Luna looked around, a sense of unease creeping into her voice. "But where are the other players? Why haven't we seen anyone yet?"
Mason met her gaze, his expression unreadable. "Do you really think this break was given to us just so we can find others and win?"
"Maybe," Luna muttered, crossing her arms.
Mason glanced at the rest of the group before making up his mind. "Alright, then. We'll find the other players."
Owen, standing beside Sophie, chimed in. "Yeah, but we also need to figure out how our skills work. There's no point in finding others if we don't even know how to fight."
Mason nodded. "You're right, Owen. We need to understand our abilities. A lot of them might be self-explanatory based on their names, but we still have to practice using them."
"Okay," the group agreed, falling in step behind Mason as they moved forward.
Mason knew that, for now, things seemed manageable. But as time passed, their challenges would only get tougher. If they didn't find the other players soon, they could be at a major disadvantage. Strength in numbers was crucial. The faster they grouped up, the better their chances of survival.
However, there was a problem. Searching for players together would slow them down. On the other hand, splitting up meant they risked getting ambushed. Mason weighed his options carefully before coming to a decision.
"Listen up, everyone," he said, stopping in his tracks. "We need to split into teams. We don't have time to search together, and going solo is too dangerous for most of you. Here's the plan: Owen and Sophie will pair up—Owen has combat skills, and Sophie can support him. Luna and Lian will be another team—Lian has combat abilities, and Luna can assist him. I'll go alone since I have three powers. I can handle myself."
Luna hesitated. "Are you sure about that? Going alone is risky."
"We don't have a choice," Mason replied firmly. "We need to move fast. Decide your search areas and go."
Owen and Sophie headed north. Luna and Lian went west. Mason chose the south, leaving the east alone since they had already checked that area. Without a compass, their directions were mostly imaginary, but it helped to divide the search zones.
As Mason walked, he opened his inventory. It was empty—no weapons, no health potions. If he got hurt, there was no way to recover. He also checked his powers:
The Silver Knight – Grants the strength of a thousand well-trained knights. Enhances swordsmanship and raw power. At its current level, it allows him to take down 200 small beasts, 50 big beasts, 10 large beasts, or 1 ultra-large beast of lower rank.
Blink Speed – Boosts speed up to 1000 km/s at its maximum level.
Teleport – Allows teleportation within a 100 km range at its highest level. However, it cannot be used to escape the Suzan Jungle.
Mason smirked. These are some crazy powers. But if I have these, the other players must have insane abilities too. And if the players were this strong, what kind of monsters would they be up against?
This wasn't the time to overthink. First, he had to find the others and learn how to use his skills properly. At Level 1, my first ability is basically useless against anything my level or higher. I can only take on small beasts. My speed power lets me run at 100 km/s right now—not bad. My teleport ability is limited to just 1 km, but that could help in close combat.
He clenched his fists. I need to level up fast.
---
Meanwhile, Owen and Sophie...
As they walked, Owen noticed Sophie looked tense. "Why are you scared?" he asked.
She turned to him, eyes burning with frustration. "What do you mean, 'Why am I scared?' We're trapped in some death game, surrounded by god knows what, and you expect me to be calm?"
Owen shrugged. "I mean, we have powers. Aren't you even a little excited?"
Sophie scoffed. "Excited? These 'powers' seem useless against whatever monsters are in here. We don't even know how to use them properly! And don't forget—Mason had a dream where I died. What if that actually happens?"
Owen studied her for a moment, then burst into laughter.
Sophie glared at him. "What the hell is so funny?"
"You're being way too serious," Owen said, still chuckling. "Give me your card. Let's check your abilities properly."
Reluctantly, Sophie handed him her player card. Owen scanned it and read aloud:
Knife Master – At the highest level, the player can summon and control 30 knives at will.
1-Min Freeze – Can freeze anything lower than her level for one minute at max level.
Owen raised an eyebrow. "Not bad. Our abilities grow stronger as we level up. Right now, we're weak, but if we train, we'll be unstoppable."
Sophie sighed. "So that means we need to level up fast and practice using our skills."
"Exactly," Owen agreed.
They continued walking, but suddenly, Owen stopped in his tracks. His face turned serious.
Sophie frowned. "What is it?"
Owen didn't answer. His instincts were screaming at him—something was watching them.
To be continued...