The grand library now had about fifty people in it. Shui and Emily weren't informed of the time limit until someone else reached the grand library, but since then almost a month had passed. Through communication with new arrivals, it was discovered that time in the grand library passed four times slower than in the tests. However, even though only a few days were left before time ran out, Maha still hadn't appeared. Neither Shui nor Emily commented on it, but they didn't have much hope of seeing her anymore.
During their time in the grand library, Emily focused on deepening her understanding of the law of growth by reading books about evolution and historical progress, while Shui searched for casual references in a wide variety of books. Although they weren't joined at the hip, Shui made sure to keep an eye on Emily once others started entering the grand library. Some tried to speak with them, but they brushed them off. Nonetheless, they weren't seen as strange since the majority kept their guards up even though there were rules against violence.
Those serious about gaining the inheritance never stopped studying, but others who didn't believe in themselves took the opportunity to cultivate instead. Since the library was the best space for cultivation that many of them had ever entered, this didn't seem like a bad idea even for those who stuck to reading. While Emily was at a table, reading about an ancient civilization across from Shui, one young man gathered a large portion of those here and started a meeting.
"Everyone, with the final test approaching, I think we should take this chance to have a discussion. Although we may be rivals, there's a chance that the final test will ask us to cooperate, so I think it would be in everyone's best interests if we share what we know."
If he was from a major-level force then there would have been more trouble, but he represented the Array Association as a tier 4 array grandmaster, so he could be considered a neutral party. His proposal sounded agreeable, but that only went for those who were desperate to increase their chances of winning in the final test. They happened to be the majority, but for the true geniuses who thought they could win on their own, it was a laughable idea. Unfortunately, this young man was someone whose ideas they couldn't brush off.
"If everyone agrees, then I think we should start with a topic that I'm sure has been on all of our minds. Does anyone know what caused this inheritance to appear?"
Once he mentioned this point, even the arrogant prodigies had to lend an ear to his discussion. They all knew that an inheritance such as this one normally only appeared under certain conditions, whether they be time-based or otherwise, and it was speculated that this inheritance appeared because of human action. Additionally, since activating the inheritance was likely a test as well, there was a fairly high chance that whoever did it possessed the ability to make it to the grand library.
Emily and Shui noticed that the conversation was taking a dangerous turn, but they stayed silent as they watched.
The young man then asked the person who activated the inheritance to show themselves, but naturally no one raised their hand. Albeit disappointing, this was the expected outcome, but the young man hadn't given up yet.
"I see. Well, if no one wants to come forward then I can't force someone to. However, I would like to ask those who reached here before me if they have any information they would like to share."
Instead of targeting an unknown person, he went for the suspicious group that was known. This group consisted of the first four people to enter the grand library since the young man came fifth. He believed that given the head start that the original potential successor had, they were likely among this group. Of course he had considered the possibility that they opened the palace door in advance but entered with everyone else, but that would place them in an unnecessarily disadvantageous position. Additionally, there were other benefits to singling out this group.
Of the four that were singled out, he recognized one of them. It was the array master which the emissary of the royal family recommended. He was an aloof gentleman that was suspected of being a prince, but information on the royal family members was scarce so no one could confirm it. Although he was quiet and mysterious, the young man didn't consider him a suspect since the royal family would have monopolized the inheritance if they possessed the key. This, he knew from past examples.
Therefore, the prime suspect should be among the other three. They didn't belong to any of the forces that were at the entrance, so they had to be of those who rushed into the palace as soon as the door was open. The oldest of them wasn't cowardly, but he buckled under the pressure of so many eyes. The young man wanted to question him since he seemed like the easiest to handle, but a different suspect raised their voice.
"This is stupid."
As he noticed that the young man was stubbornly steering the conversation towards a direction he didn't like, Shui finally interfered. Emily glanced at him with a worried gaze, but he nodded to soothe her. Usually, he wouldn't make a move unless they chose to oppose him, but without any knowledge of how the last test would turn out, it was better for him and Emily to keep the status quo. Therefore, their new alliance was a nuisance.
"Is there a problem? Oh, and could I have your name?"
"Shin."
"I see, Shin. So, what do you find stupid?"
The young man kept up a polite expression, but there was a look of disdain in his eyes like a hunter laughing at its trapped prey.
"It's obvious. This cheap attempt at cooperation."
"My apologies, Shin. While you may not feel the need to cooperate, that doesn't mean others feel the same."
"That's right!"
"You arrogant prick!"
"Shut your damn mouth!"
Shui watched the protesters with disinterest as he waited for them to calm down.
"Wow, I thought you would have some level of intelligence since you made it this far, but was I mistaken?"
"What was that?!"
"Use your brains for a moment. You people are already lacking in confidence with whatever tricks you do have. You must be hoping that you can fish in the pond everyone else is adding to, but do you really think it'll go that well? Why would anyone give up their hard-earned information for the sake of an alliance that might not even be necessary?"
He thought that he could watch Shui drown in his trap, but the young man didn't expect that Shui would wreck it.
"Wait, I understand your thoughts, but don't you think you're being too pessimistic? Although we don't know what the final test will be, isn't it better for us to cooperate so that we all gain something even if only one if us comes out on top?"
"Hmph, if you're so certain you'll lose then sure, cooperate all you want. But are you saying that people who think they have an actual chance of victory should worsen their position for the sake of strangers?"
"No, that's not-"
"Well then, what are you suggesting? Because I think that we're better off preparing for the final test separately than patting each other on the back."
The young man tried to advocate for unity, but Shui's words were sharp and divisive. Shortly after their argument began, only a few remained around the young man and like Shui suggested, they were the ones who didn't think that they could win. With such a meager following left, the young man gritted his teeth and admitted defeat.