Chapter 2: I Am Arcana

[The main goal of the Arcana game is to survive until the seventh wave of the game]

[The first wave of the game is called "I Am Arcana"]

[Obtain one of the 22 available cards. The game will be considered finished once all cards have owners]

Continuing from the second red point, Adam read in his mind.

[Game rules]

[There are 22 cards scattered across the island. 98 Players will compete to find the cards. Each player can only have one card. As a challenge, various types of Beasts have been released all over the island, and players are required to survive until the end of the game. Players who obtain a card and then die will be disqualified, and the card will revoke ownership rights from that player. Players who do not have a card at the end of the game will be disqualified]

"Game? Players? Cards?" Adam gritted his teeth. He felt confused but also remembered glimpses of what happened to the woman torn apart by the horned wolf.

At least he knew this was not something to be taken lightly.

At the third red point, another text was clearly displayed.

[Prohibitions, instructions, and Penalties]

[Players are free to choose weapons to survive against the Beasts scattered across the island. Players are not allowed to give away their owned cards to others. A player who has obtained one card cannot have a second card. Players who do not obtain a card at the end of the game will be disqualified. Types of disqualification include: The player's head is blown up-]

After reading the end, Adam immediately remembered the scene in the tent before—a man lying with his head missing, leaving blood splatters. "Was that person disqualified? For what reason?"

However, the question was quickly answered as Adam read the remaining text.

[The system has the right to disqualify players deemed ineligible to participate in the game]

Meanwhile, the remaining red points were just notifications about the delay in system installation.

Adam still had many questions in his mind. But for now, he had to keep them to himself; first, he had to complete the first wave of the game, finding a card, which was the only way to ensure he didn't suffer the same fate as the headless figure in the tent.

Adam cautiously peeked back through the tree he was leaning on, observing if the horned wolf was still around. "No traces..." After confirming the horned wolf had gone, Adam stood up.

Adam remembered the first time the system appeared on a broken TV screen and concluded that the system could be communicated with, at least to some extent. This was evidenced by the fact that the text on the broken TV screen seemed to engage in casual conversation with him rather than containing formal information like the three screens in front of him.

But he didn't know how.

"Give me another clue to find the card." After saying so, Adam waited for a response. However, after ten seconds of silence, there was no sign that the system would reply.

Adam furrowed his brow as the sound of growling accompanied by screams echoed from where he came. "Was that the horned wolf's growl?" Adam wondered.

He didn't want to risk approaching the area, but the growl sounded convincing—as if someone had just been attacked. And the screams heard didn't sound like screams of pain; they sounded more like spirited and determined voices.

After thinking for five seconds, Adam decided to approach the source of the sound. "As long as I'm not too close and observe while keeping my distance, everything will be fine," he murmured. He then quickly walked towards the sound.

Under the lush forest, a horned wolf lay with an arrow stuck in its left eye and abdomen.

Adam watched through the bushes.

A man stood there, with a dusty face, unique hunting attire, a collection of arrows on his back, and a wooden arrow in his hand. This man had a simple appearance with a mix of brown hair and light blue eyes. His expression was puzzled, appearing dissatisfied.

"Shit! Where can I find offerings materials!?" He casually walked around the horned wolf's corpse, roughly pulling out the arrow stuck in its abdomen and eye.

Adam felt unsure whether to reveal himself or remain hidden.

In the bushes, a green snake suddenly slithered past Adam's shoes. Reflexively, Adam stood up and stomped his foot to drive away the snake, which was only the size of a thumb.

The archer man swiftly prepared an arrow and immediately aimed it seriously as he was surprised by the sudden movement in the bushes.

Before releasing the arrow, the archer man's expression immediately relaxed. He saw Adam and quickly lowered his aim, putting the arrow back on his back. "Hey, what are you doing?" The young man asked.

Adam tried to look normal. After all, there was nothing to worry about. At least Adam knew the person in front of him might be one of the players.

"I heard a growl from that thing," Adam pointed to the horned wolf behind the archer man.

Observing Adam for a few seconds, the archer man immediately asked, "Have you gotten a card?"

Adam shook his head, "What about you?"

The archer man also shook his head, "It's difficult to explore this island properly; the Beasts are scattered randomly. I think the horned wolf isn't the most dangerous Beast; deeper into the forest, I'm sure there are more dangerous Beasts."

After that, Adam turned around and said, "Well, then, I'll take a different direction." Just as he took a step, the archer man stopped him.

"Hey, let's team up." He said confidently.

Adam showed a normal expression, but various thoughts filled his mind. "Form a team? Look at me, do you believe I can help you with just my fists? I would only be a burden, and that's what a normal person would think." He muttered to himself.

Adam watched the archer man's confidence and immediately asked, "The game rules require us to compete for the cards, which means this game is individual; why do you think forming a team is a good idea?"

"As long as we can trust each other, it will be fine." The archer said, then continued, "By working together, we can find cards more easily. Forget about the cards; surviving against Beasts is more important right now. Besides, we only need to find two different cards."

Seeing Adam not responding, the archer man said again, "If you're still unsure, how about this," The archer man walked casually while continuing, "The first card we find will be yours, and then you'll help me find the second card."

Adam felt more suspicious. There was no rule prohibiting players from killing each other. He couldn't be sure that the person in front of him would truly keep his promise. The worst possibility was that after working together to get the first card, Adam would be killed, and his card would be taken.

Considering this oddity, Adam immediately said, "Even with my help, I don't think it will make a difference. Unless you need a meat shield, no one else would even want to work with me."

The archer walked casually until he was in front of Adam. He was about five centimeters taller than Adam, and his posture was also better.

Facing this situation, Adam felt slightly uneasy. But immediately the archer man extended his right hand while saying, "Eric Grayson."

"My name is Eric Grayson," he repeated his statement.

Adam paused for a moment before responding with suspicion, "Adam Lock—" Before finishing his words, they were immediately startled by an unnatural movement in the forest. Gradually, vibrations shook the ground.

Trees swayed, indicating a clear path leading their way. Birds flew in the opposite direction, as if fleeing from something.

Eric, the blue-eyed man, clicked his tongue, "Let's go now."