CHAPTER 8
Max and Sera left the C-shaped building, their backpacks filled with ammunition, medical supplies, and grenades. The military base had been a bloodbath, but they had emerged victorious. Now, the rest of Erangel awaited them.
"Where to next?" Sera asked, reloading her UMP9. Her heart was still racing from the previous fight.
Max checked the map. "Let's head toward Pochinki. High loot, but also high risk. We'll get more fights there."
They moved carefully, weaving through the open fields. Sera crouched behind a rock, inspecting the details of the terrain. "The grass, the bullet drop, the wind direction... everything feels real. This level of detail isn't seen in F-rank games. This is C-rank level quality, something only high-ranking game developers with entire teams can create. How did you do this alone?"
Max smirked, but his focus remained on scanning the surroundings.
Sera's chat was going crazy:
"This game is breaking all limits!"
"Sera, ask Max how realistic the physics are!"
"I downloaded the game and it's INSANE."
Before she could respond, Max held up a hand. "Footsteps. North."
Sera raised her weapon, her excitement rising again. "Let's go."
They moved through a wheat field, keeping low. Ahead, near a broken wall, two enemies were looting a crate. Max signaled for Sera to take one while he took the other.
"On three," Max whispered. "One… two… three!"
Their guns roared in unison. The two enemies barely had time to react before they crumpled to the ground.
Kill Feed:
Max (M416) killed Team 19 Player 4. Sera (UMP9) killed Team 19 Player 3.
"That was clean," Sera said, looting their bodies. "We move?"
"We move."
They ran toward Pochinki, moving through Erangel's diverse terrain. Max tested the physics by tossing a smoke grenade downhill, watching how the wind carried it slightly off course. "See that? The physics system I built accounts for wind speed, terrain elevation, and even moisture in the air. The smoke disperses differently depending on all of those factors."
Sera's jaw dropped. "That level of realism is unheard of. Even top guilds don't have this tech yet."
The chat exploded:
"This dude reinvented gaming physics!"
"This can't be an F-rank developer. No way."
"Max, you're a monster. I'm uninstalling my other games."
They reached Pochinki, where the chaos was already in full swing. Bullets whizzed past as squads fought for control. Max and Sera flanked a three-story house, peeking through the windows.
"Squad inside," Max said. "Three players. One is watching the stairs, the other two are looting."
Sera grinned. "We push?"
"No. We make them come to us."
Max pulled out a grenade, counted three seconds, then tossed it into a window. The explosion rocked the house.
Kill Feed:
Max (Grenade) knocked Team 11 Player 2.
"They'll panic. Now, we rush."
Max leaped through the first-floor window while Sera stormed the stairs. The remaining two enemies had moved to revive their teammate, leaving them exposed. Max took down one instantly with an M416 burst, while Sera hip-fired the last one at close range.
Kill Feed:
Max (M416) killed Team 11 Player 3. Sera (UMP9) killed Team 11 Player 1.
"Textbook execution!" Sera cheered. "We should do this professionally."
They looted quickly and ran toward the road, spotting a motorcycle. Max grinned. "Time to test the stunts."
They hopped on, Max driving and Sera on the back. The moment the wheels touched the pavement, Max floored it. The bike's acceleration was smooth, its suspension realistic as it bounced over small rocks and dips in the road.
"This thing handles better than real-life bikes!" Sera laughed as they sped up a hill.
"Watch this!" Max said, hitting a ramp-like rock. The bike soared into the air, flipping midair before landing smoothly. The chat exploded:
"MAX IS A STUNT GOD!" "Physics engine = 100/100." "This is NOT an F-rank game. NO WAY."
Their fun was cut short as a convoy of cars appeared behind them. A squad in two Dacia cars was in pursuit, their rifles firing from the windows.
"They're hunting us!" Sera shouted.
Max skidded the bike, jumping off. "Let them chase us into the squad house. We'll trap them."
They sprinted into a nearby two-story building. Max's keen ears picked up the cars stopping outside. Footsteps followed—multiple pairs.
"Four-man squad. They're coming up."
Max pulled out three grenades. "We use their aggression against them. Watch."
The first grenade sailed down the stairs, landing at their feet. The explosion rocked the house, instantly knocking one enemy.
Kill Feed:
Max (Grenade) knocked Team 7 Player 1.
The rest of the team panicked and spread out. Max smirked. "Exactly what I wanted."
He anticipated their next moves, tossing a second grenade behind the wall where one had retreated. BOOM.
Kill Feed:
Max (Grenade) knocked Team 7 Player 2.
"They're panicking!" Sera laughed, watching them scramble.
The last two enemies hesitated, checking their corners. They met eyes for a brief second before the third grenade landed between them.
Kill Feed:
Max (Grenade) killed Team 7 Player 3. Max (Grenade) killed Team 7 Player 4.
The entire squad had been wiped before they even fired a shot.
Sera stared at Max in awe. "You didn't even see them. You just knew where they'd go."
Max shrugged. I am a pro.
Her chat went insane:
"MAX IS A STRATEGIC GENIUS!" "No wonder this game is next level." "I need to learn how to grenade like that."
They left the squad house, their names dominating the kill feed. Erangel was theirs to conquer, and the match was far from over.