Chapter 26: Knowledge is Power (2)
Stone shattered.
The burly man's roar echoed through the forest as his axe slammed against the descending foot of the stone golem.
BOOM!
The impact forced the giant's leg aside.
Cracks spread across the weathered stone.
For the first time...
The monster had been damaged.
"It worked!"
"He hurt it!"
"We can kill them!"
Hope exploded through the survivors.
More and more people rushed toward the burly man.
"Let us fight with you!"
"We'll bring it down together!"
The burly man laughed loudly, resting his axe across his shoulder.
"Hah! I told you!"
"They're not invincible!"
His confidence spread like wildfire.
Even those who had been running moments ago began gathering around him.
The scientist never took his eyes off the battlefield.
"..."
Yunxia noticed his expression.
"So?"
He answered quietly.
"...The hypothesis was correct."
She looked toward the stone giants.
"They're really forcing cooperation."
The scientist nodded.
"For this stage... yes."
The grieving man looked between the two of them.
"If that's true..."
"Then we have to tell everyone!"
Before either of them could stop him, he dashed forward.
"Everyone!"
His voice strained against the chaos.
"Listen to me!"
"Stay together!"
"Don't separate!"
A stone golem abruptly changed direction.
Its glowing eyes fixed onto him.
The scientist's pupils contracted.
Without hesitation, he lunged forward and grabbed the man's arm.
"Back!"
He yanked him into their group.
The giant halted.
Its crimson eyes lingered for several seconds before slowly turning away.
The man stared at it, breathing heavily.
"...Why?"
The scientist released his arm.
"Leave them."
"But they'll die!"
The scientist looked across the battlefield.
The corners of his lips tightened.
"No."
The man froze.
The scientist pointed toward the distant crowd.
"Look carefully."
The burly man barked orders.
People answered.
Some handed him spare weapons.
Others warned him whenever another giant approached.
Those too frightened to fight stayed behind the stronger survivors.
Without realizing it...
They had already gathered together.
"They're already cooperating."
The grieving man's eyes widened.
"...They don't even know it."
The scientist quietly nodded.
Knowledge wasn't always necessary.
Sometimes...
People stumbled upon the right answer without understanding why.
A deafening roar interrupted his thoughts.
The burly man charged.
His axe swung with every ounce of strength he possessed.
CRACK!
The blade bit deep into the damaged stone leg.
More fractures spread across the giant.
The surrounding survivors erupted into cheers.
"It's breaking!"
"We're winning!"
"Keep attacking!"
The scientist's eyes narrowed.
"...No."
The celebration lasted only a heartbeat.
Both stone golems suddenly stopped moving.
Silence swallowed the battlefield.
The cheering gradually faded.
The two giants slowly turned toward one another.
Step.
Step.
Step.
Until they stood face to face.
The ground trembled beneath their weight.
Then...
They stood and begun attacking each other.
Stone ground against stone.
Soon the injured one crumbled and was devoured.
A blinding light erupted from victorious golem.
The survivors instinctively shielded their eyes.
The forest shook violently.
When the light finally faded...
Only one giant remained.
Its body no longer resembled ordinary stone.
Layers of bronze, iron, silver and gold flowed together like molten veins beneath hardened metal.
Embedded in the center of its chest rested a massive diamond, gleaming beneath the fading sunlight.
Slowly...
It raised both hands.
On the back of each hand was another unfamiliar symbol.
A long vertical line.
Crossed at the top.
Crossed again at the center.
Crossed once more at the bottom.
Like a capital I marked with three horizontal strokes.
No one understood its meaning.
No one had time to.
The metal giant moved.
Its blue eyes swept across the crowd.
They settled upon the nearest group that no longer met the trial's condition.
Three survivors stood frozen.
"We're together..."
"We should be—"
The giant's fist descended.
The earth exploded.
When the dust settled...
The three were gone.
Silence.
"..."
"...The rule changed..."
Someone whispered.
Then the screaming began again.
"It changed!"
