My Level Zero System

"Finally, it's here!"

Tolimus excitedly exclaimed, unfurling his map to see that the other two teams were also beginning to move.

"Only Kain's team had a signal sent from them... it seems Faith's spy is still more effective."

Tolimus quickly commanded his team to set out.

At the same time, the battle between Mera and Elna reached its climax.

Using her most proficient skill, [Air Slash], Mera continuously pressured Elna, who could only endlessly defend, dodge, and flee. The surrounding trees were so severely shredded they no longer retained their original shapes.

But Mera's expression grew more serious because, until now, it seemed like she was overwhelming Elna, yet Elna hadn't suffered any damage.

Just as Kain said, she was hiding her true strength!

"Traitor! How could you do this to us!"

Facing Mera's accusation, Elna could only force a bitter smile.

"Considering everything we've been through together, I won't move against you all. As for the rest... May you find fortune."

With that, Elna vanished, leaving Mera stamping her foot in anger.

"Damn it! What kind of 'chivalry' is this? You're the traitor, and the very reason we let you join the team was to help us win! Damn it! Damn it!"

The more she thought about it, the angrier she got, and Mera couldn't help but unleash a string of curses. It was fortunate that Elna had already left; if she had heard these words, she might have exploded in rage and resumed the fight.

"Mera, are you hurt?"

A familiar voice sounded from behind her. Mera exhaled, trying to quell the fury in her heart. She turned, seeing Kain's concerned gaze directed at her, and couldn't help but sigh.

"Kain, even though I heard the truth from you, when it actually happened, I still find it hard to accept."

Mera clenched her fist so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

Mera was a very emotional person, so some events, like Elna's betrayal, evoked a stronger reaction from her.

However, more than her own feelings, Mera worried about how this would affect their team.

Fortunately, Kain gave her a reassuring look, indicating that everything was still within his predictions.

Very quickly, he gathered the remaining members of his team.

Aside from him and Mera, both Myra and Katie showed confusion.

To answer their unspoken questions, Kain simply dropped a bombshell.

"Elna has betrayed us."

Before the two could even react in their stunned state, Kain continued,

"Therefore, it's time for us to split up."

"I will now hand over the specific plan to each of you."

Kain began giving commands.

He would split off and go alone, following his previous plan to make himself bait to attract the attention of other opponents.

Myra would also split off and go alone, following the previous plan to search for the hidden weapons, as Kain had helped her determine their locations.

Mera and Katie would go together. Kain tasked them with circling around and causing disturbances, aiming to tie down Pegasus's team—those who were trying to head straight for the finish line without wanting to engage in combat. In that mindset, Pegasus's team would avoid fighting and take detours in response to any movement. This would achieve Mera's objective of holding them back. Katie would accompany her to provide healing and recovery support. Unlike Kain and Myra, Mera expended energy very quickly and lacked the ability to self-heal. Therefore, having Katie support her was a logical decision.

As for the reason to split up at this moment, Kain's reasoning was simple: it was all part of his calculations.

Given Elna's betrayal, Kain's team now had only four members, making them the weakest team. By further dispersing his team into three parts, he made his team appear even weaker.

However, all of the above assumptions were made from the perspective of the one possessing the map that showed the positions of all other teams—Tolimus.

At this point, what would his line of thinking be?

"Kain's team is down one member and has even split up to flee? This team is no longer a concern."

"But Faith's team is about to get a sixth member. This means Faith's team is the strongest, the most potential threat! I can't let that happen!"

"Kain's team is no longer a threat; it's fine if I don't eliminate them for now. I can even persuade Kain to join my side after revealing the truth to him, so he can only direct his efforts towards Faith! Yes, that's it, I must exploit Kain!"

"Change course, attack Faith's team!"

In nature, there's a very basic tactic that prey often use to deceive pursuing predators: playing dead.

When the prey feigns death, the predator's vigilance drops. In the predator's eyes, the prey is no longer a threat.

At that very moment, the prey will "resurrect from the dead" and then flee, disappearing into thin air, much to the predator's astonishment.

Here, Kain applied a similar strategy, but in a more abstract way.

His team fell into the worst state: short a member, and with the remaining members split up. Logically, Kain's team should have been the first to be eliminated.

But Kain proved something: the weak also have their own path to survival. Meanwhile, the team that had become the "strongest," like Faith's team, became the target of attack, because that's simply how human psychology works.

Avoiding heavy burdens and seeking light ones is instinctual, but so is stepping on others. Tolimus thought Kain's team was no longer a threat, merely something he could step on. Naturally, his gaze would focus on the next stone he would step on to continue advancing.

In summary, by employing this method, Kain skillfully directed Tolimus to attack Faith, even without a spy transmitting signals. This was his next move, now just waiting to see how Faith would respond.

"Everyone, prepare for battle."

Moving along, Faith suddenly stopped and spoke.

The team members all looked confused, as they were clearly still a considerable distance from the signal's origin point. However, this confusion lasted only for a moment, as no one here doubted Faith's decision.

Very quickly, a formation was established.

Faith stood at the center, his expression unchanged, as if everything was, as always, within his predictions.