The chase had begun, and Team 2 found themselves in a precarious situation. What was supposed to be a strategic repositioning had quickly turned into a desperate bid to escape Team 5's pursuit. The initial plan to slip past unnoticed had failed, and now Joon-ho and his team were running through the dense, treacherous terrain, hoping to shake off their relentless pursuers.
Joon-ho's mind raced as he led his team through the twisting paths of the virtual landscape. The map's features, once potential allies in their stealthy manoeuvre, now seemed like obstacles, slowing them down just enough for Team 5 to gain ground. The sound of their footsteps pounding against the digital earth echoed in his ears, mingling with the distant roar of a waterfall and the occasional snap of gunfire from Team 5's marksman trying to land a shot.
"Keep moving! Don't look back!" Joon-ho barked into the comms, his voice steady despite the rising tension. His eyes scanned the minimap, looking for a way to break the pursuit, but every path seemed fraught with danger.
Min-jae, who had spotted Team 5 in the first place, was now running alongside Soo-jin, his breathing heavy but controlled.
"We can't keep this up forever," Min-jae panted. "They're too close!"
"Don't worry about forever. Just focus on the next few minutes," Soo-jin replied, her voice calm and focused as she kept her guard up, ready to defend against any surprise attack.
Jin-kyong brought up the rear, firing occasional shots to discourage Team 5 from getting too close.
"We need to find a choke point or a bottleneck, something to slow them down."
Joon-ho nodded, already searching for such an opportunity. Ahead, the terrain sloped upward, leading to a narrow ridge between two cliffs.
"There!" he pointed. "If we can make it to that ridge, we can force them into a single-file chase. We can hold them off from there."
Team 2 adjusted their course, pushing themselves harder as they aimed for the narrow pass. Team 5, sensing their target's intent, picked up the pace as well, unwilling to let their prey slip away.
The next few moments were a blur of frantic movement. Team 2 dashed through the underbrush, the ground beneath them growing rockier as they approached the ridge. The sound of Team 5's pursuit was growing louder, their footsteps almost synchronized with the rhythm of the chase.
As Team 2 reached the base of the ridge, they began their climb, their muscles burning from the exertion. The steep incline added another layer of difficulty, but it was also their best hope of gaining some distance. Joon-ho pushed ahead, his determination fueling his every step. The rest of the team followed suit, their trust in each other evident in the way they moved as one.
But as they reached the top of the ridge, the reality of their situation hit them. Team 5 was still right behind them, undeterred by the climb. And now, with the narrow ridge ahead, the chase was about to enter its most dangerous phase yet.
As the dust of the chase settled, Baek-hyeon tightened his grip on the crown, knowing all too well that he was the primary target for Team 5. His heart pounded in his chest, each beat echoing the tension that weighed heavily on Team 2. Their escape route was perilous, but it was the only way to stay ahead of their pursuers.
"We need to keep moving!" Joon-ho urged, his eyes fixed on the path ahead. The ridge was treacherous, but it offered the narrow passage they needed to funnel Team 5's advance.
Baek-hyeon, the one holding the crown, felt the pressure more than anyone. He could almost sense the eyes of Team 5 on him, like predators stalking their prey. His every step was careful, knowing a single mistake could cost them the match. As the team pressed forward, a sudden movement from Min-jae caught Baek-hyeon's attention.
Without warning, Min-jae broke formation, charging headlong at Team 5. His sudden, reckless move caught everyone off guard.
"Min-jae, what are you doing?" Joon-ho shouted, his voice tinged with a mix of confusion and anger.
Min-jae's plan, if it could be called that, was to disrupt Team 5's advance by taking them head-on. He intended to buy time, to give his team a chance to get away. And for a brief moment, it worked—he managed to engage three of Team 5's players in close combat, slowing their advance. But the price of his rash decision was high.
"Min-jae, fall back!" Joon-ho commanded, but it was too late. While Min-jae grappled with three of Team 5's members, two others slipped past the chaos, their eyes locked on Baek-hyeon. With his attention divided and no time to react, Baek-hyeon found himself overwhelmed. In a swift, coordinated strike, the two members of Team 5 disarmed him, snatching the crown away with ruthless efficiency.
