**Announcer 1:** "Ladies and gentlemen, it's time for the first event! The Living War Boars are on the loose! That's right, 300 of these half-bear, half-boar monstrosities are spreading across the map as we speak! And remember, folks, they'll only be alive until sunrise—so our contenders better stay sharp and keep moving!"

  **Announcer 2:** "These war boars are no joke. They're fast, strong, and they work together like a hive mind. With 87 participants left, surviving this event could be the difference between making it to the end or becoming just another statistic."

  ---

  The night air was thick with tension as the eerie silence that had settled over the area was broken by distant roars and the pounding of massive hooves. William, Angelo, and Laurel crouched low, hidden behind a cluster of trees as they listened to the sounds of chaos approaching.

  "War boars... great," William muttered sarcastically, peering into the darkness. "Just what we needed."

  Angelo's eyes were sharp, scanning the surroundings with a mix of caution and determination. "We need to stay ahead of them. These things are fast, and if what the announcers said is true, they'll be relentless until sunrise."

  Laurel, his young face set in a determined scowl, clenched his fists. "We can take them. We've handled worse."

  William shot him a sideways glance. "Yeah? And how do you plan on dealing with 300 of them at once? We're good, but we're not invincible."

  Before Laurel could respond, a deafening roar echoed through the trees, closer this time. The ground shook as something massive charged through the underbrush, heading straight for them. The trio tensed, readying themselves for the fight.

  The first war boar burst into view—a hulking beast, easily the size of a small car, with thick fur and jagged tusks that gleamed in the moonlight. Its eyes glowed with a feral intelligence, and it let out another ear-splitting roar as it spotted the trio.

  "Here we go!" William shouted, raising his hands. He quickly gathered the metal debris scattered around them—pieces of broken weapons, shards of metal from past battles—and formed them into sharp spikes that hovered in the air around him.

  Angelo shifted into a sleek, agile cheetah, ready to dart in and out of the boar's attacks. Laurel's eyes began to glow with a familiar red light, ready to unleash his laser vision.

  The war boar charged, its hooves tearing up the ground as it barreled toward them with terrifying speed. William launched his metal spikes, but the boar was quick, dodging most of the projectiles with surprising agility for a creature of its size. The few spikes that did hit barely penetrated its thick hide.

  "Damn, these things are tough!" William cursed, summoning more metal to attack with.

  Angelo leaped forward, using his cheetah speed to circle around the boar and strike at its hind legs. But the boar was ready, swinging its massive head and nearly catching Angelo with its tusks. The cheetah narrowly dodged, his fur standing on end from the close call.

  Laurel fired a blast of laser energy at the boar's head, aiming for its eyes. The beam hit its mark, scorching the boar's face and causing it to roar in pain. But instead of retreating, the beast seemed to become even more enraged, its movements becoming faster and more erratic.

  "We're not making a dent!" Angelo shouted, shifting back into his human form as he dodged another charge from the boar. "There's got to be a better way!"

  Before they could regroup, more war boars appeared, crashing through the trees in a stampede. The trio was quickly surrounded, the boars' glowing eyes and gnashing teeth closing in from all sides.

  "Too many!" Laurel yelled, firing lasers in all directions, but it was clear they were being overwhelmed.

  William's mind raced, trying to come up with a plan. "They're working together... it's like they're connected somehow. A hive mind. We can't fight them all head-on."

  "Then what do we do?" Angelo asked, his voice tense as he prepared to shift into another form.

  William glanced up at the towering trees around them, their branches thick and sturdy. "We go up. Climb the trees. It's our best shot until sunrise."

  Laurel looked skeptical. "You really think that'll work?"

  "You got a better idea?" William shot back, already moving toward the nearest tree. "Move!"

  Without further hesitation, the trio sprinted to the trees, leaping up to grab hold of the lowest branches. William used his metal manipulation to create footholds, helping Angelo and Laurel climb higher as the war boars closed in below.

  The boars roared in frustration as their prey escaped into the trees, their massive bodies crashing against the trunks as they tried to reach them. But for now, the trio was safe—though not for long.

  **Announcer 1:** "Talk about a close call! Our contenders have taken to the trees, but will it be enough to survive the night? These war boars are relentless, and they're not giving up anytime soon!"

