Chapter 10 : The Rise of the Predator
The balls whizzed through the air, faster and fiercer with every second. Sweat dripped down Dagda's forehead as he kept moving, his score flashing 61. One more dodge and it would all be over.
"I will become a Predator," Dagda muttered under his breath.
Closing his eyes, he shut out the noise and chaos. He felt it the shifts in air pressure, the faint sounds of spinning rubber sensed every incoming ball. With fluid movements, Dagda slipped, ducked, and rolled, avoiding every strike without even looking.
Muscle, dodging nearby, gaped at him.
"How the hell are you doing this?!" he shouted.
Dagda smiled faintly, still moving. "I don't know… I just closed my eyes."
Before Muscle could answer, a black, shadowy creature lunged from the corner of the hall, grabbing Dagda mid-dodge. Its gaping jaws opened wide, ready to consume him.
"Dagda!" Muscle roared.
In one powerful leap, Muscle tackled the monster, ripping Dagda free. Around them, dozens of monsters clawed their way into the arena, snarling and hunting.
The test had changed.
Luna wasted no time. Her blades gleamed under the harsh lights as she unleashed a flurry of Lunar Slashes, piercing monster skulls clean through. Blood splattered the floor. Muscle, however, wasn't so lucky an incoming ball smacked him on the side of the head, sending him stumbling.
"Argh!" he grunted, clutching his head in pain.
Seeing his friend hurt, something inside Dagda snapped. He clenched his fists, slammed them into the ground, and a shockwave erupted outward. Monsters were sent flying, crashing into walls like broken dolls.
BEEP!
The timer struck zero.
A crackling voice spoke from the speakers overhead.
"Congratulations. Phase Two cleared. Prepare for Phase Three."
Muscle exhaled deeply. "Finally… but damn, what's next?"
Luna sheathed her weapons. "Maybe a one-on-one battle?"
Dagda's eyes lit up. "One-on-one? Shit, that's gonna be awesome!"
A metallic screech echoed as a train pulled up outside the arena. The survivors boarded, the atmosphere tense. As Dagda stepped inside, he felt eyes burning into him. Aidan sat across the aisle, glaring.
Dagda glared back. Muscle leaned closer and whispered, "That bastard's suspicious. Watch your back."
The train screeched to a halt, and they stepped out into a new landscape a sprawling island covered in thick forests and craggy mountains. The sea crashed violently against the shores.
The announcer's voice boomed.
"Welcome to Phase three. You will be divided into teams of three. Your mission: survive on this island for 48 hours and retrieve three Almighty Stones hidden across the terrain. If you can't find them, steal them from other teams. Good luck!"
Muscle groaned. "This is gonna be a damn pain…"
Dagda grinned. "Hey, teams of three. We already have three people."
But the announcer continued.
"Team One: Santo, John, Haraki.
Team Nineteen: Luna, Muscle, Pedro."
Dagda's smile dropped. "Wait... what?"
Muscle clapped him on the back. "Good luck, man."
Dagda's name echoed next.
"Team Twenty: Aidan, Dagda, Fade."
Dagda's heart sank. Seriously? This guy?!
He threw a wary glance at Aidan, who smirked coldly, then turned away. Fade remained silent, his eyes hidden under a dark hood.
"This is gonna be hell..." Dagda muttered under his breath.
The groups were given basic supplies maps, compasses, and survival kits then released into the wild.
As Dagda trudged into the dense forest alongside his "team," he whispered, "If these bastards try anything... they'll regret it."
The Predator Exam had truly begun.
This time, it wasn't just about skill.
It was about trust, betrayal, and survival.