Galatic Overlord:I Can Copy Other's Ability

But then, another scream echoed from the side.

"He is dead…"

"What?"

Everyone turned toward the edge of the burnt area. There, lying near the fire's edge, were two headless bodies. A cold silence fell over the group.

Hex was hiding behind a jagged rock when the sudden scream pierced the air. His head snapped in the direction of the sound, and what he saw made his eyes widen in disbelief.

"Hisss…" he muttered, startled.

He had been focused on the fight near Lia, completely unaware that someone else had taken the chance to kill in the chaos. Hex's heart sank.

"Is this even legal?" he whispered, confused.

"No way the army would bring in a group of psychos and misfits."

But if they did, Hex couldn't help but question his life choices.

"The heads are there!"

Another cadet's voice cut through the tension, pointing toward a tree where two severed heads were impaled on a branch. The frozen expressions on their faces burned into the hearts of everyone watching.

"Brutal... too brutal," someone whispered.

"Who did it?"

"Is that person still here?"

"What do we even do now?"

"Everyone calm down!" a voice rang out. It was the red-haired boy, who had already begun to take control. "Panicking and accusing each other won't help."

He stepped forward confidently, his voice steady. "We need to regroup. No one goes off alone. That way, even if someone wants to do something, they won't get the chance."

"That's a good plan."

"Yeah, it makes sense."

Slowly, people began moving closer, forming a tight group. The red-haired boy introduced himself as Helios and naturally took the lead.

At the same time, Harry walked over and kicked the boy who had tried to hurt Lia.

"You... Why did you try to kill her?"

"Are you an idiot?" someone else added.

"She is a precious asset that can save us in times of need."

Others nodded in agreement. In a situation like this, Lia was the most valuable person, healing the injured. Trying to harm her was madness.

But the boy only laughed—wild, bitter laughter.

"An asset? What use is an asset when we're already dying?" he shouted. "Look around you! We're stranded! The so-called Global Army threw us into this death trap."

"Survive? For how long? Do you even know what they want from us?" he yelled, staring at the glowing numbers above everyone's heads. "Sooner or later, you'll all start killing each other."

"Never! We won't do that!" someone shouted back.

The boy sneered. "Really? What if there's another announcement? One that says only those with a certain number of points get rescued... and the rest can rot?"

Gasps spread through the crowd. Eyes widened, and a flicker of fear passed through them. They started looking at each other, unsure. Their glances tried to say, 'I won't betray you,' but in their hearts, doubt had already crept in.

Seeing their faces, the boy laughed harder.

"Hahahaha! Got you, didn't I? This is what I was talking about. This is what it comes down to! Kekekekeke!"

His crazed laughter echoed, making everyone flinch. Even Helios stood silent, unable to speak. Because deep down, he feared the same.

Then, another scream came from the distance.

"Shit... the fire is coming! Hurry!"

Helios's eyes snapped back to focus. "Everyone! We need to trust each other and move! We can't stay here!"

The group snapped out of their daze and started running. The moment they vanished into the trees, Hex stepped out from behind the rock, coughing hard. Sweat rolled down his face as he wiped it away with the back of his hand.

"Huh… If I didn't start that second fire, who knows what would've happened," he muttered, his voice low and tired.

Hex couldn't deny it—the boy's words were troubling. For people like him, who didn't know much about this trial, it felt like a nightmare.

They were trapped in a place with no clear path, no exit, like a cage of despair. Those who did know something rarely spoke, because sharing too much could either turn them into a target or make others blindly follow. Only fools would take that risk.

"Are there really any fools here?" Hex thought to himself. He didn't know, and honestly, he didn't care. He walked forward to inspect the corpses.

"The strike was quick and deadly... definitely a blade." His words made the others frown. The boy who attacked Lia could turn his hands into blades—this looked similar. Hex wasn't afraid of monsters. It was people killing each other that worried him the most.

That's why he had avoided grouping up. He joined briefly just to gather some info, but now, he felt he could handle things alone—even if it got brutal. He looked at the fire, still spreading.

"Things are only going to get worse," he muttered. "But I doubt this is the first time something like this has happened."

He glanced at the people running and then back at the growing fire. "People tend to unite when they're under pressure from outside. Should I become that pressure?"

The thought made him smirk a little. Slowly, he raised his hand, and a soft warmth began to glow in his palm.

Then—

SWISH!

A cloud of flames burst forward, spreading outward and pushing the fire back. Since awakening his flame ability, his skin had become more resistant to heat. Maybe the exact limit depended on his rank, but for now, he could bear it. The smoke was still thick and harsh though, making it hard to breathe.

Hex kept moving forward, clearing the fire. "I hope I'm right," he thought. "If not, I might really end up getting branded a criminal." He couldn't see them, but he felt it that someone was watching.

That eerie feeling of being monitored was heavy in the air. Maybe he was drawing a lot of unwanted attention right now.

But he couldn't just stay quiet or blend in. It wasn't like he was trying to pick a fight. "Let's see how those admins handle this once I break their little playground," he whispered. "I wish I could see their faces."