The answer echoed through the archive.
"...It was built by four."
"...Only one of them was human."
Silence settled over the Go board.
For several long seconds, nobody moved.
Even Mei Chen, who usually spoke without thinking, couldn't find the words.
Master Wen gently folded his hands.
"The game is still in progress."
Lin Xia blinked once.
He was right.
She forced herself to look away from the revelation and back to the board.
Information could wait.
A mistake on the board could not.
🔹 RETURNING TO THE PRESENT
The black and white stones now covered nearly half the board.
What had looked like random placements at the beginning had become a web of invisible influence.
Some groups were alive.
Some were trapped.
Others stood on the edge of collapse.
Yue Ning leaned closer.
"...I can't tell who's winning."
Master Wen smiled.
"That is normal."
"In chess, you can usually see the advantage."
"In Go..."
He looked at the board.
"...The advantage often hides until the very end."
🔹 THE FALSE ATTACK
Lin Xia studied the lower-left corner.
A cluster of black stones seemed exposed.
It looked like the perfect opportunity.
She reached for a white stone.
Stopped.
Pulled her hand back.
Master Wen noticed.
"You changed your mind."
"...Yes."
"...Why?"
Lin Xia answered honestly.
"Because you wanted me to attack."
The old man laughed softly.
"Show me."
She pointed to the board.
"If I invade here..."
She indicated the seemingly weak black group.
"...I'll spend six or seven moves chasing stones."
She traced another path with her finger.
"During that time..."
"...You'll quietly surround the center."
Yue Ning's eyes widened.
"So the weak group..."
"...Was bait," Lin Xia finished.
Master Wen nodded.
"Excellent."
🔹 THE LESSON OF GREED
The Guardian placed another black stone.
Click.
"Most defeats begin with greed."
"People lose because they see something they want..."
"...And stop seeing everything else."
Mei Chen scratched her head.
"So basically..."
"...Don't chase every chance to win?"
Master Wen smiled.
"Correct."
"Protect what you already have before taking what belongs to someone else."
🔹 BUILDING, NOT DESTROYING
Instead of attacking—
Lin Xia reinforced her own territory.
One stone.
Then another.
Creating stronger connections.
Yue Ning finally understood.
"You're not trying to kill him anymore."
Lin Xia nodded.
"I don't need to."
"If my territory stays alive..."
"...I can still win."
For the first time—
Master Wen's expression became serious.
🔹 THE SILENT EXAM
Ten more moves passed.
No one spoke.
The only sounds were the gentle clicks of stones touching the board.
Click.
Click.
Click.
Each move carried purpose.
Every stone supported another.
No move stood alone.
Master Wen watched Lin Xia carefully.
Not with suspicion.
With pride.
🔹 THE FINAL TRAP
Then—
Master Wen made his boldest move yet.
He sacrificed five black stones.
Deliberately.
Mei Chen gasped.
"He just gave them away!"
Yue Ning frowned.
"...No."
"He gave up five..."
She looked across the board.
"...To threaten twenty."
Lin Xia immediately saw it.
If she captured the five stones—
her strongest group would become isolated.
Eventually surrounded.
Eventually dead.
The trap wasn't about those five stones.
It was about forcing her attention.
🔹 THE DECISION
Lin Xia closed her eyes.
She remembered something Master Wen had said at the beginning.
"Every gift contains a question."
She smiled.
"...Then here's my answer."
Instead of capturing—
she ignored the sacrifice completely.
She calmly played elsewhere.
Strengthening the center.
For the first time in the entire match—
Master Wen stopped smiling.
"...Very good."
He whispered.
"You've learned."
🔹 THE ENDGAME
The board slowly reached its conclusion.
Both players passed.
Neither had another profitable move.
Master Wen carefully counted the territory.
One section.
Then another.
Then another.
The girls waited silently.
Finally—
he placed both hands on the table.
"The result..."
A pause.
"...White wins."
Silence.
Mei Chen blinked.
"...She..."
"...She actually beat you?"
Master Wen smiled warmly.
"No."
He looked at Lin Xia.
"She understood me."
"And that is much harder."
🔹 THE REWARD
The old Guardian stood.
He bowed deeply.
Far deeper than before.
"The First Archive recognizes your victory."
The shelves trembled softly.
One wooden box slid out on its own.
Unlike the others—
it had no year written on it.
Only one symbol.
A single white circle.
Master Wen carefully lifted the box and placed it before Lin Xia.
"This is not a weapon."
"It is not power."
"It is memory."
"You may open it."
Lin Xia slowly lifted the lid.
Inside...
There was only one object.
An old university student ID card.
Worn.
Cracked.
Almost faded beyond recognition.
The photograph had been scratched away.
The name was missing.
Only one line remained readable.
Department of Artificial Intelligence Research
The girls stared.
Mei Chen whispered,
"...A university..."
Yue Ning looked toward Master Wen.
"...XO Project..."
"...wasn't originally a game."
Master Wen didn't answer.
He simply closed his eyes.
Which...
Was answer enough.
🔹 FINAL LINE
As the archive doors slowly opened—
a hidden system notification appeared where only the girls could see it.
FIRST LOCK: RELEASED
MEMORY RECOVERY: 8%
WARNING: THE SYSTEM HAS BEEN INFORMED
Far above them, somewhere beyond the Upper Floor...
A pair of crimson eyes opened in the darkness.
And for the first time...
Something smiled.