15 minutes wasn't nearly enough to plan for what's about to come. If anything, it just served to prolong the agony and make the participants more anxious.
Each team looked at the map, which was still displayed on the big screen as the countdown ticked. They were doing their best to memorize the map, but what's on screen was just a general map, not a detailed one, and that's probably on purpose.
They were frantically discussing what should they do if they happen to spawn in a disadvantageous biome...which is a bit weird because the Verdant Expanse, as a whole, doesn't seem too friendly for humans.
What really made them feel the pressure was the fact that this is actually happening now. This tournament, this competition, it's real; it has stakes, which forces them to do well, and the expectations on their shoulders felt heavy.
