After listening quietly to Stark's summary, Shiller noticed Stark's gaze on him. Resting a hand on his chin, he said, "By conventional logic, this strategy is correct, but on closer inspection, there are many questions. For example, is there a limit to the tools that can be purchased with points? Can tools be stored in a safe area, or do members have to carry them on their person?"
Shiller shifted his gaze aside, and after some thought said, "The game rules clearly encourage dueling among the Duelists, so regarding the second question, it's likely that whoever exchanges for the tool carries it."
"If that's the case, if a team is eliminated in the game, the tools would drop along with the points, adding another variable to the prize pool. It essentially blocks the possibility of mass accumulation of tools."
Natasha nodded, then said, "Then, it becomes essential to allocate the points and choose carriers for the tools reasonably. Otherwise, we might be digging our own graves."
"I feel it's not that simple," Peter said, pressing his lips together and furrowing his brows. "The rules are clear and easy to understand, with no overly complicated parts. But I feel like there are many gaps left unaddressed."
Spreading his arms and resting his hands on the table, Shiller reminded, "Remember, if you see 'The interpretation of these rules is subject to the organizer's discretion' at the end of any announcement, you can assume everything above it is hogwash. There will definitely be more critical rules that are yet to be released."
"Let's discuss the next plan then," Steve proposed, glancing at the back of his hand. "Bravery, wisdom, and unity. Which one should we prioritize?"
"Isn't it obvious? Wisdom, of course," Natasha shrugged. She pointed around at everyone present and added, "All of us here are intelligent. Some sort of intellectual contest would certainly suit us better."
"I have a lingering feeling that something's off," Stark chimed in, rubbing his chin with his thumb and forefinger. "Wisdom is such a broad category. It could mean speed of computation, abstract thinking, psychological warfare, or even just pure memorization."
"And the 'bravery' category is even more vague. What qualifies as bravery? Rescuing people, or killing them? Recklessly charging ahead, or sensibly holding back? Aren't they all forms of bravery?"
The four of them fell into deep thought, trying to imagine what kind of games they might face and what kind of game would best suit their abilities.
Finally Shiller broke the silence, "I also agree with opting for the 'wisdom' category first. Games that are tests of wisdom would inevitably have more complex rules, which would enable us to better understand the organizer's approach to game design and obtain an information edge."
As he was speaking, an alert sounded in everyone's ears, "Safe zone unfolding in ten...nine...eight...seven..."
When the countdown reached zero, the silver barriers fell away. The group found themselves inside a log cabin. Looking out the window, they saw nothing but forest. Over the richly-coloured mountains just visible in the far distance, they caught a glimpse of what seemed to be a city.
Almost without thinking, Steve and Stark opened the door and ran out to find themselves in a logging camp, with five buildings encircling a lumber processing factory. There was even a small stockyard nearby.
"Our spawn point isn't bad." Shiller noted as he walked out and surveyed the environment, "Looking at the surroundings, I don't think there are any other safe zones. The resources of the logging camp are all ours."
Outside now, Natasha stretched and yawned, "I wonder if they will allow us to build weapons here. Give Tony Stark some materials and he could make us a ride all the way up to the Moon."
Bending over to brush some sand off his shoes, Stark analysed, "Based on the topography and climate, it doesn't seem like we are in America - perhaps it's more akin to Canada."
Shiller squinted his eyes towards the morning light. Visible rays of sunshine pierced through the colourful, towering trees, filling the dry air with chills. The feeling of approaching autumn surged in his heart.
Suddenly, trailing behind, Matt commented, "There should be a conflux of streams nearby. I can hear the sound of running water."
The group began to search. In no time, they came across a sparkling little brook not far from the camp. Peter dipped his hand in the water and shuddered from the cold, curiously examining the pebbles beneath the clear, flowing water.
Surrounded by layers of shrubs, they followed the brook downstream for around three minutes until they reached a broad lake.
"Could this be Lake Superior?" Natasha said, adjusting her hair.
"It isn't that big," Peter immediately pointed out a flaw in her assumption. "If it was Lake Superior, it should exhibit maritime weather. But the air here is too dry. This suggests that this is not one of the Great Lakes, but a smaller lake within some national forest reserve."
Steve gazed into the distance, then pointed towards the other side of the lake, "Look, is there a city over there?"
He pointed across the lake, where atop a vivid, foliage-covered mountain rangem stood some man-made structures. Peter reached out to gauge their size and then said, "It doesn't really qualify as a city. It's more like a settlement in the mountains. I suspect it's another team's safe zone."
Stark joined Steve, shading his eyes from the blistering sun. "If my guess is correct," he speculated, "then this Earth is populated only by so-called Duelists. While a hundred teams sounds like a lot, if each team has only six members, that totals to six hundred contestants. If they are spread out evenly across the Earth, they might never encounter each other."
"The fact that we can see another team's safe zone indicates that the organizers intentionally put some players together. Steve speculated that it's likely meant to enhance competition among the participants."
"We should head back to the forest," Matt recommended. "Given the topography, we can see their camp while they can't see ours. This is one of our advantages. We should take advantage of our advantageous position."
The group returned along the stream. Halfway back, Peter started to rub his stomach and question, "Am I feeling hungry? Do we get hungry here?"
Steve immediately turned to look at him. Matt sighed and said, "I noticed that a while ago too. Even in this world, we would need to fend for ourselves when it comes to basic survival. Do you understand what that means?"
Matt looked up at the colourful forest trail, adorned by various leaves and shrubs, and answered his own question, "It means that we have to win and can't afford to lose. If we're injured in the game and lose the ability to survive, we'll become burdens for our teammates. It could set off a vicious cycle."