The Pitfall of Adaptation

The human body is built to react to its surroundings almost automatically, meaning that whether you will it or not, you cannot change how your body responds to external stimuli. As we walked from the starting point of the 23rd floor to the current stage, our eyes naturally adapted to the gradually dimming atmosphere. This happened very slowly, almost mimicking the actual change from day to night, making the adaptation more efficient.

In such a state, what happens when an intense light suddenly flashes you? Temporary blindness.

The degree of impairment varies from person to person, but for the next few minutes, your eyes will struggle to adjust to the sudden change in light. But…

I looked around the cave where more than 30 spheres hovered above the ground. With so many spheres to keep track of, I couldn’t rely on [Future Sight] alone because of how spacious the cave was.

[Shadow Golem E+]

On top of that, six golems had suddenly revealed themselves, presumably the same ones that had been attacking us all this time, each standing in different locations around the cave.

As our eyes struggled to adapt to the first light, what happens when there’s a constant alternation between bright and dim? Sensory overload. There was nothing we could do to stop how our eyes worked, and that was one of the pitfalls of adaptation. So how does one overcome such odds when they cannot even rely on the signals their body gives them?

The answer is simple: instinct.

“Roran, how strong are the spheres compared to the stone golems?” I asked, turning to Roran, who seemed to ponder for a moment before replying,

“I think the spheres are weaker, like a brick wall or something,” he said, trying to describe the level of strength. I was more concerned about the brick walls he had to tear down to form such an estimate.

“I see. Then we should assume they’ll respawn each time they’re destroyed,” I said aloud, and everyone’s faces turned grim. If the mechanic itself doesn’t require a lot of mana, then the dungeon can keep spamming it as long as it likes. But the real problem lay ahead of that.

A minute had passed since the golems appeared, and none of them had moved from their initial spots. We all stood back to back with our team members, trying to observe each of them from every direction. Despite the lack of facial features on their shadowy faces, we could feel their stares, watching our every move. Are they waiting for an opening?

No, they are waiting for us to make the first attack.

“For now, let’s move to the center,” I said to the others, but Liam wore a concerned expression as he asked,

“Won’t that box us in?” He looked toward the center of the cave, where no shadows were present. We were still standing much closer to the entrance of the stage, keeping our rear guards next to the entrance to avoid surprise attacks from the walls.

“Trust me, it will be fine. I have a plan,” I explained, keeping a serious tone. After giving me a quick glance, Liam reluctantly nodded and passed the orders to his teammates,

“Let’s try to move to the center then. Stay on your toes; they might attack at any time.” At the same time, everyone started to step forward, slowly walking toward the center while keeping an eye on the golems.

With our backs against each other, even if the light comes from a single direction, those who aren’t exposed will be able to step in at a moment’s notice. But… if they all flash simultaneously, we might be in trouble. It didn’t take long to reach the center, and even then, the golems still didn’t attack. But as if to confirm our suspicions, a few of them had turned to ‘face’ our direction, continuing to observe us.

So, it’s an attack-triggered stage

“From here on out, this will be a fast-paced battle. If you lag behind, you might die,” I declared as we arrived at the center, causing everyone to swallow a mouthful of saliva as their expressions turned serious. After confirming that the golems showed no reaction to my words, I continued,

“Firstly, everyone should break into teams and watch one golem each. Roran and Liam, you guys will go solo. Rin, you’re with me, and Thorian with Ruby. The rest will form two three-man teams.” I instructed, moving to the middle of the group while everyone still fixated on the golems. They seemed reluctant to follow what I said and looked at Liam for confirmation, but after weighing his options, he quickly nodded and said,

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“We’ll go with our original teams, minus me and Thorian. I hope you know what you’re doing.” He turned to give me a quick glance, but I didn’t respond. Since they were already in four-man teams coming into the dungeon, dividing themselves up wasn’t an issue.

“Why me, though?” Rin asked in a bitter tone as she stood in front of me, but I ignored her and turned to the others.

