The tournament had officially begun.
Participants were scattered across different parts of the island. No one knew where the others were placed—but one thing was clear.
The goal was the center.
Vikram stood at the edge of the island, where the waves gently touched the sand.
The beach.
He looked around silently, observing the environment. The sound of water, the distant forest, and the towering mountain at the center—it all formed a clear structure in his mind.
"Everyone must have been dropped at the outer edges…"
He picked up a stick and started drawing on the sand.
A rough map.
The center → a mountain
Around it → dense forest
Outer edge → beaches
Vikram narrowed his eyes.
"If I were the organizer… I'd place everyone on the beaches."
It made sense.
To increase difficulty.
To force movement.
To create chaos.
He stood up.
"If I want to find people… beaches are the best place."
But then—
He paused.
"No… others might think the same."
A faint smirk appeared on his face.
"So I'll do the opposite."
Without wasting time, Vikram turned and walked straight into the forest, following a silent curved path along the island's edge.
Meanwhile…
Deep inside another part of the forest—
Three familiar figures moved together.
The same trio.
They had reached each other far too quickly.
Standing in front of them was a lone man.
Calm. Unbothered.
"My name is Musashi," he said.
His sharp eyes scanned them.
"It's strange… you three met so quickly. On an island like this?"
Silence.
Then he spoke again—
"Did you cheat?"
That was enough.
"We didn't do anything like that!" one of them shouted.
Without hesitation—
They attacked together.
Their strategy was simple.
Numbers win battles.
But—
They had chosen the wrong opponent.
The Fight
The forest echoed with impact.
Fast movements.
Sharp strikes.
Musashi didn't panic.
Didn't rush.
Didn't even step back much.
One by one—
He countered.
Dodged.
Struck.
Within moments—
All three were on the ground.
Defeated.
Breathing heavily.
Musashi looked down at them.
"…Not bad."
He bent down and took one of their badges.
A blue one.
"I'll take this."
And just like that—
He walked away.
Observation Room
Far away, everything was being watched.
Through multiple screens.
Devraj and members of the Syntheal Clan observed silently.
"That man… Musashi," one of them said.
"He's strong. Very different from the others."
Another voice spoke—
"But those three… they used trackers."
The footage confirmed it.
Devices hidden on their bodies.
"To locate each other quickly…"
Someone frowned.
"We should disqualify them."
But Devraj shook his head.
"No."
"We never said gadgets were forbidden."
"They used our loophole."
Silence filled the room.
"Let it continue."
Back in the Forest
The three defeated players sat there, frustrated.
"We lost a badge… now we need even more…"
Tension grew between them.
Blame.
Anger.
Frustration.
And then—
A voice.
"Need help?"
They froze.
Behind them stood a man.
Black hoodie.
White fox mask.
Dark… unsettling presence.
"I can help you collect badges," he said calmly.
"In return… you help me."
The three exchanged glances.
This could be an opportunity.
Or a trap.
They chose—
To attack.
A Big Mistake
The masked man didn't even move at first.
Then—
In a blink—
He destroyed them.
Brutally.
Effortlessly.
They couldn't even react properly.
He stepped closer.
"Now…"
His voice turned colder.
"Will you join me?"
This time—
They nodded.
Afraid.
"Good."
He raised his hand and struck their necks in a strange way.
Pain shot through their bodies.
Their eyes—
Started glowing purple.
"What… is this…?" one of them whispered.
The masked man leaned closer and said something into their ears.
Something that changed everything.
Elsewhere…
Vikram moved carefully through the forest.
Suddenly—
He stopped.
In front of him—
A giant python.
Sleeping.
He slowly stepped aside, controlling his breath, and passed it without making a sound.
And then—
He saw someone.
A familiar face.
Jack Syntheal.
Jack smirked.
"Oh… Vikram."
Vikram's eyes sharpened.
"What badge do you have?"
"Blue," Jack replied.
"…You?"
"Red."
Silence.
Then both spoke at the same time—
"…We have to fight."
They stepped forward—
Ready to attack.
Suddenly—
A massive rock came flying toward them.
Both instantly dodged.
The ground shook as it crashed.
They turned.
And saw—
Those three again.
But something was wrong.
Very wrong.
Their eyes glowed purple.
Their presence felt heavier.
Stronger.
Faster.
They attacked.
Relentlessly.
Their movements were sharp.
Almost impossible to predict.
Vikram blocked and stepped back.
"This is strange…"
"They weren't this strong before."
Jack narrowed his eyes.
"…Something changed them."
The attacks continued.
Faster.
Harder.
More dangerous.
And in that moment—
The real threat of the tournament began to reveal itself.