Reincarnated as a bamboo rat, it begins its extreme survival struggle.

Chapter 79 Edu's Test

"Have you heard? The new thief who appeared in the city."

"You mean that guy who steals a lot of things at once, and only steals cheap, worthless items? Apparently, no one has been able to find him since."

A week has passed since Bear Grylls first committed his crime disguised as a mouse.

During this week, Bell committed two more midnight burglaries, stealing large quantities of basic materials from the warehouses of ordinary caravans.

Among the merchants, Bell, whom they had never met, was already famous, and countless businessmen talked about him every day.

They also brought in a large number of thieves to investigate the scene and kept each other informed. If any caravan received a large quantity of goods of dubious origin, it would attract the attention of other caravans.

The chaos and conflict between the merchant guilds even affected the daily lives of ordinary adventurers, sparking discussions among them.

However, the news of the midnight thief did not dampen the enthusiasm for developing the [White Bone City] in Azure Star City.

The increasing output from the [City of Bones] caused a stir in Cangxing City. Passersby on the streets were discussing this newly emerged dangerous place and the news that Edu had bought it with silver coins a week ago.

However, these reports will not affect Bale's schedule today.

“Phew—Mr. Bell, I’m a little nervous.”

Edu straightened his clothes, making sure they were clean today because he had scheduled the assessment of his apprentice bard for today.

Although he had only been in the Bards' Guild for a week, with Bell helping him with extra lessons at night, the assessment of an apprentice-level bard was no challenge for Edu.

"Don't worry, with your current level, as long as you don't make any mistakes, you'll pass this assessment without a problem."

Bell, who was in Edu's pocket, offered a word of comfort. He was a little sleepy and planned to take a nap during Edu's exam.

Bell knew very well that as a parent accompanying their child, there was nothing he could do but anxiously wait outside the exam hall. He figured he might as well use this time to get a good night's sleep and recover the energy he'd lost from staying up all night the previous night.

Bell was exhausted during this time. He finally dug a tunnel fifty meters underground, just for his passage, leading directly to the outer edge of the bamboo forest.

After using the compass he bought to determine the direction underground, he worked hard to dig the tunnel. He broke the durability of his pickaxe four times before finally managing to dig out this straight underground tunnel that was more than 30 kilometers long.

This is also thanks to the absurdity of pixel tools. The underground rock layer, which is as hard as a single piece, will turn into a collectible pixel block after being hit three times by Bell's iron pickaxe, making the mining efficiency frighteningly high.

Moreover, Bell didn't just dig out a road; he also had to huff and puff as he ran back and forth between the bamboo forests.

During the excavation of the tunnel, he also laid railway tracks in the excavated passage.

This is why Bell repeatedly targeted those caravan warehouses; he needed a large amount of iron to build rails and minecarts.

With the minecart, Bell could quickly travel between the Bamboo Forest and Azure Star City.

Although there are no redstone tracks to accelerate the minecarts, the rails and minecarts created by the workbench can still reach speeds of up to 20 kilometers per hour, which is equivalent to the speed of a normal electric car in first gear.

This movement speed is not as fast as Bale's full-speed sprint, but its advantage lies in its sustainability and the fact that it does not require external force.

As for why not

The reason for not digging the underground tunnel directly into the depths of the bamboo forest, but stopping at the outer edge of the bamboo forest, is quite simple.

He had previously dug deep into the bamboo forest, where an ominous aura was extremely thick underground. Here, the rocks were no longer a single, solid mass, but fragmented, interspersed with large amounts of foul mud and bones.

For safety reasons, Bell did not choose to continue underground, but retreated a considerable distance and chose to dig an exit upwards from the outer edge of the bamboo forest.

"The work of re-exploring the depths of the bamboo forest has been put on the agenda, with the main focus on hunting magical beasts to expand magic symbols and magic formulas through [Fire-loving Wisdom], while also exploring [The City of Bones] and trying to obtain the corpses of human adventurers as much as possible."

This was the schedule Bell had set for himself, since there weren't any intact and fresh monster corpses in Azure Star City for him to burn and study.

The high-end goods in the elite merchant guilds of Cangxing City are heavily guarded and protected by magical anti-theft measures, making it difficult for Bell to steal them.

"Edu, next is your apprentice-level bard certification exam."

Entering the backyard of the Bards' Guild, Edu placed the satchel containing Bell on a bench and nervously faced the three examiners standing in the courtyard.

He actually knew all three of them; they were the bards who had come to the Bards' Guild this past week and introduced him to the new members.

Two low-ranking bards and one mid-ranking bard—these are the minimum requirements for an examiner to begin the professional level assessment.

“Edu, your progress is rapid, everyone can see it. But don’t think we will treat you differently. On the contrary, we will be even stricter with you.”

The examiner, an intermediate-level bard, was a middle-aged man with half-gray hair. Judging from his muscular physique, he looked more like a warrior.

In fact, this examiner uncle did also work part-time as a low-level warrior. Many adventurers, after being unable to advance further, would choose to take on other part-time jobs, but they often find it difficult to reach higher levels.

