in these groups had compiled a "Power Ranking List" of this year's strongest Magical Girls.
The so-called Power Ranking List wasn't literally evaluating these girls' thighs, but rather identifying which Magical Girls were most "worth clinging to" during the practical exam. Essentially, it was a compilation and ranking of this year's "notable powerhouses."
During lunch break, Valerian's roommate had revealed this list's existence. Driven by curiosity, Valerian checked its contents.
The list wasn't long - its compiler had only included thirty to forty code names, humbly admitting possible omissions while emphasizing its reference-only nature. Valerian recognized many names, several being peers she'd competed alongside in Central City's joint rookie tournaments.
Naturally, her roommate - the Magical Girl codenamed Mint - also appeared, albeit at a modest thirty-first place, still qualifying as a "reliable thigh" among peers. No wonder she'd been so eager to show Valerian this list - simple bragging rights, perfectly understandable human nature.
Beyond Mint and Valerian's tournament companions, the list included many already somewhat famous Magical Girl "seniors." Their presence prompted reactions like "She still doesn't have a white card? I thought she'd be taking the character card exam by now."
Then there were code names even Valerian had only heard in passing, or not at all - presumably Magical Girls who'd avoided the spotlight before, waiting for this exam to make their mark.
Scanning upward from the list's bottom, Valerian unsurprisingly found her own code name at fifth place.
Had she seen this list before coming to the magic nation, Valerian might have been shocked. But now, she felt strangely unperturbed about not ranking first.
Yet when her gaze passed over the names above hers, an inexplicable image flashed through Valerian's mind - a young girl she'd encountered on the Kingdom Express to the magic nation.
The child's ID showed she was only ten, though she appeared even younger. Her delicate appearance reminded Valerian of her little sister, evoking immediate fondness.
But beneath that, something else lingered in Valerian's subconscious.
Upon first seeing that girl, she'd inexplicably thought of her master - Blue Star.
Probably just imagination, Valerian decided.
She hadn't dwelled on the girl since, focusing instead on formulating exam strategies and reviewing until tonight.
No matter how others viewed her, no matter how many strong opponents appeared, Valerian's determination to become number one and not disappoint everyone's expectations remained unchanged. Hard work, then more hard work - these were the weapons she would wield.
Run forward, leave no regrets.
The night before the exam still stretched long before her.