"Clearly, under this kind of pressure, your friend doesn't have that level of precision," Grindelwald said with a faint smile. "I mean, if you only had Tom's current ability, what would you do?"
"If I were him, the moment I saw that armor, I would know that offensive spells were pointless. So instead of wasting magic on them, I would cast a fire spell directly," Wade replied calmly.
"A fire spell? Why?" Grindelwald asked with interest.
"Goblin-made armor has high magical resistance, but it also conducts heat very well. Under intense flames, the troll would quickly be unable to endure the heat of its own armor," Wade explained.
"…Indeed." Even Grindelwald had to admit that in terms of adaptability in battle, Tom was not yet on Wade's level.
...
Tom ultimately did not think of Wade's method.
Because he had never intended to defeat the heavily armored troll in the first place.
As the troll charged at him again, Tom simply closed his eyes and cast a "flash" spell at it…
The sudden burst of intense light made even the three onlookers in front of the Two-Way Mirror squint involuntarily.
The troll charging toward Tom fared even worse.
It let out a miserable howl, clutching its eyes, and began wildly swinging its club.
But having temporarily lost its sight, the troll could not hit Tom at all.
Only after the troll charged in the wrong direction and smashed a wall to pieces did Tom expressionlessly step past it and continue forward…
Wade rubbed his still watering eyes. "Not bad… at least we didn't have to lose a troll."
"In fact, that is the correct way to clear it," Grindelwald said with a smile. "Not everyone is as aggressive as you. When you can simply bypass it, you insist on cutting its throat. If everyone handled the trials the way you do, I'd have to replace quite a few trolls."
Wade shook his head repeatedly, clearly disagreeing. "Even if it's a trial, this path remains open. If the troll isn't dealt with, what if it follows behind for revenge? What then? When Tom faces the next creature and the troll charges in again and strikes him from behind, do you think he could handle that?"
Grindelwald paused for a moment, then slowly nodded. "When you put it that way… you do have a point."
Eliminating threats at the root was indeed the proper choice. Although killing the troll would greatly increase costs, Tom as the challenger would not be the one paying. Naturally, he should act in whatever way benefited himself the most.
Wade continued, "Tom is still lacking some caution. Even if he couldn't defeat the troll, when leaving, he should at least have concealed his scent to avoid being tracked."
At this point, even Dumbledore found himself nodding. When unable to defeat an opponent, one should at least know how to cover one's tracks after retreating.
In that sense, although Tom was already outstanding among his peers, his adaptability in the moment still needed more training.
Fortunately, as the troll gradually regained its vision, it had also grown tired from smashing the wall.
It did not chase after him. After muttering a few words, it leaned against the wall and soon fell into a deep sleep…
Tom, meanwhile, came to a halt, because in front of him lay an enormous creature.
Its body was as large as an oversized lion, with massive paws, a long yellow tail, and a tuft of fur at the tip.
Most striking of all, however, was that this giant beast had the head of a woman.
Tom stared at the creature in shock. Just as he was about to find a place to hide and observe, the creature's long almond-shaped eyes had already shifted onto him.
"Young man, would you like to solve a riddle?"
Tom looked at the creature in astonishment. He had not expected it to speak.
For a moment, he was so shocked that he forgot to respond.
Outside the Two-Way Mirror, Wade said in exasperation, "Tom… I told you to study, and you went off chasing chickens instead. You didn't even recognize that this is a Sphinx?"
"If you answer correctly, you may pass through the door behind me. If you answer incorrectly… I will attack you. Of course, if you do not wish to answer, you may return the way you came," the Sphinx continued.
Tom looked at the creature's massive body, then glanced at his own comparatively slight frame.
"Then I'll answer the riddle," Tom said decisively.
By his nature, in a situation like this, he would have preferred to turn around and leave. But having come this far, retreating now felt unacceptable.
In the end, Tom steeled himself and decided to take the gamble.
"Very well! You have ten minutes to think about my riddle!" The Sphinx seemed delighted that someone was willing to play.
"Listen carefully…"
"There is something that some try to avoid, and others try to deceive;
But time reveals all, and we are destined to meet.
Do your best to guess my name;
When I truly have you, I promise you will know.
What is it?"
After finishing the riddle, the Sphinx watched Tom intently.
"Timing starts now…"
After hearing the riddle, Tom's brows immediately knitted together.
A trace of concern appeared on Dumbledore's face. "Wade, do you think Tom can solve it?"
"He probably can…" Wade crossed his arms, his expression less than satisfied.
Grindelwald wore the same look.
"Why do you both look like that? In my view, Tom's willingness to accept the challenge already shows great courage," Dumbledore said, puzzled.
Grindelwald snorted. "Courage? Not enough."
"…That's true," Wade nodded. "Tom still lacks the presence a true powerhouse should have."
"Exactly." Grindelwald rarely found himself agreeing with Wade.
Dumbledore was momentarily at a loss as to what the two of them meant.
Tom had bravely accepted the challenge, so how was that not enough courage? How did he lack the bearing of a strong wizard?
At that moment, Tom inside the trial suddenly showed a flicker of realization and spoke. "The answer is… death?"
"Correct! You may pass!" The Sphinx rose happily and stepped aside, revealing the door behind her.
Tom relaxed slightly, cast a cautious glance at the Sphinx standing well to the side, then strode through the doorway.
"Excellent, he got it!" Dumbledore said with a pleased smile.
However, Wade and Grindelwald showed no particular reaction.
"You don't seem satisfied with Tom's performance just now? But he did very well," Dumbledore said in confusion.
"It was just passable," Wade said casually.
"To come up with the answer in under two minutes, Tom is already very impressive," Dumbledore said with a sigh.
"But he actually answered the Sphinx's riddle properly," Wade said in disbelief.
"Exactly…" Grindelwald nodded in agreement.
"What's wrong with that? Isn't that simply how a Sphinx operates?" Dumbledore asked, puzzled.
Wade frowned. "Of course there's a problem. The Sphinx is so weak… why should we follow her rules?"
"Haha, exactly! I'm stronger than her, so why should I listen? Things should be done according to my rules!" Grindelwald burst into laughter and nodded.
Dumbledore's expression stiffened as he shot Grindelwald a look, then continued, "So that's how you think? Then what would you do in that situation?"
"Simple. I'd give her a riddle instead. If she can't answer it, she steps aside," Wade said with a smile.
Dumbledore could not help but laugh. "And if she answers correctly?"
"Then I beat her up and make her step aside anyway," Wade replied seriously.
"Pfft, bahahaha." Grindelwald gave a thumbs-up, then glanced at Dumbledore, as if to say, see, this is the real Wade. Do you still think he's a good child?
"Well… although your approach is rather unexpected, it does make a certain kind of sense," Dumbledore said with a smile and a nod.
Grindelwald's smile vanished. Dumbledore, you're beyond saving…
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