Two days passed after the Second Stage.
Of the 210 participants who passed the First Stage,only 97 made it through the Second Stage. The rest were disqualified. Some lost consciousness. Others were unable to complete the task because they were too shaken by the hallucinations.
Rin spent those two days trying to forget her mother's voice that kept echoing in her head.But the voice never truly disappeared. Every time she was almost asleep, the voice came again. Like a distant whisper she couldn't ignore.
Akira hadn't spoken much since the mental test.He still joked occasionally, but his eyes looked emptier. As if something inside him was broken.
On the morning of the third day, the announcement came.
"All participants who passed the Second Stage are required to gather at the Training Facility,Sector 3, at 08:00. Team assignments will be made. The Third Stage begins tomorrow."
Rin and Akira arrived on time.
The facility was filled with the 97 participants.Faces that were becoming familiar, though most were still strangers. The atmosphere was different from before. No one looked confident anymore. Everyone seemed tired, wary, and a little paranoid.
The Second Stage had changed something within them.
On the stage at the front,Commissioner Lian stood in her black-silver uniform. Beside her was Instructor Yashida. And several other officers Rin didn't know.
Lian began in a formal tone.
"Good morning.All of you have passed two stages of selection. Which means you possess the basic abilities to survive, both physically and mentally." She paused for a moment, looking over the entire room. "But Frontliners do not work alone. You will work in teams."
A large screen behind Lian lit up,displaying the Frontliner organizational structure.
"Each team consists of 6 people.The composition has been determined by us based on the analysis results from the two previous stages. Physical ability, mental fortitude, and... biological characteristics."
Rin felt something unsettling about that last word.
Biological characteristics?
Lian continued."The Third Stage is a Yellow Zone simulation. You will be placed in an area replicating real conditions. Spore mist, Class-D and C monsters, and environmental obstacles. Your mission: Survive for 6 hours and reach the evacuation point."
The crowd began to murmur.Six hours was far longer than the previous tests.
"Teams that fail to reach the evacuation point will be disqualified,"Lian added firmly. "And remember. This is a simulation, but the monsters inside are real. You can get hurt. You can die."
Total silence.
"Now,please watch the screen to see your team assignments."
The screen flickered,displaying a long list.
Rin quickly searched for her name.
TEAM 07:
Rin Asakura.Sector-7
Kurohana Mei.Sector-3
Jian Feng.Tianlu-07 (Relocated)
Hayato Shun.Sector-2
Kaiyu Rin.Sector-4
Akira Shen.Sector-7
Rin sighed in relief.At least Akira was still on her team.
But then she saw Kurohana Mei's name on the list.
Her.
The girl who gave her the ointment.The girl who said they "might need each other."
Rin glanced towards the crowd.And found Mei standing in a corner, staring at her with a flat expression. As if she already knew they would be on the same team.
Was this...a coincidence?
Lian continued.
"You have one hour to meet with your team and formulate a strategy.After that, you will receive a technical briefing. Use your time wisely."
The screen went dark.
The crowd began to disperse,looking for their respective team members.
One hour later, Team 07 Preparation Room
Rin arrived first.A small room with one long table, six chairs, and a wall screen displaying a basic map of the Yellow Zone.
Akira entered a few seconds later,sitting next to Rin without saying much.
Then came a tall,large young man with dark brown hair. Jian Feng. His body was muscular, covered in scars, and he carried a large backpack that looked heavy. He tossed his bag onto the floor with a loud thud. Then sat leaning against the wall.
"Jian Feng,"he said curtly. No smile. "Tianlu-07."
Rin nodded."Rin. Sector-7."
"Akira.Also Sector-7."
Jian glanced at them both with an appraising look."Sector-7... means you're used to a hard life."
"You could say that,"Akira answered.
Jian smiled slightly.But it wasn't a friendly smile. More like the smile of someone accustomed to death.
The door opened again.
Entered a skinny teenager with thick glasses and messy light brown hair.Hayato Shun. He carried a large data tablet and looked nervous. His eyes moved quickly, as if analyzing every corner of the room.
"S-sorry,"he said with a slight bow. "I'm... Hayato Shun. Sector-2."
"Relax,"Rin said. "We're all new."
Shun nodded quickly.Then sat at the end of the table. Immediately opened his tablet and started reading data.
Jian looked at Shun skeptically."You... a scientist?"
