Chapter 5.) The New Squad

Five minutes had passed since Inorin and Yuri Zulu started looking for Koeda.

The duo searched endlessly to no avail.

When the clock reached 25 minutes, Yuri decided that it was time to give up the search. 3 players had escaped since they started searching, one of which logged out and will have to do the 2nd exams over.

If they had been able to wait the last couple of minutes out, they would've joined back with the 3rd exam.

"I think she died in battle, it's been too long, we might as well stop looking." Yuri argued

"I can't believe she died on the 2nd exam. I barely knew her but she didn't strike mii as weak" Inorin said attempting to comfort himself.

"Who died on the 2nd exam, Rin?" A unknown voice said from behind them.

Both Inorin and Yuri turned around wondering who said that.

"Umm…K-Koeda?" Yuri asked unsure who this person was.

She wasn't wearing her cat mask but still had the hood on covering her bright red hair.

"Who died Rin?" The girl questioned again.

"Koeda! Y-you died." Inorin said surprised

*The 3rd exam will consist of 4 man teams in a 10 kilometer vertical and horizontal traditional battle royale.

It will start in 2 minutes, please form your squads.*

A message popped up in everyone's face.

There were 208 total players after the 2nd Exam so 52 full teams could be completed.

"If we form a squad we will have three but we need four people to have an actual team." Inorin stated

"How about we just form a squad then we can go can go around to find a fourth." Koeda suggested.

"Alright, Yuri form the team, oh where are my manners?" Inorin exclaimed

"Koeda this is Yuri, he is a Berserker and will be our tank. Yuri this is Koeda, she is a-"

Inorin had stopped himself remembering that Koeda never actually told anything about herself aside from her name.

"I'm an Phantom Rogue." Koeda interrupts finishing his sentence

While searching for Koeda he had pulled up her Stat Card to see what class she was. He simply didn't want her to know he looked prior to them meeting back up.

*You have received a party invite.*

Inorin and Koeda both accepted Yuri's squad invite

"Alright let's split up to find a fourth." Said Koeda

"Split up? But how will we find each other again?" Inorin asked

"Easy! Look in your inventory, you have a map that shows party member's location at all times." Koeda instructed

'So you're telling mii that all we had to do in order to find Koeda was invite her to a party.'

"So Yuri, why didn't you think of that?"

"I didn't know that. I skipped most of the tutorial other than the fighting stuff." Yuri rebutted

"Hey forget all that, we need to find a fourth now. We only have less than a minute." Koeda ordered

The trio split up to look for a new teammate. 30 seconds later, Yuri found a player to join. He added the player then sent a message to meet back up.

"What class are they?" Koeda replied to the message.

Yuri linked the new teammate's account with Inorin and Koeda.

Name: Yūkinari

Title: Dark Mage

Class: Mage

Sub-Class: Dimension Walker

Level: 13

Attributes: *Click to view details*

Health: 225

Constitution: 210

Strength: 155

Karma: 300

Dexterity: 225

Intelligence: 220

Willpower:200

Perception:245

Luck: 170

Inorin got a bad feeling when he saw their level but also got really excited after seeing 'Dimension Walker.'

'What kind of skills would I get if a stole from them?' He thought diabolically

While everyone was regrouping, they were teleported onto the 3rd exam phase map. All squads were spawned in randomized locations with all of their teammates.

There was a suburban area, a big industrial city packed full of abandoned buildings, a grassy plain, a arena football field, and a old nuke-destroyed town separated by a mountain.

Each area was 2 kilometers wide. The suburban area had houses full of meds and other supplies.

The abandoned city had skyscrapers that were some of the highest places on the entire map and made for great vantage points.

The grassy plain had 6 foot weeds that made good cover.

The football arena had a inside and a place under the field which granted good hideouts.

The nuke-destroyed town was the worst area on the map for anyone without poison immunity to withstand the radiation. Which is why it was separated by a mountain.

Each location was taken from somewhere on the full-game's map

'Every time a player gets a kill their location is pinned on the map for all other player to see.'

"Looks like introductions are going to have to be cut short." Inorin states

"I'm Koeda, he's Inorin, and you already met Yuri." Koeda introduced everyone to the female in front of her.

"Yūkinari, but just call me Yūki." The girl replied

'Why did she call Aether "Inorin"? Yuri wondered

"Alright, lets get a move on, we're sitting ducks out here." Inorin ordered

The group spawned in the south suburban area dead in the middle of the street.

They walked to the nearest house, a green two story, and all went inside.

"Ok let's come up with a gameplan, shall we?" Koeda suggested

"If we give everyone a role to play we might do good together."

"Yeah then maybe can actually win this thing!" Yuri states excitedly

"Why would we want to focus on winning?" Yuki asks

"To pass the 3rd exam obviously." Yuri explains

'There's 208 players if only one team could win then the final exam would be of only 4 people at the max. Making 204 players have to start the entire exam over from the beginning. There's no way that could happen.' Inorin thought to himself.

"Didn't you read the rules, Yuri? There are multiple winners, the first 69 individual players to get 3 kills move on to the next phase." Koeda articulates

"I see, but then if that's the case then what's the point of teams?" Yuri questions

"Well for one, your teammates can watch your back. Two, If one of your teammates gets more than 3 kills they can gift you those extra kills. That also eliminates kill stealing and assisted kills." Yuki buts in to answer.

"Hey someone right near us just got a kill, look at your maps!" Inorin says interrupting

"We should go after them while their guard is down, but be cautious of their teammates nearby." Koeda replied

"Alright let's go, Yuri you take point, Yukinari and I will watch your back, and Koeda will watch from the shadows." Inorin ordered