Round 2: Final Block!

Final Door!

Eli stood before two different coloured doors—one painted a vivid red and the other a serene blue.

Each door was guarded by humanoid golems.

These golems, crafted to resemble humans, wore imposing armour and glared at Eli with an intensity that suggested they were ready to kill him at any moment.

Suddenly, a mechanical voice reverberated through the dark space, breaking the tense silence.

"Third and Final Riddle. Complete this, and you will enter the next block and receive gifts according to your score!"

"Gifts?" Eli mused aloud, curiosity piqued, but he quickly refocused on the pressing situation before him.

"Third Riddle:

You are standing in front of two doors.

One door leads to the next block, and the other door leads to the exit.

There are two guards, one in front of each door.

One guard always tells the truth, and the other guard always lies.

You don't know which guard is which.

You can only ask one question to one of the guards to determine which door leads to next block.

What question do you ask?"

Eli frowned, the complexity of the riddle weighing on his mind.

He scrutinized both guards meticulously, assessing them from head to toe. When he attempted to approach one of the doors, the guards swiftly raised their swords, ready to strike him down.

"Do not enter!" they commanded in unison.

"Oh, they can speak normally!" Eli exclaimed, surprised by their human-like communication and movements.

Meanwhile, in the control room, Macro sneered with malicious glee.

"Looks like he cannot use his perverted answers anymore," he remarked, his tone dripping with satisfaction.

Macro already harboured a deep hatred for Eli due to his previous antics, which had tarnished Macro's reputation among his colleagues. He eagerly hoped Eli would fail quickly and be humiliated.

"What did he say?" Aadaya inquired, her brow furrowed in confusion as she struggled to hear Eli's words clearly. The entire control room staff focused intently on Eli, watching his lips move, but unable to decipher his speech.

Even the golem standing before the red door frowned and asked, "What are you saying?"

Eli repeated himself, but the golem still couldn't hear. Frustrated, Eli beckoned the golem to come closer. The golem, curious and cautious, leaned down---

"TCCCKk!"

In a swift and brutal motion, Eli stabbed the golem in the mouth with his pitchfork, splitting its head open like a broken toy.

With an indifferent expression, Eli turned to the other golem and asked, "Is it dead?"

The remaining golem, wide-eyed and shocked, stammered, "N-No!"

"I see..." Eli replied calmly. He then pushed the lifeless golem aside and stood before the red door.

He tried to turn the knob, but it remained stubbornly unyielding. He glanced back at the remaining golem, who was staring at the broken toy-like figure with a mix of horror and disbelief.

Eli asked, "Do I have the key?"

The remaining golem, still in shock and with a trembling voice, replied, "N-No."

Eli nodded and took out the ten keys he had collected. 'Now what?' he pondered, wondering which key would unlock the door.

Sighing, he inserted the first key, but it disappeared as soon as he tried to turn it. He tried the next key, only to encounter the same result. Realizing the pattern, he continued with the process until he reached the tenth key.

Thud

At last, the door finally opened!

Meanwhile, In the control room,

"Is that even allowed?" Vito asked, his eyes wide with shock, disbelief etched on his face as he turned to his colleagues.

"I-I don't know," Macro stammered, equally stunned by what had just transpired.

"What do you mean, 'I don't know'? You're the creator of that block, you idiot!" Falcone snapped, frustration evident in his voice.

"Arrh... But this is the first time someone has barbarically killed my golem and then threatened another one!" Macro replied, his face a picture of disbelief and frustration.

"Hahahahahaha!" Rock laughed heartily, unable to contain his amusement at the unprecedented scenario unfolding before them. This was the first time he had seen someone use brute force to navigate the riddle, and it was refreshingly unexpected.

"Hehe..." Aadya chuckled softly, shaking her head in mild disbelief, 'What's with this man?' she thought, her interest in Eli growing by the minute. This man seemed far more intriguing and unpredictable than the others.

However,

"I haven't seen what I am here for... yet," she mumbled under her breath, making Rock nod knowingly as he rubbed his beard thoughtfully. To be honest, Rock was more intrigued by Eli than by his daughter.

When Eli refused to back down, Rock's interest was piqued.

It wasn't just because Eli was fighting well or solving the riddle in an unconventional way. It was because Eli was Soulless.... A human, Eli had the uncanny ability to stare into Rock's eyes with a hint of devouring intent as if he didn't care whether Rock was Transcendent or not..... Rock felt a shiver run down his spine seeing a human's willpower so unyielding and relentless.

That was the first time Rock had felt genuinely excited to know there was a soulless individual who could stare back at a Transcendent without a hint of fear or hesitation.

That was truly rare!

And that's why Rock felt compelled to chip away at this rough stone and turn it into a fine gem. He saw potential in Eli that he didn't want to see wasted.

Rock didn't want this rare gem to be lost and forgotten, so he called his daughter, who was currently teaching an old technique to the soulless people who were willing to learn and improve.

That was the primary reason she had arrived, but there was another reason as well....

However, Rock needed to learn more about this boy before making any rash decisions. He wanted to see Eli's capabilities and potential in full before deciding on his next move.

Upon entering the door, Eli found himself in a vast hall where many people had already gathered. The hall was filled with murmurs and whispers as more participants arrived through doors that appeared on the walls.

As soon as he stepped inside, he felt a sharp pain on his neck.

"OUCH!"

Someone bit his neck and then jumped on him.

"Cake?" Eli asked, wincing in pain. 'Damn that girl!' he thought, recognizing the proud and mischievous smile of the girl responsible for the bite.

"Took you long enough," the fox girl said, her illusion still in place, her expression haughty as if she had been the first to arrive.

Eli asked why she was still in disguise, but she didn't answer, and he chose not to push further.

"Welcome to the final block," announced three examiners who appeared at the entrance of the big hall, their voices echoing in the vast space.

Macro stepped forward and said, "As you heard, you will receive gifts according to the points you have accumulated," pointing to the sky where a huge hologram displayed the ranking boards.

Everyone looked up at the board eagerly, their eyes scanning for their names.

The fox girl searched for her name hurriedly.

"Third?" she muttered, frowning deeply. She was sure she had done everything perfectly. When she saw her name had been pushed to third by someone named Alexander, she was annoyed. But the first name on the list...

"It's you!" the fox girl exclaimed, her ice-blue eyes fixed on Eli, who was equally shocked but maintained a smug expression.

"Aren't I great?" he said, though inwardly he was confused and a bit nervous. 'First? Are they joking with me? Or were those answers really correct?' But another thought entered Eli's mind, 'Am I in the prestigious Academy's Admission process, or is this something else entirely?'

"Now for the gifts for the people who passed until now!" As he snapped his fingers.