I looked at my team. Some of them exchanged confused glances, others looked surprisingly composed.At least they're not panicking. Calm is good. I can work with calm.
But one thing still bugged me.Why did the status window show my race? Are we really going to fight something… not human?Well… we'll find out in less than five minutes.
"Listen up," I said, my voice sounding steadier than I expected."I don't think any of us understands why we're here or what exactly is happening—except what the window told us. So, if someone has any experience with combat… or anything useful, now's the time."
A woman stepped forward. Round glasses, long black hair flowing naturally over her shoulders. Her expression was unnaturally calm — grounded, composed.
"My name is Elena Vasquez. I'm 20 years old, and my ability is Healing Rain. It basically creates a zone that slowly heals injuries. I can use it anytime I want, but it only lasts for twenty seconds."
Healing. Calm. Rational. Reliable.She'll keep us alive… and grounded.
Next, a tall guy in a gray jacket stepped forward. Posture tense. Eyes sharp, like he was ready to punch something just to test it. He ran a hand through his messy dark blond hair and spoke.
"My name's Marco Rosetti. I'm 21. My ability is Berserk Charge."He paused, smirking — confident, maybe a little too much."It boosts my speed and strength for ten seconds, lets me jump higher, hit harder. But once it ends, my vision gets messed up for a while. Can only use it once per round."
Power, speed, unpredictability. Frontline.Definitely a handful.But also very useful.
Then, a quieter presence. A girl stepped closer — slow, deliberate. Short ash-brown hair, steady green eyes that seemed to look through, not at people.
"Iris Walter. Nineteen."She paused briefly."Echo Sense.""It lets me send three sound pulses that scan areas. They reveal enemy positions — movement, numbers, distance. But only once per round."
She didn't smile. She didn't even blink.Information. Vision. Intel. Maybe the most valuable thing in any team.A battlefield without intel is just chaos. With her? Controlled chaos.
Then all eyes shifted to the last one — the guy lounging against the glowing stone wall like he owned the place. Hands in his pockets, shaggy black hair partly covering his eyes, grin casual, annoyingly calm.
"Kai Nakamura. Nineteen. Ability is called False Reality."He didn't move, just spoke — smooth, relaxed."I can create illusions — fake footsteps, gunshots, even phantom players. They look and sound real, but they don't do damage. Just mess with your head."He tilted his head, smirking."Can use it three times per round, but with a one-minute cooldown."
Illusions. Deception. Distraction.He's dangerous… even without a gun.
I took a slow breath.Healing. Strength. Detection. Deception. And me — an unpredictable wildcard.
Maybe… maybe we actually stand a chance.
I realized they were all looking at me now. Expectant. Curious. A little anxious.
I stepped forward.
"My name is Lucas Reinhardt. Eighteen years old. My ability is called Copy/Paste."
Their reactions were subtle—but clear. Elena's eyebrow rose. Marco gave a low whistle. Iris studied me closely. And Kai?He just smirked. Like he'd known all along.
"At first, I thought about hiding it," I admitted. "But that would be stupid. You're the only allies I've got right now."
"It lets me copy any ability before the start of a round and use it for the rest of that round.""And… I was a trainee in the military for two years. So if you have any questions about the guns, you can just ask me."
That definitely got them.
"Military?" Marco muttered, sounding impressed.
Elena adjusted her glasses, visibly relieved. "So at least one of us knows how not to shoot themselves."
Kai leaned back, amused. "Copy/Paste and real combat experience? Our dear gods must be feeling generous."
I ignored him.
"Anyway — we should start planning how we're going to play this. Five minutes is not enough time to think of a strategy and adjust to the new surroundings."
They nodded and stepped in, forming a loose circle.
"About the guns," Elena asked hesitantly. "How do we even use them?"
"Actually… I'm not sure," I admitted. "This seems like some kind of magic-themed shooter. So maybe we buy them from the shop. Reload by thinking reload, maybe?"
Four heads turned to me — unimpressed.
Didn't you just say you know about this shit?
Yeah. I did say that. Pretty confidently.
I cleared my throat."But when it comes to how to aim, you can count on—"
RING.
A sharp bell sound cut through the air.
"The first round begins. Good luck."
Damn it. I didn't copy anyone's ability.
Well… too late now.
"Looks like we're on the attacking side," I said quickly. "So we move together. Quietly. The enemy won't expect a full group push."
They nodded.
Well — most of them.
Marco cracked his neck, smirking — excitement burning in his eyes.
Yeah… that guy will definitely be a problem.