In his exploration, Aiden stumbled upon a small clearing surrounded by thick, gnarled trees. The spot was perfect for an ambush or a last stand, should he need to defend himself or his teammates.
He marked it in his mind, considering it a potential fallback position if things turned dire during the real event.
Moving onward, Aiden encountered a few evolved monsters which he silently slayed. The strongest of them was an initiate beginner rank, which gave him a few points.
Looking at the leaderboard on his watch, Aiden found his name.
Rank 95: Aiden Raines
He scanned the list of the top 200, finding only one familiar name.
Rank 45: Lila Carnell
"She is doing quite well," Aiden remarked, impressed to see Lila's name in the top 50.
"I wonder what Lena and Mark are doing. They are still not ranked," he thought, though he wasn't too worried about them. He knew they were both capable and would be able to pass.
