Translators Note: I really apologise for the delay of these two chapters posting. I was dragged off to celebrate Mothers Day with my grandma last weekend and this week (and the next two at least) will be INCREDIBLY busy since I have some assignments and projects that need quite the desperate attention. My editor is also MIA for his finals too. Things will return to normal in two weeks, so thank you for understanding!

Chapter 68: Intelligence (2)

A dark passage, a swaying torch, a calm voice.

Yin had been very calm from the beginning until now. Even when the six armored soldiers had died in succession, causing Ai Qian's face to be ashen with fear and Yue Qiang to feel a bit of panic after the incident, she was still very calm.

"Fear, comes from the unknown."

"The reason you fear death isn't because you haven't died before, but because you did not know what would happen after death."

"The reason why you fear the situation right now is because you do not know how these six people have passed away. If you know it, then you will not fear it."

"If as the unknown is broken, then you will have no fear." Yin said facing towards Ai Qian, "You do not know how these six people have died, and so you thought an unknown, irresistible power has killed all of them. That is why you are afraid. You are afraid that this unknown power will kill you just like it killed these six people."

"Therefore, if I tell you what this power is, then you will no longer be afraid."

"Is it very complicated? It is, before you know the answer. But it will not be after you know the answer."

Yin continued to speak to Ai Qian with an unusually polished explanation, "There is a very, very huge magnet underground. That is all."

"These six soldiers were attracted to the ground and killed by this giant magnet."

When Ai Qian heard this answer, he froze on the spot and could not say anything. A while later, he suddenly said, "Are you kidding me? A magnet?"

He laughed really loudly and used a slightly exaggerated expression to ridicule her. He pointed at Yin with his finger and said, "After all that padding, after so many words, you tell me that a magnet killed them. Are you serious?"

Yin was very calm in comparison to to Ai Qian's exaggerated expression. She did not turn angry because of his taunts and said with an indifferent expression, "Why can't it be a magnet?"

"That's my question. How did you come up with an answer as ridiculous as a magnet?"

"That's because the corpses on the ground are very heavy." Yin explained, "It doesn't move when I push it or when you kick it with all your strength. Even if these soldiers were a lot heavier with the armor, something like this should not have happened. Therefore, the only explanation is that these soldiers were attracted to the ground by a kind of force. Ironically, these armors are the latest steel armor, so it is only natural they were attracted to the ground and killed."

When Yue Qiang heard this, he shook his head on the inside. At first, he thought that Yin had made a huge discovery, but he never thought that he would hear the word 'magnet' coming out of her mouth. This explanation was truly without unfounded.

When Ai Qian heard her, he refuted her straight away, "Please explain how this magnet managed to kill them then. Even if it was true that the soldiers were attracted to the ground, how exactly did they die from just this? You can't be telling me that they killed themselves from the fall, can you?"

"With your knowledge, it will probably be very difficult for me to explain this to you without raising a few examples."

"I will speak of something easier for you to understand. A carrier pigeon." Yin said, "A long, long time ago, China had already discovered that carrier pigeons could recognise the way back home over an extremely long distance. It did not manage the feat through memorising road signs, but through sensing the direction of the earth's magnetic field to determine its path accurately. There is an organ at a carrier pigeon's beak containing a large number of particles of iron that can detect even an extremely weak magnetic field. For example, the relatively weak magnetic field on the earth's surface was enough for a carrier pigeon to find its way."

"The reason I raise this example is to describe how magnetic fields can interact with living organisms."

"Later on, several hundred years ago, scientists had taken their experiments one step further and observed the effects on a living organism after it was put into an artificial magnetic field that is much stronger than the earth's magnetic field. The results were shocking. When the strength of the magnetic field exceeds a certain degree, it would have extremely distinct effects on a living organism's blood circulation, enzyme activity, and the neurotransmitter of a nervous system. A strong magnetic field can cause a living organism to become excited within a certain range, but once this limit is exceeded, it will cause a living organism to fall into coma, and even death!"

"To put it simply, I believe that the reason you feel dizzy, nauseous, and uncomfortable all over is due to the excessive strength of a magnetic field."

After listening to Yin's full explanation, Ai Qian thought for a moment before saying, "So, you're telling me that the force that killed these soldiers is actually a very, very powerful magnetic field, is it?"

"Yes."

"Not only did this magnetic field attracted the six soldiers' armor to the ground, it has also killed their brain cells. That is what you mean, right?"

"Yes."

Hearing Yin's admission again, Ai Qian let out a cold laughter before asking, "Then my next question will be this: Why are the six soldiers the only ones who were killed by this powerful magnetic field?"

Yue Qiang had also listened to Yin's full analysis and thus held such a doubt as well. After all, while it isn't illogical to explain this phenomenon through something as illusory as a ghost, when a scientific approach is applied it was only inevitable that one would run into holes that could not be explained.

Therefore, the hole in this explanation was, why would a magnetic field go round a corner?

Why would the magnetic field kill the soldiers but not them, even though they're within the same range?

"Of course a magnetic field couldn't go round a corner." Yin's tone was perfectly unchanged, "However, another example is needed for me to answer your doubts."

