Thankfully, Lucian figured out how the organs worked pretty easily. All someone had to do was channel some mana into the organ, and it would filter out the toxic air. If you pushed more mana into it, you’d shift.

  Viviana and her team thought about going back to retrieve the organs from the blue hounds they killed earlier. They decided to do it– but leave Bena alone within the circle to keep on generating points using the flags.

  Speaking of flags, they now had five of them in total. Two original flags from Viviana’s and Lucian’s team, one looted off the first group they fought, and two looted from the two teams that figured out you could shift using the organs.

  It had to amount to a great deal of points.

  Viviana and Lucian came to an agreement– at the end of orientation, Lucian would receive two flags, and Viviana’s team would receive three. If they defeated any more teams, then whoever dealt the final blow to the team would receive the flags they had.

  It was a simple agreement, and one that should’ve been hashed out earlier. But now it felt right. They didn't acknowledge it, but the two teams trusted each other a little more.

  It didn’t take long for Viviana, Thomas, and Lucian to attain some more blue hound organs. Now they had four in total, meaning everyone had one. By the time they regrouped with Bena, the flags issued another announcement.

  It was time for the circle to shrink.

  The team decided to stay on the blue side. Turns out that the mana consumption to filter the toxic air on the red side wasn’t much, but it was certainly draining. It was why the team they fought didn’t use many skills. They simply didn’t have enough mana after staying on the red side for so long.

  Instead, they decided to keep the organs as a back up plan– if they needed to flee the fight, they could use their remaining mana to traverse the red side before returning to the blue side in a safer location.

  With the circle shrinking, the team had no choice but to step into the territory of The Follower, the level fourteen monster that impaled corpses on trees. Yet something was wrong.

  The Follower was missing.

  Lucian seemed the most on edge. He was the only one to have seen The Follower, after all, and was the only one on his team to survive it. He posed some theories. Perhaps The Follower was fighting another group. Perhaps it was on the other side of its territory. Perhaps it was dead.

  Who could have killed it? The Hunter, probably. The person that we tortured mentioned The Hunter.

  As they walked deeper and deeper into The Follower’s territory, the sinking feeling of dread got clearer and clearer.

  Bena stopped, causing the entire team to freeze in their tracks. “Three people, up ahead! Behind those two hills!”

  Viviana looked in that direction, but couldn’t see anything but rolling hills and grass. Turns out they were hidden from sight lines, at least in this location. If they didn’t have Bena, they would’ve emerged from the hill at the same time, right in front of each other. Viviana was thankful that her teammate was so useful.

  Viviana told Bena to quickly shift to the red side. Whereas the blue side had poor sightlines, the red side was crystal clear, and had an unobstructed view into the blue side.

  “Check if there's anyone else close by. I don’t wanna get ambushed from the red side again,” Viviana said.

  Bena saluted and shifted. She came back in a couple seconds. “Nope! Nobody except them!”

  Viviana nodded. “Do they have blue hound organs?”

  “Nope!”

  Viviana processed this information.

  The team they fought previously had a peculiar cross-team strategy. They would have one team of three on the blue side, acting vulnerable. When an enemy team took the bait, they’d shift over from the red side in an ambush.

  In the last fight, Viviana’s team wiped six people. Three of them used organs to shift.

  But something’s off. When we first entered The Follower’s territory, we saw a corpse tree with six blue hounds impaled and cut open. We killed three organ-users. That means there’s three blue hound organs unaccounted for. If that means another team of six, three baits and three ambushers…

  If that’s true, then we could potentially face a team of six in the future. We’ll be outnumbered. Perhaps it's best to talk to this team, and see if they’re interested in teaming up?

  Viviana explained this to her teammates. They were mostly onboard with the idea, but Lucian seemed on edge. She understood. Getting more teammates meant more backs to watch.

  It was decided. With not enough information, the team decided to get closer, fanning out slightly so they could surround the enemy. They would try to talk. If they could team up, they’d have enough numbers to face a potential team of six. If they refused, they’d just kill them.

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  Interestingly enough, the enemy team didn’t seem to have a scout. Either that, or Bena’s was just really strong, because the enemy team showed no sign of detecting them. This realization further cemented that this was the correct move. If need be, they had the element of surprise.

  The team creeped through the grass, getting closer and closer.

  Viviana led the pack. Viviana gave a signal, and her teammates placed the blue hound organs in their mouths, just in case.

  Viviana stood up from her crouched position in the grass and walked forward. Her teammates, slightly spread out, stayed lower. Slightly behind but ever circling.

  The enemy team noticed her. Due to the rising and falling hills they were only ten meters apart. We could’ve killed them all, she thought. Instead, she said “Hello”.

  Instantly the enemy team drew their swords. Two guys and a girl, tense and on edge. The girl seemed to recognize her. “Adler-Stern?”

  “I haven’t introduced myself before, but yes.”

