Decoding the Pattern

To find the code for the word 'DESCEND', we must first determine the rule used to convert 'IMPACT' into 'RNKZXG'.

1. Analyzing the Example: IMPACT → RNKZXG

The pattern is a letter-for-letter substitution. Let's examine each pair:

• I → R (I is the 9th letter from the start of the alphabet; R is the 9th from the end)
• M → N (M is the 13th letter from the start; N is the 13th from the end)
• P → K (P is the 16th letter from the start; K is the 16th from the end)
• A → Z (A is the 1st letter from the start; Z is the 1st from the end)
• C → X (C is the 3rd letter from the start; X is the 3rd from the end)
• T → G (T is the 20th letter from the start; G is the 20th from the end)

The rule is to replace each letter with its corresponding letter from the reverse alphabetical order (also known as a reverse substitution or Atbash cipher).

2. Applying the Rule to 'DESCEND'

Now we apply the same "reverse alphabet" rule to each letter of the word 'DESCEND':

• D → W
• E → V
• S → H
• C → X
• E → V
• N → M
• D → W

Conclusion

By combining the coded letters in order, the code for 'DESCEND' is WVHXVMW.