Taro and Min pulled in unison, using the monster’s own momentum to roll it backward. The sound of grinding stone filled the air as the creature’s rock-covered body scraped against the ground, exposing its belly.
But the belly was also completely covered in stone, what could the spear possibly do there?
The audience held their breath, certain they were about to witness failure.
Then Ren spotted it, a single small orifice, barely visible among the rocky plates.
He didn’t hesitate.
The short spear found its target with surgical precision, plunging deep into the creature’s cloaca and straight up.
The Stone Lurker tensed once, then went completely still in the next instant. Death came swiftly and silently, catching everyone by surprise.
Silence fell over the training field.
The entire encounter had ended in mere seconds, leaving spectators struggling to process what they’d just witnessed.
"Well," Yang broke the silence, a barely contained smile playing at his lips, "that was... efficient."
Lin approached to examine the fallen Stone Lurker. "A direct strike to the brain through the cloaca. Impressive knowledge of their anatomy."
The previous laughter had transformed into surprised whispers. Jin particularly looked like he’d swallowed something extremely unpleasant, his tiger markings dulling with his dampened mood.
"The fastest victory so far," Yang declared as assistants removed the body. "And with minimal energy expenditure. Excellent teamwork."
Taro and Min grinned while coiling their rope, their beasts manifesting proudly despite their supposedly "weak" status.
"An unorthodox approach," Lin commented, "but perfectly executed. Sometimes knowledge truly is worth more than brute force."
"Next team!" Yang called, though eyes remained fixed on the team that had just redefined expectations.
♢♢♢♢
Several more teams faced the challenge.
The mushrooms in Ren’s hair pulsed as he observed each attempt, some more successful than others.
"We can do it like the fungus team!" one student declared confidently, holding a rope while his companions nodded eagerly. "If he could do it, so can we."
They even took two ropes, and their leader "corrected" the weak rotting boy’s "mistake" by taking a long spear instead of a short one.
But the Stone Lurker refused to cooperate with their plan. The ropes worked initially, flipping the creature, but then...
"Stab it! Stab it!"
"I’m trying!"
The spear bounced off the monster’s rock skin, missing the tiny orifice completely.
A second attempt proved equally fruitless.
By the third try, the Stone Lurker had managed to break free, forcing Yang to intervene before someone got hurt.
’It’s not just about copying ideas,’ Ren thought as the team retreated in shame. ’Without understanding why certain things are done...’
Finally, it was Luna’s team’s turn.
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