Extra's Ascent

[For your third and final question: you are in a room with four individuals, each representing one of the four major races. You have been fatally wounded and are moments from death.]

[The question is this: you possess an important document containing a message that could either save humanity or doom it to destruction, and you need to get it home safe and sound]

[Which of the four race individuals in the room with you would you choose to entrust to deliver the document on your behalf?]

Aldrich froze.

This was no simple question.

It was a moral and strategic labyrinth designed to assess not only his knowledge but his instincts under pressure.

It was a trap.

A test of perception, judgment, and resolve.

'There's no clear choice,' he mused.

None of the four races had been painted as allies to humanity, nor had any exhibited traits that would make them trustworthy stewards of humanity's future.

Still, he needed to think this through.

A rushed answer would undoubtedly lead to failure.

"First, I begin with thinking my options through to arrive at a concluding and accurate decision," Aldrich muttered, steadying his thoughts.

The elves were the first to come to mind.

Elegant and ancient, their reverence for nature was legendary, but that very devotion rendered them indifferent—if not outright hostile—toward humanity.

The elves believed in preserving the balance of nature at all costs, even if it meant humans were collateral damage.

To them, humanity was a chaotic, destructive force, antithetical to their ideals of harmony and preservation.

And they do not think this of humans alone, they do so of every race who has ever gone against nature's preservation.

The dwarves are number one on that list.

"Entrusting the message to an elf?" Aldrich shook his head. "Might as well hand it to a storm and hope it delivers itself."

Next, the dwarves.

Masters of craft and engineering, their focus lay in the fires of their forges and the perfection of their art.

The dwarves held no malice toward humanity but were guided by pragmatism, not altruism.

Their neutrality made them stable, yet their loyalty could be swayed by material gains.

Humans stand in a position that dwarves do not think well of.

And the reason is that dwarves believe they are greater innovators and inventors than humans in general.

However, humans refuse to believe that, thus leading to a silent clash of who is better in their crafts.

If they had the opportunity to wipe humanity off the planet?...

The answer isn't clear because while they do believe themselves superior, they are also not the type to shy away from competition.

In fact, they welcome it all the more as they believe they can grow even more through competition.

"Handing the message to a dwarf would mean gambling on their motives. What's in it for them?" Aldrich muttered. "No guarantees there."

Then there were the trolls, creatures of immense strength and unparalleled resilience.

Despite their physical might, trolls were isolated, preferring the confines of their natural habitats.

Their insular nature meant they rarely ventured beyond their lands, let alone involved themselves in the affairs of other races.

However, that is not to say they think well of humans.

No. Putting it more accurately, they think nothing of humans nor of any other race as long as their peace is not disturbed in their habitat.

"Relying on a troll?" Aldrich scoffed. "That's as absurd as expecting a tree to run a marathon."

The water dwellers were absolutely out of the question.

The mere sight of humanity alone is enough to prompt them into destructive action.

They think worse of humans than the other three races combined do since they believe humans are the biggest pollutants of their waters and thus... The biggest threat to their existence.

"They are like a poisonous snake bidding their time to take us out. They do not even deserve to be added to the list."

The real question lingered, gnawing at the edges of his mind.

Who could be trusted to deliver this message? Or perhaps... was that even the right question?

His gaze sharpened.

The academy's assessments were never straightforward.

Every question carried layers of meaning, and the obvious answer was rarely the correct one.

'They want me to believe the question is about trust,' Aldrich mused inwardly, a smirk forming on his lips. 'But that's too simple. No... the real test is about humanity's survival itself not who is to be trusted.'

He shifted his focus.

This wasn't about the individual races, their traits, or their perceived loyalty.

It was about the odds.

Could humanity survive on its own, or did it require the intervention of another race to ensure its future?

The answer hit him like a jolt of electricity.

"None," Aldrich declared firmly. "I wouldn't trust any of them. I would rather destroy the message myself—consume it if I had to—than risk handing it to another race."

The voice returned, calm and probing.

[Is there a reason you feel that way?]

Aldrich straightened, his confidence unwavering.

"Yes. A peace treaty? Mutual benefits? Negotiations for coexistence? Call them whatever you like, but at the end of the day, every race fights for its own survival. Humanity is no different."

His tone turned sharp, his words deliberate. "Humanity doesn't need the charity of other races. What we need is to trust in ourselves—in the Mystic Society and its centuries of preparation to counter any threat. If our survival depends on another race or a single piece of document, then we're already lost."

His words hung in the air, echoing with conviction.

The academy wasn't looking for blind faith or misplaced trust.

They were looking for resolve, for someone with the capacity to think outside the box.

In the most dire of situations, someone capable of making sound, rational judgments after contemplating the pros and cons before deciding.

In this case and under the deliberate circumstances they put him in, the answer is simply... HUMANITY!