As Max joined Sera in the game, the matchmaking screen pulsed with a soft blue glow before dissolving into nothingness. Materializing on Spawn Island, Sera immediately sensed something amiss. The usual pre-game chaos—players firing random shots, throwing punches at the air, and performing emotes—was conspicuously absent. She turned a full circle, scanning the eerily quiet surroundings, and saw only Max standing nearby, a luminous "2" hovering above his head like a digital halo.
"Max," she asked, her voice laced with confusion as she adjusted her tactical vest, "why aren't there any other players in our team? Where's the rest of the squad? This feels weird."
Max's lips curved into a knowing smile as he checked his inventory. The sunlight filtering through the palm trees cast dappled shadows across his face. "Oh, that. I turned off matchmaking so it's just the two of us. It's a feature I implemented to allow smaller groups or solo players to experience the game in their own way." He paused, examining a holographic map projecting from his wrist device. "For now, though, I haven't fully enabled it for public use since the game is still in its beta phase. We don't have enough players to fully take advantage of it yet."
"Wait, we can do that?" Sera's voice carried a mix of surprise and excitement as she reflexively tightened the straps on her gloves. "That's not in any other battle royale I've played."
Max nodded, pride evident in his posture. "Yeah. Unlike other games with fixed modes like 1v1 or solo practice, PUBG is built to be an intense, player-based experience. But I wanted to give players the option to tailor their matches. Freedom of choice matters in games as much as in life."
Sera's comment section erupted with messages cascading so quickly they almost blurred together:
"Wait, what? The game is still in beta?"
"This looks more than complete! Look at those graphics!"
"Is this guy really planning to use mana to make the game even better?"
"Max is too ambitious for an F-rank! Does he know what he's getting into?"
"The lighting effects alone look like something from an A-rank creator!"
Sera's eyes flicked to her peripheral vision where she could see the stream comments without her viewers noticing. She cleared her throat, adjusting her tactical headset. "Okay, okay, I see your comments. Let me ask Max directly." She turned to Max in-game and studied his face before asking, "Max, my fans want to know: Are you really planning to build this game even further? A lot of creators just absorb the mana from their games to grow their own mana pool and rank up. They don't bother with updates once the game starts earning for them." She hesitated, her voice softening. "Is that what you're planning?"
Max exhaled slowly, his shoulders dropping slightly as he looked toward the horizon where the force field was beginning to form in the distance. His expression shifted from casual to contemplative, eyes reflecting the determination that Sera had only glimpsed before.
"Look, Sera," he began, his voice quieter but firm, "I've thought about this a lot. The thing is, I have too many ideas for this game—things that keep me up at night. I see a future for it—something so big that leaving it half-finished and moving on to another project isn't even an option for me." He picked up a nearby level 3 helmet, turning it in his hands thoughtfully. "That's why I don't call myself a 'game creator.' I call myself a game developer. My goal isn't just to make games and absorb mana; it's to keep building and updating them until they reach their highest potential. Until they become what I see in my mind."
The chat exploded with renewed energy:
"Whoa, Max is serious about this game!"
"If he's going to keep updating it, I'll support him!"
"That's the kind of dev we need in this world. Someone with actual passion."
"Honestly, even though he's not a B-rank, his ambition is crazy impressive. I'm rooting for him!"
"Watch him become the first F-rank to create an S-tier game!"
Sera's expression shifted, concern etching lines across her forehead as she spoke. "But, Max…" she stepped closer, lowering her voice as though sharing a secret, "wouldn't that be a loss for you? I mean, you could use all this mana to become stronger yourself. Most creators would stop here, absorb the mana, and rank up. That's the traditional path." She bit her lip. "Are you really sure about this? The Council might not look favorably on delaying your advancement."
Max's eyes hardened momentarily before he shook his head firmly. "Sera, if my games were trash, then yeah, that'd be the logical move." His fingers tightened around his weapon. "But I don't make games just to move on. I make new things—things people haven't seen before. That's my passion." A quiet intensity radiated from him as he continued, "And if it means delaying my personal growth to give this game everything it needs, then so be it. Some things are worth the sacrifice."
The chat exploded again, this time with both support and skepticism, opinions divided like battle lines:
"If Max is going to do this, I'll support him all the way! Already subscribed!"
"This is exactly what the industry needs—a developer who cares about their creation more than rank."
"Honestly, this might be too ambitious for an F-rank... remember what happened to Developer Kim?"
"Even if he's talking big, I respect his vision. That takes guts in today's mana economy."
