The Game Begins: Alliances and Suspicions

“The game has officially begun. Lingering here will only make it easier for the Hunter to track us down.” The system panel in the sky had vanished at some point, and the woman, noticing that everyone still seemed to have questions, interrupted the blue-haired man.

The blue-haired man offered no objection. He turned to address the new players.

“Those who wish to follow us, come along. We are now a team. While I cannot guarantee absolute safety for everyone, I will do my utmost to increase our chances of survival.” He paused, as if an afterthought had struck him, then added, “Of course, if any of you wish to survive alone, we won’t force you.”

But the next time they met, they would be enemies.

Though unspoken, most people present understood the implicit meaning behind his words.

In the end, only a couple and a muscular man chose to break away from the group and act independently.

Perhaps they hadn’t fully grasped the brutal reality of their situation, or perhaps they simply resented others intruding on their private lives. Their motives were irrelevant; to the ‘veteran’ players, these two were practically dead already.

As for the muscular man, he, much like Xiang Qi, trusted no one and possessed ample confidence in his own strength.

Thus, he too opted to leave the team and go his own way.

Everyone followed the blue-haired man in another direction, while Xiang Qi lagged slowly behind the group. A persistent feeling of unease gnawed at her.

A nameless sensation welled up in her heart, leaving her flustered and convinced she had overlooked something crucial.

“What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?” The woman noticed Xiang Qi’s unusual quietness and inquired after her younger teammate.

At least, that’s how it appeared to outsiders; only those involved knew the true circumstances.

Something was wrong, very wrong. A cold sweat broke out on Xiang Qi, though she maintained her outward composure.

“Nothing, really. I might have stayed up too late yesterday. I’m just a little sleepy…”

She didn’t need to finish her sentence; conveying the gist was enough.

The woman didn’t suspect anything amiss. After a couple of sympathetic remarks, she moved back to the front. She wouldn’t dare let the blue-haired man lead indefinitely; she needed to maintain some control herself.

Glancing at the two veterans ahead, Xiang Qi swallowed her suspicions, deciding not to voice them.

The idea felt somewhat absurd, and even if she spoke it aloud, others might not believe her.

She still didn’t fully trust anyone here; in truth, she only ever truly trusted herself.

Besides, not everyone else was necessarily foolish; perhaps someone else had already considered it? That would explain the earlier anomalies.

And the matter of her talent…

Once she understood the crucial point, Xiang Qi felt considerably more at ease. She was now even more curious about her talent and hoped to gather more information.

During the preparation phase before entering the game, the system had displayed a message.

This was when she was still a boy, barely half an hour ago, so the memory remained vivid.

‘Can’t remember? Let me help you recall.’

[Player bound. Custom template detected. Loading…]

[Loading successful. Main talent activated.]

[Warning: Game will commence in 30 minutes. Players, please prepare.]

****

Facts proved that a girl’s physique was generally weaker. While some ‘tomboy’ types might achieve a decent level of fitness, Xiang Qi clearly did not fall into that category.

When the blue-haired man and the woman announced they could rest, Xiang Qi finally let out a sigh of relief, then unceremoniously plopped onto the ground.

Her legs felt like they were about to snap, aching with exhaustion.

After less than an hour of walking, Xiang Qi’s fair ankles were already somewhat red and swollen. Any further, and blisters would surely form.

This was not good news, implying her survival capabilities were likely weaker than she had imagined.

Her physical shortcomings would need to be compensated for in other ways. Gently massaging her ankles, she began to ponder their current predicament.

The situation was largely clear: they were facing an opponent capable of using supernatural abilities. If the opponent wasn’t too strong, they should try to kill them in the early stages, avoiding a prolonged fight if possible. If the opponent proved formidable, their goal would shift to ensuring their own safety, dragging out the confrontation for as long as they could.

‘Right, once we’re trapped in this hide-and-seek scenario, these veterans probably can’t be trusted.’ She subtly glanced at the group, then lowered her gaze.

Desperate people would do anything. She couldn’t risk being stuck with these individuals. Under the threat of death, anything could happen; morality and law would become the most fragile things.

Should anything transpire, she would be utterly powerless to resist.

Once it became clear that the Hunter was insurmountable, she would immediately find a way to break off and act alone.

Having made her decision in secret, Xiang Qi felt much calmer, knowing she had a plan to follow.

The blue-haired youth had no intention of wasting this precious rest period. After a brief recuperation, he began a new activity.

“We can’t just continue like this. How about we take this opportunity to introduce ourselves?” The blue-haired youth subtly gestured to the man in the suit. “Tell us about your specialties; it’ll make assigning tasks easier later on.”

“A Hunter enhanced by the system isn’t someone any one of us can handle alone. Only by uniting can we hope to survive.”

“Since it was my suggestion, I’ll start first.”

“My name is Liu Zhengxuan. My profession is a company manager, skilled in personnel deployment and management.”

‘Fake,’ Xiang Qi thought, feeling utterly exasperated. ‘Big brother, before you say something like that, could you dye your hair back to a normal color? What company hires a manager with hair like that?’

Evidently, many others present also noticed the discrepancy. Yet, no one dared to speak up or challenge him. The initial situation, where no one paid him any mind, was now impossible.

Unbeknownst to them, the blue-haired youth had subtly seized leadership of the team. As long as he didn’t directly threaten their interests, almost no one would oppose his opinions.

This was the advantage of acting conspicuously—it lent more weight to one’s identity.

Unfortunately, this approach was clearly unsuitable for Xiang Qi. Firstly, her personality didn’t lend itself to such overt displays; she preferred to blend into the crowd, using her appearance to secretly cause mischief.

Moreover, women were inherently at a disadvantage in this regard compared to men. Until a woman demonstrated her true capabilities and earned everyone’s respect, her words would inevitably carry less weight than a man’s.