Just An Extra

"Group 8, can you hear me?"

Luka's voice echoed from above, clear and authoritative.

"Say 'copy.'"

"Copy," Jasper said first, his tone neutral.

"Copy," Zara followed, sounding focused.

"Copy," Elias muttered.

"Copy," Finnian added casually.

"Copy," Justin said with an air of impatience.

Max paused for a second before letting out a sigh. "Copy."

"Perfect. Everyone's here," Luka's voice came through again, steady and professional. "Listen carefully, because I will only explain this once."

Max and the others stood in silence, waiting.

"Today's difficulty will be on the lighter side, considering most of you are experiencing VR for the first time. As you may have already guessed, the students around you are your designated group. Work together."

Max noticed a few glances exchanged, some evaluating, others indifferent.

"And before any of you start complaining about matchups—the groups were formed using a specialized algorithm to ensure balance. It is flawless… with a few exceptions."

Max caught the brief stares directed at him. He sighed internally.

'Not my fault,' he thought.

"You will be dropped into a randomized terrain, generated by the system. Your objective is simple: survive for one hour. There are additional achievements that can earn your team extra points. However, if you die before time runs out, your extra points won't count."

Luka's voice turned slightly amused. "Oh, and your team gets bonus points for every surviving member, so try not to get each other killed."

A soft beep sounded, signaling the countdown.

"You have one minute to strategize. Best of luck."

"And whichever group scores last… will be kicked out of the class."

Silence. Then, the glares intensified.

Max felt their eyes burning into him, judgment already cast.

'Luka's plan is already working,' he realized, watching the subtle tension ripple through his group. It was classic psychological warfare—turn them against each other, break their confidence, and when they felt lost, offer them an easy way out. A demon contract.

Max knew the truth. No one was getting expelled. This was just Luka's way of chipping away at their resolve, pushing them toward desperation.

"You."

A sharp voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

Max turned. Justin Steele.

"Hm?"

Justin's gaze was cold, unyielding. "You better survive. Or else."

A crushing weight suddenly pressed down on Max's shoulders. His knees buckled, hitting the floor before he could stop himself.

Justin was using his pressure.

"Understand?" Justin asked, his tone dripping with superiority.

Max clenched his teeth. His nails dug into his palm, but he forced out the words.

"Got it…"

Justin smirked, satisfied. "Good."

Max stayed still for a moment, the humiliation burning into him.

'I'm still so weak…' Max thought. 'I have to get stronger. Faster. That can never happen again.'

A countdown began.

"Alright, simulation begins in… 5… 4… 3… 2… 1."

Swoosh. 

Max saw trees coming out of the ground and soil starting to form all around him. Max put his hand out touching a tree. 

'Wow… this feels completely real…' Max thought as he took a deep breath, feeling the crisp air fill his lungs.

(Rank 2789: Maximus Augustus. Group Points: 6.)

A glowing notification hovered in front of him. He reached out and swiped it away with a flick of his fingers.

Silence.

Max turned, scanning the unfamiliar landscape. His group was nowhere in sight.

'Just like I remember… I'll probably be on my own.'

It wasn't surprising. The simulation had always worked this way—isolating some, forcing others together. And right now, Max was alone.

His grip tightened.

'I might have to kill someone…' He exhaled sharply, shaking the thought from his head. It's not real. It's not real. It's not real.

He reached for his daggers, pulling them free from their holsters. The familiar weight settled in his hands. A quick spin, a shift in his grip—good balance, sharp edges. Functional. Lethal.

'Luka's going to target the top 500… so I should be left alone.'

He ran through his mental map, recalling where the major players would be.

Collin and Takahiro in the mountains…

Evelynn and Ophelia by the ocean…

Skylar in the desert…

That meant—

'No important characters in my zone. Good.'

Max exhaled, tucking his daggers back into place.

Max took a steady breath and started moving. The terrain was a dense, overgrown forest with twisted trees and vines that clawed at his clothes as he slipped through. Every step was calculated, every sound analyzed. His heartbeat remained steady, but his mind was on high alert.

'I can probably achieve the extra points… before the beasts are sent out to hunt us. I just need to find the hidden task.'

