*****
The vast jungle stretched endlessly before him, a lush expanse of thick foliage and towering trees.
Silas perched on a sturdy branch high above the ground, his amber-emerald eyes scanning the surroundings with an unreadable expression.
The dense canopy above cast dappled shadows across his face as the sunlight pierced through the thick network of leaves.
The air smelled of damp earth and fresh greenery, the chirping of unseen birds echoing through the trees.
The jungle was alive, a living, breathing entity that seemed to shift and pulse with unseen activity.
He leaned against the rough bark of the tree, arms crossed over his chest, listening.
It had been a while since they were all thrown into this Full-Dive Virtual Reality test, scattered across different locations, left to fend for themselves in this simulated battlefield.
Yet, Silas was in no rush.
Unlike the others, who were probably scrambling to find allies or eliminate opponents, Silas simply waited.
It was in his nature to observe first and act later.
There was no point in rushing when he had no idea what kind of situation he was in.
Patience was a weapon just like any blade.
Then, a voice cut through the quiet hum of the jungle.
"Where are you, Sil?!"
A familiar voice.
His sharp eyes flickered downward, easily recognizing the figure standing beneath the tree.
Lily.
She stood there, her raven-black hair slightly disheveled from running, a thin layer of sweat coating her forehead.
Her deep gray eyes darted around, searching for him.
Even from up here, he could see the mild frustration in her expression, the way she tapped her foot impatiently against the soft earth.
"Lily?"
His voice was calm, unhurried.
Her head snapped up the moment he called out, and she placed a hand on her hip, sighing.
"Haa... Finally!"
Before she could say anything else, Silas moved.
With one smooth motion, he pushed himself off the branch and dropped straight down.
The descent took only a few seconds.
Thud—!
His feet landed softly on the jungle floor, knees bending slightly to absorb the impact.
Lily, however, staggered back, her eyes wide in surprise.
"Wha—?! You idiot! Couldn’t you have warned me first?! You nearly gave me a heart attack!"
Silas chuckled, clearly amused.
"You were already looking for me, weren’t you?"
Lily huffed, still annoyed, but she didn’t press the matter further.
Instead, she crossed her arms and fixed him with a sharp stare.
"Where the hell were you?!"
She demanded.
"I’ve been looking everywhere, but I haven’t found a single person from our team!"
Silas blinked, as if considering how to answer.
Then, he shrugged.
"Up there."
Lily narrowed her eyes.
"What do you mean ’up there’?"
He pointed at the tree behind him.
"I was watching from above."
Her eye twitched.
"You mean you were slacking off?"
Silas smirked.
"No. I was gathering information."
Lily scoffed.
"And what information did you even get by sitting up in a tree?"
Silas tilted his head slightly, looking thoughtful.
"A lot, actually."
Lily stared at him, unconvinced.
"Okay, smartass. Enlighten me."
Silas crossed his arms over his chest.
"For starters, we’re not alone."
Lily stiffened slightly at his words.
"What do you mean?"
Silas gestured toward the treetops.
"I heard movement. Two people, at least, but they weren’t on our side. They were moving too cautiously—likely scouting for enemies."
Lily furrowed her brows.
"Damn it. If we ran into the wrong team before we regrouped…"
Silas nodded.
"Exactly. That’s why I didn’t jump in recklessly."
Lily let out a long breath, rubbing her temples.
"Fine. I get your point. But that still doesn’t explain why we haven’t found any of our teammates yet."
Silas tapped his fingers against his arm.
"They were all teleported to different locations, same as us. If I had to guess, it’s meant to test how well we can navigate the terrain and find our allies."
Lily let out a groan.
"So in other words… we’re screwed if we don’t regroup fast."
Silas gave her a lazy grin.
"Pretty much."
Lily muttered something under her breath before looking at him again.
"Alright, fine. What’s the plan?"
Silas took a moment to think.
He wasn’t a leader by nature, but he knew how to survive.
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And right now, survival meant finding the others.
His eyes scanned the jungle once more, his mind calculating the best course of action.
Finally, he spoke.
"We head west. There’s a river that cuts through the jungle. If I were our teammates, I’d move toward a water source first."
Lily blinked.
"You’re sure there’s a river?"
Silas smirked.
"I heard it from up in the tree."
Lily rolled her eyes.
"Of course you did."
Without wasting another second, the two of them set off, their footsteps barely making a sound against the jungle floor.
Despite the situation, he felt comforting having Lily by his side.
Because if there was one person he could trust in this test, it was her.
