10 minutes later, they regrouped after finding nothing significant around the grassy area.
Glancing at the sunflower, Enri said:
"What now?"
Sorath followed her gaze, looking at the flower bathed in sunlight.
"What else?" He pointed at the sunflower. "That's our target. We will hunt it down."
Confused, Enri looked at her spear and raised it for everyone to see.
"With this?"
Indeed. The spear and the other weapons the group used were, in fact, of low, if not the worst quality. It was made by a blacksmith's apprentice who tried forging for the first time. Those were the only weapons they could get for free to save their budgets given by the Tower.
As a result, unlike the other teams who spent all their money on gear and equipment, Sorath's group used it for basic survival needs while managing to save some for the sixth trial.
However, as Enri doubted, the worst-quality weapons wouldn't do anything to an Earth Tortoise whose meat was thick and its shell was hard to break by an ordinary Awakened-level strength.
Glancing at the spear, Sorath nodded.
"Yes."
Enri pointed at the spear's tip and raised her eyebrow.
"Are you sure? With this?"
Then she pointed at the other weapons: Atri's sword, Luke's sword, and Sorath's bow.
"And this, this, and this?"
Luke shrugged, but he stayed quiet. Meanwhile, Atri finally spoke up.
"Yes... it will be difficult to slay an Earth Tortoise with these weapons. They are known for having the toughest skin among the Inferior-level monsters."
Then she glanced at Sorath. Her eyes gleamed as she did so.
"But... If you have a way to defeat it with our current gear in your mind, please share it with us, Sorath."
Finally, Sorath smirked. He nodded before he praised Atri.
"As expected from my fiancée, you're so perceptive..." his voice lowered as he continued, "... as always."
There was a look of relief on his face when he said that, but he quickly diminished it and shared his idea with his group.
"Have you guys ever wondered why a flower is there? On top of the Earth Tortoise's shell?" Sorath asked.
"That's what everyone initially thought as its weak point, but it turned out to be as hard as its skin. So, the idea of the flower as Earth Tortoise's weakness was quickly dismissed," Enri answered.
Then she shrugged.
"If it's not that, maybe it's just a decoration? To make itself look pretty?"
Ignoring her jokes, Sorath explained:
"What they said was true. The flower is its weakness, and that is still the case."
He noticed Enri's expression changed. Before she could say anything, Sorath continued.
"The fact that the flower is as hard as its skin is also correct. But that doesn't mean it isn't a weak point anymore. The Awakened just don't understand how it works."
Raising her eyebrow, Enri asked if Sorath knew what the veterans and the experts whose job revolved around monsters and the other Tower's wild creatures didn't know.
Smiling, Sorath answered.
"They're resourceful and knowledgeable, but they are not Gods who know everything. One or two pieces of information could escape or be thrown from their thought consciously, allowing the other person to pick that up."
Atri looked at him solely, hands resting under her chin.
"You're saying you're that person who is daring to press the idea of what the experts missed or have thrown away?"
Sorath nodded.
"Correct!"
Looking at him, Atri tilted her head.
"So, what is it that you have in mind?"
Turning around, Sorath drew his bow without an arrow at the flower, imitating the archery stance he had seen in the past.
"Actually, it's only a theory of mine. You can choose whether to believe it or not."
He loaded an imaginary arrow and pulled the bowstring, holding it and continuing:
"Do you see the red mark in the center, in its disk florets of the flower head? That's the true weak point of the Earth Tortoise."
Releasing the bowstring, Sorath turned around to face his group members.
"If I or anyone can hit the exact spot, the creature will temporarily lose its toughness effect, making it vulnerable to any form of attack. Even a dull knife can make it bleed."
His eyes turned serious.
"That's our only chance. If we miss it, we might fail this trial."
...
After hearing his explanation, the group decided to gamble. Their plan was to cut the flower when the creature was in slumber.
How would they do that?
Sorath had said that it would only need a good shooter and a good fighter to cooperate with each other. Since it was only he who could use a long-range weapon, they only needed a decent close-range combatant to complement him.
After much thought and voting, Atri was chosen to do the crucial job.
She was good with swords and mana control, and with the addition of her starting Trace, she became the best choice the group had.
Clutching her sword tightly, Atri took a long breath and stood near the border of the grass and soil.
Behind her, Sorath had his bow drawn already, ready to release the arrow.
"Don't think too much about whether you can cut the flower or not. Just focus."
Atri nodded. "Yes."
Preparing to release his shot, Sorath counted. His eyes glinted.
"Three, two, one... go!"
Swoosh!
Atri boosted herself with the wind and lunged at the flower after the arrow passed by her.
Seeing that, Sorath gritted his teeth. He knew the plan would fail if Atri was to activate her Trace too soon. That was what happened right now.
'Even though I already warned her...'
He sighed.
Why would it fail? It was because, first, the wind could offset the arrow's trajectory if she activated it right when it passed her. Second, Atri would reach and pass the flower before the arrow could hit it.
However, Sorath was underestimating his fiancée's skills too much.
He immediately turned around when Atri overtook the arrow's speed, offsetting its trajectory even. Sorath was ready to leave and find a comfortable spot to shoot arrows after the creature awakened.
On the other hand, Atri skillfully controlled the wind to make the arrow hit the flower. When it hit, she, who had already missed the momentum to swing, propelled her sword with her Trace and cut the flower's stem.
Soon after, a quake occurred in the area, making Sorath turn back, noticing the flower had been cut and Atri hugging the tree after her fall.
Sorath blinked, and so did Enri and Luke.
Meanwhile, Atri, the hero of the day, rose to her feet and looked at the three of them with a smile plastered on her face.
[You have defeated "Earth Tortoise."]
Glancing at Sorath, Atri said:
"You should have had more faith in me, just as I had in you, Sorath."