"I-I'm a junior researcher in the dome's biology division,"Shun answered without looking up from his tablet. "But I'm not good at fighting."
"Yeah,that's obvious," Jian muttered.
The door opened again.
This time,a girl with short silver-white hair and bright blue eyes entered. She smiled broadly, as if unaffected by the tense atmosphere in the room.
"Hello everyone.I'm Kaiyu Rin. Yep, my name's the same as hers." She pointed at Rin cheerfully. "But you can call me Kai so there's no confusion."
The atmosphere eased a little.Though Jian still didn't smile.
Kai sat in the middle,still with her cheerful smile. "Wow, we're a... uh... diverse team, huh?"
"Diverse or chaotic?"Jian muttered.
"Both,"Akira answered with a faint smile.
The door opened for the last time.
Kurohana Mei entered.Silent. Didn't greet anyone. Went straight to a corner and sat with an upright posture like a soldier. Her dark red eyes observed everyone in the room with a sharp gaze.
No one spoke for a moment.
Then Mei spoke up.Her flat tone broke the silence.
"We have six hours to survive in the Yellow Zone simulation.That means we need a strategy. Not just running aimlessly."
Jian looked at Mei with a challenging gaze."And you think you can be the leader?"
"I didn't say I'm the leader,"Mei answered calmly. "But if no one starts talking, we'll waste time."
Jian was silent.Then nodded slowly. "Fair enough."
Rin finally spoke up."Mei's right. We need role assignments."
She looked at each one."Jian. You're the strongest physically. You'll be the vanguard."
"Okay,"Jian answered curtly.
Rin continued."Shun. You have a data tablet. That means you're an analyst. You focus on the map and route."
Shun nodded quickly."R-right."
"Kai.You said you're a navigator, right?"
"Yep,"Kai answered cheerfully. "I can read wind and particle patterns. Useful for detecting monsters from afar."
"Good.You'll be our eyes."
Rin then glanced at Akira."You're fast. You'll be mid-range attacker. Support Jian from the side."
Akira nodded."Okay."
Mei added."I'll be close-range support. Knives and spore sensors." She then looked at Rin. "And you?"
Rin was silent for a moment.
What's my role?
Jian answered before Rin could speak."You're the strangest among all of us, Rin." He looked at Rin sharply. "I saw your selection recording. You can 'read' monster movements. So... you'll be the brain. You make the critical decisions."
Rin looked at Jian.Then slowly nodded. "Okay. I accept that."
Mei looked at Rin longer than the others.As if there was something she wanted to say, but held back.
Kai clapped her hands."Wow. We already have a formation. I like this team."
Jian smiled faintly.For the first time. "Don't get too happy yet. We haven't started."
Shun raised a small hand."U-um... I have one question."
"What?"Rin asked.
"If...if we encounter a monster we can't fight... what should we do?"
Silence for a moment.
Then Jian answered in a flat tone."Run as fast as you can. And hope the others are slower than you."
Shun swallowed.
Akira added in a more serious tone."Or we make sure no one gets left behind."
Rin looked at all her team members.Six people from different backgrounds. With personalities that clearly wouldn't be easy to unite.
But they had to cooperate.
Or they would die.
"Okay,"Rin said. "We have time until tomorrow morning. Use it to rest and mentally prepare. Tomorrow. We enter the Yellow Zone."
That night, Sector-7 Dormitory
Rin lay on her bed,staring at the cracked ceiling. Akira was already asleep in the next bed, snoring softly.
But Rin couldn't sleep.
She thought about her team.
Jian Feng.A man who survived a collapsed dome. There was something hard in his eyes. As if he had seen too much death.
Hayato Shun.A smart kid who was too nervous. He would be a burden if he couldn't control his fear.
Kaiyu Kai.Too cheerful for a situation like this. But maybe that was her way of surviving. By not letting the darkness touch her.
Akira.Her best friend. But Rin could feel that Akira was hiding something since the Second Stage.
And Kurohana Mei.The girl who knew too much. The girl who looked at her as if she already knew a secret that Rin herself didn't understand.
Rin closed her eyes.
And for the first time in two days...she didn't dream of the fungal forest.
She dreamed of her team.Running through the mist, chased by something big. Something they couldn't see.
And at the edge of that mist...
Someone was waiting.
Someone with a face like Rin's.