"Sir, I'm ready."

Taking a deep breath, Edu signaled to the examiner that the test could begin.

This was his first exam in his life, and Edu was quite nervous.

However, the assessment for entry-level bards is actually quite simple, and the process only lasts about two hours.

It started with a magic test. The examiner took out a thin needle, pricked Edu's fingertip, and dripped a drop of blood onto a device that resembled a thermometer.

This is an instrument for checking the concentration of magic power. Since magic power is inscribed in the blood, it is possible to check an individual's magic power level through the blood.

“Very good. It seems you have completed the recording of the entire ‘Song of Spring’ and have a good understanding of it.”

The examiner acknowledged the concentration of magic within Edu's body, a level that had reached the threshold for an apprentice-level bard.

Once the magic test is passed, the bard's assessment is halfway done.

Next, there will be a brief explanation of some basic knowledge. Edu will not make any mistakes on this part, after all, he is an extremely hardworking and intelligent young man.

The examiner asked about recitation techniques, singing techniques, and several classic ideas for poetry creation, to which Edu answered in an orderly manner, and the assessment process went very smoothly.

After all, the questions asked by the examiner were very basic, introductory-level questions.

"So, the last assessment item is a proper poetry recitation."

Chapter 80 passed smoothly.

For bards to fulfill their professional duties, they must be able to recite poetry; this is the foundation of their livelihood.

Similarly, the evaluation and assessment of bards would inevitably include examining Edu's singing ability.

"You can choose three poems, and once you're ready, you can begin."

The examiners present were very impressed with Edu, and Edu, who was well-prepared, naturally wouldn't keep them waiting.

After gesturing with his hand, he began to sing "The Song of Spring," a song that all bards would sing during the introductory assessment.

This poem is moderate and peaceful, consumes relatively little magic power, and is easy to cause magic fluctuations, releasing magical effects.

Singing this poem at the beginning will conserve your magic, allowing you to have enough magic left when singing the next two poems.

"A prudent choice, not bad."

The receptionist, who was acting as the deputy examiner, nodded. He had also chosen this poem as his opening when he conducted his own assessment years ago.

“However, Edu’s chanting is much better than your handling of it back then.”

Compared to the receptionist, the intermediate-level bard, who was the chief examiner, had a significantly stronger perception of the effects of poetry.

Having served as an examiner many times, he could sense that Edu's singing technique was exceptional from the moment he opened his mouth.

As the music gradually rose, the magic within him was released in an orderly and peaceful manner, much better than the way many newcomers recklessly released their magic during the assessment.

"Edu's understanding of 'Spring Song' is quite accurate. Whether from the perspective of singing technique or magical effect, it can be described as excellent."

The examiner quickly made notes in his booklet. Based solely on his personal opinion, Edu's recitation of this poem was enough to pass the test.

But the assessment process isn't over yet. Edu still has two poems to sing, which will test his control and reserves of magic, as well as his understanding of poetry.

"Next song, 'Winnie Town Ballad'."

After the song "Spring Song" was sung, the entire backyard of the Bards' Guild was filled with a warm and peaceful feeling.

The examiner and Edu were both in high spirits, and Bell, who was sleeping in his bag, slept even more soundly.

He basically took Edu with him every night to sing hymns at home. In terms of pure singing technique, Bell wasn't particularly good to begin with.

However, his mental strength was strong enough and his perception of magic was extremely keen. When Edu sang, Bell paid a little attention to the technique and, in conjunction with the changes in magic, quickly mastered a remarkable skill.

With Bell's tutoring, Edu made rapid progress and gained a much greater understanding and appreciation of the magic of poetry than the average bard.

"Winnie the Pooh Ballad" is a gentle folk tune, and compared to "Spring Song," which is in the form of a long poem, "Winnie the Pooh Ballad" is more catchy.

As it was a song that Edu's mother loved to hum, Edu had a deep understanding of it and finished singing it quickly, demonstrating near-perfect control over his magic consumption.

In the "Winnie Town Ballad," the examiner took out a small knife he carried with him and slashed the back of his hand, instantly creating a two-centimeter-deep wound.

But the newly appeared wound did not bleed; instead, it bled at a steady pace.

The healing process proceeds slowly and gradually.

This is the magical effect of "Winnie Town Tune," a healing ability that is rare among many professions and can be possessed in the early stages of a profession.

"He performed flawlessly. If he can finish the third song in this state, he can be called a rare genius."

Compared to many young people he had seen, Edu's performance was definitely among the best in the examiners' eyes.

During these days of instruction, he could see that Edu was quite talented and hardworking. Not to mention the chief examiner, all the examiners present believed that Edu was fully capable of being certified as an apprentice-level bard.

After finishing the soothing tune, Edu took a breath, patted his face with both hands, and said seriously:

"The last short poem, 'The Final Chapter of a Rainy Night'."

After hearing Edu's choice, the examiner was slightly taken aback.

It's not that Edu's choice was particularly obscure; on the contrary, "The Last Chapter of a Rainy Night" is one of the poems most familiar to bards.