The fist cracked against Kade’s jaw, filling his mouth with blood. The crowd screamed, a wave of noise that felt like animals. He staggered, but his feet rooted. The underground fight club stank of sweat and fear. Across the ring loomed a massive man they called Crusher. “That’s all you got, military boy?” Crusher sneered, spitting blood. “Heard you were tough. Looks like a bitch to me.” Kade said nothing. He wiped his lip. Crusher charged like a bull. Kade ducked the wild swing and drove his fist into the man’s kidney once, twice, three times. The giant’s legs gave out. Kade swept a leg, sending the mountain crashing to the floor. The crowd erupted. He dropped onto Crusher’s back and locked a chokehold. Ten seconds later Crusher slapped the concrete and surrendered. Ricky, the fight organizer, grabbed Kade’s arm and raised it. “Winner, Kade Rivers!” Half the crowd was already leaving, angry they had lost. Ricky counted out bills as if each one mattered. “Five hundred. As agre

The desert heat hit Kade like a furnace.He pushed himself up from the sand, checking his body. Bruised. Sore. But nothing was broken. Around him, other players were scattered across the wasteland. Some groaning. Some were crying. Some are not moving at all. The sky was blood red, no sun, just heat everywhere. The sand stretched endlessly in every direction. A man nearby screamed at the sky. "This isn't real! This can't be real!" Another woman sat rocking back and forth, muttering prayers. Kade ignored them. Panic got people killed. He needed to think. The blue screen still floated in his vision. Only he could see it. [OBSERVER'S EYE: SCANNING ENVIRONMENT] [NEAREST SHELTER: 2.3 KM NORTH] [NEAREST WATER SOURCE: 4.1 KM EAST] [THREAT LEVEL: RISING] Kade looked north. A structure in the distance. Some kind of bunker maybe. That was his target. "Hey! Hey you!" A young guy stumbled toward him. Maybe nineteen or twenty. Skinny. Terrified. Blood dripped from a cut on his forehead.

Cold metal floor. Fluorescent lights buzzing overhead. Kade opened his eyes. The desert was gone. He was lying in a corridor. White walls. Steel doors. The smell of chemicals and something rotten underneath. Daniel groaned beside him. "Where are we?" "Zone 2." Kade stood, checking his weapons. Machete. Two knives. Still there. The system flickered. [ZONE 2: THE FACILITY] [OBJECTIVE: FIND THE EXIT KEY AND ESCAPE] [WARNING: ZONE HAZARDS ACTIVE] [PLAYERS REMAINING: 95/100] A voice echoed through hidden speakers. "WELCOME TO THE FACILITY. THIS ZONE REQUIRES INTELLIGENCE, NOT JUST STRENGTH. FIND THE EXIT KEY. ESCAPE BEFORE TIME RUNS OUT." "TIME LIMIT: 48 HOURS." "GOOD LUCK." The speakers went dead. Daniel looked around nervously. "Exit key? What does that mean?" "Means we search." Kade started walking. "Stay close." The corridor stretched endlessly. Identical doors on both sides. Some are open. Some are locked. The lights flickered every few seconds, shadows that played

The ruins stretched like a graveyard of forgotten giants.Broken towers. Collapsed walls. Streets filled with rubble. Whatever civilization built this place was long dead. Now it was just another killing ground.Kade led the way, knife ready. Jax covered the rear. Daniel stayed between them, clutching a pipe he'd picked up. The kid was learning. Slowly.[ZONE 1: THE WASTELAND - SECTOR 4][OBJECTIVE: REACH THE SECTOR EXIT][PLAYERS REMAINING: 89/100]"Too quiet," Jax muttered.He was right. No gunshots. No screams. Just wind whistling through empty buildings.Kade didn't like it.They passed through what looked like an old marketplace. Stalls rotted and collapsed. Bones scattered in corners. Human bones."Previous games," Kade said.Daniel looked sick. "They just left the bodies?""Why clean up? We're all disposable."A sound. Footsteps. Multiple.Kade raised his fist. Stop.[HOSTILE PLAYERS DETECTED: 6] [DISTANCE: 40 METERS] [FORMATION: HUNTING PARTY]Voices echoed from a side str

The valley floor was a slaughterhouse. Bodies everywhere. Blood soaking into sand. The fighting had died down. Only twelve players remained near the exit gate. Exhausted. Wounded. Watching each other like wolves. "Now?" Jax asked. "Now." They descended from the watchtower. Quiet and careful. Daniel followed, gripping his pipe tight. A large man stood at the center of the remaining group. Bald. Scarred face. Built like a tank. He shouted orders at others like he owned them. [PLAYER 12: ROMAN VOLKOV] [FORMER UNDERGROUND FIGHTER] [KILLS: 11] [THREAT LEVEL: HIGH] "That's Roman," Jax muttered. "Heard about him. Calls himself the King. Built a crew by breaking skulls." Roman spotted them approaching. His lips curled into a sneer. "Well, well. Look what crawled out." He stepped forward, arms spread wide. "The famous Player 77. The military boy with the fancy sponsor gifts." Kade said nothing. Just walked closer. "You deaf, boy? I'm talking to you." Roman spat on the ground. "Vi