The wind had grown colder.
Asad moved carefully through the tall grass, his sniper rifle resting against his shoulder. Every step was quiet, controlled.
He was alone again.
But this time… it felt different.
His mind was sharper. His movements more precise.
The Survival Code had evolved.
Faint blue lines now appeared alongside the red ones—showing not just danger, but opportunity.
"Interesting…" Asad muttered.
A sudden sound broke the silence.
Voices.
Not one.
Multiple.
Asad instantly dropped low, crawling toward a nearby ridge. Slowly, he peeked over.
Three players stood below.
Armed. Organized. Calm.
A squad.
But something about them felt… wrong.
"They're not panicking," Asad whispered.
In a game where everyone was fighting to survive, these players looked too relaxed. Too confident.
One of them—a tall guy in a black jacket—stepped forward.
"Area is clear," he said. "No randoms nearby."
Randoms.
They weren't calling players enemies… they were calling them targets.
Another player laughed. "Good. That means we hunt."
Asad's grip tightened.
"Hunt…?"
The Survival Code activated.
Red outlines appeared—but this time, they were sharper, more dangerous.
Threat level: HIGH.
"These guys are different…"
He adjusted his sniper scope, focusing on the leader.
Clean shot.
Easy kill.
But just as his finger touched the trigger—
The leader suddenly looked straight toward him.
Asad froze.
"…Impossible."
There was no way he could be seen from this distance.
Yet the man smiled.
"I know you're there," he called out calmly.
Asad's heart pounded.
The other two players instantly took positions, weapons raised.
"They detected me…"
The Survival Code flickered rapidly—warning signals everywhere.
Danger. Immediate.
"Come out," the leader said. "Or we'll drag you out."
Silence.
Asad's mind raced.
Fight? Run? Hide?
None of the options looked good.
Slowly, he stood up from the grass, keeping his sniper aimed.
The three players didn't flinch.
Instead… they looked pleased.
"Well, well," the leader said. "A solo player with a sniper. Impressive."
Asad didn't respond.
"Who are you?" he asked instead.
The man chuckled.
"We're not like the others."
He stepped forward.
"We're the Hunter Squad."
The name alone sent a chill down Asad's spine.
"We don't just survive," another member added. "We control the game."
"That's not possible," Asad said.
The leader smiled again.
"Isn't it?"
Suddenly—
The Survival Code reacted violently.
A strange signal flashed across Asad's vision.
It wasn't red.
It wasn't blue.
It was… black.
"What… is this?"
Before he could react—
BOOM!
A shot rang out.
Asad barely dodged, the bullet grazing past his head.
"Test him," the leader ordered calmly.
The two squad members rushed forward.
Fast.
Too fast.
"They're… stronger than normal players!"
Asad fired.
Bang!
One of them dodged mid-run.
"Impossible…"
The Survival Code struggled to keep up. Their movements were unpredictable.
One enemy closed the distance instantly, swinging the butt of his rifle.
Asad blocked, but the force pushed him back hard.
"You're good," the attacker said with a grin. "But not enough."
Asad gritted his teeth.
"No… I can't lose here."
The Survival Code flared again.
This time, the blue lines expanded—faster, clearer.
A path appeared.
Escape route.
"Not yet…" Asad whispered.
He threw a flash grenade.
FLASH!
Bright light exploded.
The enemies staggered for a second.
That was all he needed.
Asad turned and sprinted toward the forest.
"Don't let him escape!" one shouted.
Gunfire followed him.
Bullets tore through trees and ground, barely missing him.
But Asad didn't stop.
He followed the blue path perfectly.
Left. Right. Slide. Jump.
Every move guided.
Until finally—
Silence.
He stopped deep inside the forest, breathing heavily.
"They're… monsters…"
For the first time since entering this world—
Asad felt something new.
Not fear.
Not hesitation.
But pressure.
Real pressure.
"These Hunter Squad…"
He looked at his hands.
"…they're on a completely different level."
Far behind him, the leader watched from a distance.
A faint smile on his face.
"Interesting," he said softly.
"A player who can escape us…"
His eyes gleamed.
"This game just got fun."