"Okay, okay, but this... what'd you call it, Xyl-what?" Marshmallow scratched his head, still a bit dazed from Lynx's demo. "It's definitely cool, but in a real fight, what's it worth? How's it gonna be useful?"

"Useful? Useful?!" Lynx stopped dead in her tracks. Her playful grin from before vanished, replaced by a challenging look. "So, you think my Xylkinesis is just for show. Really?"

With a sudden, decisive move, Lynx stomped her feet onto the wagon floor with a thud that boomed like thunder, loud enough to make the whole wagon vibrate. The horses struggled for a moment to keep pace, and the noise was enough to jolt everyone who was sleeping wide awake.

Dam was the first to feel it, and his awakening was anything but graceful: eyes wide open, hand scrambling for his Tricoda. Samantheye snapped her eyes open too, sitting up abruptly, her gaze trying to figure out what mess they'd gotten into. The Goat Horse, on the other hand, reared up, neighing as if it had been attacked by someone or something.

Lynx stood up, still holding the reins in one hand. "Wanna see what I can do?" she asked, locking eyes with Marshmallow in a dare.

Marshmallow nodded, curious but with a hint of caution in his voice. "Sure, but try not to wreck everything..."

Before Lynx could show off her skills, the colonel intervened with a voice that carried undeniable authority.

"Lynx, that's enough."

Lynx's energy seemed to freeze in place, and her defiant expression softened as she turned toward the colonel. "But Raven, I was just..."

"The point's made, Lynx," the colonel cut her off firmly. "No need to do more."

An abrupt silence fell over the wagon, heavy as a blanket. Lynx, who a moment before was all fire and fervor, now sat still, her focus back on the dirt road, holding the reins of the two horses. How powerful must the Colonel, apparently nicknamed Raven, be to quiet down an A Rank player?

Dam, freshly woken and still bewildered, watched the scene with wide eyes, unable to fully grasp what was happening. "What... what's going on?" he whispered, turning to Marshmallow for an explanation.

Samantheye, meanwhile, eyed the colonel with a mix of curiosity and respect. Even without ever meeting him before, she could sense an unmatched aura of leadership around him. Who the heck was this guy?

Caught off guard by Dam's direct question, Marshmallow started to answer almost without thinking. "Oh, him? Well, yeah, kind of an acquaintance... he's Colonel St..."

"DON'T SAY MY NAME!"

Before Marshmallow could finish, the wagon seemed to shudder under the weight of a thunderous command. The colonel had turned towards him with a look so intense that Marshmallow froze, swallowing his words as if they were stones.

Everyone in the wagon stared at the man with a mix of surprise and awe. He calmed down with a deep breath, then, with a faint smile trying to lighten the mood, he addressed the group. "Please, call me Raven," he said in a much softer voice. "Nice to meet you all."

"Why that reaction?" Samantheye asked, staring at him with probing eyes, trying to figure him out.

Raven nodded, acknowledging the validity of the question. "In the Survivor Game, revealing another player's real name leads to disqualification from the game." He then turned to Marshmallow. "I stopped you just in time. A moment ago, you nearly got killed. If I hadn't stopped you like that, you'd already be gone."

Marshmallow shuddered, and the silence that followed was thick with tension. Everyone knew that death in the game meant death in reality, but the idea that saying another player's real name could have such drastic consequences was new and unsettling.

"Okay, hold up," Dam intervened, clearly confused. "Why's that a thing?"

Raven crossed his arms, seeming to choose his words carefully. "This game, as brutal as it is, has very specific rules. One of these is anonymity. Keeping our real identities hidden isn't just about safety, it's part of the very essence of the game. Once that anonymity is breached, the consequences are... final."

"Like a way to keep everyone in line, huh?" Samantheye tilted her head, analyzing the rule with her usual critical gaze. "Control through fear."

"Exactly," Raven confirmed. "I can attest there have been instances in the past where this rule was broken. The outcome? The involved players disappeared from the game. Forever."

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Lynx huffed, clearly annoyed. "Whether it's about keeping order or just for the sick entertainment of an outside audience, it's still a crappy rule."

The Goat Horse shook its head, as if it too sensed the absurdity and cruelty of the rule, even though it was an NPC.

"So, basically, we're in some kind of deadly reality show with arbitrary rules set by who knows who," Marshmallow mused, trying to wrap his head around that truth. "And all we can do is play along."

Raven nodded. "The more we understand how the Survivor Game works, the better our chances of surviving." His tone was dry, leaving no room for argument.

Everyone nodded in agreement, understanding that there was no room for complaints or dissent. It was clear that the only way forward was through cooperation and mutual understanding. With this in mind, Marshmallow decided it was time to lighten the mood. That's when he took the floor.

"We haven't done introductions yet, right? Let me introduce you to my companions," he began, searching for the right words. "This is Dam," he said, pointing at him. "He's a B Rank with a Unique Skill called Tricoda. You can see it on him, those three tails can be used as weapons or as additional limbs. Even as a shield if needed."

