Re: Apocalypse Game

The first round of the Apocalypse Game had been a brutal test of survival, designed to separate the strong from the weak in the midst of nature's fury. With its demanding objectives and seven levels of bone-chilling cold, only the most skilled or lucky among the 4,833 survivors had made it through.

However, as the first round ended, the true essence of the Apocalypse Game awaited them in the second round. This time, the enemy would not be the forces of nature, but something even more dangerous—other humans.

The second round involved an apocalypse scenario centered around war between humans. The setting could vary from modern warfare to medieval battle, no one knew exactly what will it be for this year.

Except for Alan.

Contrary to round one, where everyone needed to care for their own survival; for round two, there would be a goal – a common objective – which would be unduly hard if the players didn't work together.

Thus the government specifically deployed a battalion of 1000 soldiers to guide and assist civilians in the upcoming bloodbath. Led by the man who stood his ground in the middle of the central square, Captain Sam Carter.

"We lost 200 good men in the last round; we are looking at the same number to fill the rank. You will be briefed and trained" said the Captain with a booming voice.

Alan could clearly see how the crowd's faces slowly went blank with each word the Captain spoke.

Who could blame them? All previous games were played predominantly by the military.

After personally going through the hell that of the first round, survival was the first thing on their minds, and joining the army would mean heading first toward danger.

Captain Carter remained calm despite the unenthusiastic and indifferent responses of the crowd before him. Only after letting the crowd die down, he continued his words.

"If you are proven to be skilled, you will be provided with equipment of your choice."

The last sentence brought much interest. The Captain explained that all interested players could visit the training ground to show their skills. Many players seemed convinced by the Captain's words, and seeing the positive response, he added.

"Once the selection is complete and our ranks are filled, I will look forward to the cooperation of everyone here. This year we have a huge number of survivors, so there is a high chance we get through this all together."

At that right moment, one man walked up the steps to the stairs with steady and unhurried steps.

Alarmed by the unknown intruder, the soldiers present around the stairs swiftly aimed their weapons at the man who had just tightened a red bandana on his head.

Seeing the red bandana, Captain Carter sighed and then signaled his men to hold their weapons and let the intruder speak.

Under everyone's eyes, the fierce-looking man in his late twenties turned towards the crowd and shouted while pointing at the Captain who was silently staring at him.

"Dont be fooled by the government!! They swore to protect and serve, but instead abandoned us to the wolves, forcing us civilians to play this game!"

The man then shook his head and continued, "No no! I will not trust them to lead us!" I will not trust the government that is allying with the aliens... If you really want to be freed from these invaders, join me, Marcus Wright, and the Blood Patriot instead!"

As if practiced beforehand, a few dozen men in the crowd took out a red bandana from their sleeves, wore it with a sense of pride, and left the square unaffected by the looks they received from soldiers and other players.

Through all this, Captain Carter maintained his apathetic attitude. He let those people perform all their tricks before speaking again. His voice was normal, as if nothing had happened.

"We have no right to force you to join us, but for all our sake, let's not fight among each other."

Soon after, another group walked toward the stairs; these people were wearing black garbs. Alan recognized them instantly. They are part of the Black Sand, a famous global mercenary group.

This particular group called themself Black Eagle. There were two dozen of them, and several were veteran players. The one leading them was a famous veteran. A black-haired Hispanic man with a glaring scar on his face.

He and his men walked through the crowd, arriving before Captain Carter, and said,

"We the Black Sand will cooperate with the military. But… we'd rather not join your ranks."

"That's.. alright, Mister Cachellos, I thank you for your cooperation," said Captain Carter, looking directly into the Hispanic man's eyes.

Hearing that, the Hispanic man who looked toward his men for a second, and with a sly smile decorating his face, said. "If we prove to be skilled, we'll also get the reward right?"

Sergeant Dylan stepped forward when he heard that. He stared at the Cachellos and the Black Sand's men with cold, hard eyes, saying, "We provide the equipment to help the beginners, not veterans, and certainly not for mercenaries."

The man called Cachellos tilted his head to the side, looking at Captain Carter as he said, "Um… I thought we were in this together, Captain." He continued his words with a smile, "In my humble opinion, these items will be put to better use by us— Experts. Rather than to waste them on a bunch of amateurs."

The Hispanic man didn't even try to lower his voice as he said those words. And as a result, it naturally caused outrage among the masses. What's more, Cachellos showed a nonchalant attitude over their displeasure, which aggravated them even more.

Seeing the situation, Captain Carter quickly tried to calm the restless crowd with a wave of his hand and said, "I agree, whether you are army, mercenaries, or patriots. Veterans or beginners, prove your worth, and we will provide you with equipment of your choice."

"Excellent, Captain!" said Cachellos with a massive smile on his face, causing many in the crowd to want to punch his face.

With that, the Black Sand left just as quickly as they appeared.

Now that the announcement was basically done, the gathered crowd also started to disperse to prepare themselves for the second round. As for Alan, he still stood in the central square, seemingly waiting for someone

"What do we do now, Mister D?" asked Daniel, seeing Alan didn't move.

"Just wait.." he replied with a smirk.

Soon enough, another group of men approached him, all American with particular looks and accents. A group of rednecks. They stopped in front of Alan with a man standing in front, glaring at Alan.

"Give My Baby M16 Back!!"