"Let me give you an example. If you speak loudly in an empty, moderate-sized room, an echo would be generated. Moreover, if the room is moderately sized, the echo and the original sound may overlay and become even louder than the original sound. The magnetic field phenomenon can be explained through a similar way as well. These armor and helmets that you've prepared meticulously for these soldiers also happen to be the direct cause of their deaths. This is because these sealed up metal happen to act as magnetic amplifiers as well."

"Amplifier?"

"Just like how voices inside a room are amplified, the magnetic field inside a metallic body is greatly amplified as well. The reason you are nauseous and dizzy, but not dead yet is because the magnetic field hasn't reached a critical limit yet. However, these armored soldiers are different. The magnetic field they endure is so powerful that it had exceeded a human's limit! That's why their fates aren't dizziness or nausea, but death!"

"That is why I said that these soldiers' deaths are not worthy!"

"They only died because you've equipped them with the latest helmets and armor!"

The explanation was extremely lengthy, and if Yin decided to use professional terms they might not necessarily be able to understand her. However, Yin's explanation was superficial, and her examples were all taken from daily life. Therefore, they'd more or less understood her explanation.

What had felt like a complete joke now felt like a true possibility after Yin's explanation!

Yue Qiang thought through the entire theory from beginning until the end and almost thought it impeccable until he suddenly found another problem.

He asked, "But why had they died so suddenly? If there really was a giant magnet underground, then the discomfort should be gradual the deeper we journey into the underground, to the point it becomes intolerable. This process must be gradual. So why had it occurred so suddenly?"

"That's why it's an amazing trap." Yin said, "If it's a trap, then of course it wouldn't be set in a way that you'd detect it beforehand. Otherwise, how can it possibly be called a trap?"

"Therefore, the magnetism of this magnet must be changeable. When necessary, its magnetism will grown incredibly powerful, but it most cases it is just a normal magnet."

"I can think of only one object that fulfills this requirement."

"And the only object that satisfies this requirement is electromagnet!"

"When an electromagnet's current is high enough and transformed quickly, it can generate a permanent magnet far beyond the norm in an instant. There is no doubt that the thing buried underground and killed these people through invisible means was an electromagnet."

Yue Qiang literally confused by this point; now there was even something like an electromagnet in her explanation. However, if they wanted to explain this phenomenon through scientific means, then electromagnet truly was the only way left to go. Plus, he happened to recall whatever remained of his physic knowledge he learned during high school that an electromagnet's magnetism was far higher than a normal permanent magnet. Still, there was one question left

Yin spoke up before he could voice the question, "I know you want to ask: if this truly is electromagnet, then where did this 'electricity' come from? After all, the invention of electricity is quite late in human history."

"This question can actually be answered quite easily. For one, electricity is not invented, but discovered. Electricity is a very common natural phenomenon in nature, and humans can very easily generate electricity through friction or water wheel. To put it simply, it is entirely possible for the ancients to convert mechanical energy to electrical energy.

"The reason why electricity could not be used in a broad-scale is not on its generation, but storage."

"The storage of electrical energy?"

"That's right. The storage of electrical energy is an old and difficult question that has only been solved only a few hundred years ago. It was solved only when capacitors were researched during the recent decades. This is why the ancient times did not have electricity. However, electric generation has never been a problem, and sometimes electricity can be generated even when someone is changing clothes during a dry winter."

"Coincidentally, what we're facing now is a situation where electricity does not need to be stored. The trap will work as long as the electricity is discharged. The biggest possibility is that there is a very powerful device underground that could store mechanical energy and convert it instantly into huge amounts of electrical energy. These electricity is then conducted through circular-shaped iron conductors and transformed into a powerful magnetic field. Thus, the invisible murder is achieved!"

Yin concluded her theory and asked Ai Qian, "Do you understand now, after I've taken so much time to explain the whole matter from beginning to the end?"

Judging from his expression, Ai Qian probably did not understand what Yin was saying, but it was likely that he believed her now.

This fellow was obviously the kind who skimped on his daily studies. Thankfully, while Yin used quite a lot of proper nouns, she also raised a lot of examples to explain her theory. Ai Qian may not understand those names and terminologies, but he did understand the basic examples.

After listening to such a long deduction, Ai Qian found himself incapable of voicing an objection!

He actually could not find any holes in her theory at all!

Therefore, going by this logic, it was entirely possible for a magnetic field to kill someone! It was also the only explanation left that could explain this phenomenon!

For a long time, Ai Qian wasn't able to say anything at all. In the end, Yin said, "So, let us keep going then. As long as you don't touch those armor, you should be fine."

Ai Qian stood up and walked to the front. Unlike before, he now had some real confidence and hope in him right now.

It was as Yin said. Fear's greatest source did not come from an invincible enemy. It came from the unknown.

When Yin had pried open this principle and kneaded it into a pulp*, this unknown had also become a known thing.

*a figurative way to say analysing something minutely from every angle

As long as something was known, then they could avoid it through scientific methods.

The known gave way to progress, and it also helped Ai Qian recoup some of his lost confidence. Right now he looked much better than he was before. At the least, his hands were no longer shaking and his face had recovered some of its colors.

