Cherreads

Chapter 39 - Intense

The virtual sky faded into a burning orange as the final player fell. A deafening silence overtook the battlefield. Debris floated in mid-air like paused particles, frozen mid-explosion. The text pulsed bright above the center of the battlefield:

"WINNER – VIPER.4X"

"#1 / 100 – Solo Match Victory"

Slowly, the world pixelated into golden light—dissolving everything, from trees to buildings to corpses—until nothing remained but a single floating platform in empty digital space.

Viper.4x stood alone at the center, gun still in hand, body rising with the platform.

I exhaled as the final stats appeared across my HUD:

Kills: 8

Survival Time: 24m 43s

Accuracy: 41%

Damage Dealt: 973

Medkits Used: 4

Distance Traveled: 3.4 km

The system let me breathe—just a few seconds of silence. My heart rate was still elevated, hands slightly trembling from the pressure. Even though I was standing still in my rig, it felt like I had just sprinted across a warzone.

...

The post-match lobby was full.

Players appeared one by one in the shared VR lounge—a digital hub where winners, losers, and spectators could review the match, trash-talk, or watch highlights.

"Yo, that cliffside fight was insane—who was that?"

"I swear that M416 spray came outta nowhere."

"Anyone see RaiderX's 10th kill? Headshot through smoke!"

Holographic displays lit up across the room, replaying highlight reels pulled from kill cams and movement trackers.

At the center of the hall, a podium rotated slowly—and on it stood the champion of the match.

Username: Viper.4x

Kills: 8 | Damage: 973 | Placement: #1

Some players watched silently.

Others clapped or typed messages through their interface.

A few weren't happy.

"Camper."

"Nah, smart rotation. He didn't waste fights."

"I thought he was gonna die in Red Zone lol."

"Match Uploading to Competitive Profile…"

"Ranking Points Earned: +43"

"Top 10% Finisher – Bonus Unlocked: Custom Skin Voucher"

"Season Leaderboard Updated"

Some players immediately queued for another match.

Others logged off.

Back in his personal loadout room, Viper.4x stood in front of a rack displaying weapon presets, past match stats, and earned rewards.

He opened the skin voucher and unlocked a new M416 skin—matte black with red tracers.

A voice pinged from the system assistant:

"Would you like to enter next match queue? Estimated wait time: 1 minute."

He paused. Stared at the stats again.

Then tapped "Yes."

"Next Match: Solo Ranked

Island Map: Vikendi – Snowfield Protocol

Spawn In: 60 Seconds"

Viper.4x stepped back into the VR rig.

Helmet down.

Suit pressure locked.

Sensors aligned.

"Loading Simulation…"

The sky was gray now.

Clouds hung thick over icy peaks.

Snow crunched beneath heavy boots as the pre-match warm-up loaded in.

I walked to the range station. Picked up a Kar98 from the crate. Practiced a few flicks at the dummies.

Pop.

Pop.

Head. Head.

The countdown began again.

"Prepare to deploy. Drop plane launching in 30 seconds."

I marked the new map.

Castle. Cosmodrome. Train station. Or silence in the snow.

I hadn't decided yet.

But one thing was certain:

I was ready to win again.

A thick veil of gray clouds rolled across the sky as the drop plane soared above Vikendi—an island blanketed in snow, frost, and deadly silence. The terrain below was a dangerous mix of frozen lakes, pine forests, shattered castles, and abandoned train yards.

This wasn't a map for fast pushes and blind rushes.

This was a hunter's ground.

Match Type: Solo | Players: 100 | 

Inside the aircraft, players silently readied themselves. Some joked over team chat before being muted. Others checked gear visuals and mentally prepared.

Then, one by one, they jumped.

Viper.4x waited… watching.

He wasn't looking for blood right away. Not this time.

He had a rifle in mind.

And a plan.

I stared down at the snow-covered map from the open bay door of the drop plane. Most players were jumping fast—aiming for Castle, Villa, Cosmodrome.

Too loud. Too crowded.

I waited.

[Marked: Podvosto – riverside town near train tracks, low-tier traffic, decent loot]

I leapt at the 70% mark. Wind howled past me, and the cold blue landscape below pulled me down. I angled toward the far side of Podvosto—no parachutes near.

My boots hit snow.

I crouched instantly, checking my HUD. Gloves vibrated gently with movement feedback.

Empty town. Perfect.

I headed into a storage barn first.

 Looting Phase Begins

Vest Lv2

Backpack Lv1

Smoke grenade x1

Bandage x5

Mini14 DMR – decent for now

4x Scope – good start

40 rounds, 5.56mm

Suppressor (DMR) – jackpot

I attached everything and moved through the rest of the barn quickly. Next house gave me a medkit and better helmet.

But I wasn't satisfied.

I needed a bolt-action.

While Viper.4x looted Podvosto, the rest of the island ignited in chaos.

9 players dropped in Castle—4 dead in the first 90 seconds.

Cosmodrome erupted with grenades and shotguns—3 kills to "Blitz_X."

One sniper, "SilentEagle," was already racking up kills with a Kar98 from Mount Kreznic.

Back at Podvosto…

Viper.4x had just found it.

In a house beside the train track, I opened a crate and saw it.

Kar98k – Bolt-Action Sniper Rifle

Ammo: 7.62mm x 30

Condition: Clean

Scope: None (yet)

I swapped the Mini14 out immediately.

Grabbed a few energy drinks and turned to leave when—

Ping.

Airdrop nearby.

Too risky? Maybe.

But if it had an 8x...

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