AP(EX) Technomancer

The system voice boomed across the arena, its synthetic tone slicing through the simulated jungle's unnatural stillness.

"Congratulations to the remaining rookies. Phase Two begins now: Survival of the Fittest. The updated map will now display all rookies' locations and the number of tags they possess. Seniors' positions remain concealed. Good luck."

As the announcement ended, my HUD flickered, and the map on the display became overlaid with glowing markers: red dots representing rookies, and the number of collected tags hovering ominously above each one.

Our marker burned brighter than the rest—13 tags, 115 points.

A beacon practically screaming, "Come and get us."

Atlas slowly shook his head and let out a low chuckle, his lanky frame leaning casually against a nearby tree as he scanned the map with a grin.

He looked like he'd gone slightly mad. One minute, he was groaning under the pressure, and the next, he was laughing, before finally resigning himself to find humor in the situation.

"Well, this just keeps getting better and better," he quipped, his cheerful tone doing little to mask the tension in the air. "They might as well roll out a red carpet with fireworks. 'Come hunt the high-scorers!'"

He wasn't wrong. It wasn't just the seniors we had to worry about—the other rookies would also come for us, eager to bolster their scores.

I opened my system interface, its familiar blue panels glowing softly in my vision. A notification blinked at the top.

[Phase Two Objectives]

Survive the remaining duration of the phase.

Maintain or increase your score.

Minimum score required for advancement: 20 points.

Current Team Score:

Tags: 13

Points: 115

"Relax," I said, dismissing the panel and deploying three drones with a flick of my wrist. They rose into the air, shimmering against the jungle's canopy before disappearing into the distance. "We're not moving."

Atlas raised an eyebrow, his ever-present grin quirking slightly. "Oh, we're just gonna sit here and wait for them to roll up? Love the confidence, boss, but that feels like tempting fate."

"Exactly. Which is why we're going to let them come to us," I replied, a smirk tugging at my lips. "If they're so desperate to find us, we'll make sure they regret it. The drones are on recon. They'll pick up any incoming signals before anyone gets too close."

Atlas gave a mock salute. "Whatever you say. Just promise me I get to say, 'I told you so' if this blows up in our faces."

"I'll make you a plaque," I said dryly.

********

The minutes ticked by in tense silence. We'd taken refuge near a shallow stream, its gentle trickle the only sound breaking the jungle's oppressive quiet. My drones fed back data to my HUD in real-time, painting a vivid picture of the terrain around us.

A new notification popped up.

[Drones - Recon Mode Active]

Detecting entities within 300 meters.

Two unidentified energy signatures detected.

"Got movement," I announced, my eyes narrowing at the display. Two signatures, moving fast. Their energy levels screamed A-rank.

Atlas perked up, stretching his arms lazily as he glanced at the screen. "Seniors? Man, we really do have all the luck today."

"Definitely. And they're heading straight for us."

He gave a low whistle. "Guess we're popular. Should we roll out the welcome mat or just let 'em trip over the drones?"

I adjusted the drones' positions, setting them to track our incoming visitors. A series of pings highlighted the seniors' likely path, overlaid on the map.

"We've got about five minutes before they're in range. Better get ready."

Atlas tossed me an energy booster from his pack, his grin never fading. "Here. Can't have you passing out mid-fight. Bad for team morale."

I took it, the faintly citrus-flavored liquid burning its way down my throat as I drained the bottle. Another notification appeared.

[Energy Booster Consumed]

Stamina replenished by 40%.

Physical endurance increased by 15% for 10 minutes.

"Appreciate the vote of confidence," I said, wiping my mouth.

"Always," he replied, slinging his rifle over his shoulder with a theatrical flourish. "Now, let's see what these seniors have in store for us rookies."

When the seniors finally emerged from the jungle, they made no effort to conceal their presence. The first was a tall, wiry man with slicked-back hair and a cocky grin plastered across his face. He twirled a deck of cards between his fingers, each one glowing faintly with runes.[Hostiles Detected]

Name: Lucky Stefan

Class: Gambit Master

Rank: A

Abilities: Probability Manipulation, Risk-Based Amplification, Chaos Field.

Name: Edgar

Class: Sonic Architect

Rank: A

Abilities: Sound Constructs, Barrier Generation, Disruption Waves.

"Well, well," he drawled, his voice smooth as silk. "If it isn't the golden rookies. Lucky Stefan, Gambit Master, at your service. Or rather, here to relieve you of those shiny tags."

Beside him stood a woman with close-cropped silver hair and an air of icy precision. She carried a sleek staff that pulsed with sonic energy, her sharp eyes scanning us like a predator sizing up its prey.

"Edgar," she said coolly. "Sonic Architect. And you two must be the rookies everyone's talking about."

Atlas snorted, his lanky frame straightening as he grinned at the seniors. "Big fans, huh? Should we sign autographs before or after we kick your asses?"

Stefan's grin widened. "Cocky. I like that. Makes it all the more satisfying when it backfires. Let's make this interesting, shall we?" He flicked a card toward us, and it hovered in mid-air, glowing brighter as he infused it with energy.

"High stakes. Winner takes all."

"Hard pass," I said, stepping forward. "We're not here to play games."

"Oh, but that's where you're wrong," Edgar interjected. Her voice was steady, almost clinical. "This entire phase is a game. And you're already at a disadvantage."

Atlas raised his rifle, the barrel humming as it powered up. "We'll see about that."

Stefan chuckled, his cards spinning faster in his hands. "Oh, I like you two. Shame this won't last long."

The air around us shifted, heavy with tension as both sides prepared to clash. My drones circled above, their sensors locked onto the seniors, feeding me a constant stream of data.

Stefan's probability manipulation and Edgar's sonic constructs would make this fight anything but straightforward. But we'd faced worse odds before.

Atlas shot me a glance, his cheerful demeanor hardening into sharp focus. "You think you're ready?"

I smirked as I activated my drones' combat protocols, the whir of their engines rising to a crescendo.

"Always."

In that instant, Edgar issued a command: "Battle mode, switch." The simulated jungle arena, once teeming with nature, transformed into a high-tech battle arena.

Stefan snapped his fingers, and the card hovering between us exploded into a burst of light and energy.

"Game start, rookies."