  **Announcer 2:** "It's a smart move, but they're not out of danger yet. The night is far from over, and the war boars aren't the only threats lurking in the darkness. With 87 participants left, every second counts."

  ---

  As the trio clung to the branches, their eyes scanning the darkness for any signs of movement, they knew that the night was only just beginning. The war boars were relentless, and the odds were stacked against them. But for now, all they could do was wait—and hope that sunrise would come soon enough.

  Announcer 1: "Oh, it looks like our contenders aren't the only ones taking to the trees! Just when you thought they were safe, another challenger enters the fray! Things are about to get wild!"

  Announcer 2: "Indeed, this is shaping up to be a brutal confrontation. With limited mobility in the trees, our contenders are at a serious disadvantage. This could be the end for some of them if they don't act fast."

  William, Angelo, and Laurel clung to the branches of the towering trees, trying to stay as still as possible while the war boars circled below. Their muscles were tense, their breaths shallow, as they waited for the chaos to subside. But just as they began to think they might have a moment's peace, a voice broke the silence.

  "Looks like I've found some tree monkeys. Mind if I join in the fun?"

  The trio whipped their heads around to see a man standing casually on a branch just a few feet away. He was grinning from ear to ear, his eyes wild with a dangerous glint. He was tall and wiry, his clothes tattered and covered in dirt and blood. But what unnerved them the most was the way he seemed completely at ease, as if the world around him was nothing but a playground.

  "Who the hell are you?" William growled, already preparing to summon metal spikes, though he was acutely aware of the limited space he had to work with.

  The man tilted his head to the side, his grin widening. "Name's Nickolas. But you can call me Monkey Man. Everyone does."

  "Monkey Man?" Angelo repeated, his eyes narrowing. "What kind of name is that?"

  Nickolas—or Monkey Man—shrugged. "The kind you get when you don't really care about names anymore. Or reasons. Or... well, anything, really."

  Laurel's eyes flashed red as he aimed his laser vision at Nickolas. "Get out of here, or I'll blast you out of the tree."

  Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

  But before Laurel could fire, Nickolas vanished. There was no sound, no warning—just a blur, and suddenly he was gone.

  "Where—?" William started, but he didn't have time to finish his sentence. Nickolas reappeared behind them, perched on another branch, laughing like a maniac.

  "You guys are fun," Nickolas taunted. "Let's see how well you fight when you're stuck in a tree!"

  Before they could react, Nickolas teleported again, this time right in front of William. He swung a fist, catching William square in the jaw and sending him reeling back against the tree trunk. The branch beneath him creaked ominously, and William had to scramble to keep from falling.

  "Damn it!" William spat, trying to regain his balance. He tried to summon metal from his surroundings, but there was little to work with in the dense forest. The few scraps of metal he could find were slow to respond, and Nickolas was already on the move again.

  Angelo shifted into a panther, his sleek form blending with the shadows as he tried to anticipate Nickolas's next move. But every time he thought he had him, Nickolas would teleport just out of reach, his mocking laughter echoing through the trees.

  "You can't catch me!" Nickolas taunted. "I'm everywhere, and nowhere!"

  Laurel fired his lasers, but Nickolas dodged them with ease, appearing and disappearing faster than the beams could hit him. He was toying with them, enjoying the chase.

  "This is bad," Angelo muttered, shifting back into human form as he clung to a branch. "We can't get a bead on him. He's too fast."

  William, nursing his bruised jaw, gritted his teeth. "We need to find a way to corner him. If we stay up here, he's just going to pick us off one by one."

  But before they could come up with a plan, Nickolas struck again. This time, he teleported right behind Angelo, kicking him hard in the back and sending him crashing into the branches below. Angelo groaned in pain, barely catching himself before he fell to the ground.

  Laurel tried to cover Angelo with more laser blasts, but Nickolas teleported out of the way, reappearing next to Laurel and grabbing him by the collar. With a swift motion, he slammed Laurel's head against the tree trunk, dazing him.

  "Too easy!" Nickolas laughed, tossing Laurel aside like a ragdoll.

