"AAAAAAAH, I can't hold on any longer!!!"
The man in the beach shirt hanging off the edge finally lost his grip and fell, screaming into the abyss.
But in that instant, his backpack strap snagged on the grappling hook with a rip, and the bag burst open!
Its contents scattered like confetti: Several packs of compressed biscuits, a water flask, a copy of "G-5 Survival Manual," a bundle of rope, a few unrecognizable metal parts…
And, a single object, glinting with irresistible golden light under the "moon."
A [Renzo Gold Token].
The token traced a perfect arc through the air.
Clink.
It landed precisely on the edge of the tiny platform that Falcon had just leapt onto, rolled twice… and stopped.
Less than half a meter from his feet.
Falcon: "..."
Rock Mountain, Shadow Dancer, Poison Scorpion: "..."
All onlookers: "..."
The entire audience: "..."
Time seemed to freeze.
Then, "MY...GOLD...TOKEN!!!"
The beach-shirt man's desperate scream echoed up from the abyss, fading into the wind.
The silence on the platform lasted less than a second.
"Grab it!!!"
Grove reacted first, abandoning Falcon entirely and charging toward the "gift from heaven" like a cannonball!
"It's mine!" Sutherland transformed into a streak of black smoke, arriving even faster!
Vera acted even more directly; her scorpion tail flicked, firing a needle straight at the token to knock it toward herself!
And Falcon, who had just barely escaped, stared at the glowing token at his feet with a look that yelled:
"I JUST ESCAPED AND YOU THROW ANOTHER ONE AT ME?! ARE YOU TRYING TO GET ME KILLED?!"
But he had no choice.
If the others got it, and word spread that he held two tokens, he wouldn't just be hunted by three people.
The entire arena would come after him.
In a split second, Falcon made his decision.
He gritted his teeth, bent down, grabbed the token, and ran.
Not deeper into the safer cluster of platforms, but in the opposite direction,
Toward a sparser, more dangerous region where the abyss below howled even louder.
"Stop!!"
"Drop the token!!"
The three roared and gave chase.
And just like that, a heart-stopping nighttime pursuit across floating platforms began.
....
G-5 Live Plaza
"OOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH!!!"
Rehn had leapt out of his chair, fists pumping, face flushed like he'd downed ten bottles of fake liquor.
"THIS is drama! THIS is entertainment! Did you see that, audience?!"
"A token falling from the sky! A reversal from despair! A midnight death chase! Every element is here!!"
"Who IS that beach-shirt guy?! Get me his info NOW! A walking embodiment of bad luck and accidental miracles, we need to focus on him!"
"When he gets rescued, I'm interviewing him personally! I want to know how he managed to carry a token and STILL drop it!!"
"And Lieutenant Commander Falcon! Calm under pressure! Decisive and ruthless!"
"He seized that tiny chance in despair, and now holds TWO tokens! The fattest target on Evernight Island!"
"This script, this development, even I couldn't write it!!"
The audience went insane.
"What the hell?! That actually worked?!"
"That shirt guy must be planted by the organizers, right?!"
"Two tokens! Falcon is worth a fortune now!"
"Chase him! Don't let him escape!"
"I bet Falcon lasts 30 minutes! One million!"
"Ten minutes! Two million!"
Even the noble ladies were wide awake now.
"So thrilling! Better than opera!"
"Go Falcon! I believe in you!"
"That big guy is scary… but those muscles are impressive…"
"Poison Scorpion is so cool! I want her claw set!"
...
Evernight Island, Deep Platform Zone
Falcon had never run this fast in his life.
Two tokens radiated heat and deadly signals from his chest.
Behind him, three relentless killing intents clung like parasites.
Farther back, more footsteps and air-splitting sounds approached, others joining the hunt.
He leapt between platforms, weaving through shadows, using terrain to barely maintain distance,
Only to be caught up again.
"You can't escape!" Grove roared, smashing a platform Falcon had just used.
The platform shattered halfway, debris flying.
Falcon barely made it to the next one, but a flying rock sliced open his left arm.
"Hehe… tired? Then rest."
Sutherland's voice came from the shadows.
Three throwing knives sealed Falcon's escape path.
Falcon twisted his body violently, dodging two by a hair's breadth.
The third grazed his cheek, drawing blood.
"Tch, slippery little rat."
Vera clicked her tongue and unleashed another barrage of poison needles.
Falcon's Observation Haki was pushed to the absolute limit.
His brain throbbed from the strain.
He knew, at this rate, getting caught was only a matter of time.
He needed a breakthrough.
His eyes scanned the terrain and locked onto something ahead.
A relatively open "platform plaza," formed by several large platforms connected together.
At its far edge, a narrow natural stone bridge, barely wide enough for one person.
It led to a tall, isolated rock pillar like a tower.
The top was tiny, only enough space for two or three people.
But it was defensible.
And most importantly, the bridge was too narrow for multiple attackers at once.
An opportunity.
Falcon's eyes hardened.
He accelerated to his maximum speed, rushing toward it.
"He's heading for the pillar! Stop him!" Sutherland shouted.
The three immediately sped up, converging from different angles.
Distance shrank rapidly.
50 meters.
30 meters.
10 meters.
Falcon could smell Grove's sweat.
Hear the whistle of Vera's tail.
See the cold gleam of Sutherland's blades.
At that critical moment.
"ROOOOOOAR!!!"
A deep, ancient roar erupted from the abyss below.
It carried overwhelming pressure and brutality, sweeping across the entire platform field.
Everyone froze for a split second.
Even the three pursuers hesitated, looking downward.
Then, WHOOOOOOOSH!!
A massive shape surged upward.
A gigantic claw, covered in dark green-black scales, burst from the abyss,
Grabbing toward the platform edge!
BOOM!!!
Rock shattered.
The entire platform trembled violently.
The claw only grazed the edge, but it tore off a huge chunk before retreating into darkness.
The effect was devastating.
The platform edge collapsed.
The narrow bridge to the pillar, cracked down the middle, trembling as if about to break.
Falcon reached the bridge entrance, nearly stumbling from the shockwave.
Behind him, the three were momentarily slowed by the chaos.
He glanced at the cracked bridge.
Then at the three monsters closing in.
He clenched his teeth.
All or nothing.
He leapt onto the bridge,
And sprinted toward the pillar.
"Don't run!!"
Grove charged onto the bridge first.
His heavy steps worsened the cracks, stones falling into the abyss.
Sutherland and Vera followed.
Four figures,
One ahead, three behind, raced across a crumbling, meter-wide bridge over a bottomless abyss.
The bridge groaned.
Cracks spread like spiderwebs.
Below, two massive glowing red eyes emerged from the darkness, waiting.
....
At the G-5 plaza, tens of thousands held their breath.
Even the popcorn went untouched.
Rehn gripped the microphone, voice hoarse with excitement:
"The final sprint! Life hanging by a thread!"
"Who will reach the pillar?! Who will win Evernight Island?!"
"DON'T BLINK!!!"
"The most thrilling moment-"
"IS HERE!!!"