Nathan initially thought it would be easy to join his team's hunt by riding on Fang's back. However, he soon realized that it was not so simple as Fang ran very fast, and his team members moved quickly from one place to another, taking on and defeating monsters with ease. Therefore, he decided to give up on his plan to take a nap and just lazily rode Fang as his party members did all the hunting.

"Come on, let's go fight!" Nathan exclaimed with a tinge of excitement as he saw the many monsters rapidly approaching. "Go, go, go!"

Meriel also joined the hunt, although it was not as hard as the others. She explained that, as a dark elf, she did not need as much sleep as humans, and so she was able to keep going even though the night before, her Stamina and Mana had been almost completely exhausted from hunting with Nathan.

Nathan pondered to himself, "Do I need to make a skill to reduce the amount of sleep I need?" He quickly shook away the thought, realizing it would be pointless if his Stamina and Mana didn't regenerate quickly. "Ah, I enjoy sleeping anyway," he said as he nestled his head against Fang's fur.

Nathan watched as his party members swiftly and nimbly defeated their opponents: Linda with her powerful fire attacks; Yudan, an alchemist who was skilled at swordplay; and Muramoto providing support.

At one point, Meriel used a skill that seemed to bind the party together with a black energy-shaped rope, which adjusted the distance between them. However, Nathan had never experienced this skill before, so he was unable to comprehend its effects.

When nightfall arrived, they quickly searched for a spot to make camp. With Yudan's meticulousness, he constructed an igloo that could fit up to ten people quickly and efficiently.

They had stumbled upon a clearing in the midst of the dense trees, and to make the area more inviting, Nathan had surrounded the igloo with flaming torches and had prepared a crackling fireplace for their banquet that night.

Muramoto looked around and remarked, "Nathan-san, this place looks quite fancy. Are you not concerned that this might make it easier for anyone, or monsters, to locate us?"

Nathan smiled and replied, "It would be even better if something came to us, so we don't have to bother finding them, right?"

Muramoto gulped nervously and smiled awkwardly. "Yes, I suppose so... Hehe."

"The food is ready!" Yudan shouted with excitement as the grilled meat was ready to be served.

Linda eagerly grabbed her portion and ate it with a satisfied look on her face. "Awyeee...."historical

Every meal they shared together was always a happy moment, as if they had a six-star restaurant chef in the middle of the wilderness and were surrounded by threats from enemies and monsters.

Nathan eagerly devoured the grilled meat in his hand and savored the different taste sensations. "Wow, the monster boar meat is so soft and juicy," he said happily as he chewed the succulent meat that filled his mouth.

"You are amazing, Yudan!" Meriel exclaimed, giving him a thumbs up. The girl seemed more at ease with the others and appeared to be talking more.

"Yes, this is so perfect." Muramoto let out a chuckle, "I really hope that this team lasts longer than just this challenge. I mean, doing a dungeon expedition together is always going to be fun."

"Don't say that, you dumbass!" Linda said, tapping Muramoto on the back. "You don't want to jinx it!"

"Oops, sorry," Muramoto replied sheepishly, still smiling.

[The score you've been waiting for on the third day is ready!]

At last, the announcement they had been eagerly awaiting had arrived.

[1. The Kings]

[2. Elite Hunters]

[3. The Shadow Warriors]

[4. The Arcane]

[5. The Dragon Slayers]

[ .. ]

[8. Vensalor]

[Your party is ranked 8th out of 33, with a total of 527 survivors.]

[...]

"Oh my goodness!" Linda gasped in disbelief when she saw the announcement. "We've been hunting all day and we're still in 8th place!" She then turned to Nathan with a pleading expression on her face. "Nathan Oppa, I think we really need to fight the other participants, what do you think?"

Nathan smiled and nodded slowly. "Still not satisfied after a day of monster killing, Linda?" he said with a chuckle.

"So, Yudan?" Nathan then directed his attention to Yudan.

"Out of 45 teams, there are now 33 left. And yesterday, there were 647 participants, now there are 527. I think the number of participants has decreased significantly compared to the number of existing teams. Perhaps some teams have started merging, just as Muramoto suggested earlier." Yudan explained.

