VOL.0 – CHAPTER 5: The Simulation Forest & Clashing Instincts The Dimensional Gateway: The Great Portal
Himikaya Stadium had completely transformed. In the center of the arena stood a massive, 20-meter-tall portal, its blue aura warping the air around it. This was the gate to the Simulation Forest, a man-made dimension spanning thousands of hectares.
The referee climbed onto a high podium, his voice booming across the stands:
"Listen up! This is the climax of the Hexa-Life Tournament! Twenty teams from the top ten Global Academies have gathered. Before you stands Regulus Academy, our eternal rivals, and eight other great institutions! There is only one rule: Be the last four teams standing!"
The students fell silent. This was no longer just a school competition; it was a clash of nations.
"Time limit? NONE! Use your creativity to survive! If you wish to surrender, climb to the Peak of Prayer in the center of the forest and raise the white flag! Until that flag flies, you are all fair game!"
One Last Gaze
Team C—Rio, Moon, and Gery—stood side by side with Team A, Ellen and his two subordinates.
Gery was trembling, not from fear, but pure adrenaline. In front of them, the students from Regulus Academy looked down as if they were nothing but trash.
Ellen didn't care about Regulus. His eyes were fixed on one person only: Rio.
Rio, as usual, yawned widely. He tilted his head toward Ellen. Their eyes met. No words were needed—just the tension of two equally strong instincts clashing.
Ellen's gaze said, "I'll find you, Rio."Rio's lazy eyes replied, "Please, don't disturb my sleep."
"RANDOM DEPLOYMENT SYSTEM INITIATED! ENTER THE PORTAL NOW!"
One by one, the participants leapt into the blue vortex. As Rio's body touched the portal's light, his consciousness was pulled away. Magical communication was severed. They were going in alone.
Simulation Forest: The Landing
Thud!
Rio landed flat on his back atop a pile of dry leaves. He looked up; massive 50-meter-tall trees blocked most of the sunlight.
"Huft… separated, huh? Walking is such a pain," Rio muttered.
He sat for a moment, sniffing his sleeve. Lylya's perfume still clung to the fabric of his uniform.
"This scent… Lylya was serious about this," he thought.
Rio stood, but didn't run. Instead, he found the shadiest tree, climbed it with lazy yet perfectly efficient movements, and perched on the highest branch.
"Moon and Gery can handle themselves for a bit. I'll just monitor from here… while I find a good spot to nap," he muttered.
POV: Moon & Gery (Chaos on the Other Side)
Gery landed smack in the middle of a swamp filled with quicksand.
"DAMN IT! RIO! MOON! WHERE ARE YOU?!" Gery roared in frustration.
Suddenly, a magical arrow hissed from the bushes. Gery instinctively incinerated it with a fiery punch. Two students from another academy emerged with wicked smirks.
"Look at this, we found a helpless prey from Himikaya," one sneered.
Meanwhile, Moon landed in a cold, rocky area. His expression remained flat. He didn't scream. He touched the ground, sending out ice vibrations to detect anyone nearby.
"Gery is too loud; he'll get found quickly. And Rio…" Moon paused, letting out a sigh. "He's probably looking for a place to sleep right now."
POV: Team A (The Hunter)
Ellen landed in the most dangerous zone: the Central Territory. His two subordinates immediately grouped with him, their coordination disciplined and sharp.
Ellen didn't move. He closed his eyes, his nose twitching slightly.
"This scent…", he muttered.
His sharp instincts caught something unusual in the damp forest air. An elegant, powerful aroma of lavender—something that didn't belong in a wild forest.
"Lylya… you really did mark him, didn't you? But that just makes him an easy target to track!"
Ellen unsheathed his magic blade. "Let's move. We'll clear out the smaller teams before I have my duel with that slacker."
Rio's Decision
Back on his tree branch, Rio—just about to close his eyes—suddenly felt a chill. His instincts caught a heat vibration from Gery's direction and a cold aura from Moon's.
"Hah… and I was just about to dream about eating martabak," Rio muttered, standing on the swaying branch.
He gazed toward the distant Peak of Prayer.
"I need to go collect 'the hothead' and 'the fridge' before Ellen actually finds me. If he catches me while I'm alone, he'll be as loud as a broken muffler."
With one light leap that barely made a sound, Rio blurred through the foliage. He wasn't just running; he was moving like a shifting shadow.
( VOL.0 – CHAPTER 5: CONTINUED )