"Anyone else getting goosebumps? This guy is either crazy or brilliant."
As the timer ticked down to 1, a subtle vibration hummed through their surroundings. The landscape of Spawn Island dissolved into particles of light, and Sera felt a momentary sensation of weightlessness before the scene reassembled. She and Max found themselves in the rumbling cargo hold of a C-130, flying over Erangel—a sprawling landscape where emerald forests met azure coastlines, dotted with clusters of red-roofed settlements and the skeletal remains of military installations.
The plane's engines roared deafeningly as it cut diagonally across the map, the terrain below appearing as detailed as a high-resolution satellite image. Through the open bay door, wind howled, carrying the faint scent of sea salt and pine.
Sera turned to Max, her hair whipping across her face from the aircraft's turbulence. "So," she shouted over the engine noise, adrenaline already building in her system, "where are we landing?"
Max studied the holographic map projected from his wrist device, his eyes calculating distances and trajectories. He marked a location with a decisive tap, sending a red beacon pulsing on both their interfaces. "The military base is close to the plane's path," he explained, eyes narrowing as he surveyed the virtual landscape below. "Most players will go there—it's risky, but the loot is worth it. High risk, high reward—that's the battle royale way."
Sera nodded, a competitive glint in her eye as she adjusted her tactical gloves. "Alright, military base it is. Let's show these NPCs what real players can do."
When their navigation system indicated they were 1,000 meters from the drop zone, Max's voice cut through the ambient noise with authority: "Jump!" Without hesitation, he plunged into the open air, the wind immediately tearing at his clothes as he entered free-fall.
Sera followed a split second later, the momentary fear of the drop giving way to exhilaration as gravity seized her. The sensation was startlingly realistic—the pressure of the wind against her face, the deafening rush of air past her ears, the pit in her stomach as she plummeted earthward.
As they dove straight toward the military base, Sera's breath caught in her throat. The view was nothing short of spectacular. Below them lay the sprawling Sosnovka Military Base, an imposing complex encircled by towering concrete walls topped with spirals of rusted barbed wire that glinted in the morning sun. The base was meticulously sectioned into different operational areas—massive aircraft hangars with partially open doors revealing shadowy interiors, C-shaped barracks arranged in defensive formations, and watchtowers positioned at strategic intervals, their windows reflecting the sunlight like watchful eyes.
Military vehicles—UAZs, Dacias, and even an armored BRDM-2—were scattered near the roads, some pristine, others bearing the scars of previous conflicts. The sunlight cast long shadows across the complex and reflected off the metal rooftops with such photorealistic detail that Sera momentarily forgot she was in a game.
Her chat erupted with excited messages:
"OMG, the visuals of the military base are INSANE! Look at those shadow effects!"
"How is this a beta game? The detail on those buildings is better than my actual apartment!"
"Sera, you're gonna get wrecked in the military base, haha! That place is a death trap!"
"Check out the light reflection on those watchtowers! Max must have spent months on lighting alone!"
Sera grinned, feeling the rush of competition flowing through her. "Guys, chill!" she called out to her stream, her voice carrying a confident edge. "I've got this! Remember who you're watching—I didn't become a B-rank streamer by avoiding hot drops!"
As the altimeter on her HUD indicated optimal deployment height, their parachutes unfurled with a satisfying snap that resonated through Sera's body. She hovered momentarily, taking in the strategic layout of the base, mentally marking potential threat zones and loot locations.
Max, however, was already one step ahead. With practiced precision, he angled his parachute aggressively, achieving maximum descent speed while maintaining control. He landed with a soft thud on the flat rooftop of one of the C-shaped barracks, immediately releasing his harness and dropping into a combat-ready crouch.
"First landing bonus achieved," flashed across his HUD as he earned extra experience points for being the first to touch ground.
Max wasted no time on celebration. He sprinted toward a nearby weapon—an M416 assault rifle gleaming in the sunlight, its polished barrel practically calling his name. He scooped it up with fluid efficiency, the weapon's weight and balance perfectly rendered in his hands as he slapped in a magazine and chambered a round. The mechanical sounds of the reload were crisp and authentic.
"Sera," he called out urgently through their team comm, "grab a gun fast! Most of the players are still in the air. We've got free kills here if we move quickly!" His voice carried the focused intensity of a seasoned tactician.
Sera, still drifting slightly behind, guided her parachute toward the same rooftop. The moment her feet touched down, she discarded the harness and scanned her surroundings with practiced efficiency. Her trained eye caught the distinctive shape of a UMP9 submachine gun lying near a wooden crate. She dashed toward it, her footsteps creating subtle vibrations through her haptic interface.
