The Transmigrated Author

Chapter 224: Capture The Flag (6)

[Pinnacle Academy, Dystopic Simulation - The Central Apartment Field: Second Floor]

"I can't believe it!"

Lyra stomped the ground in frustration,

"We've found nothing..."

She and Alice had just finished scouring the second floor of the apartment complex, their search for flags yielding no results.

Although they hadn't secured any objectives, they had managed to eliminate four members of Team A in the process, making their task slightly less daunting.

"Seven B Team members have been eliminated. Respawn time: 5 minutes,"

The AI announcer's voice echoed through the simulated environment.

Alice's brow furrowed with worry.

That was already a quarter of their team down.

"Should we check the upper floor now, Alice?"

Lyra asked, her smile attempting to dispel Alice's growing concern.

Alice nodded, her anxiety momentarily eased by Lyra's presence.

But just as she was about to respond, a massive flame erupted in the distance, the shockwave shaking the building as flames exploded throughout the complex.

BOOOOOM!

Alice for a moment held her eyes tight as memories had awakened from long ago that she tried to hide away from...

[Alice Flashback...]

A younger Alice, no more than five years old, skipped through the grand halls of the palace, her hand clasped in her father's.

He was showing her the family treasury, a dazzling array of treasures that would one day be hers to inherit as queen.

Unlike the quiet, reserved Alice of the present.

This younger version was a chatterbox with a curiosity bubbling over as she peppered her father with questions.

"What's that, Daddy?"

She asked, pointing at a glass case containing a pulsating organ, frozen in time.

"That, my dear," her father explained, his voice filled with pride, "is the heart of a mighty dragon, a gift from the Great Hero Garrick."

"Garrick?" Alice tilted her head, the name unfamiliar to her young ears.

"Yes, Garrick," her father replied, a fond smile on his face.

"He was a hero who saved this world many years ago, long before you were born."

Alice's eyes sparkled with admiration. "If Daddy thinks he's great, then he must be!"

But her innocent joy was short-lived.

A deafening roar echoed through the palace, followed by a wave of scorching heat.

She was lying in a patch of tall grass, hidden from view in a secluded corner of the simulation.

"What just happened?" she thought, her head throbbing with a dull ache.

"Fifteen people have been eliminated. Respawn timer: 5 minutes,"

The AI announcer's voice echoed through the air, confirming that the chaos was far from over.

Lyra blinked, surprised to find herself still in the game.

Had she somehow avoided the blast?

As she tried to move, a wave of soreness washed over her, the simulated injuries feeling all too real.

"This simulation really doesn't pull any punches,"

She muttered, wincing as she sat up and stretched her aching muscles.

As she regained her bearings, her eyes scanned the horizon.

In the distance, two figures caught her attention.

What she had seen made her jaw drop in surprise.

Of all people, it was Rel that was standing before Bazz.

"Another player has been eliminated. Respawn timer: 5 minutes,"

The AI announcer's voice boomed through the simulated cityscape, confirming Bazz's disappearance in a shower of blue pixels leaving Rel standing alone and unscathed.

"No way...," she whispered, her eyes wide with disbelief. "Did... did Rel just take down Bazz?"

The initial shock was overwhelming.

She knew Bazz was arguably one of the strongest students in their grade, and for Rel to have defeated him held a different meaning entirely.

The timid, unbothered smartass she knew had just defied all expectations.

Could it be that Rel had been hiding his true strength all along?

"A secret weapon," she murmured, a sly grin spreading across her face.

"I knew it, he was hiding something all along!"

Lyra's curiosity about Rel reached new heights as she pumped her fist in the air.

She had always sensed something was off about him from the moment he entered the academy.

A person so terrible at practicals that he could barely run, an archer who contributed little in team dungeon tasks, and someone who had barely made an impact during the France incident.

And yet, here he was, standing triumphant over Bazz who had disappeared.

"I have to see this for myself,"

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To Be Continued...

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