"No!" Jin-kyong yelled as she witnessed the crown being stolen. The moment played out in slow motion, the realization of their failure settling over the team like a heavy fog.
Min-jae, still locked in combat, glanced back to see the crown in Team 5's hands. Frustration boiled over as he scowled at his teammates.
"I held down three of them! How the hell did four of you lose to the other two?!"
"You went off on your own! We were trying to escape, not fight them head-on! We didn't have time to react to the others because you weren't with us!" Joon-ho, already on edge from the pressure of the match, snapped.
The tension between the two escalated quickly, their heated exchange echoing across the ridge. Soo-jin remained silent, her gaze fixed on the ground, knowing that words would do little to calm the situation. Jin-kyong, focused on checking Baek-hyeon for injuries, screamed at them to stop, but her voice was drowned out by their argument.
Meanwhile, Team 5, now holding the crown, made a swift retreat. The realization that they were no longer the chosen team began to sink in for Team 2. The match that had started with hope and determination was now slipping away, and with it, their chance to secure a place among the top teams.
In a moment of blind frustration, Min-jae turned his anger towards Baek-hyeon, the one who had lost the crown. Without warning, he sucker-punched Baek-hyeon, sending him sprawling to the ground. The blow was unexpected and vicious, a stark reminder of how easily pressure could break even the strongest of bonds.
"Min-jae, what the hell?!" Joon-ho shouted, rushing to Baek-hyeon's side, only to be met with a punch from Min-jae as well. It was a swift retaliation, but it was enough to push Joon-ho over the edge.
For the first time, Joon-ho's patience snapped completely. He lunged at Min-jae, and the two of them were soon locked in a fistfight, their anger and frustration spilling over into physical violence. The calm, collected leader Joon-ho had been was now lost in the chaos of the moment.
Jin-kyong, still tending to Baek-hyeon, screamed at them to stop, but her voice was drowned out by the sounds of fists meeting flesh. The team that had once moved with unity and purpose was now fracturing before her eyes, the pressure of the situation revealing the cracks that had always been there, just beneath the surface.
As the fight raged on, the realization hit them all—this was no longer about the crown or the game. It was about their very survival as a team, and right now, that survival was hanging by a thread.
As the fight between Joon-ho and Min-jae intensified, their surroundings in the NexaRealm began to flicker and distort. The sudden shift was jarring, causing both of them to pause for a split second. But before they could register what was happening, the familiar environment of the NexaRealm vanished, leaving them in the darkness of disconnection.
Joon-ho and Min-jae were forcibly ejected from the game, their headsets yanked off by an unseen force. They found themselves back in their real-world seats, disoriented and seething with anger. The sudden disconnection left them momentarily stunned, but the rage that had fueled their virtual brawl was still burning.
Before either of them could fully grasp what had just happened, the door to their room burst open, and several instructors rushed in. They had been monitoring the situation closely, and the instant Director Hye-su intervened, they knew they needed to act quickly to prevent the in-game violence from spilling over into reality.
"Stand down, both of you!" one of the instructors barked, positioning himself between Joon-ho and Min-jae. But the two were still caught in the heat of the moment, their fists clenched, ready to continue their fight in the real world.
"Enough!" another instructor commanded, grabbing Joon-ho by the arm while another restrained Min-jae. The forceful separation was enough to snap them out of their rage, if only for a moment.
IAmidthe chaos, Director Hye-su's voice crackled over the intercom, calm yet authoritative.
"This is over, now. You both know the rules—actions in NexaRealm have consequences. Do not make the mistake of carrying those actions into the real world."
Her words cut through the tension like a knife, reminding them of the reality they were in. Both Joon-ho and Min-jae, now breathing heavily, realized the severity of their situation. The room was heavy with the aftermath of their outburst, the reality of what they had done sinking in.
The instructors, ensuring that the two were fully restrained, slowly eased up as they saw the fight draining out of them. The room was quiet now, but the silence was thick with unspoken words and unresolved anger.