Yin picked up the torch and walked together with Yue Qiang at the front. Right now, Yue Qiang was recalling the series of deduction she had conducted, and the more he thought the more he was impressed with her. Naturally, he never heard that the School of Mo's Great Camp had such a trap inside them, but what was most impressive was that Yin was capable of analysing the minute details and through her deductive skills alone, discover the truth of the matter. That was the most terrifying part of them all.

If he had the chance, he was looking forward to come back here in the future and digging open the underground to see if there really was a super powerful instant magnet built from ancient devices and technology.

He had a feeling that the possibility that it existed was as high as 100%.

While thinking and walking, a Whisper appeared on the display.

Yin whispers to you: "Did you believe it?"

"What believe?"

"Everything I said just now."

"It sounds perfectly logical, so of course I believe" Yue Qiang's typing hands suddenly paused in mid motion. If Yin asked like this, then that meant

As expected, Yin's next Whisper revealed a huge twist.

"I lied to him."

What what what? What's going on?

Yue Qiang stared stupidly at the four words 'I lied to him' for a long time. Yin's explanation had involved all kinds of physics knowledge and scientific history. As a lousy student who only knew how to play games, Yue Qiang had absorbed the theories she spoke in a I-don't-get-it-but-it-sounds-really-cool attitude. But just when he thought he was about to be completely brainwashed by Yin, she suddenly said: I lied to him.

Just what on earth was going on?

"It's like this." Yin continued to Whisper, "9 out of 10 of what I said is true, but there is only 1 thing that I lied about. The molecular dynamics theory of electromagnetism states that 'a conductor with a cavity can perfectly insulate the transference of electromagnetic wave in a vacuum environment'. Therefore, the iron armor and helmet these armored soldiers are wearing can reduce a magnetic field's effects on a living organism, but absolutely not the other way around!"

What what what?

So after all that effort spent the explanation was fake all along?

"The reason I used sound and echo as an example is to mislead him to believe that the helmet and armor can amplify a magnetic field. However, in reality there is absolutely no way that's true!"

So that's how it is! Yue Qiang thought carefully as he swore inwardly. He might as well have returned all of his knowledge back to his physics teacher. But then, another question troubled him as he typed and asked, "Then what for did you make such a long-winded explanation?"

"I have three objectives in falsifying my explanation."

"Number one, to help the trader Ai Qian steady his mind. You may not notice it, but Ai Qian is a person who fears death a lot. On the outside he appears to be very excited and has jittery hands, and these are all signs of nervousness. After he came in, his expression changed constantly, proving that he is a very emotional person and thus, extremely susceptible to emotional troubles. Three out of nine of us are left in this place, and our retreat path has been cut off as well. The current situation is about as dangerous as you can imagine. Therefore, it is absolutely essential that we ensure every member is alive and capable of fighting! I cannot leave him here and let him throw his life away. Even if he is to die, he must die a worthy death. In the worst case scenario, he must walk ahead of us and become the bait and the scout. He can die after he shows us his value! This is the first reason I did it.

The second reason is that both you and I know that this world is just a game. This creates a problem. It is only logical that an illogical phenomenon happens in this world! It would truly make no sense if everything in this place can be explained through scientific theories! But Ai Qian does not know this. He thought that this is a normal functioning world, so the best way to bolster his confidence is to explain his fear through science. I told him from the very beginning that fear comes from the unknown. It is only after I've explained everything in the simplest and most scientific way that the unknown is his mind is finally dispelled. Science is the firmest faith after all. By doing it this way, he is finally able to pick back up some of his confidence and be useful in the combat that we are bound to run into sooner or later. This is the second reason.

But the most important reason is this: there is an experiment that I'd like to conduct. Although what killed the six soldiers was most certainly not some powerful magnetic field, there were still many ways this could've been done such as poison gas, or poison needles that are as thin as hair et cetera. It is only all too easy to kill someone without any trace since we are in an ancient time that we are not familiar with. Anything and everything can happen here, and some may even completely exceed our expectations. In my opinion, the more likely way these six people were killed is a Confusion type skill."

"Confusion type skill?"

Yes, a Confusion type skill would be able to better explain why only these six people have all died, and the three of us are still alive. The three of us share a common point, and that is that we all have a Heart type skill. These six soldiers however, do not. There is no doubt that a Heart type skill gives us added resistance against Confusion type skills."

"My Heart skill is 'To Live Through Death', whereas yours is 'Pure Heart', which is also a kind of Heart skill that is learned while drifting between the lines of life and death. However, Ai Qian's Heart skill is different from us. While his Heart skill may be at level 2, it is just 'Greed'. That is why he is suffering more from the trap than us, to the point where he is so dizzy and nauseous that he became a little paranoid. That is why the two of us are almost unaffected at all."

"Therefore, my third objective is for him to have him follow us and check if there are any stronger Confusion type skills waiting for us at the front. We will make Ai Qian open the way for us!"

"This, is my true thoughts!"

After Yue Qiang listened to Yin's full explanation, he fell into a deep and long silence.

There were countless thoughts spinning in his mind, but they ultimately converged into just two words. They were:

I give!