And if anyone tried to get in their way…
Well, Silas wasn’t above teaching them a lesson.
*****
"So, you’re saying we’re going to the river, right?"
Ren asked, brushing a loose strand of his long red hair away from his face as he effortlessly snapped a thick branch off a tree with his bare hands.
His eyes flicked around, scanning their surroundings for any movement.
Lyrium, walking ahead, swung his sword in a calculated, precise arc, cutting through the tangled vegetation.
His face remained calm, unreadable as always.
"Yes. It’s the best place to regroup. The river is a natural landmark, and if any of our teammates have any sense, they’ll head there too."
Ren huffed, smirking.
"You sure are taking the lead for someone who usually plays the observer."
"No time to be passive,"
Lyrium responded without looking back.
"We need to regroup before Team 2 picks us off one by one."
Behind them, three more of their teammates moved cautiously through the thick jungle.
The air was humid, heavy with the scent of wet leaves and earth.
The canopy above filtered the sunlight, casting eerie, shifting shadows on the ground.
Among them was Ethan Velstein—Rank 18, a tall, lean student with silver hair and heterochromatic eyes.
His gloves were tightly fastened, and he moved with the precision of a trained duelist.
"Splitting up was a stupid idea,"
Ethan muttered, stepping over a thick root.
"If Team 2 is already grouped up, we’re at a disadvantage."
Ren snorted, cracking his knuckles.
"Then we’ll just have to crush them, won’t we?"
"I know this guy was a psychopath."
Ethan muttered, rolling his eyes.
Lyrium slowed his pace slightly, raising his left hand in a silent signal.
Immediately, the group came to a stop.
Ren frowned.
"What’s wrong?"
Lyrium didn’t answer right away.
His gaze flickered toward the dense shadows between the trees.
Something wasn’t right.
Then—
Whoosh—!
An arrow shot through the air, cutting so close to Lyrium’s head that he could feel the rush of wind against his ear.
"Shit!"
Ethan cursed, unsheathing his rapier.
"Ambush!"
From the shadows, five figures emerged, dressed in Team 2’s uniforms.
The leader of the group stepped forward—a tall young man with piercing blue eyes and dark brown hair, gripping a long spear in his hands. His stance was firm, unwavering.
"You’re in our territory now,"
"And I don’t care if you are No.1 or not."
The leader said, his voice calm but edged with confidence.
Ren let out a sharp laugh.
"Finally! I was getting bored."
The jungle fell silent—a heavy, suffocating pause before the storm of battle would break out.
Then—
The first enemy charged forward, brandishing a curved blade aimed straight for Lyrium’s throat.
Lyrium reacted instantly—his sword flashed in a precise counter, parrying the attack with minimal effort. Sparks flew as steel met steel.
Ren, on the other hand, lunged toward another opponent with wild enthusiasm.
His fists moved like blurs, sending the enemy staggering back with a well-placed punch to the ribs.
"You guys should’ve just stayed hidden,"
Ren taunted, dodging an incoming strike.
"Now you get to lose in style!"
Ethan fought with clinical precision, his rapier a silver blur as he deflected an attack and countered with a swift stab to his opponent’s shoulder.
The enemy staggered back, clutching his wound.
Lyrium, meanwhile, focused on the leader. Their gazes locked.
"You’re skilled, as expected of the Rank 1."
The enemy leader admitted, twirling his spear.
"But this is a team battle. No lone hero nonsense."
"I wasn’t planning on it,"
Lyrium replied coolly.
Then, the enemy leader lunged, his spear striking like a viper.
Lyrium sidestepped, his blade slicing upward in a sharp counterattack.
The leader barely managed to twist his spear in time to block it.
The force of the impact sent both fighters skidding backward.
The jungle was filled with clashes of metal, the sound of bodies colliding, and the heavy breathing of fighters locked in combat.
Ren took down his opponent with a brutal kick to the chest, sending them crashing into a tree.
"One down!"
He called out, grinning.
Ethan finished his fight with a precise thrust to his opponent’s thigh, forcing them to surrender.
"Two down,"
He muttered.
Lyrium’s fight with the leader continued, their movements a deadly dance of attack and counterattack.
The spear’s reach was troublesome, but Lyrium was fast—faster than his opponent expected.
A feint.
A pivot.
A single opening.
Slash—!
Lyrium’s blade cut through the leader’s defenses, landing a shallow cut across his arm.
The enemy leader hissed, jumping back.
"Tch… You win this round."
He raised his hands in surrender.
"I won’t risk an injury for a virtual simulation. We concede."
*****