They managed to attain a satisfactory score, as Yudan estimated that parties ranked higher than theirs probably had more members, possibly even hundreds. With only five of them, this was a very good achievement.

As they were deeply engaged in their conversation, a transparent map abruptly materialized in front of them.

"What is this?" Linda asked, puzzled.

Nathan initially assumed that Geen had returned. However, the map he had seen with Geen's skill was entirely different from the one now before him. Soon after, an announcement was broadcasted.

[The game is progressing to the next phase! The top ten teams will be exposed on the map every few hours. Enjoy!]

"What?!" Muramoto exclaimed in disbelief. "Did they say that our position will be exposed on this map every few hours?"

Nathan frowned, immediately aware of the potential challenges they might face. He tried to envision a few possible scenarios, unconsciously clenching his fists.

"Just as I expected." Yudan said grimly. "This challenge will drag on if it continues like this. With this, they have decided how the game will play out."

"I don't think we'll be able to get a good night's sleep in the next few days," Nathan said with a sour expression.

Right after Nathan uttered his words, his exhaustion reached a point where it was unbearable. He yawned and could not help but succumb to the slumber, especially after his stomach was full and content.

"You should take a rest, Nathan." Yudan suggested.

"Yeah, I think I should." Nathan nodded and proceeded towards the igloo, not paying attention to anything else. He flung himself onto the furry mat, and before long, he was in a deep sleep.

***

"Nathan Oppa, our first guest has arrived..."

Nathan slowly opened his eyes, hearing a soft whisper in his ear. He instantly awoke and saw his friends gazing out of the glass windows. It was already very early in the morning.

"What is it?" he asked softly. Following them, he peered out the window and saw a group of people walking toward them.

"How many are there?" Nathan said. He looked from another window and noticed that there were quite a lot of them.

"If I count roughly, there might be about 100 people," Yudan replied.

Nathan retrieved the drink bottle from the corner of the room and took a swift sip to moisten his throat. He then sat up straight and addressed everyone before him. "Right, let us welcome them. Are there any concerns?"

His four friends shook their heads in unison. Then, one by one, Nathan and the others exited the igloo.

Nathan slowly approached the one who seemed to be the leader of them.

The man seemed to be in his early twenties and had long, white hair. He held a greatsword on his back.

"My name is Jake and I assume you understand the purpose of our coming here this morning," he said, standing before Nathan.

"Hello, my name is Nathan," he responded calmly. "I'm afraid I don't understand why you are here. Would you mind explaining it to me in more detail?"

"Surrender yourself to us," Jake suggested, "join our party and let's put an end to this silly challenge as soon as possible."

"Why don't we do it the other way around?" Nathan suggested slowly.

"So, you've chosen the hard way, then?" Jake raised his right hand, and everyone in there readied their weapons.

Nathan slightly smiled at Jake, "I should be the one saying that." He then spun around and headed over to his friends.

"So, a large-scale battle, Nathan Oppa?" Linda said, her voice filled with enthusiasm. "Oh, really? Finally, I can express my desires!" She exclaimed, looking around and noticing the many people surrounding them.

"Do you mind if I make the decision, guys?" Nathan asked the others.

"I chose you as the leader, Nathan," Yudan answered firmly. "And, I don't think I was wrong."

Meriel nodded and smiled. "I'm with you, Mr. Nathan."

"Muramoto?" Nathan looked at him.

Muramoto clenched his teeth and nodded rapidly. "Don't underestimate this guy when he's serious. I'm ready, Nathan-san."

"Alright," Nathan replied. He turned himself, and two swords materialized in his hands.

"Should we shed blood, Nathan?" Yudan asked slowly.

"I suggest we do enough damage to render them helpless, but if lives must be lost, I won't hold it against you," Nathan responded slowly.

"Yes, many lives will be taken by my hands this time, hi hi," Linda replied with a light chuckle.

"All right, cast your support spells and do your best, everyone," Nathan declared.

Linda rushed forward, her greatsword engulfed in flames. She shouted, "A Shining Phoenix Blast!" before unleashing a firebird, a phoenix, from her swing, the powerful, blazing energy melting the snow around them. Some of the people in the distance managed to dodge, but those who were hit were severely injured, and with this initial attack, the war began.