Chapter 24: Miss information
The survivors quickly realized there was a pattern.
Yet no one could prove what it was.
Everyone only had guesses.
Amidst the chaos, a woman stumbled over a root and fell hard onto the ground.
"H-help!"
She reached toward the crowd with trembling hands.
Most ignored her.
One young man hesitated before gritting his teeth and grabbing her arm.
"I've got you!"
He pulled her up.
The nearest golem slowly turned.
Its golden eyes settled upon them.
The two froze.
The giant watched...
Then looked away.
Nothing happened.
"..."
"..."
"We..."
The woman stared at herself before laughing in disbelief.
"We're alive!"
Someone shouted.
"The golem spared them!"
Another survivor's eyes widened.
"It only attacks selfish people!"
"No!"
"It spared them because they helped each other!"
"It rewards kindness!"
Hope spread faster than fear.
People immediately rushed to help one another.
Some helped others stand.
Some carried the injured.
Others deliberately grabbed strangers' hands.
"It's true!"
"It works!"
"The monsters won't attack good people!"
The scientist opened his mouth.
"...No."
His brows knitted together.
"That doesn't explain the others..."
He looked toward Yunxia.
She remained silent.
Her eyes weren't on the people.
They were on the golems.
Watching.
Waiting.
"...Something's wrong."
Soon, everyone was, one way or another, in groups of two or three, thinking they were saved.
Then it began.
The golems began making their own groups of two.
A bright light shone, and the wooden golems became rock golems with blue eyes and a symbol on their heads.
It looked like a Z, but with a 5 facing left. It was the number 2, but in a strange shape.
Then the couple who'd brought hope were crushed.
Horror spread across everyone's faces, and a chuckle came from above.
A man with a jester mask looked down beside the crow-masked man, who had now begun eating steak with wine.
"Wow, the look on their faces. I want to see it again."
The man looked like the combination of a white-and-black clown, with a ♣ on his white side. He held a staff and used it as a pole to stay in the air. He kept laughing, wiping a fake tear from his onyx-black eyes.
"Birdy, I was beginning to think you'd gone soft, but you really gifted them one heck of a test."
He nudged the crow, causing his wine to spill.
The crow looked up but said nothing at first.
The people below ran like mice.
The scene was almost comical, like two babies trying to step on running cockroaches.
With brutal precision...
---
The people scattered.
"What are you doing?!"
"Get away from me!"
"You'll get me killed!"
The groups that had formed moments ago crumbled apart.
Some shoved away the very people they had sworn to survive with.
Others abandoned the weak without looking back.
The scientist watched in disbelief.
"..."
"So this is all it takes..."
One failed theory.
One setback.
And humanity immediately turned against itself.
Yunxia remained silent.
Her eyes swept across the battlefield instead of the people.
Fear...
It really was contagious.
...
A handful refused to leave.
An old man laughed weakly.
"Well... if I'm going to die anyway, I might as well die with company."
A woman beside him smiled bitterly.
"I already died once."
"What if we just wake up again?"
Someone snorted.
"Then I'll haunt whoever brought me here."
Despite themselves...
A few laughed.
Not because it was funny.
Because they had nothing left to lose.
The scientist looked at them.
Then at the people still running.
His pupils suddenly shrank.
"Wait..."
"The golems..."
"They're..."
Before he could finish—
BOOM!
Another giant foot descended.
The small group instinctively closed their eyes.
...
Nothing happened.
"..."
One slowly opened an eye.
"We're..."
"...Alive?"
The golem's glowing eyes simply passed over them.
It didn't even acknowledge their existence.
The scientist's breathing quickened.
"I knew it..."
"It isn't targeting groups..."
"It's targeting individuals."
His voice rose.
"EVERYONE!"
"If you want to live—"
"COME TOGETHER!"
"We'll either survive together..."
"...or die together!"
---
Far above...
The Watcher calmly dabbed the corner of his mouth with a white cloth before placing the empty wine glass onto the floating table.
"What are you doing here, D3?"
The jester spun his staff with a grin.
"My lot's gone."
The Watcher's golden eyes narrowed slightly.
"...Already?"
"We told you to leave at least ten alive."
A second voice answered from behind.
"Mine too."
D2 stepped forward with a helpless shrug.
The Watcher looked between the two.
"You both failed your quotas."
D3 scratched his cheek.
"We tried."
D2 nodded.
"They broke easier than expected."
D3 suddenly laughed.
"Besides..."
"We're only following our sempai's footsteps."
The Watcher fell silent.
"..."
He couldn't deny that.
Just then—
"I'll take over from here."
The three turned.
D1 walked out from behind them, his half-smiling, half-frowning mask catching the moonlight.
The Watcher stood.
"How was your audience with Lord Zavilumen?"
D1 chuckled.
"He wants this year's auction to have a slightly higher survival rate."
D3 blinked.
"Oh?"
D2 tilted her head.
"So that's why you disappeared."
D1 nodded.
"The merchandise has been selling better."
"So Master Zavilumen requested more high-quality stock."
The Watcher gave a small nod.
"I see."
Without another word, he spread his wings.
"I'll leave the remainder to you."
As the Watcher disappeared into the night sky, D3 rested his chin on his staff.
"Hehe..."
"Put on a good show for us, Sempai."
Below them...
No one noticed.
Every eye remained fixed on the towering golems, completely unaware that their lives were being discussed like inventory.