His partner nodded understandingly. "We lock at the sixth or eighth word. As soon as the context is visible, strike." "Second Question. World History." The host just took a breath. "The Potsdam Agreement signed at the end of..." BUZZ! Bagas hit the buzzer button with his fist. He cut right at the sixth word. That was the fastest limit of the human brain processing the context of memorized history questions. "The year 1945! Dividing Germany into four zones!" shouted Bagas, his neck veins bulging. Doctor Aisyah smiled thinly. "Complete answer. One hundred for Team Hope." Kaelan frowned. Fast. They cut when the sentence was just eighty percent formed. "Third Question. Chemistry." "A saturated hydrocarbon compound that has the formula..." BUZZ! This time Aldo savagely grabbed at the sixth word. He heard the words "saturated" and "formula", his brain immediately shot the most common answer in the question bank. "Alkane! The formula CnH2n+2!" "Correct! One hundred for Graha Nus

Kaelan nodded politely. He took the microphone from his podium. "It's simple, Professor," Kaelan's voice was calm, contrasting with the chaos around him. "They use their ears to hear sounds. I use my brain to analyze probabilities." Kaelan looked at Aldo. "Are you protesting the Chemistry question earlier? The host said Saponification Reaction. In the national Middle School chemistry syllabus, Saponification is the only specific reaction taught in the Fats chapter. There is no other reaction. Once the word Saponification came out, the answer had to be its products, namely Soap and Glycerol. That was not a guess, that was the only option." Aldo fell silent. His eyes blinked. "Then the History question," Kaelan continued, stepping slightly forward. "The host said The Linggarjati Agreement on... The word on points toward a place. In the diplomatic history of this country, Linggarjati is the one most frequently asked about its date and place because it became the beginning of de fact

The roar of applause was still echoing throughout the building. Kaelan, Sarah, and Diana arrived at the Ashvale group stands. Mr. Winston, who had been deathly pale when the opposing team managed to cut off the question and answer it correctly, now had a face glowing with excitement. Mr. Gunther, who had once underestimated Kaelan in class when he first entered the school. Now his face was filled with emotion. He could not even hold back his tears. Mr. Silas, the first person who had dared to express Kaelan's genius to Mr. Winston. The teacher who was famous by the nickname The Killer was now shedding tears behind his thick glasses. Mr. Winston and the other teachers could no longer hold themselves back, he immediately welcomed Kaelan's arrival. "KAEL!" Miss Bella looked at Kaelan, who was surrounded by the teachers. She was the first person to discover Kaelan's genius in class. And Miss Bella was also a teacher who was quite close to Kaelan. "Kaelan, I don't know what to say.

The preliminary round continued to roll with an increasingly suffocating intensity. The atmosphere inside the National-level Sasana Krida Multipurpose Building did not subside, instead growing hotter as the groups taking turns ascending the magnificent stage changed. Thousands of spectators in the tiered bleachers cheered, creating a roar that bounced off the building’s acoustic walls. Kaelan did not budge from the plush velvet-upholstered chair in the VIP participants' exclusive waiting area. While Sarah and Diana were busy regulating their breaths and calming their racing heartbeats after their sensational victory earlier, Kaelan instead sank completely into his observation. He ignored his team's euphoria. His sharp, dark eyes swept across the main stage. He was not merely enjoying the spectacle like a casual spectator, he was dissecting the anatomy of the opponents' strength down to their roots. In Group D, Kaelan's focus locked onto three students from Middle School Golden Hori

The atmosphere inside the Sasana Krida Multipurpose Building suddenly felt heavy, as if the oxygen in the room was sucked dry by the peaking tension. The preliminary matches for Group D, Group E, and Group F had left behind traces of euphoria that were now covered by a fog of anticipation. The audience held their breath; they knew that after this, the host school, the most elite school in this country, would perform. "Group G!" The host's shout broke the silence, his voice booming, bouncing off the high ceiling of the building and hammering the sense of hearing of everyone present. "Let's welcome with a lively cheer, the host... Middle School International Highfield!" Instantly, the sharp main spotlight cut through the darkness, creating a path of silver light that fell right on three figures stepping out from the right wing of the stage. Their footsteps were rhythmic and full of confidence. Kevin walked in front as the spearhead. On his right, Raymond walked with a flat face with