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Ray returned to the game and immediately called for Tusk and his team. Within a few hours, they arrived in their modified car, a vehicle they loved to show off.

Ray, already waiting for them in his Onyx mask, watched as the small, modified car pulled to a stop. Tusk, Kael, Tori, and Shawn all got out.

"Sir, you called for us urgently. Is it about the next car deal?" Tusk asked with a broad smile. Ever since they received their first payment from Ray, their lives had changed, and they felt indebted to him for the opportunity.

Ray shook his head. "Not at the moment. It will be soon enough. Today, I need to discuss something important, so let's go somewhere else."

Ray's yellow Hummer rumbled down the highway, Tusk and his team following close behind. After forty minutes, Ray pulled off onto a quiet, secluded road that led to back alleys of the empty buildings.

The place was silent and serene, a perfect spot for the conversation he needed to have. Ray got out of the Hummer, his expression serious, and the others followed.

"I'm going to tell you something that's going to change your world forever," Ray said, his voice low and firm. "It will change how you look at Apex Predator and everything in it."

Tusk, Tori, Kael, and even Shawn exchanged questioning glances. "What is it, sir?" Tusk asked, his usual confident smile gone. They couldn't imagine what could be so important.

Ray took a deep breath. "The apocalypse is coming."

The words hung in the air for a moment. Kael scoffed, a nervous laugh escaping his lips. "The apocalypse? What are you talking about, sir? This is just a game."

"It's not just a game," Ray replied, his eyes meeting theirs. "Our real world, the world we live in, is going to face an apocalypse. Soon. Maybe within a month, or even sooner."

Their faces went pale as the reality of his words began to sink in. Tori's hand went to her mouth, and Shawn just stared, his eyes wide with shock.

"How... how do you know?" Tori whispered.

"I found out," Ray said. "I found out that the skills we have in this game, the skills I have, are real. And they're not just for the game.

We can use them in the real world to fight and survive. And soon, others will be able to as well, but I don't know when."

He then explained the whole story; from the mysterious he talked to and the people he had rescued from the village. He told them about his pocket dimension, a secret place where he had brought the survivors.

"I'm telling you this because I need to know if I can trust you," Ray said, his gaze fixed on each of them in turn. "This is not a game anymore. This is our reality."

Tusk, Tori, Kael, and Shawn looked at each other, their expressions a mix of fear and determination. They had seen what Ray could do; they had seen him use his powers to create things from nothing. They knew he wasn't lying.

They all nodded in unison.

"We trust you, sir," Tusk said, his voice firm. "One hundred percent."

Ray's face softened. "Then hold on." He touched each of them, and in a flash of light, they were gone.

They materialized inside the pocket dimension; a place filled with people from the real world. The cars were with them as well. Tusk, Tori, Kael, and Shawn were all in a state of shock, but they quickly composed themselves.

Ray introduced them to Rohan, Ahana, and the others. "Rohan, these are the friends I made inside the game: Tusk, Kael, Tori, and Shawn, he introduced them one by one.

They are the best at what they do. And guys, these are the people I rescued from the village, along with my friend and his family. They are the first of many to come."

Rohan and the others welcomed them warmly, and for the first time, Tusk and his team realized the full scope of what Ray had been planning.

"Ray, what's that mask?" Rohan asked, his eyes fixed on the black onyx mask on Ray's face.

Ray removed the mask, revealing his face. "I'll explain later," he said simply. After a quick meeting and a round of introductions, Ray pulled Tusk and his team aside.

"I need your help spreading a rumors about this place," Ray told them, his voice low. "But make sure it stays just a rumors. Don't tell anyone the specifics. Just that there's a place where people are safe from the apocalypse."

Tusk nodded, understanding the delicate balance they needed to maintain.

"And," Ray continued, his expression softening, "I need to ask you something. Do you have any family? Anyone you'd want to bring here?"

Tusk, Kael, Tori, and Shawn all looked at each other, the usual light-heartedness gone from their faces. Tusk took a deep breath.

"Sir… we're orphans," he said, his voice quiet.

Ray felt a pang of recognition. He was an orphan himself, a truth he carried deep inside.

"We… we're actually fugitives," Tusk continued, the words coming out in a rush.

"We ran away from the orphanage. They forced us into manual labor and other illegal work. We were just kids. We ran away together with some money we saved up. We used it to buy headsets for the game and for living expenses. We've been running ever since."

Tori stepped forward, her eyes welling up. "If you hadn't helped us, we'd still be struggling, trying to find a way to make it. You saved us, sir. Not just from the game, but from our lives."

Ray listened, his heart aching for them. They were just kids, trying to survive in a world that had abandoned them. He nodded, a silent promise passing between them.

He then turned to Rohan and explained the skill he had used to create the modified cars, making them so valuable.

"It's a skill that allows me to modify and enhance things," Ray explained. "I used it on the cars and sold them. That's how I got the money to buy more supplies and help people."

Rohan's eyes widened in realization. "So that's how you sold those cars so fast," he said, the pieces of the puzzle falling into place.

"It all makes sense now. I saw you using your skills, but I never thought you could use them like that. It's... it's incredible."

Ray didn't give them the exact numbers, but he told them the truth: all the modified cars had earned him more than a million coins.

The number stunned everyone, especially Rohan and Ahana, who were learning about it for the first time.

Ray then asked them where they lived. He found out they were from a different city, one that was far away from where they were now. But that didn't matter to Ray; he was determined to help them.

He told them to go back to the game and spread the word. "Just spread the rumor about the apocalypse," he told them. "And always check for my messages. I'll let you know when it's time to help you get to safety."

Once they were gone, Ray had only one thing on his mind: challenging the next mini-game. He knew he had a limited amount of time before the apocalypse, and he needed to get stronger and find more ways to protect people.

Ray approached the next safe zone, a place for players who had cleared the Level 10 mini-game. He read the title of the next challenge.

[Three Steps: Live or Die].

[You know those games where you have to cross a path, and some tiles are safe, but others are traps? This is like that, but way more serious. You have to walk a long path, but if you step in the wrong place, you make a mistake.

You only get three of those mistakes. If you make a fourth one, that's it—you're dead. The game sends you back to the previous safe zone, losing so much progress. It's a test of focus, observation, and precision, and the stakes are as high as they can get.]

Ray read the description again with a thoughtful expression on his face. 'This looks less time-consuming than the previous one', he thought.

Without a moment's hesitation, he headed straight for his car. He didn't want to waste any more time. The sooner he completed this, the sooner he could get closer to his goal.

The engine of his Hummer roared to life, a familiar, comforting sound buzzed inside his head.

He drove towards the next safe zone, as the landscape of the Level 10 safe zone flashing by his windows.

The journey was little longer; his mind already focused on the challenge ahead. He reached the next safe zone and parked his car.

Then straight headed to the mini-game, knowing that once he finished this, then only he can meet the mysterious person called Red Hand.

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