"Master John, isn't this a bit risky?"
Watching the people leaving one after another, Elowen swallowed nervously, stepped forward, and said in a low voice, "The population of the elven habitat is growing. If we recklessly introduce fifteen monsters into the habitat, it could cause irreparable damage and might collapse the trust we've painstakingly built with other races."
Upon hearing this, John turned around, patted Elowen's shoulder, and smiled, "Go and look at the iron cage covered with the black cloth at the back, and you'll understand."
Elowen was very puzzled.
He couldn't comprehend what John meant, but he obediently walked over, lifted the black cloth, and was stunned to see that the cage was empty.
"There... are no monsters?"
"Of course not! Do you think I would use the lives of the elves to test a bunch of inexperienced kids? Absolutely not! The monsters are fake, but the trial is real."
"I don't understand, Master John. If there are no monsters, how will we conduct the trial?"
"You'll know in a moment. Just wait... five more minutes."
John tugged at the corners of his mouth, looking at the bewildered Elowen, and explained, "Imagine, Elowen, if you knew that in ten minutes, monsters would invade the elven habitat, what would you do?"
"I would immediately inform the clansmen to seek refuge and simultaneously gather the guards to set up blockades at the possible entry points of the monsters."
"A wise choice, maybe not the best, but definitely the correct one. There wouldn't be a wrong choice. Now, Elowen, what do you think they will choose to do?"
"I, I don't know. It shouldn't be much different, right?"
"Hard to say. Let's go and see."
With that, John turned to Elaria.
It was clear that Elaria already knew the truth, so she didn't seem puzzled but just nodded slightly.
After leaving the vicinity of the palace, John asked the guards along the way and finally determined the current locations of the fourteen people.
Three were gathered at the trading route, six had joined forces to guard the only path leading to the palace, five had gone to the outskirts of the habitat, and one was missing.
After obtaining this information, Elowen turned to John and asked, "Master John, who should we look for first?"
"No rush. I'm more curious about the one who's missing than these known positions. Can you find out where he is?"
"It's a bit troublesome. After Master John announced the disbandment, this kid immediately disappeared. We've searched the vicinity for a long time and couldn't find him."
"Hey! Interesting. What's this kid's name?"
"Reporting to Lord John, the boy who's currently missing is named Babylon Elliot. He's from the Night Elf clan and just turned one hundred eighty years old this year."
"Night Elf? What's the difference?"
"Clear division of labor, and there's no sign of slack or fear.
It seems someone has taken command, and the person in charge is worth noting.
However, setting up a checkpoint rashly may cause the elven citizens' attention and panic.
The handling needs improvement. Barely a pass, and the commander can get an above-average rating."
Elowen diligently wrote down John's words.
"Well... next are the three who fled to the outskirts of the habitat, right? No need to look, directly judged as unqualified.
If today weren't a test, such cowardly behavior would be punishable by death. The lives of elven citizens always come first, no matter what."
"Understood, Master John. Now, the only one left is Babylon, who is still unaccounted for."
"No rush, first call everyone else back. You will be in charge of the reprimand, using my summary as a basis. Add some humiliating terms as needed. For these self-proclaimed invincible kids, a harsh lesson is the key to promoting their growth."
"Then I'll lead the team back, Master John. If I find any news about Babylon, I'll inform you immediately."
"Got it. I'll look around the area."
John waved his hand, his eyes constantly scanning the surroundings, trying to spot Babylon. Unfortunately, he found nothing.
It made sense; with nearly a million people in the elven habitat, finding one person was like searching for a needle in a haystack.
Wandering around aimlessly wouldn't solve anything either.
"Alright, Babylon, let me guess what you're thinking."
If this boy named Babylon had seen through the essence of this test from the beginning and realized that the monsters were fabricated, then...
"If it were me, I'd definitely stay near the palace to watch the show. A self-proclaimed genius, once his thoughts were validated, wouldn't miss any opportunity to mock those he considers fools.
Babylon, are you a genius?"
With this in mind, John took a deep breath and, seeing that Elowen hadn't gone far, immediately called out to him.
"Master John, is there something else?"
"Nothing else. I'll go back with you all to verify my guess."
This statement was cryptic, and Elowen didn't understand John's meaning at all. But it didn't matter. In front of Master John, he didn't need to think too much. Master John would naturally consider everything thoroughly, and he just needed to execute the orders.
Meanwhile, on an ancient century-old tree near the palace!
Babylon leaned against the tree, lazily yawning, with a tear at the corner of his eye.
"Why haven't these fools come back yet? Could they still be looking for me? Sigh, so boring. I thought this human would be different."