  William's anger flared. He gathered all the metal he could find, shaping it into jagged spikes, and hurled them at Nickolas. But the madman simply teleported away, the spikes embedding harmlessly in the tree trunk.

  "Getting frustrated, are we?" Nickolas sneered as he reappeared on a higher branch, looking down on them like a predator toying with its prey. "Maybe this game isn't as fun as I thought. Maybe it's time to finish it."

  With that, he teleported again, launching himself at William. The impact was brutal, knocking the wind out of him as Nickolas's fists pounded into his ribs. William tried to fight back, but in the cramped space of the tree, his movements were slow and clumsy compared to Nickolas's blinding speed.

  Angelo, still struggling to recover from the earlier hit, shifted into a hawk and swooped down at Nickolas, trying to distract him. But Nickolas saw him coming and teleported away, causing Angelo to miss his mark and crash into a branch.

  Laurel, dazed but still conscious, fired another desperate laser blast, but Nickolas dodged it with ease. He was everywhere at once, and they couldn't keep up.

  The trio was getting the shit kicked out of them, and they knew it. Every move they made was countered, every attack dodged or deflected. Nickolas was toying with them, and there was nothing they could do to stop him.

  As the night wore on, and the war boars continued to roar below, the situation grew more desperate by the second. William, Angelo, and Laurel were battered, bruised, and outmatched. And as Nickolas laughed and taunted them from the branches, it became clear that this fight was far from over.

  Announcer 1: "Oof! Our contenders are taking a real beating here! Looks like Monkey Man is having a blast at their expense!"

  Announcer 2: "They're in a tough spot, that's for sure. With limited mobility in the trees and Nickolas's teleportation ability, they're at a serious disadvantage. If they don't find a way to turn this around soon, it could be game over for them."

  As the moon continued to rise, casting eerie shadows over the battlefield, the trio knew they were in for the fight of their lives. And with every punch, kick, and teleportation strike from Nickolas, their chances of survival dwindled further.

  **Announcer 1:** "Whoa, folks! It looks like William Dangerfield isn't down for the count just yet! Is he planning something big? You bet he is!"

  **Announcer 2:** "This is the turning point we've been waiting for. If William can capitalize on whatever he's figured out, we might just see the tide turn in his favor."

  ---

  William gritted his teeth as he struggled to maintain his balance on the swaying tree branch. Nickolas's teleportation ability made him feel helpless, as if he were constantly chasing a phantom. His body ached from the relentless assault, and his teammates weren't faring much better. Angelo was clinging to the branches, trying to recover, while Laurel was barely conscious, his laser vision unable to keep up with Nickolas's erratic movements.

  But in the midst of the chaos, something had clicked in William's mind. Between the war boars below and Nickolas's maddening teleportation, a pattern had begun to emerge. William's sharp mind, often overshadowed by his greed and bravado, had started to piece together the puzzle.

  Nickolas wasn't teleporting randomly. There was a rhythm to it, a set of invisible boundaries that the madman couldn't cross. Every time Nickolas vanished, he reappeared within a specific range—never too far, never too close. The more William watched, the more it became clear that Nickolas's ability had limits, just like everyone else's.

  "Damn it," William muttered under his breath, clutching the rough bark for support. "He can only teleport within twenty feet."

  Nickolas, unaware that William had begun to decode his power, continued to taunt them from the treetops. He teleported to another branch, his laughter echoing in the night as the war boars howled from below.

  "Come on, you guys can do better than this!" Nickolas shouted, his voice dripping with mockery. "I thought you were supposed to be tough!"

  William's eyes narrowed as he focused on the earth below. The ground was littered with metal debris—rusty nails, abandoned scraps from long-forgotten battles, and fragments of old weapons. He had been picking up metal throughout the game, never letting anything go to waste. It was time to put it to good use.

  Summoning the metal with a flick of his wrist, William shaped it into two large gauntlets that covered his hands and forearms. The metal rippled and shifted, forming sturdy, gleaming gloves that enhanced his strength and protected his fists. He flexed his fingers, feeling the weight and power of the metal, and smiled grimly.

  "Alright, Monkey Man," William growled, his voice low and determined. "Let's see how you handle this."

  Angelo, still in his panther form, leaped to the branch next to William. His eyes were sharp, his body tense as he prepared for the next move. "You've got a plan?"