  “Your reputation precedes you. Where’s the rest of your team?” the girl said, eyeing the bushes suspiciously. The way she stood reminded her of someone. Black hair, black eyes, warrior’s stance. Someone who held a sword and knew how to use it.

  “They’re in the bushes, scuttling about.”

  She narrowed her eyes, glancing around some more. Viviana couldn’t tell if she could see them. Viviana couldn’t. The dim blue side made shadows dance everywhere, even during day time.

  The girl spoke. “If you wanted to kill us, you would’ve done so. So you wish to talk. Speak, then.”

  “We wish to-”

  “Selenne?” A voice from the bushes. Lucian.

  “Lucian?” the girl responded.

  Lucian got out of the bush. He was a lot closer than expected. Viviana noted this. Maybe we don’t even need the red side, if they don’t have scouts.

  Lucian walked forward, arms spread wide like he wanted a hug.

  The girl immediately drew her sword and slashed downwards towards his head. Viviana jumped forward, activating [dash] while simultaneously drawing her blade to deflect the blow.

  Thomas and Bena surged out the bush, swords already moving towards their adversaries.

  Viviana's eyes widened as the girl turned, intercepting her sword. Then, with an extended leg the girl interrupted Viviana’s [dash], causing all of her momentum to fly into the bottom of her combat boot.

  Viviana tumbled back, pulled herself back into a stance, but it was too late. Lucian was…

  A sound reminiscent of a metal pipe echoed throughout the silent blue side. The girl had hit Lucian with the blunt side of her sword.

  Lucian rubbed his head as the girl chastised him. “What did I say about hugging me every time we meet? We’re adults now! Adults!

  “...yeah, but what am I supposed to do when I see my younger sibling?” Lucian said, still rubbing his head. A nasty bruise was already forming and dissipating. Soulbound regeneration.

  “I’m the older one!”

  Lucian shook his head. “We’re not arguing this. I’m older. In any case, let’s team up.”

  “Huh? With you is fine, but what’s with these chumps?!”

  Viviana was slightly offended. Yet, assessing the situation, getting an insult instead of an injury was far better than what could have happened. She didn’t notice it before, but both Bena and Thomas were pushed back easily and were now staring at the strange scene before them. If it came to fight they would’ve lost, even with the first strike advantage.

  “They’re useful. Besides, we need to team up. We think there’s a six man team out there. They’ve probably got these things,” Lucian said, holding out a blue hound organ. “That allows them to shift at will, and stay on the red side. There’s also someone called The Hunter out there. They’re somehow involved in all that.”

  The girl nodded. “How’d you get those?”

  “We killed some people who had them, took one, and got the others from blue hounds we killed.”

  The girl thought for a second. She opened her mouth to speak again, but Bena interrupted, causing all eyes to turn to her. “You two know each other?!”

  Lucian tried to pull the girl into a half hug. “Yes, this is my twin sister, Selenne! She’s really smart, but also mean!”

  Selenne somehow dodged out of the half hug and reappeared in front of Bena. Bena found her feet off the ground as the taller girl held her. “Why are you so small and fluffy?”

  “Wha- What?! Put me down!”

  Selenne held her up to the sun, sparkle in her pitch black eyes. Bena kicked and struggled and couldn’t get out. Thomas looked like he wanted to help but wasn’t sure how to.

  Viviana hyperfocused on Selenne’s footwork. She was fast. Viviana was certain she couldn’t beat her in a fair fight. Where did this monster come from?

  After a while Selenne put Bena down, and the two teams began talking to each other with their guards lowered– but not down.

  In any case, it looked like the team-up was running smoothly. Selenne asked more about The Hunter. Lucian explained everything they knew. Viviana asked Selenne about what they encountered. Her explanation didn’t yield anything new. She didn’t know about The Hunter, where The Follower was, or if there really was a six man team roaming around with blue hound organs.

  Selenne also introduced her two lackeys. Viviana immediately forgot their names. They were oddly loyal to her, and didn’t say anything to anyone else but her. Suspicious, but what could she do about it?

  They were now a seven man team, consisting of three smaller teams. Viviana, Thomas, and Bena. Selenne and her two lackeys. Lucian.

  If they had to fight a six-man team in a straight fight, they now had a chance. The mood seemed high. Viviana seemed the same as ever, but internally she was brooding. Plotting.

  Selenne brought up what they’d do at the end of the activity. How would they divide up the flags? Lucian suggested the same agreement that he and Viviana had– whoever killed the last member of the enemy team claimed all the flags that team had. Selenne agreed, and Viviana was forced to as well. Disagreeing wouldn’t look good if she had already extended the same terms to Lucian.

  But that was when Lucian was alone, and Viviana had two teammates. Now, by the looks of it, Lucian had three.

  Selenne and Lucian had every motive to betray them. Selenne had two flags, Lucian had two flags. Viviana had three. If this team of seven outlived every other team, Viviana’s team would have the most points, unless Selenne and Lucian decided to do something about it.

  Bena and Thomas didn’t seem to share her concerns.

  Viviana didn’t like it.