That was the tricky part. None of the main cast ever came to this zone, meaning Max had no prior knowledge of what to expect. But he had a general idea of how the game worked—tasks were always tucked away in the furthest corners of each zone.

He kept low, weaving through the foliage, keeping an ear out for movement. His shoes made little sound against the damp earth.

(Teammate Elias died. Group points: 5.)

A small notification appeared before vanishing as quickly as it came.

'Yikes…' Max grimaced. That was fast. Either Elias was reckless, or something was lurking closer than expected.

At this rate, more than half the group would be dead before the hour was up.

And Justin would be pissed.

Max exhaled through his nose, stepping over a broken branch as he walked. The forest stretched endlessly ahead—twisting roots, damp earth, and the occasional glimmer of moonlight filtering through the canopy. The faint scent of rain lingered in the air, mixing with the metallic tang of blood.

He found a lake not long after, its surface still, reflecting the night sky like a polished mirror. Crouching by the edge, he scooped up a handful of water and took a slow drink.

A crisp notification flickered in the corner of his vision.

(Teammate Jaspar has died. Group points: 4.)

Max wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, watching the number settle.

At least Justin wouldn't be singling him out when this was over.

The bushes behind him rustled.

Max turned.

A boy stepped out, his uniform a little scuffed but otherwise intact. He looked about Max's age, though something about the way he carried himself—relaxed but measured—set him apart from the usual dead weight in these trials.

The two stared at each other for a moment, sizing each other up.

Then the boy spoke.

"Rank 652, Richard Hill."

Max didn't hesitate. "Rank 2789, Max Augustus."

Richard's lips curled into something that wasn't quite a smile. "Well. Looks like I got lucky."

Max didn't respond.

"I found the hidden task," Richard continued. "But I can't do it alone."

Max raised an eyebrow. "You need help?"

Richard nodded. "Yeah. Come on. We'll split the points."

That was a lie. Points couldn't be split.

But Max didn't call him out on it. If Richard was leading him to the task, that was good enough.

"Alright," Max said.

Max followed Richard, his steps light but deliberate on the uneven forest floor. The tension between them hung thick in the air—like a wire pulled taut, ready to snap.

Richard glanced back, his expression unreadable. "Another member of my group is there with me. Don't be surprised."

Max's lips pressed into a thin line.

'You tell me that now, after leading me into this mess?'

"Got it," Max muttered, the words coming out flatter than he intended.

He kept his eyes on Richard's back, the slightest twitch in his body betraying his unease.

'He's going to use me somehow... He's got some angle I don't see yet... probably ends with him trying to kill me.'

Max's hand flexed, fingers itching at the thought.

'Which means I'll have to kill him. When he least expects it. It's not personal. This isn't real. It's just another game. Just a game...'

He swallowed, the knot in his throat tightening with each step.

'It's fake. It's all fake. And when the moment comes, I'll end it before he can make a move. I'll end it. I have to.'

"Here we are." Richard's voice broke the silence, and Max followed him out of the dense forest into a wide clearing. A calm pond stretched out before them, its surface shimmering in the light. The water was impossibly clear, a deep, vibrant blue that seemed to hum with an unnatural energy. It caught the sun's rays, casting a kaleidoscope of reflections across the surrounding grass, the gentle ripples distorting the image like a broken mirror.

A few animals, deer maybe, wandered up to the edge of the water, pausing to drink without a hint of fear. It was the kind of place that would have felt peaceful, serene—if Max hadn't known better.

"Welcome back, Richard!"

The voice was light but carried a disturbing edge, the kind that always sounded too sweet for comfort. A boy with fiery red hair stepped out from behind a cluster of rocks, his posture loose, relaxed. Too relaxed. He looked at Max with a tilt of his head, his eyes scanning him up and down like an object.

Richard grinned, gesturing to Max with an almost exaggerated flourish. "Hey, Harry. I got the perfect man for the job."

Harry's smile twisted, turning into something darker, more dangerous. The change was subtle, but Max caught it. The boy's eyes glinted with something hungry, something that had no place in this moment.

"Oh?" Harry's tone was almost playful, but it carried the weight of a promise. "Is that him?"

Max's gut clenched. His instincts were screaming, but he forced himself to stand still, to breathe. He had to play along, for now.