“I’ll explain this once, so make sure you listen carefully. Rin and I will be positioned in the middle of the circle, and everyone will face their target golem,” I said and paused, and as if catching onto my words, they all started to shuffle. Each team faced a golem while having their backs turned to us, and because we were in the middle, a small space had formed; leading to the sixth golem, which Rin and I would have to face.

“I’m sure you’re all familiar with how a clock works,” I said, taking a step toward Liam and touching his back with the palm of my hand. Like everyone else, he seemed confused about what I was talking about, so I continued to explain,

“I will first assign a number to each of you. Memorize the number I say when I touch your back. One.” I nudged Liam’s back, and he nodded in confirmation, his eyes still fixed on the golem ahead of him. I took another step and reached Roran,

“Two,” I said, continuing forward and doing the same for the rest of the students.

Now, everyone had a number, except for Rin, who wouldn’t really need it. After using [Recall] to remember where each number was facing, I started to explain our battle strategy while reaching into my pockets.

In an attack-triggered stage, the most vital point is what you choose to do at the start. Do you isolate one golem and try to kill them one by one, or do you wait at a distance and attack them from long range, or maybe split up and go after all of them? After running a few simulations in my head, all of those options resulted in a few critical injuries or a few casualties at worst. So, I decided to improvise and created a strategy that incorporated elements of all of them to achieve the best result.

“There are only two rules you’ll need to follow to win. First, when I shout out your number, rush toward the golem you’re currently marking with your team and kill it. Rin and I will support you from behind.” I looked down at my hand, channeling my mana into a piece of paper.

After a few seconds, the magic circles on the paper brightened and a weapon popped into my hand, followed by three magazines. After confirming that the gun was already loaded, I turned my attention to our target golem as I continued to explain,

“Rule number two: Everyone whose number I didn’t call should immediately close their eyes.”

A few whispers arose among the students as some turned to me, confused, and as always, Liam conveyed their thoughts,

“I get why that might help, but some of us can’t fight without seeing,” he said. I sighed as I responded,

“If you don’t want to die, I suggest you follow my instructions.”

He looked back at me with suspicion before turning back to the golem.

“As I was saying, after I shout out a number, everyone else whose number wasn’t called should close their eyes. It might take a second or less, but when you start to see a reddish color through your eyelids, try squinting them open. From there, you’ll understand what to do,” I continued, and everyone nodded.

The instructions were vague, but I didn’t think they were too hard to understand. Through my experience as a leader, I’ve found that goal-oriented instructions are sometimes a burden. If someone knows exactly what their goal is, it limits their ability to consider factors unrelated to that goal, leaving little room for flexibility and creative thinking.

I cocked my gun and raised my hand, aiming toward one of the shadow golems, but even then, they didn’t make a move.

This might be trouble.

From the moment I fire the gun, we might not be able to rest until all of them are dead.

“I’m going to fire a gun, so don’t get too jumpy,” I warned the others as I aimed at the center of the golem, where its mana core would be located. I then took a long breath and braced myself before casting my skills.

First, I used [Time Perception] to quicken my thoughts, then cast [Future Sight] to gauge the golem’s possible reactions. Fortunately, [Future Sight] also doubled as an aim assist, allowing me to see where my shot would land by adjusting my hand. Satisfied with what I saw, I cast [Object Perception] on the gun, matching the speed with what I’d seen the golem do so far, then...

One down.

Bang~! The shot reverberated throughout the room, and a second later, the sound of glass hitting the ground echoed as a red sphere bounced on the ground before rolling for a moment and coming to a stop. I could feel the students' surprise as they quickly glanced at where the golem had once stood just a second ago, now finding it gone.

“Focus,” I said aloud, and at the same time, the rest of the golems quickly disappeared back into the ground. Since exposing themselves was a tactic to bait us in, they switched strategies once they realized long-range attacks could kill them. But they’re still in the same spot. They were hidden from us, but their shadows still whirled around the same location. I can’t shoot without estimating their center.

I took a step toward Roran, nudging Rin's side as she turned with me. Almost a second later, the floating stones suddenly brightened, and an intense light assaulted us from all directions. So, all of them at once? Seeing the inevitable future with [Future Sight], I quickly aimed toward some of the spheres and shouted,

“Two!”