"Run!"
"The rule changed!"
The once united crowd shattered into countless smaller factions.
Some fled blindly.
Others desperately searched for more people.
The survivors surrounding the burly man hesitated.
"He damaged one..."
"He can beat this one too!"
Many stayed.
But not everyone.
One man stared at the towering metal giant before lowering his weapon.
"...Stone..."
He muttered.
"...isn't metal."
Another quietly nodded.
Without saying another word...
They walked toward the scientist.
"Do you know how to pass this stage?"
The scientist remained silent for a moment.
"...No."
The answer stunned them.
"I only have a hypothesis."
The hope in several eyes immediately faded.
"A hypothesis?"
"So... you don't actually know?"
He slowly shook his head.
"I won't know until I test it."
The group fell silent.
One by one...
Several people turned away.
"I'll take my chances with the strong guy."
"At least he can fight."
"I don't want to bet my life on a guess."
Soon, only a handful remained.
Yunxia glanced at those who had left before looking back at the scientist.
"You told them the truth."
"I did."
"...Even though you knew they'd leave?"
"They deserved an honest answer."
No expression crossed his face.
He wasn't interested in convincing anyone.
Those willing to trust a process would stay.
Those who wanted certainty...
Would seek it elsewhere.
Different people.
Different answers.
Different conclusions.
The trial...
Had only just begun.
The forest gradually fell silent.
No one dared move.
The metal giant simply stood there.
Its sapphire-blue eyes swept across the scattered survivors.
One group.
Another.
Then another.
It remained still.
"...It stopped."
Someone whispered.
"...Does that mean we passed?"
No one answered.
The scientist continued watching the giant.
It wasn't attacking.
It wasn't leaving either.
It was...
Waiting.
Yunxia glanced around their small group.
An awkward silence lingered between strangers who had just entrusted one another with their lives.
"...Well."
"If we're going to keep surviving together..."
"We should at least know each other's names."
No one objected.
The grieving man cleared his throat.
"My name is Arijendra Prakash."
"...Arjun."
Several people nodded.
"Nice to meet you, Arjun."
He blinked.
"...Uh... nice to meet you too."
A tall woman spoke next.
"Charlotte Elisabeth Weiss."
"... Charly"
"Nice to meet you, Charly."
She smiled politely, not noticing anything strange.
The young man beside her adjusted his glasses.
"Benjamin Carter."
"...Ben."
The introductions continued.
Each time...
The person spoke a full name.
Each time...
Everyone else only heard a shortened version.
No one questioned it.
Finally...
The scientist spoke.
"Arthur Hayes."
"...Art."
Yunxia nodded.
"Nice to meet you, Art."
He paused for a brief moment.
"...Likewise."
Then everyone's eyes turned toward her.
"My name is Yunxia."
Silence.
"...Bai."
Yunxia frowned.
"No."
"My name is Yunxia."
Confused looks spread through the group.
"...I still heard Bai."
"So did I."
"...Me too."
Yunxia slowly frowned.
Before anyone could question it further—
The metal giant slowly raised its head.
Every survivor instinctively tensed.
But...
It didn't move.
Instead, it merely watched.
As though waiting.
Far above...
D1 cleared his throat.
"Ahem."
His voice echoed across the silent forest.
"The goods."
D2 blinked.
"...They forgot already?"
D3 burst into laughter, nearly losing his balance on his staff.
"I told you!"
"They only remember the part where they don't die!"
D2 covered her mouth, trying not to laugh.
"To be fair..."
"They've had a rough day."
D1 remained expressionless.
"The quota remains unchanged."
Below...
The survivors looked from the motionless giant...
To the distant piles of goods.
Then back again.
"...You expect us to go back there?"
One survivor shouted angrily.
"Are you insane?!"
"You just want us dead!"
Another pointed at the towering metal giant.
"Can't you see that thing?!"
"If we leave our groups, it'll kill us!"
No answer came.
Only silence.
The exam...
Had not ended.