THE ELIMINATION ARENA ( One Hundred Enter. One Survives)

THE FIRST BLOOD

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.

"You okay, man? What the hell is this place?" The kid's voice cracked.

Kade studied him,the system flickered again.

[PLAYER 23: DANIEL MORRIS]

[AGE: 19]

[THREAT LEVEL: LOW]

[STATUS: PANICKED]

"It's exactly what they said," Kade replied. "A survival game."

"But that guy... he exploded. He just..." Daniel's eyes were wild. "We're gonna die here, aren't we?"

"Not if you stay smart." Kade started walking north. "There's shelter that way. Are you coming or not?"

Daniel hesitated, then followed. "I'm Daniel, Danny."

"Kade."

"You are from the military? You seem calm."

"Was."

"Thank God. I'm just a college kid. I needed money for my mom's surgery and—"

"Save your story." Kade cut him off. "Everyone here has a sad story. That doesn't matter now. Only survival matters."

Daniel went quiet.

They walked in silence. The sand was thick, making every step harder. Other players wandered aimlessly, some fighting over nothing, some just sitting and crying.

The system pinged.

[WARNING: HOSTILE PLAYERS DETECTED AHEAD]

[DISTANCE: 200 METERS]

[COUNT: 3]

[THREAT LEVEL: MEDIUM]

Kade stopped. Ahead, three men blocked the path to the bunker. Big guys. One held a metal pipe he must have found somewhere here. Another had a rock the size of a fist.

"Well, well," the leader called out. Bald head. Tattoos on his neck. Prison ink. "Look what we got here. Fresh meat."

His buddies laughed.

Daniel froze. "Kade..."

"Stay behind me."

The bald man stepped forward, slapping the pipe against his palm. "Here's how this works. You give us everything you got. Clothes ,Shoes. Whatever's in your pockets. Then maybe we let you walk away."

"And if I don't?" Kade asked calmly.

"Then I crack your skull open and take it anyway." The man grinned. "Your choice, hero."

Kade's system flickered.

[PLAYER 45: VICTOR CRANE]

[CRIMINAL HISTORY: ARMED ROBBERY, ASSAULT]

[WEAK POINTS: LEFT KNEE (OLD INJURY), THROAT]

[THREAT LEVEL: MEDIUM]

The other two had similar stats. Criminals ,Violent. But sloppy.

"Last chance," Victor said, raising the pipe.

Kade moved.

Fast without any hesitation.

He closed the distance before Victor could react. Grabbed the pipe mid-swing and twisted hard. Victor's wrist snapped with a sick crack. The man screamed.

Kade drove his knee into Victor's bad leg. The man crumpled. One punch to the throat silenced him.

The second attacker swung the rock. Kade ducked, stepped inside his reach, and slammed his elbow into the man's temple. He dropped like a puppet with cut strings.

The third guy ran. Didn't even look back.

Daniel stood frozen, mouth hanging open.

Kade picked up the metal pipe and the rock. Weapons now. He checked Victor's pockets. Nothing useful.

[COMBAT COMPLETE]

[+50 EXP]

[OBSERVER'S EYE LEVELING: 15%]

"Holy shit," Daniel whispered. "You just... how did you..."

"Training." Kade started walking again. "Let's go. That noise will attract others."

They reached the bunker ten minutes later. Old military structure, half-buried in sand. The door was rusted but intact. Kade forced it open.

Inside was dark and cool. Relief from the heat. Old supplies lined the walls. Canned food. Water bottles. A few more weapons. Knives. Another pipe. A rusty machete.

"Jackpot," Daniel breathed.

Kade grabbed a knife and the machete. Tested the weight. Good enough.

[HIDDEN CACHE DISCOVERED]

[+100 EXP]

[OBSERVER'S EYE LEVELING: 35%]

[NEW ABILITY UNLOCKING AT 50%]

Daniel grabbed water and drank desperately. "How did you know this was here?"

Kade paused. He couldn't explain the system. Not yet. "Lucky guess."

"Bullshit." Daniel wiped his mouth. "You knew exactly where to go. You saw something, didn't you?"

Smart kid. Too smart.

"Drop it," Kade said flatly.

Daniel raised his hands. "Okay, okay. Just saying. Whatever edge you got, I'm glad you're on my side."

A scream echoed outside. Then another. Gunshots in the distance.

[PLAYERS REMAINING: 98/100]

Nine dead already. The killing was accelerating.

"What do we do now?" Daniel asked, fear creeping back into his voice.

Kade looked at the supplies, then at the door. "We wait until dark. Rest. Conserve energy." He met Daniel's eyes. "Then we find the exit and get out of this zone."

"And the other players?"

"Avoid it if possible. Kill if necessary."

Daniel swallowed hard. "You've done this before."

Kade didn't answer. He sat against the wall, machete across his lap. Maya's face flashed in his mind. Her smile. Her faith in him.

Nine zones left. Ninety players to outlast.

He closed his eyes.

"Get some sleep, kid. Tomorrow's gonna be worse."