Plethora, Knight Of The World 19 Second Examination

While waiting for the others to finish Plethora talked with Megalo. "A curse? Well, if you can study it it's probably on you or me... so then the only thing is the brand they put in the book?"

"d.a.m.n, you're no fun!" Megalo complains. Apparently Plethora was right on his first try. "But it is quite interesting, from what I can see it really does nothing until the same curse is added again! The person who thought of this is quite smart. Also using a curse for this is quite smart as they tend to be more invasive than a normal brand, moee difficult to get rid of." He explains.

As Megalo continues to inspect the curse, and a way to get rid of it Plethora looks around. So far not even a second person has pa.s.sed.

Plethora opens the book again as he has nothing better to do. He reads everything once over and he notices the difference with the technique, he truly reads much faster. By the time he finishes the book for the second time the second person gets a breakthrough. It is Arn.o.ba who is next to him.

"You did great Arn.o.ba." He congratulates her in a hushed voice.

The old man also nods at her while smiling his small smile.

Arn.o.ba looks happy and glad and falls down on her b.u.t.t. "Reading like this always makes me so tired!"

Arn.o.ba and Plethora don't talk further to not disturb the other people.

Plethora takes out the book of Pupil. He and three of his clones start reading Pupil while five of his clones read Shooting Eyes once more.

Plethora thinks that what Pupil is supposed to do is change the way his clones process incoming information and increase the speed that information can come in. Shooting Eyes improves the speed one can process visual information and also increases the comprehension of this information. The overlap slightly, and from this Plethora can deduct some things to make his understanding of Pupil deeper.

He truly looks forward to the day he understands Pupil, it will allow him to study techniques many times faster, or even many techniques at the same time.

Like this many hours pa.s.s with Plethora sitting on the floor with two books in his hands. At last, when the twentieth person achieved initial understanding of Shooting Eyes the old man spoke up. "Twenty people pa.s.sed the first test. All others please leave, you can keep the book." He claps his hands and all other people are pushed out of the square, pushed as if a big wave flushes over the area.

"The next test is a simple one, and the last one. All you need to do is give your opinion on a text. There's no time limit. All close your eyes and don't resist." Everyone does as the man says and close their eyes.

Plethora feels a slight faint headed feeling before noticing he is somewhere else. He sits in a small room without doors, there's a table in front of him and an overhead light casting a warm light over the room.

On the table are three papers maps, they read 'The Emperor', 'Two monks following the river', and 'Nothing'. As all three don't really spark much of anything in Plethora he just grabs the left one, 'The Emperor'.

Inside the paper map is a paper with text and an empty area to write. There's also a pencil.

Plethora starts reading.

'An emperor of old had a visitor, this visitor was a great expert, enlightened in the way of heaven and earth.

The emperor, realising the great chance this is, asked the most profound question he could think of. Hoping that knowing this answer can help him in furthering his empire.

"What is the highest meaning of the holy truth?"

The expert sipped his tea before looking the emperor in the eyes. "Empty, without holiness."

"Who's facing me?" The emperor replied.

The expert drank more of his tea, "I don't know."

The emperor did not understand.

After this the expert was as his tea in the cup. Gone.

Later the emperor discussed with his advisor about what the expert said. The advisor asked the emperor, "Does your majesty know who this man is?"

The emperor thought and said "I don't know."

The advisor told the emperor "He is the great expert that reached enlightenment in the way of heaven and earth, he might have wanted to become a teacher here in the empire!"

At this the emperor felt regretful and wanted to send an emissary to invite the expert back.

The advisor said "Your majesty, don't even say you want to send someone to fetch him back, even if everyone in the entire empire were to go after him he won't return."'

A lot of the things didn't make sense to Plethora, the questions asked, the answers given, even the things the advisor said.

The old man said he just wanted their opinion, so Plethora starter writing what he thinks.

'The emperor is greedy, greedy for knowledge to improve his empire, which in extention is his own power. This greed made him ask more than what he can understand.

The text doesn't show anything before the question, but the expert was called a visitor, not a teacher. So what right does the emperor have to even ask for such knowledge, and this even before the visitor had time to finish his tea.

Even though the emperor showed such greed and rude behaviour the expert still answered. But his answer was too profound, short, or vague for the emperor (and me) to understand.

But instead of admitting to himself that he didn't understand and stopping to ask things the emperor continued in stress and embarra.s.sment to ask a question I don't quite get, but feels rude.

The expert still answered the questions, the answer feels like he dismisses the emperor. This however doesn't seem like the truth, it seems like another genuine answer. An answer that will put one to think.

The expert left after that as the emperor still doesn't seem to show what the expert was looking for?

The emperor did seem to come to the conclusion that he erred, being able to see this shows good character.

The advisor however seems to put on a pretence of knowledge, this is a terrible characteristic. The pretence of knowledge limits the emperor by the trust the emperor has in his advisor.

Even though what the advisor says seems logical how could the advisor truly know the expert when even the emperor himself can't fathom his knowledge.'

As Plethora was writing he started thinking more and more, he actually thought it was quite fun. It is more fun as there is no real answer, it is not a question. It is a situation where he can think about.

He finishes his opinion with, 'But all of this is only what I can think of with the knowledge I hold now and might both be completely false, completely true, or anything in between.' He felt that this truly finished it after what he himself said about the advisor.

With this he closed the paper map, the paper map disappeared right after.

He looked at the other two maps and thought to himself, 'He did say that there's no time limit, I might just as well look at the other two cases?'