Night had quietly descended upon Icolis.
The moon's cold light spilled across the broken ruins, illuminating shattered pillars and half-buried walls. In the small clearing between them, Jun, Mika, Sanju, and Mahi sat around a faint fire, eating their meager meal.
The flames flickered, reflecting off their helmets and combat suits. For a while, silence reigned. Then Mika casually checked her card. "My meal's complete," she said.
Everyone turned toward her.
"I got seven points,"she added, eyes on the screen. "That brings me to nine hundred and seven."
Sanju and Mahi immediately checked their own cards. Sanju chuckled,"I got points too. Nine hundred and eleven now."
Mahi's voice was calm,"Nine hundred and three."
All eyes shifted to Jun. He raised his hands awkwardly,"Alright, alright… I'll show mine."
He checked his card,"Mine's nine hundred and five."
Sanju smirked,"Not bad."
Once the meal ended, each of them quietly checked their gear before retreating into the ruins, settling into their temporary rooms. Morning arrived with a chill in the air.
When Jun and Mika stepped into the central area, they found Sanju and Mahi already waiting. Both carried their teleportor devices but they looked different.
Sanju lifted his device,"We modified them."
Jun raised an eyebrow,"Modified?"
Mahi's tone was steady,"Hand-teleportors. It is Compact and efficient."
Sanju's words were blunt,"We're leaving."
Jun and Mika exchanged confused glances.
"What do you mean?"Jun asked.
Sanju shrugged,"We'll search for other survivors on Icolis. And hunt aliens."
Mahi added,"For faster growth."
Sanju pulled a book from his bag and handed it to Jun,"Remember the deal? Everything's written here. About the powers how can you use."
By the time Mika and Jun could react, they had already left. Jun and Mika stood frozen.
"…What just happened?" Mika whispered.
Jun looked down at the book,"No idea."
They opened it. Strange symbols and an unknown language filled the pages. Jun quickly pulled out his cloud translator device, scanning the text. After a few moments, an error flashed: "Language not recognized."
Jun exhaled in frustration,"Some words make sense… but not all."
Mika shrugged,"That's just how they are."
Jun closed the book,"So what now?"
Mika's voice was calm,"I copied their teleportor blueprint last night."
Jun stared at her,"Seriously?"
"Yes," Mika replied,"We can build our own. If we modify it, it'll run on low energy."
Without wasting time, Jun began working. Hours later, they had crafted two compact, efficient teleportors. They packed their gear, left the ruins, and reached the jungle's edge.
There, Mika stopped,"Jun… we should survive separately."
Jun's response was immediate,"No, Staying together is safer."
Mika shook her head,"Individual growth will be faster."
Jun wanted to argue, but Mika's resolve was unshakable. In the end, they parted ways. Jun headed south across Icolis. Even as he walked, he continued practicing the Mimic Ability. His body was drenched in sweat, but his control over energy was improving. He handed the mysterious book to Mika, trusting her to decode it later.
Hours passed before Jun reached a rocky region. The ground was jagged, sharp stones scattered everywhere. He pressed forward without pause, thoughts swirling.
"If only I could gain a power to fly… or move at extreme speed. It would save me so much time."
But the area was barren because there are no aliens, and no any type of edible plants. As dusk fell, Jun settled into a crack between the rocks.
He resumed practice. By now, he had reached the seventh tier of the Mimic Ability, the 79th page of the book, achieving 59% efficiency. A new ability unlocked:
He could now copy any creature's ability for up to 23 minutes.
Examples flashed in his mind:
• Flying alien → wings copied.
• Rabbit alien → extreme speed.
After training, Jun ate a piece of dry bread from his bag and drifted into sleep. The next morning, the first rays of sunlight touched his face. Jun rose, scanning the wilderness before continuing his journey.
As he practiced, he spotted crow-like aliens soaring in the sky. He focused, copying their wing ability. For a brief moment, Jun lifted off the ground, rising into the air. But balance was difficult. He quickly landed, shaking his head.
"I'm still having trouble balancing," he muttered.
The attempt had drained much of his energy. For now, he couldn't copy another power. And before him stretched the vast, unknown wilderness of Icolis.