The sky tore with sound as the hangar burst open, and six figures plummeted toward the expansive, mist-veiled wilderness of the Western Forbidden Forest. The thick clouds below swirled with ominous energy, hinting at the dangers awaiting them beneath.
No boosters, no safety measures—just raw skill.
Sylvan and Alex led the plunge. Mid-air, Sylvan spun, a cyclone of wind coiling around his frame. He extended his limbs, redirecting the wind in a spiral. As he neared the ground, he twisted, one knee touching down first, his other foot planted in a rectangular stance. One palm pressed into the soil, hair fluttering wildly. Wind exploded from beneath him, scattering leaves and dirt.
Alex landed beside him moments later, his descent slowed by an invisible stream of levitation and wind energy. He hovered just above the earth before dropping lightly to one knee, his ice-blue hair glinting.
Farther east, Selene Fireheart and Kael Shadowsong descended like meteorites. Selene summoned a pillar of fire beneath her, flipping mid-air before riding the flames into a slow, poised landing. She twirled once, releasing the flame in a burst that cleared the area.
Kael, meanwhile, shrouded himself in writhing shadows. Shadow wings unfurled from his back as he disappeared from view, reappearing as a black mist above the ground before stepping into reality again, silent and still.
To the west, Eric Duran plunged in glowing arcs of energy. He turned into a bolt mid-fall, zigzagging downward before materializing just above the surface. His feet skidded across the earth, trails of lightning flaring beneath him.
With him was Koba Ironsoul—the powerful titan-ranked brawler. He activated Titan Skin mid-air and crashed down like a meteor, causing a crater to form. Stone and debris flew everywhere.
They were all in.
The Mission Begins
From high above, drones watched. A system message flashed before each participant.
[MISSION OBJECTIVE: LOCATE AND ELIMINATE HOSTILE CRIMINAL ELEMENTS – REMAINING ENEMIES: 5]
[PARTICIPANTS: 250,000 | STATUS: SPLIT]
Each of the top five (plus Koba) formed separate units, and their groups had been scattered over kilometers. Only through skill, survival, and instincts would they complete their mission.
Team 1: Sylvan & Alex – Deep Southern Zone
The forest here was dense with vines, enormous blackwood trees, and glowing fungi. Strange creatures lurked—beasts mutated by the energy saturation.
A screech echoed through the forest as a massive Crimson Vulturewolf swooped from the trees—its feathers like molten metal, its eyes glowing red.
"I've got this one," Sylvan said, unsheathing his katana.
[Fiery Sword Art – Fifth Form: Flame Crescents]
Flames spiraled around his blade as he dashed upward. A whirl of red engulfed the sky as the Vulturewolf screeched. One slash—an arc of searing fire—and the beast was cleaved in half.
"Still one-shotting creatures like that, huh?" Alex grinned, raising his katana.
[Frost Sword Art – Third Form: Flame Tornado]
He slashed horizontally, sending a shockwave of frost that froze several creeping Shadowfang Wolves that had silently emerged from the underbrush.
Suddenly, the ground beneath them warped, and they found themselves at the edge of a massive nest—a twisted hive built into the hillside, coated in sticky, silken strands that quivered with hidden life. Over twenty Hyena-Insect Horrors crawled in and out: hyena heads fused to insect bodies, their serrated legs clicking ominously.
"We've walked into their lair," Sylvan murmured, tension coiling in his gut.
Alex nodded. "Let's clear them out—quickly."
The two burst forward as the creatures charged.
[Battle Ensued]
Sylvan led with Fiery Sword Art – Sixth Form: Horizon Break, unleashing a flaming arc that cut through eight horrors in one sweeping strike.
Alex surged in, calling on Lightning Gale Assault, bolts of electricity dancing along his blade as he carved a path through the hive.
The queen of the nest, a monstrous hybrid the size of a bear, emerged with a deafening roar.
"Queen and king meet their match," Sylvan growled.
He channeled [Flame Vortex + Chaos Infusion], creating a spiraling storm of chaos-flame that roared through the hive, incinerating evils in its path. Alex followed with Glacial Coffin, freezing the beast's molten bulk in place.
Together they delivered the final blows, the hive collapsing in a shower of embers and silken threads.
[10 ATTRIBUTE POINTS GAINED – DAILY QUEST COMPLETE]
They breathed heavily as the ashes settled.
"That was only the first," Alex said.
Sylvan nodded, his aura still blazing. "Let's keep moving."
They pushed forward, following a strange magnetic energy signature.
Team 2: Selene & Kael – Eastern Shadowgrove
A bone-chilling hush fell as Selene and Kael stepped into the Shadowgrove. Bioluminescent vines curled overhead, dripping luminescent sap, and the air itself felt thick with living darkness.
"This place is... beyond unnatural," Selene whispered, eyes darting.
Without warning, a pride of Phantom Panthers emerged—sleek, spectral cats forged from living shadow, their eyes glinting with silver fire. They hissed in unison, forming a pincer movement.
Kael traced runes in the air.
[SHADOW BEAST ART – ECLIPSE HOUNDS]
Two hulking shadow hounds erupted from the ground, jaws dripping with brackish darkness.
Selene raised her hands, igniting twin flames in her palms.
"Sunflare Orb!"
A searing sphere of solar fire shot forward, incinerating three panthers instantly. The remaining shades recoiled, dissolving into drifting motes of shadow.
Before they could regroup, the ground convulsed. A towering Chimera of Dusk appeared, its leonine head roaring, serpent tail lashing, and goat horns dripping in inky venom.
Selene dropped into a warrior's stance, flames lacing her fists.
"Inferno Lotus Strike!"
She spun like a fiery lotus, petals of flame radiating outward, scorching the Chimera's scaled hide. Kael darted in the shadows, his blade a slash of pure night.
[Shadow Blade Art – Nightfall Crescent]
His crescent strike gutted the Chimera's serpent neck, releasing a burst of dark mist as the creature staggered.
Selene followed with a downward spear of flame that struck the Chimera's flank, its body erupting in an inferno.
With a final roar, the Chimera collapsed into ash and shadow.
[15 ATTRIBUTE POINTS GAINED – TEAM QUEST COMPLETE]
Selene and Kael exchanged determined nods before moving on.
[Eric and Koba's sections have been removed to focus on the remaining duo.]