THE ELIMINATION ARENA ( One Hundred Enter. One Survives)

THE HUNT

Kade woke to screaming.Not close. Maybe half a kilometer away. But getting closer.

He grabbed the machete and moved to the bunker door. The red sky had darkened to deep purple. Night was coming. Daniel sat up, eyes wide with fear.

"What's happening?"

"Quiet." Kade cracked the door open.

Outside, chaos. Players running in every direction. Something was chasing them. Something big.

The system flickered.

[ZONE EVENT ACTIVATED: THE HUNT]

[ZONE BOSS RELEASED: WASTELAND REAPER]

[SURVIVE UNTIL DAWN OR ELIMINATE THE BOSS]

[TIME UNTIL DAWN: 6 HOURS]

A roar shook the ground. Deep. Inhuman. Kade saw it then. A creature the size of a truck. Grey skin. Four legs. Claws like swords. Red eyes scanning the desert.

It grabbed a running player. The man didn't even scream before he was torn in half.

[PLAYERS REMAINING: 98/100]

"Oh God," Daniel whispered behind him. "Oh God, oh God, oh God."

"Shut up." Kade closed the door slowly. "It hunts by sound and movement. Stay still. Stay quiet."

"That thing will find us!"

"Not if you stop talking."

Daniel clamped his mouth shut.

The creature moved across the sand, sniffing the air. It passed the bunker. Stopped. Kade held his breath. His grip tightened on the machete.

Seconds felt like hours.

Then it moved on, chasing easier prey.

Kade exhaled. "We need to move."

"Are you insane? That thing is out there!"

"It's hunting the open ground. If we stick to cover and move smart, we can reach the exit while it's busy with others."

Daniel looked sick. "You want to use them as bait?"

"I want to survive. You got a problem with that?"

Daniel said nothing.

"Good. Grab supplies. Water. Food. One knife. Nothing heavy." Kade checked the system.

[EXIT LOCATION: 7.8 KM NORTHWEST]

[RECOMMENDED PATH: ROCKY TERRAIN - LESS VISIBILITY]

[HOSTILE PLAYERS EN ROUTE: 12]

[WASTELAND REAPER: CURRENTLY 1.2 KM SOUTH]

They had a window. Small, but enough.

"Stay low. Follow my steps exactly. You fall behind, I'm not coming back for you."

Daniel nodded, face pale. "Understood."

They slipped out into the purple darkness.

The desert had transformed. The heat was gone, replaced by cold. Players' bodies dotted the sand. Some are torn apart. Some with knife wounds. The game was turning everyone into animals.

Kade moved fast but careful, using rocks and dunes for cover. Daniel kept pace, fear pushing him forward.

[HOSTILE PLAYER DETECTED: 50 METERS RIGHT]

Kade pulled Daniel behind a boulder. A figure crouched ahead, watching the path and waiting.

[PLAYER 67: MARCUS WEBB]

[WEAPON: KNIFE]

[KILLS: 2]

[THREAT LEVEL: MEDIUM]

"There's someone ahead," Kade whispered.

"How do you—"

"Trust me. Go around left. I'll handle it."

"Kade, maybe we should just—"

"Left. Now. Move when you hear noise."

Daniel crawled away into the shadows.

Kade picked up a rock. Throw it to the right side. It clattered against the stone.

Marcus spun toward the sound. "Who's there?"

Kade moved like a ghost. Silent. Fast. His arm wrapped around Marcus's throat before the man could turn back.

Marcus thrashed, trying to stab backward with his knife. Kade twisted his wrist until it snapped. The knife fell. The fight left Marcus's body seconds later.

[PLAYER 67 ELIMINATED]

[+75 EXP]

[OBSERVER'S EYE: 48%]

Kade let the body drop. He picked up the knife. Good blade. Sharp.

"Daniel. Clear."

The kid emerged from the shadows, staring at the body. "You killed him."

"He would have killed us."

"But—"

"But nothing." Kade grabbed Daniel's shoulder. "Listen to me. Everyone here signed the same contract. Everyone knew the risks. It's us or them. You understand?"

Daniel's jaw tightened. He looked at the body, then at Kade. Something hardened in his eyes. "Yeah. I understand."

"Good. Keep moving."

They pushed forward. The Reaper's roars echoed in the distance. More screams. More death.

[PLAYERS REMAINING: 97/100]

Twenty-one dead in hours. The zone was a meat grinder.

After an hour of careful movement, Kade spotted it. A massive gate built into a cliff face. Glowing blue lines. The exit.

"There," he said.

Daniel's face lit up. "We made it?"

"Not yet. Look."

A group had gathered near the gate. Six players. Armed. They weren't fighting. They were guarding.

"Toll booth," Kade muttered. "They're charging people to pass."

"Charging what? We don't have anything."

"Not money. Lives." Kade watched. A lone player approached the group. Words were exchanged. Then the group attacked. The player went down in seconds.

[PLAYERS REMAINING: 97/100]

"Animals," Daniel spat.

"Smart animals. Control the exit, control everything."

"So what do we do?"

Kade studied the group. Six was too many for a direct fight. But they were cocky. Relaxed. Not expecting real trouble.

The system pinged.

[OBSERVER'S EYE: 50%]

[NEW ABILITY UNLOCKED: WEAK POINT ANALYSIS]

[ACTIVATING...]

Suddenly, Kade could see it. Glowing spots on each player. Knees. Throats. Temples. Every vulnerable point lit up like a target.

He smiled.

"We wait for the Reaper."

Daniel blinked. "What?"

"It's still hunting. Still moving." Kade pointed south. "And it's heading this way."

As if on cue, a roar split the night,Closer now.

The group at the gate heard it too. Their confidence cracked. They started arguing.

"When the Reaper hits them, we run for the exit gate."

Daniel stared at him. "You're crazy."

"Maybe." Kade gripped his machete. "But I'm alive. And I plan to stay that way."

The ground shook.The Reaper appeared in front of the gate attacking toward the guards.

The guards scattered like roaches.

"Now!" Kade sprinted.

Daniel followed.

The gate loomed ahead,Blue light surrounded them.

[ZONE 1 COMPLETE]

[PLAYERS REMAINING: 95/100]

[WELCOME TO ZONE 2: THE FACILITY]

Kade let out a breath. One zone down. Nine to go.

Maya's face filled his mind. Hang on, little sister. I'm coming.