They didn't rush blindly.
That was the difference now.
Arjun stopped before entering Zone 17-D.
He didn't step in.
He observed.
The map floated in front of him—
But now it wasn't just information.
It was prediction.
Enemy routes.
Movement patterns.
Blind zones.
"…Three entry points," he said.
The drone confirmed.
[Primary resistance minimal]
[Hidden threats: probable]
"…Of course."
The older man stepped beside him.
"…What's the plan?"
Arjun didn't look away from the map.
"…We don't enter together."
The girl frowned.
"…Split?"
"…Controlled split."
He marked positions.
Three paths.
Three roles.
"You go left," he said to the older man.
"Slow. Defensive."
"You stay center," he told the injured man.
"Support only."
He looked at the girl.
"You come with me."
She blinked.
"…Why me?"
"…You adapt faster."
No hesitation.
She nodded.
The system pulsed.
[Squad Formation Updated]
Arjun stepped forward.
The moment he crossed into Zone 17-D—
Everything changed.
[Neutral Zone → Contested]
But—
No immediate attack.
No monsters rushing in.
No chaos.
"…That's wrong," Arjun muttered.
The drone scanned rapidly.
[Hostile presence: low]
"…Too low."
The girl whispered.
"…Is that good?"
"…No."
Arjun's eyes narrowed.
"…It means someone already cleared this."
Silence.
"…Another faction?" she asked.
Before Arjun could answer—
The system flashed.
[Unknown Commander Detected]
Arjun stopped.
"…There it is."
The map updated.
A new marker appeared.
Not red.
Not blue.
Purple.
"…New faction," Arjun said quietly.
The air shifted.
Then—
A voice.
"—You're late."
Arjun turned.
A figure stood on the rooftop above.
Tall.
Calm.
Watching.
Not nervous.
Not aggressive.
Confident.
"…You cleared this zone," Arjun said.
The man tilted his head slightly.
"…Part of it."
Arjun's eyes sharpened.
"…Testing zones before claiming."
"…Same as you."
Silence.
Two commanders.
Same level.
Different approach.
The man stepped down.
Landing lightly.
"…You're the one who used orbital earlier."
Arjun didn't react.
"…And you're the one who survived it."
A faint smile.
"…Observation type."
"…Tactical type," Arjun replied.
The man laughed slightly.
"…So that's your path."
The system flickered.
[Commander Interaction Detected]
The map changed again.
Zone 17-D—
Now split.
Two influence fields.
"…So this isn't neutral anymore," the girl whispered.
"…No," Arjun said.
"…Now it's contested by intelligence."
The man looked at him.
"…We can fight."
"…Or we can play."
Arjun tilted his head slightly.
"…Explain."
"…We both know monsters aren't the real problem anymore."
He pointed at the map.
"…Control is."
Arjun didn't disagree.
"…So?"
"…Temporary non-aggression."
Silence.
The squad froze.
The girl looked at Arjun.
"…Trust him?"
Arjun didn't answer immediately.
He looked at the map.
Then at the man.
"…What's your condition?"
The man smiled.
"…We split the zone."
Immediate tension.
"…No," Arjun said.
Flat.
Direct.
The man didn't react.
"…Then we fight."
"…Not yet."
Arjun stepped forward.
"…We don't split."
"…We compete."
The man's eyes sharpened.
"…Explain."
"…No direct fight."
"…No interference."
"…First to full control wins."
Silence.
Then—
The man smiled.
"…Race condition."
"…Exactly."
The system reacted instantly.
[Zone Control Challenge Initialized]
New objective appeared.
Capture Progress:
Commander Arjun → 0%
Unknown Commander → 22%
"…You're already ahead," the girl said.
"…For now," Arjun replied.
The man stepped back.
"…Let's see if you can catch up."
He vanished into the buildings.
Fast.
Efficient.
Gone.
Silence returned.
The squad looked at Arjun.
"…What now?" the older man asked.
Arjun looked at the map.
Paths.
Nodes.
Resources.
Everything—
Clear.
"…Now we stop reacting to enemies."
He marked three points instantly.
"…We outpace him."
The system pulsed.
[Strategic Race Active]
Arjun moved.
Faster than before.
Not chasing enemies—
Chasing control.
And for the first time—
The battlefield wasn't about survival.
It was about:
👉 Who thinks faster.