During the last day of survival, Ophelia remained in a state of unconsciousness. With Dell finally unleashing his power to its fullest extent, Isaac posed no threat to them whatsoever.
"Finally not in hiding, old man?" Isaac's form materialized, unbeknownst to Ophelia.
"Choose your words wisely, Isaac," Dell's authority resonated with heightened power. "The team's leader has been selected, and my sole duty now is to safeguard her until the conclusion of this world."
"You're spoiling my amusement," Isaac grinned. "A leader with no team members at all, what a comical notion!"
"We've all experienced this before; once a team leader is chosen, the overall fatality rate of the group significantly decreases," Dell responded calmly.
Isaac's presence faded once again, his expression one of boredom.
---
As Ophelia regained consciousness when the final day had passed, she received a message from the Elimination Portal, directly projecting it into her mind.
You have successfully activated your unique power - Force. You received: 1000 points In addition, you completed these extra mission(s): 1. Identifying the Bomber - Reward 1000 points, 1 X Rune #1, 1 X Rune #3 2. Saving 10,000 lives - Reward 1000 points You've been selected as the team leader, please pick a team name as soon as possible. You will be sent back to your reality soon. Thank you.> Ophelia had no idea what the points and #1/#3 represented, but seeing that the rewards for identifying the bomber and saving lives exceeded that of completing the compulsory mission, she understood that the Portal was encouraging them to surpass the basic requirements. Before being sent away, Dell patted Ophelia's head once more. "Don't miss me, Ophelia. We will meet again when you grow further." Ophelia didn't quite comprehend his words. "What? Aren't we on the same team?" Before Dell could answer, Ophelia was already sent back to reality. --- "I'm relieved to see you awake, Ophelia!" Rachel Beverley exclaimed in surprise. "Mom..." Ophelia's voice was slightly hoarse after days of not speaking due to her condition in the real world. As the doctor explained that Ophelia had fully recovered from the car crash, Rachel quickly shared her worries about Ophelia during the five days of coma. "I lost your dad many years ago, and I couldn't bear losing you too," Rachel said, still emotional. Ophelia tried her best to comfort her. Back at home, Ophelia began to piece together what had happened. The five days of coma indicated that the time she spent in the Elimination Portal's world aligned with reality. This meant that she would have more unexplained absences in the future, particularly when she had to stay in a world for more than 5 days. She also pondered the points and runes she had obtained from the bombing world. Suddenly, a high-tech shopping screen appeared in her mind, offering various options. Ophelia quickly scanned the available options and was astounded by their high costs. The idea of permanently quitting the Elimination Portal caught her attention. Given that the base points earned for completing a world were 1,000 points, it made sense why Dell had mentioned they could return to reality permanently after 10 worlds. With a total of 3,000 points, Ophelia felt she was getting closer to her goal of returning. However, considering the dangers of the worlds, she wrestled with the decision of upgrading her power or saving for the quitting option. Then, she thought about the runes. If points were primarily for power-related items, what purpose did runes serve? As she pondered this, the shopping screen shifted. ... The Runes Shop proved even more enticing than the Points Shop. This might explain the rarity of finding runes. Ophelia swiftly navigated to the section where she could see the product that Rune #3 could purchase, but another product caught her eye. Produce 1 needle every 10 seconds until full (100). When in use: +50% strength +50% speed +50% accuracy> This weapon seemed ideal for Ophelia. Given her slight build, she needed a weapon that wouldn't hinder her movement. Needles complemented her power, allowing her to control their movement without using her hands, making targeting much easier. The additional buffs the needle offered were also appealing, especially since they enhanced her physical capabilities. Ophelia swiftly decided to forego saving points for the 10,000-point quitting option. Prioritizing survival took precedence to ensure she didn't perish before earning enough points. After making the purchase, she equipped the needle pack and felt much more prepared for the challenges of future worlds. The Portal prompted her once she completed her purchase. Ophelia had almost forgotten about that, only recalling due to the prompt. She remembered being appointed as the team leader, though it puzzled her since Dell clearly had more experience. As she pondered her team, the Portal shifted to a screen displaying team details. Team member: Ophelia Beverley (Team leader) Team Grade: F> Ophelia was utterly shocked, realizing that she was the sole team member. Where was Dell? She recollected his words about meeting again when she grew further; did that mean Dell had known all along? Regarding the team grade, an "F" didn't sound like a promising rating, though Ophelia had no idea what the lowest possible grade was. But considering it was a new team, such a rating seemed understandable. After calming her thoughts, she chose a name for the team, setting the groundwork for its future development. It was a simple name, yet it encapsulated Ophelia's ultimate goal. With the team name confirmed, Ophelia unlocked more functions for the team. She discovered that she had to focus her thoughts on a specific topic to navigate the panel. For instance, she was currently contemplating the team's grading, and the screen automatically displayed this information: Generally ranges from A to F. Once the team reaches grade D, subsequent worlds may include two or more teams> Ophelia was taken aback by the realization that the Elimination Portal had an element of competition among teams. The name itself probably hinted at this aspect, as the term "elimination" suggested a competitive struggle for survival. Additionally, the Selection Procedure described by Dell in the first world offered further clues about the nature of the Portal. "Ophelia, are you alright?" Rachel's concerned voice echoed from outside the room before Ophelia delved deeper into exploring the Portal. "You've been in your room quietly for quite a few hours. Would you like something to eat?" "Of course, Mom. I'm coming!" Ophelia promptly replied. At night, Ophelia finally found the time to further explore the Portal, uncovering several crucial pieces of information. First, she realized that her stay in reality was limited to just 5 days before she would be sent back to the second world. Secondly, during this transition, she would vanish from reality, unlike her first entry where she had fallen into a deep coma. To prepare for this, Ophelia contacted her company's HR department, explaining the situation and apologizing for the sudden notice. She informed them that she needed to take an extended unpaid leave for some urgent matters. Acknowledging her recent recovery from a coma, the company kindly allowed her to take an extended sick leave instead, a gesture she deeply appreciated. Thirdly, she discovered that in the second world, she would assume Dell's role as a guide for newcomers. Her task would be to explain the workings of the Portal to them and push them into life-and-death situations to activate their powers. This revelation shocked Ophelia, as she was reluctant to put her future teammates in harm's way. Failure to awaken their powers would result in immediate death, a fate she had witnessed several times over the past few days. "Is there a way to stimulate their potential more effectively?" Ophelia pondered, but the Portal offered no clues. Five days passed in the blink of an eye as Ophelia took the time to rest and contemplate her strategies. The Portal's warning appeared. Ophelia swiftly gathered her belongings and bid farewell to her mom. "I'll be away on a trip for a while, Mom! Don't miss me too much!" she said. Observing how Lila managed to bring her knitting toolkit to the world, Ophelia believed she could do the same. She packed some food and water just in case. Landing in the same dark and muddy room as the first world, Ophelia saw four other new members of the team. There were two women and two men, all of whom looked confused except for one. "Could you explain what's happening, Madam?" the smart-looking man in a suit asked, his gaze fixed on Ophelia's eyes.