Rika, who had been running for several minutes, stopped her steps. She was panting, her red eyes continuously checking the surrounding forest.
'Did I run too far?'
Dozens of meters in front of her, she could see a flat terrain covered in dirt and rocks. The sound of explosions and the pounding of footsteps rumbled, causing her to jump onto the nearest tree and lean her back against the trunk.
Rika did not see any opponent from behind. However, her mind was always suspicious of everything, so she raised her rifle to scan her perimeters.
The rustling sound of trampled grass was heard from the right side, making her point the muzzle in that direction.
"Ah, dang it, I didn't know Abel was that strong."
A boy entered the forest, his expression twisted in frustration as he tightened the grip on his sword hilt.
'Abel!?'
Hearing Abel's name come out of the male cadet's mouth, her index finger that holds the trigger inexplicably loosens.
In that split-second carelessness, the male cadet turned to her position. His eyes widened, and he soon wanted to turn around.
"Damn it, a sniper is waiting."
However, Rika was not one to be bothered by a small mistake and mercilessly pulled the trigger in a crouched position.
Bang!
An explosion echoed, accompanied by the smell of sulfur burning her nose. Rika gritted her teeth, holding her breath due to the impact of the rifle stock hitting her numb right shoulder.
The bullet shot out, hitting the back of the male cadet's skull, who was thrown forward and disappeared, swallowed by the transportation light.
Even though the position she took was a bit awkward, as she never expected to meet an enemy directly without thorough preparation, she learned a lesson from this event.
'I need to strengthen my body.'
Her eyebrows furrowed, and she slowly released her cheek from the rifle stock. Rika leaned against the tree, regulating her heavy breathing.
She took the magazine from her rifle and saw that there were still bullets left inside.
"I have shot five, missed 2 and killed 3, which means four left in the magazine and one in the barrel."
With a 'click' sound, the girl reinserted the magazine and stood up. Her sharp red eyes surveyed the area, and she immediately ran from the spot.
'If I'm not mistaken, that boy said something about Abel. Is he around here?'
Unconsciously, her footsteps halted. She glanced to the right, where an open battlefield was taking place.
Rika swallowed to moisten her throat. Her body started to lean in that direction, but close gunshots suddenly drew her attention.
She crouched and pointed her rifle. Two cadets, a male and a female, were running into the forest. In their hands, they each held a pistol.
The moment her index finger touched the trigger, her eyes widened as she saw the two cadets actually engaging in a firefight that killed both of them simultaneously.
The red-haired girl raised her gaze. She shook her head, feeling exasperated by their behavior.
"Well, I better get going."
Rika stood up and started running, exploring through the thick forest. Yet sometimes her vision could not help but shift toward the open field where a wild battle was taking place.
Her eyes narrowed, seeing the cruelty between the cadets who did not hesitate to kill their friends, even though no blood was spilled.
A realization dawned on her like a bucket of cold water drenching her head. The girl bit her lip, trying to remind herself that the sight in front of her was only a simulation of the great war that was waiting beyond those walls.
It was a war for the survival of humanity, against a terrifying virus that consumed all living things on the planet.
Rika closed her eyes briefly, exhaling sharply, and opened her eyes. A sharp glint radiated from her red eyes. The hesitation that haunted her was gone, replaced by a scorching determination that boiled her blood.
"Haaap!"
A distant shout echoed, causing Rika to jump behind a tree immediately. She peeked from the side, and her pupils narrowed.
"Is that!?"
Her stopped feet continued with a tense expression that enveloped her heart.
***
While Cain and Rika had already gained their kill counts, the situation was different for Abel, who was still running around the battlefield, where dust, sand, and rocks were scattered from various sides.
"Damn it!"
"I got you, Abel!"
The green-haired male cadet grinned. He pulled the trigger of his assault rifle, which rapidly shot bullets that rained down on Abel as he ran in a circle.
Out of all the places he could have landed, Abel had to swallow the bitter pill of waking up right in the middle of an open field where shooters and other warriors immediately surrounded him.
Abel gripped the hilt of his sword tightly. His vision, which was blurred by the dust, narrowed as he tried to find something to protect himself from the siege.
'Why are all of them targeting me?'
The blonde boy still did not understand his position. His relationship with Cain and being constantly accompanied by a beautiful girl named Rika. Abel was often the subject of conversation among other cadets, especially the males.
It was not because of a grudge, but they just wanted to vent their envy when they saw Rika sticking to him like a wife.
Although they had worked hard and tried various ways to attract the attention of other female cadets, most of them only had eyes for Cain and Abel, who topped the ranks of guys they wanted to date.
This was the reason the boys were so enthusiastic about defeating Abel and proving themselves the best to win the attention of the girls.
Abel, who was running, raised his eyebrows when he heard the rumble subside and was accompanied by a 'clicking' sound.
'This is my chance.'
Abel's left foot struck the ground forcefully. In an instant, he shot forward like an arrow while lowering his posture.
"Wha!?"
The male cadet tensed and immediately threw his firearm to reach for the pistol on his thigh.
However, Abel moved faster, and because his body was somewhat close to the ground, his other hand grabbed a small pebble that he threw and hit his opponent's face.
The rock traveled at mach speed and hit the forehead of the black-haired man, causing him to lose consciousness for a moment. But a moment was enough time for Abel to shorten the distance.
Gripping the longsword in his hand, Abel swung it sideways, trying to split his opponent's body, who was thrown sideways and immediately disappeared from his sight.
His lips curled up, grinning because he got his first kill. Abel raised his gaze forward, observing the battlefield.
"I wonder how Rika and Cain are doing?"
Unbeknownst to him, from a distance, a bullet passed on his shoulder that grazed the protective barrier. His body tensed with dread, washing away the blood on his face. He turned to see where the shot came from.
From afar, Abel caught sight of a small hill with large boulders lined up, and behind them was someone's head merged with a sniper rifle.
A chill ran down his spine. Abel choked but managed to jump to the side. The ground where he stood exploded, scattering dirt that covered his body.
"Ukh, I shouldn't have lowered my guard."
Then, 'bang,' the sound of a trigger being pulled echoed in his ears. Abel held his breath, his eyes closed with regret as he realized that he would be eliminated before fulfilling his promise to defeat Cain.
Seconds passed, but the defeat he expected never came. Abel turned to the right, trying to peek over his shoulder, and widened his eyes when he found that the sniper had disappeared.
His body sprang back up. He slowly walked while being wary of his surroundings.
It was not long before he reached the hill full of rocks. But he did not find anyone there. He shifted his gaze, seeing a forest more than twenty meters from his position.
"Could it be?"
…
"Yeah, it was me, you idiot."
As if she could hear Abel's thoughts, Rika sighed and stood up. She lowered the muzzle of her rifle while lifting the corner of her lips.
"This will be the first and last time I will help you in this test."
Rika stood, her gaze focused on the blonde boy who stood stiff as a statue. She chuckled and ran through the forest to look for her next prey.
"Don't lose, Abel!"
Her footsteps were light; the words she spoke lingered in her heart like a distant echo, sending fire to her cheeks.