The anticipation hung heavy in the air as Zoe, Alex, and Max prepared for the next round of the Virtual Nexus games. With the hint of electricity lingering in their minds, they meticulously adjusted their gear, reinforcing their protective shields and fine-tuning their weapons for the anticipated challenge.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the fifth round of the Virtual Nexus Games!" announced the emcee. "In this round, we will sadly say goodbye to some of our teams."

"So, the elimination begins," said Max.

None of the 33 teams participating in the game were eliminated thus far, but everyone knew that the first few rounds were designed to warm up to the games.

"And some other teams will emerge victorious," continued the emcee.

"Hey guys," said Zoe, "Look at the Lunar Shadows."

They glanced at their biggest competitors and occasional allies in the game, and saw that they had indeed prepared for an electrifying round. They had full protective shields on and bespoke weapons that looked like Quinn, their tech genius, whipped up for them in short notice.

"I wonder how he came up with those," mumbled Max.

"Well, I guess we can only find out once we're in, right?" said Alex.

With that, the emcee announced the beginning of the round—and they were in.

As they entered the game, the landscape before them crackled with energy, the sky alive with flickering bolts of lightning. They found themselves standing on a vast plain, the ground scorched and cracked beneath their feet.

"Stay alert," Zoe cautioned, her eyes scanning the horizon for any signs of danger.

Alex nodded, his fingers tightening around the grip of his weapon. "We need to be prepared for anything."

No sooner had the round begun than the sky erupted with a dazzling display of lightning. Bolts streaked across the sky, striking the ground with precision, sending plumes of smoke and debris into the air. Three teams were quickly eliminated as their members were unable to evade the relentless barrage of lightning, their protective shields failing under the intense electrical assault.

Max's heart raced as he dodged a bolt that crackled dangerously close to him. "This is insane! How are we supposed to survive this?"

Zoe gritted her teeth, her mind racing to make sense of the chaos. "It's not random," she shouted over the roar of thunder. "There's a pattern to the lightning strikes. We just need to figure it out."

Amid their escape from the lightening bolts, they began to analyze the movements of the lightning, searching for any discernible pattern or rhythm. Gradually, they started to notice that the lightning strikes were following a specific sequence, repeating in a loop across the battlefield.

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"It's like a circuit," Max exclaimed, his eyes widening with realization. "The lightning strikes are following the path of least resistance, just like electricity in a circuit!"

Zoe nodded, her mind racing with possibilities. "If we can predict the pattern, we can avoid being hit."

They coordinated their movements, weaving between the lightning strikes with precision. With each strike avoided, their confidence grew, and they soon found themselves navigating the battlefield with more ease.

However, a figure suddenly emerged in front of them, revealing Justin from the Everlasting Puppies team. In his hands, he gripped a menacing chain, his expression filled with disdain as he looked at Quantum Unity.

"Well, well," he sneered. "Look who we have here."

Joining him was Sue, another member of his team, who appeared by his side with a smirk.

"Seems like we've stumbled upon our three-time winners," she remarked.

"Hey there," said Alex. "What's going on?"

Without a word, Justin swung his chain, aiming it directly at Alex. Reacting quickly, Alex dodged the attack, his instincts kicking into high gear.

"Ah, I see," Alex remarked. "Looks like the Everlasting Puppies want to play."

Justin swung his chain once again, "The fewer teams on the ground, the better," he said.

"Thanks for explaining your reasoning," said Max. "It would've taken me days to come up with that."

Sue giggled and Justin bashed at her.

"Don't laugh! What are you, an idiot?"

Sue suddenly scowled, pulled out her weapons and started blazing away at the Quantum Unity. Alex, Zoe and Max dove to the ground, each rolling in a different direction.

"We have a problem guys," Max transmitted through their team's NexaVista. "The lightening...it's about to strike right where we are in a few seconds."

Meanwhile, Justin and Sue were blindly firing their weapons in their direction.

"Get out of the lightning's path, and try to corral them into it somehow," Alex shouted.

"How am I supposed to do that?" Max protested, still dodging away from the danger zone.

"I don't know—just try something!" Alex urged.

"Guys, hold on," interjected Zoe.

They all glanced back at the Everlasting Puppies and witnessed them getting eliminated from the game by the sudden lightning bolt.

As the field thinned, Shaun from Lunar Shadows appeared, his avatar materializing beside them. "Need a hand?" he offered, a wry smile playing on his lips.

Zoe hesitated for a moment, her suspicions lingering in the back of her mind. "Need a hand for what, Shaun?" she asked.

"I saw you guys struggling with the Everlasting Puppies."

"Two of them are gone now," said Max. "There is only Roman left from their group."

"The only intelligent one," remarked Alex.

"And the one that WILL SURVIVE!" Shaun interrupted, startling them all.

It was Roman himself, disguised as Shaun. He pulled out his weapons and started blazing away at Alex.

Alex, taken aback, was shot. He wasn't immediately out of the game, but his vitality level took a big hit. While his hologram was blickering in front of them, Zoe and Max pulled out their weapons and aimed at Roman at the same time. Their shots found the aim—and Roman was out of the game in a second.

"Are you OK, Alex?"

"I'm fine, you guys, but my vitality just took a 30% hit," said Alex with remorse.

"Wow, that's going to put a dent in our leaderboard standing," said Max.

"Don't worry, we'll catch up in no time," said Zoe. "It was about time, don't you think? We came this far in the games without a scratch. It was bound to happen at some point."

As the lightning trailed off, the Quantum Unity team took a moment to catch their breath. They observed other teams from afar, some fleeing from the lightning bolts while others remained engaged in combat.

"And the winners are... Quantum Unity!" proclaimed the emcee's voice, resonating through the arena. "Ladies and gentlemen, our three-time champions have once again triumphed, deciphering the lightning pattern and defeating their opponents with exceptional agility!"

Transported back to the arena, the Quantum Unity team was greeted with thunderous applause. Their names reverberated throughout the stadium, and their avatars were displayed on giant screens.

"Wow," exclaimed Max. "Now, it feels like we're really winning this thing."