Dam nodded with a smile, quite pleased with the introduction.

"And her," Marshmallow continued, now pointing at her, "is Samantheye. She's also a B Rank, and she has the Red Eye Revelation, which gives her unparalleled vision. With her rifle, she never misses a shot!"

Samantheye offered a nod of greeting, maintaining her calm and piercing gaze.

"Lastly, this is the Goat Horse," Marshmallow concluded, pointing to the unusual creature beside them. "He doesn't have Unique Skills like Dam or Samantheye, but he's... well, he's the Goat Horse. He's strong, fast, and, uh, an ideal companion."

The Goat Horse made a sound that resembled a cross between a moo and a neigh, seeming a bit downcast by the somewhat flat description.

"Hey, don't look so glum, Goat Horse," Dam chimed in, giving it a friendly pat on the shoulder. "You're the best at what you do, and you know it!"

The Goat Horse shook its head, as if trying to shake off its disappointment, and straightened up, adopting a more determined and proud demeanor.

Raven observed each of them, nodding in approval. "Good," he commented. "It looks like you have a pretty versatile team. And, Goat Horse..." He turned to the bewildered NPC. "Are you more horse or goat?"

The Goat Horse scratched its head, almost embarrassed. "Eh, depends on the day. Right now, I'm more humanoid, but I can go full horse if needed. So... horse, I guess?" With a wry smile, he shrugged as if to say it wasn't that big of a deal.

"Yeah, but now that we're all awake and acquainted," Marshmallow shifted the topic, breaking the silence with a question that hung in the air, "Where the heck are we headed, Colonel?"

Raven, with a serious yet calm expression, gathered the group's attention by looking around. "You're right, I haven't told you our destination yet," he admitted, resting his hands on his knees. "Us Wyolanders are gathering at a single headquarters. It's a major operation."

Dam raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised. "All together? What?! And how would you pull something like that off? Are you planning to scour the entire map?"

"That would be absurd, wouldn't it?" Raven countered, shaking his head. "One of ours has a unique skill that lets him detect every scattered Wyolander. It's like we have our beacon."

Samantheye nodded silently, her eyes reflecting deep thought. She wondered who this individual with such a unifying power could be.

"See, as the leader of the Wyolanders, I have a huge responsibility to stay at headquarters and be ready for anything," Raven continued in a calm but powerful voice. "However, I decided to leave for a bit and put everything in the hands of my vice, Parabellum. I had to come get you personally, Marshmallow."

Marshmallow seemed slightly uneasy, perhaps overwhelmed by the magnitude of responsibility he carried. He well knew what it meant to be a Jolly Rank. He was perhaps one of the few players capable of confirming or overturning the outcome of the Survivor Game, no small feat.

"You, Marshmallow," Raven addressed him with a seriousness that brooked no argument, "are the Wyolands' trump card. I couldn't risk anyone killing you before we found you. Fortunately, I found you just in time."

At those words, a shiver of excitement ran through the group. It was clear they were in the midst of something much bigger than themselves. Raven stood up, gesturing broadly and decisively towards a structure in the distance. "And our destination," he announced with an epic tone, "is that."

As the wagon moved forward, Raven extended his hand, pointing towards a spot on the horizon where the dawn light intertwined with the mountain shadows. "Look there," he said in a low but clear voice, "that's our headquarters." Everyone's eyes followed the direction he indicated, but all they saw was the continuous mountain range, shrouded in morning mist.

"I see nothing," Samantheye murmured, squinting in an attempt to make out something beyond the fog. The others nodded in agreement.

"It's perfectly camouflaged with its surroundings, invisible to the eyes of our enemies. Only those who know the secret words can see beyond the magical fog that conceals it." Raven, then with an almost ceremonial gesture, raised both hands towards the sky. The words he spoke were in a strange language, unknown to all but him. The syllables echoed through the air with power, traveling towards the mountains and the fog enveloping them.

The group watched in silence, holding their breath. The fog began to stir as if pushed by an invisible force, gradually revealing the silhouette of something massive and imposing.

"Something's happening," Samantheye whispered in awe.

The mountains themselves seemed to change shape, bending and transforming into towering stone walls. High and majestic towers rose, challenging the sky, while flags waved proudly atop them, revealing the emblem of the Wyolands.

The Goat Horse neighed a sound that carried both surprise and admiration. Dam ran a hand through his hair, trying to take in the sight unfolding before them.

"This... this is incredible," Marshmallow murmured, his eyes unable to tear themselves away from the panorama unfolding before them. The Wyolands' headquarters stood majestic and imposing, a veritable fortress that defied nature itself.

"Here is where the Wyolanders will all come together, united against Novgovia," Raven said with his tone imbued with pride. "We call it the Overblown Castle."