[Floating Island 100 Meters Above the Flowing Light Great Grassland]
The golden sand in the crystal hourglass placed next to the fluorescent tree by Caroline was falling with a hushed sound.
Although the 'shush' of each falling grain of sand was subtle, when it reached the ears of the hundreds of people below, it was like the heavy toll of a warning bell, laden with significance.
Seeing the reluctance of the people below to act, Tendo, sitting on the edge of a small floating stone, slowly raised his hand, propping his chin with the other.
With this slight movement, the originally stable floating island suddenly shook violently.
The ground at the edge of the floating island began to crack like glass.
The light green fluorescent grass, along with fragments of rock, plunged into the hundred-meter high altitude below, instantly turning into tiny black dots and disappearing.
During this process, everyone's usable area visibly shrank, compressing their already limited space.
"My apologies, I forgot to mention earlier, the collapse of the floating island isn't a one-time event; it will 'shatter' a bit more every minute."
"So…"
Tendo looked at the people with grim expressions below and smiled, saying, "...watch the time."
Hearing Tendo's words, the people below immediately understood his sinister intentions.
However, they did not direct their anger at the silver-haired figure high above their heads.
Instead, they vented it on the others around them.
Compared to throwing a punch at an unbeatable powerhouse, they found it more realistic to swing the butcher's knife at the weaker ones.
The desire to advance finally caused the already fragile 'alliance' to completely collapse.
"Now!"
Someone shouted, and the previously quiet crowd instantly erupted. The floating island exploded into chaos.
Some fought fiercely to grab the Tears of the Stars, while others were cornered by several people.
Still others tried to sneak toward the edge of the floating island to see if they could climb down.
However, as soon as they acted, they were immediately bounced back by Tendo's Vector Field at the island's edge.
Clearly, Tendo had not only anticipated this, but he also used Vector Manipulation to block all 'escape routes.'
Want to 'cheat' to escape?
Impossible.
Although they were all contestants, Tendo was now elevated above everyone else.
He had become the one and only 'authority' capable of controlling their fate.
[Behind the Rock Pile on the West Side of the Floating Island]
In the crowd, by moving to the edge of the floating island early, Chen Kong and his group of four managed to avoid the initial chaotic battle.
They hid behind a protruding rock, carefully observing the situation outside.
After a moment, Chen Kong pulled his head back and whispered, "Stick to the plan. Look for isolated targets first; don't provoke those who are grouped up."
Vivian nodded, then used her mechanoid abilities to analyze the situation on the field. She quickly selected a target for them.
It was a Level Two Star User wearing a blue hoodie, equipped with special 'roller skates' on his feet.
Every time someone approached, he could use the speed of the roller skates to dodge, making it impossible for those around him to catch him quickly. He was clearly a Star User very skilled at escaping.
But on the shrinking floating island, no matter how fast he was, there was nowhere to hide; he could only circle among the crowd like a frantic rabbit with nowhere to run.
With a target selected, Chen Kong quickly assigned tasks.
"Vivian, keep an eye on the others around us and make sure no one ambushes us."
"Isabelle, you use Absolute Zero to block his movements later."
"Liu Ma, you're responsible for snatching the teardrop in the end; I'll draw his attention."
The three nodded and began their respective actions.
Vivian's tactical tablet lit up, its screen covered with dense Star Energy data to provide real-time warnings of surrounding dangers.
Isabelle condensed tiny ice particles at her fingertips, ready to attack at any moment.
Liu Ma activated his Golden Bull Demon form, leaning slightly forward, continuously building up power, preparing to burst forth at the crucial moment.
As for Chen Kong, the activation of his Mark of Emptiness made him like a silent phantom in the chaotic scene.
Unnoticed and unconcerned, he successfully approached the roller-skating Star User holding the Tear of the Stars.
However, Chen Kong did not rush to attack, patiently waiting for an opportunity.
Soon, that fleeting moment appeared.
A Fire-type Star User suddenly launched an attack on the roller-skating Star User.
Simultaneously, Chen Kong condensed the 'Void Weaver' in his right hand and fired a shot at the roller-skating Star User without hesitation.
Bang!
Hearing the gunshot behind him, the Level Two Star User immediately reacted.
The 'roller skates' on his feet seemed to ignore the environment and physics.
This allowed him to suddenly accelerate in the empty air, subconsciously dodging in the opposite direction, narrowly escaping Chen Kong's attack.
However, the direction of his escape just happened to fall into Isabelle's ambush.
"Now!"
Isabelle whispered, unleashing a torrent of ice crystals that instantly froze his special skates, preventing him from moving quickly anymore.
"Not good!"
Feeling the abnormality in his skates, the roller-skating Star User's face changed dramatically.
But before he could break free from Isabelle's ice crystals, Liu Ma, who had been lying in wait, immediately rushed over.
He grabbed the hoodie man's wrist, and the moment their bodies touched.
The Tear of the Stars that belonged to him was instantly transferred to Liu Ma's wristband.
Liu Ma retreated immediately after succeeding, and Chen Kong promptly fired another shot, forcing back the Fire-type Star User who tried to pursue.
Before long, the roller-skating Star User was submerged by the chaotic crowd, and with the red light of elimination illuminating his contestant wristband, he regretfully retired from the field.
"Got one!"
Since he already had a Tear of the Stars, Liu Ma handed the newly acquired Tear of the Stars to Vivian and said excitedly, "Who should we look for next?"
Vivian took the teardrop, and her tactical tablet displayed 'Current Holdings: 3.'
She thought for a moment, then pointed to the other side of the floating island.
"There's a Level Three Star User in black clothes over there who has two teardrops, but he's being attacked by three people. We can make a move when they are both exhausted."
Chen Kong nodded, and the four once again went into hiding.
Meanwhile, in the center of the floating island, Tendo still leaned against the fluorescent tree, watching the 'survival game' before him with a faint smile.
Caroline stood beside him, the number of eliminated people on her tactical tablet constantly increasing.
"Currently 47 people eliminated, 98 remaining. Still 48 people short of the target number, 6 minutes and 23 seconds remaining."
"The progress is a bit slow."
Tendo raised an eyebrow, flicking his finger lightly, sending an invisible Vector Field toward the center of the crowd.
Rumble!
A pale silver energy wave suddenly exploded in the center of the crowd, knocking several people who were fighting away.
One of the Level Three Star Users holding a Tear of the Stars lost his footing and fell to the ground.
Seeing this, the surrounding people immediately took advantage of his misfortune.
In such an encirclement, even a Level Three Star User couldn't guarantee how long he could hold on.
Looking at the Level Three Star User struggling in the bitter fight, Tendo smiled and said, "This is more interesting."
Caroline glanced at him but said nothing, merely speeding up the recording of data.
She knew very well that Tendo set up this 'game for 50 people,' not just to see the contestants expose their true desires and struggles for advancement; for him.
He wanted to force certain 'anomalies' among them to expose a 'weakness.'