Chapter 27: Reflection
No one spoke.
The strange incident with Yunxia's name lingered in everyone's minds.
Before anyone could ask another question—
"Ahem."
The cough echoed across the forest.
Every head turned upward.
D1 looked down at them from the sky.
"The quota."
Silence.
D2 blinked.
"...Did they forget?"
D3 burst into laughter, leaning against his staff.
"I can't even blame them."
"They've been too busy trying not to die."
D1 remained unmoved.
"The goods."
"The examination is still in progress."
Only then did everyone remember.
Scattered throughout the forest...
The supplies they had abandoned while fleeing.
The survivors slowly looked toward the motionless metal giant.
Then back at the distant crates.
"...You can't be serious."
A man clenched his fists.
"You expect us to go back there?"
"That's suicide!"
Another pointed toward the towering giant.
"If we leave our groups, that thing will crush us!"
No answer came.
The examiners simply watched.
The scientist narrowed his eyes.
"...Not necessarily."
Several heads turned.
"You have another idea?"
He didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he watched the giant.
Then...
He looked at the survivors.
"Move."
No one did.
"...Just one step."
Arjun frowned.
"Are you sure?"
"I need to test something."
Reluctantly...
Arjun shuffled sideways.
Nothing happened.
"Another."
He moved again.
Still nothing.
The giant remained motionless.
The scientist continued watching.
"Keep going."
Step.
Step.
Step.
Then—
The metal giant's blue eyes shifted.
It took a single step forward.
"Stop."
Arjun immediately stepped back.
The giant halted.
Silence.
The scientist frowned.
"...Again."
This time another volunteer stepped away.
The same result.
The giant ignored them...
Until the distance became too great.
Then it moved.
The volunteer hurried back.
Once again...
The giant stopped.
The scientist lowered his head.
"...I see."
Yunxia folded her arms.
"So?"
"It isn't checking whether we're touching."
"It's checking whether we're connected."
"Connected?"
He nodded.
"As long as we're close enough..."
"It treats us as one group."
Charlotte glanced around.
"How close?"
"I don't know."
"Not yet."
For the next several minutes...
They tested.
One step.
Two.
Three.
Sometimes the giant reacted.
Sometimes it didn't.
Eventually...
Benjamin picked up a broken spear.
He laid it on the ground between two people.
"What if we measure it?"
The scientist looked at the spear.
"...Again."
Another test.
Another measurement.
Again.
And again.
Finally...
He looked up.
"About one point two meters."
"It isn't exact."
"But we shouldn't exceed it."
Relief spread across the group.
"So we don't have to stay shoulder to shoulder."
"We just have to stay close."
The scientist nodded.
"Exactly."
Yunxia looked toward the abandoned supplies.
"...Then we don't need to move as one."
A smile slowly appeared on Arjun's face.
"We make a line."
Everyone looked at him.
"If we're all connected..."
"We can pass everything along."
The scientist's eyes brightened.
"...That should work."
Without wasting another second...
The survivors began arranging themselves.
One after another...
They stretched across the forest like links in a living chain.
The first person lifted a crate.
Passed it to the next.
Then the next.
Then another.
Boxes.
Weapons.
Food.
Medicine.
Every item slowly traveled down the line.
The metal giant watched everything.
It never moved.
Occasionally...
Someone discovered another abandoned crate hidden beneath broken branches.
A group of five volunteers carefully left the line together.
They remained within the safe distance of one another.
Collected the supplies.
Then returned.
Not once...
Did the giant interfere.
Little by little...
The scattered battlefield became empty.
The final crate reached the pile beneath D1.
"...Done."
A tired voice broke the silence.
Someone laughed.
Another collapsed onto the ground.
Others simply stared at the night sky.
For the first time since arriving...
No one was running.
No one was screaming.
The sun had disappeared beyond the horizon.
Only the moon remained.
Its pale light bathed the silent forest.
Then...
A single beam struck the enormous diamond embedded within the giant's chest.
The crystal shimmered.
Once.
Twice.
Then the entire diamond ignited with blinding radiance.
"...What?"
The light spread across the clearing.
Across the trees.
Across every survivor.
No one had time to react.
The world turned white.