The sun had climbed high among the trees before Class 1-C's squads found temporary clearings in which they could rest, reorganize, and strategize. All the squads had survived the initial barrage of mechanical beasts, but fatigue and worry clung to the sultry jungle air.
Lian's squad gathered in a natural clearing along a stream, shade filtering through bamboo. They dripped sweat from their foreheads, their clothes streaked with mud and shreds of metal.
First hour passed… well," Lian panted, looking down at the bracelet display. +25 to date. "But if we just keep playing catch-up, we'll be outdistanced. Rui, Xia… they're already out front."
Mei Ling's vines lashed across the ground, searching like extra hands. "We must have control of the battlefield. Not chasing points, but setting them up so we dictate engagements.".
Zhang Wei grunted, turning a stone in his hands. "Traps, you're telling me?"
"Yes," Lian said. He leaned forward, regarding the vines, ropes, and wreckage around them. "Webs can trap, plants can entwine, and Daiki's sonic pulses can send warning signals ahead. We utilize the jungle, not the machines."
Daiki nodded. "I can map their patterns. Sonic scans on local wildlife—predict their routes. And possibly intercept other teams on the move as well."
They moved quickly, laying tripwires of webbing, vines that would snag or slow incoming mechanical wolves, and sound warning signals for preliminary alarms. Lian focused on high points, firing webs through branches of trees and rocks to create "nets" that could catch small drones or deflect charging beasts.
Excellent, Mei Ling answered, her fingers smoothing leaves and sending thorny vines along a low course. "If someone stumbles by without knowledge, they'll be slowed—possibly even stopped."
Zhang Wei yawned. "And when Rui or Xia come through… we just sit and watch."
Lian hesitated. We don't fight classmates. but points are available to taking if they pass through obstacles. His danger sense prickled, a reminder that survival was not about sticking to rules.
Meanwhile, still farther east, Rui's team found a plateau with a vista of the river. They crept in silence, moving in automatic mode like machines.
Rui's hawk-like eyes scanned the woods. "Team 5 is moving like greenhorns. Their coordination sucks."
Tao Lin raised a hand, water swirling like a flexed whip. "Do we strike?"
Rui's eyes narrowed. "More than for points—They won't even know we hit them. Take them out, quickly, and pad our margin."
Kira Hong's hands glimmered, absorbing residual heat from their surroundings, while Shen Qiu adjusted his momentum. Their synergy was near flawless.
Below, Team 5—four students untested in major combat—had set up rudimentary defenses but were unprepared for Rui's offensive coordination.
The clash was brutal. Rui's team hit first: Shen Qiu darted through trees, striking from unexpected angles, disarming defenses. Tao Lin bent water like whips, snapping through barriers. Kira Hong absorbed blasts Team 5 fired and redirected heat to disable their motors. Rui unleashed wind blades that shredded reinforced plating like paper.
In a matter of seconds, Team 5's points disappeared, systems shorted, and their gear was wrecked. Their wristbands beeped as one, the scoreboard flashing—Team 5: 0 points.
Rui's team didn't even flinch, already changing to advance on the next sector. Rui's grin was razor-sharp. "Let them make mistakes. We don't have to overcomplicate."
At Lian's camp, in the meantime, the late-afternoon heat pressed down as his team made the last preparations.
"Try out our traps?" Zhang asked.
"Not yet," replied Lian, a sense of danger tickling. "We wait for the right time. When a wolf or drone shows up, we strike hard and slow them down. And when Rui's team comes through this route." he glanced upwards. "We'll see. We can adapt."
Mei Ling's vines quivered at the rims, sensing vibrations. "And if Xia's team gets here? Their speed and illusions will make this jungle. messy."
Lian nodded. "We'll take them when they get here. Meanwhile, we own the battlefield."
Daiki's sound pulses hummed quietly through the forest. The jungle awakened. He showed faint stirrings, mechanical echoes off the trees. Lian scrunched his eyes tight, his sense of danger humming. Something was coming.
Night was descending, folding in the jungle around them into silhouette and shadow. There the mist arose from the river, curling around tree boles like wisps of smoke. Lian's unit crouched at the trap line they had so painstakingly set out, web and vine nets hidden but taut.
"Hear smaller machines all day," Zhang whispered. "How do we know it is not Rui or Xia already scouting it out?"
"In a little while," Lian breathed. Reflexes awakened—instinct rising. And then he spotted them: rips of lightning cutting across the fog. Xia Yun and her crew advanced, advancing on purpose.
"Looks like we're first on their list," Daiki growled.
Xia Yun called out across the jungle. "Lian! Prepare yourself. Hiding behind your traps will not save you."
Lian stooped lower, webs trailing from his fingers, poised. Mei Ling's vines trembled for the fight. Zhang braced. Daiki hummed warning vibrations.
In the foggy clearing, the first fight of the night was inevitable.
And Lian knew, as the points sparkled in the dim moonlight, this was only the beginning. Survival, strategy, and the complex web of rivalry and friendship had just escalated the stakes.