Anomaly of Fate
Chapter 49: Divide and Persist

Chapter 49: Divide and Persist

Another team.

A girl and a boy stood before them in confidence—like they knew they had the advantage. The way they positioned themselves, their subtle shifts in stance, their eyes scanning for the slightest movement... Yeah, they weren’t here to capture a beacon.

Were they one of the teams that preferred to hunt instead?

Velren clicked his tongue.

’Shit.’

They really couldn’t afford to waste time fighting here, not when their class was dead last.

"Hey."

Eterna’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

He turned just in time to see something flying toward him.

Reflexively, he caught it. His fingers curled around the smooth, cold surface. A familiar symbol was engraved into the metal—their class sigil.

Velren’s brows furrowed.

"The hell?"

With her eyes still locked onto the opposing team, Eterna drew her rapier in one fluid motion.

"Go to the beacon."

Velren blinked.

"Wha—are you serious?"

She didn’t even glance at him.

"You know we can’t waste time here," she said with a steady voice.

"One of us has to go."

Velren scowled.

"And why does it have to be me?"

This time, she did look at him—her eyes burning with an unshakable determination.

"Because," she said, raising her rapier, "I don’t need to run."

Velren froze.

’Damn her... again with those badass actions.’

He clicked his tongue, then reluctantly slid his katana back into its sheath.

"Fine," he muttered, stepping back. Then, with a small smirk, he added:

"Stay safe!"

Eterna didn’t respond. She simply shifted into her stance, as if already erasing his presence from her mind.

Velren didn’t need to be told twice. He turned and sprinted toward the beacon.

"Where the hell do you think you’re goin?"

Immediately, the enemy boy moved, raising a hand—dark streaks of energy was gathering at his fingertips, he then launched a swirling mass of compressed force directly at Velren’s back.

The projectile shot through the air—

—and phased straight through a glitching afterimage.

The boy’s eyes widened. "What—?"

By the time he realized it, Velren was already gone—his figure vanishing into the dense forest, making his way toward the beacon.

***

The boy made his way through the dense forest.

Alone, this time.

His boots were pounded against the forest floor, his breath was steady, and his muscles were already burning from the continuous sprint—but he didn’t stop. He couldn’t afford to.

Still, even as he pushed forward, his mind drifted back.

’Will she be alright?’

...Who was he kidding?

Someone who took down four opponents with ease wouldn’t struggle against just two this time.

If anything, he should be the one worrying about himself.

Shaking off the thought, he refocused on the path ahead.

The dense canopy above filtered the light into shifting patterns, casting long shadows across his vision. He weaved through the undergrowth, sidestepping roots, branches, and uneven terrain with practiced ease.

Then, out of the corner of his eye, he caught something—

A beacon.

Not just any beacon—one of the white ones.

And right in front of him, it was changing. The pale glow flickered once—twice—then steadily pulsed red.

Velren let out a breath between his teeth.

’Nice. So we’re not the only ones left.’

Somewhere out there, another Class 1-C team had taken a beacon.

’Let’s add some more, shall we?’

He pushed forward, picking up his speed.

Then—he smelled it. Not the usual damp earth and fresh greenery of the forest. No, it was something else.

The sea.

The scent of salt carried on the breeze, growing stronger with each stride. Soon enough, the trees thinned, giving way to open space, and as he passed through a final clearing—

There it was.

The island’s beach.

Golden sands stretched out before him, waves crashing against the shore in a steady rhythm. And standing there, untouched—its pale glow flickering in the air—was the beacon.

And more importantly—

No one was here yet.

Velren didn’t waste a second. He rushed forward, crossing the open stretch of sand in a sprint. Upon reaching the base of the beacon, he pulled out the class sigil and pressed it against the panel.

For a brief moment, nothing happened.

Then—

A pulse of energy.

The beacon flared, its white glow twisting, shifting—until a vivid red shot into the sky, signaling Class 1-C’s claim.

That made two of their beacons for this phase.

"Now comes the hard—"

Something whistled through the air.

Velren’s instincts screamed.

Without thinking, he twisted—

CLANG!

Steel met steel as his katana deflected the incoming projectile—an arrow.

Velren’s eyes sharpened as he followed its trajectory. He then tightened his grip on the hilt.

’So much for an uncontested capture...’

A rustle from the tree line snapped Velren’s focus forward.

Emerging from the dense foliage was a lone figure—a boy with a bow still drawn in his hands. His stance was firm, and his sharp gaze was locked onto Velren with calculated intent.

So he was the one who fired that arrow.

Velren’s grip on his katana didn’t waver as he studied the archer. The boy’s presence alone wasn’t what unsettled him—it was the uncertainty.

Because the question now was...

’Is he alone?’

Or was there still someone else lurking in the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment to strike?

Never mind all of that for the moment because this... had just become the worst-case scenario for Velren. He gritted his teeth, scanning the wide-open beach around him.

No trees. No cover. No high ground. Nothing.

He had spent years honing his skills in dense forests—using the environment to his advantage, slipping through shadows, ambushing from blind spots, and striking before his enemies even knew he was there.

But here?

Here, on the desolate stretch of sand, with the endless sky above and the rolling waves behind?

He was completely exposed.

And that wasn’t even the worst part.

Velren turned his gaze toward the ocean, watching as the waves crashed against the shore.

A pit formed in his stomach.

His grip tightened on his katana as he gulped. Because if this fight somehow ended up in the water...

...Yeah.

He wasn’t exactly confident in his swimming skills.