The team split into two distinct groups: Toru and Elvis formed the “Assault Squad,” while Hitomi and Sozen became the “Utility Squad.” The landscape was vast, a sprawling 62 square kilometers resembling a town or military encampment, with the central objective standing slightly elevated above the rest of the buildings and featuring four entrances.

Toru and Elvis approached their target with caution. Elvis, possessing advanced stealth skills, led the way, ensuring they navigated through the increasingly tight security without detection. Their approach was deliberate, each step carefully measured to avoid drawing unwanted attention.

Meanwhile, the Utility Squad was making swift progress. Hitomi and Sozen efficiently cleared the CPUs, securing four dispensers by the time the Assault Squad reached the objective’s location. Their task was made easier by the simplicity of the guards compared to the challenges faced by the Assault Squad.

Sozen signaled his hounds to initiate their attack on the players guarding Satoshi’s hideout. The hounds made quick work of the guards, creating a temporary window for the Utility Squad to advance.

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The situation advanced further when a specialized hound fired a unique cannon at the area surrounding the hideout. The cannon’s charge collided with an invisible barrier in the air, a critical obstacle that had not been apparent before. The barrier’s appearance indicated the influence of Magnetcraft, Satoshi’s science proficiency, which allowed him to construct and manipulate barriers to his advantage.

Recognizing the threat, Sozen had prepared a specialized hound specifically designed to counter barrier-based defenses. If the barrier had the potential to disable Elvis’s camouflage or any of Toru’s sophisticated devices, it could have jeopardized their entire strategy.

In his hideout, Satoshi was consumed by regret. He had chosen to prioritize maintaining manpower and claiming the objective quickly over, and this decision had backfired, as the spawned CPUs had intensified the challenges and complicated their efforts. Satoshi’s frustration was palpable as he realized that the lack of earlier control had left him in a difficult position, struggling to adapt to the evolving dynamics of the trial.