She snatched up the weapon, feeling its weight shift realistically in her grip as she pulled back the charging handle and loaded a magazine. The satisfying click of the bolt locking forward sent a small shiver of anticipation down her spine. Glancing upward, she saw the sky speckled with descending figures, their parachutes billowing like jellyfish against the azure backdrop.
Her chat erupted with excited messages:
"LMAO, shoot them while they're still floating! It's like shooting fish in a barrel!"
"The parachute physics are so realistic! Look how they respond to the wind currents!"
"Sera, get those free kills! You can do it! Show Max what a B-rank can do!"
"That UMP9 looks so detailed I can practically smell the gun oil from here!"
Sera laughed, a predatory gleam in her eye as she raised her UMP9 skyward. "Alright," she announced, settling into her element, "let's give these unfortunate souls a warm welcome they won't forget!"
With synchronized precision, she and Max began firing at the helpless players still gliding down. The UMP9 bucked in Sera's hands, its recoil pattern requiring subtle compensation as she tracked targets through her holographic sight. Bullets tore through the air with deadly accuracy, puncturing parachutes and finding their marks. Damaged canopies collapsed like wilting flowers, sending their users plummeting to certain death.
The kill feed in the corner of their vision began to populate with notifications:
Kill Feed:
Max (M416) knocked out Team 6 Player 2.Sera (UMP9) eliminated Team 7 Player 3.Max (M416) killed Team 8 Player 4.
With each elimination, a subtle rush of satisfaction flowed through Sera—the game's reward system perfectly calibrated to trigger dopamine releases with each successful action. As the first enemy squad was completely wiped out, virtual blood spattering on the concrete below, Max swiftly ejected his spent magazine and slammed a fresh one home.
"First blood bonus activated: +25% damage for 30 seconds," flashed across their HUDs.
Max quickly scanned the area through his rifle's 2x scope, his movements economical and purposeful. "Sera," he called with urgent intensity, "other players are running into the buildings to grab guns. We need to finish them off before they arm themselves properly!" His tactical assessment was spot-on—allowing enemies to gear up would drastically reduce their early advantage.
Sera nodded, feeling her competitive instincts fully engaged now. "Got it! Let's hunt!"
Without warning, Max sprinted to the edge of the rooftop. Calculating distances with a glance, he leaped off without hesitation, his figure silhouetted momentarily against the rising sun.
"Max!" Sera screamed, her heart lurching as she ran to the edge. "What the hell are you doing?!" The drop was at least three stories—enough to cause significant damage in most games.
But Max landed with surprising grace, his character executing a perfect combat roll to absorb the impact. Rising to his feet without missing a beat, he looked back up at her, amusement evident in his expression. "You do realize we're Awakened, right?" he called up, referencing their real-world abilities. "This kind of height wouldn't hurt us in real life, and it definitely won't hurt us in the game. I've implemented realistic physics for Awakened players—our characters have enhanced durability to match our actual capabilities."
Sera felt heat rising to her cheeks, embarrassment washing over her. "Oh... right. I forgot," she mumbled, mentally kicking herself for the overreaction. Despite her B-rank status, she sometimes still thought within the limitations of conventional games.
Max smirked and waved her down with an impatient gesture. "Hurry up! We've got some players to hunt! The longer we wait, the better armed they'll be!"
Sera opted for the stairs instead, descending rapidly while muttering under her breath, "He could've at least warned me before pulling stunts like that. Show-off."
As they regrouped on the ground floor, the atmosphere changed. The playful banter disappeared, replaced by focused intensity. Max pointed to a nearby administrative building, its windows reflecting the morning light. "That's where they went," he whispered, his voice barely audible over the distant sound of sporadic gunfire from other parts of the map. "I saw movement on the second floor. Stick close, and let's finish them before they get any ideas about ambushing other players."
Sera tightened her grip on her UMP9, feeling the textured grip against her palms. The weight of extra magazines in her tactical vest and the first-aid kit strapped to her thigh completed the immersive sensation. Her heart pounded with real anticipation as she nodded to Max.
"Let's do this," she whispered back, her voice steady despite the adrenaline coursing through her system. "Time to show these NPCs who they're dealing with."
Together, they moved toward the building, their footsteps nearly silent on the cracked asphalt. The hunt was on, and Sera couldn't remember the last time a game had felt this real—this alive.