  William nodded. "Yeah. I've figured out how far he can teleport. He's messing with us because he thinks we're trapped, but we can use that against him. We just have to keep him within range and strike when he least expects it."

  Laurel, still dazed but conscious enough to hear their plan, managed a weak grin. "Sounds like a plan. Let's take this guy down."

  As Nickolas teleported again, his laughter echoing through the trees, William raised his newly forged fists. He could feel the power coursing through the metal, the weight of his determination behind every strike. He knew that they had one shot at this, and he wasn't going to let it slip away.

  With Angelo's speed and Laurel's lasers, they would lure Nickolas into a trap. William would be the one to deliver the final blow, using his metal gauntlets to crush the madman's teleportation tricks once and for all.

  The chapter ended with William taking a deep breath, his fists clenched, as Nickolas appeared in front of him once more. The fight was far from over, but for the first time, William felt like they had a real chance.

  **Announcer 1:** "Whoa! William's got some shiny new toys, and it looks like he's ready to deliver a serious beatdown! Can he outsmart Monkey Man and turn the tables on this insane fight?"

  **Announcer 2:** "This could be the game-changing moment. If William's figured out Nickolas's range, he might just have the upper hand. Stay tuned, folks, because this fight is about to explode!"

  Announcer 1: "And the showdown continues, folks! William Dangerfield's about to make his move. Has he really cracked the code to Monkey Man's wild teleportation tricks? We're about to find out!"

  Announcer 2: "This fight has taken an intense turn. William's strategy could be the key to victory, but execution is everything. The slightest mistake could cost him dearly."

  The trees shook violently as the war boars crashed against their trunks, snarling and snapping their tusks. The beasts couldn't climb, but they had a primal hunger that made their assault relentless. William, Angelo, and Laurel clung to the branches, their muscles aching from the strain. But their focus was entirely on the unpredictable figure dancing through the treetops.

  Nickolas, or Monkey Man as he called himself, grinned maniacally as he teleported from branch to branch, taunting them with every jump. He reveled in their frustration, knowing his ability kept him just out of their reach.

  But William wasn't frustrated. Not anymore. He had seen through the chaos and found the flaw in Nickolas's power. It was time to end this.

  "You think you're untouchable, huh?" William called out, his voice carrying over the roars of the war boars below. "But I've figured you out."

  Nickolas paused mid-teleport, reappearing on a branch directly in front of William. "Oh yeah? What makes you so sure, metalhead?"

  William smirked, his metal-clad fists gleaming in the moonlight. "You can't teleport through solid objects, can you? Every time you vanish, you're just moving around the obstacles, not through them. That's your limit."

  Nickolas's grin faltered for a split second, but he quickly masked it with a laugh. "So what if I can't? You still can't catch me!"

  "Wanna bet?" William's eyes narrowed as he summoned metal from the ground below. The debris from earlier began to rise, forming a swirling mass of sharp, jagged shards around Nickolas's position.

  Nickolas tried to teleport again, but every time he reappeared, the metal shards closed in faster. William was herding him, forcing him into tighter and tighter spaces until there was nowhere left to run. The branches cracked under the weight of the metal, bending and creaking as William's trap took shape.

  "You're running out of room, Monkey Man," William said, his voice cold and calculated. "Let's see you teleport out of this one."

  With a final flick of his wrist, William snapped the metal shards into place, forming a tight cage around Nickolas. The metal wrapped around his arms, legs, and torso, pinning him to the tree. Nickolas struggled, his eyes wide with panic, but the metal held firm.

  "No!" Nickolas screamed, his voice laced with desperation. "Let me go!"

  William watched him for a moment, his expression unreadable. "Sorry, Monkey Man. Game over."

  He clenched his fists, and the metal cage began to tighten, crushing Nickolas's limbs. The madman screamed in agony, his voice echoing through the night as the metal constricted around him. Blood oozed from between the cracks in the metal, and Nickolas's struggles grew weaker with each passing second.

  Laurel, who had been watching from a nearby branch, finally saw his chance. His eyes glowed with a fierce, red light as he focused on Nickolas's head.

  "William, let go," Laurel said, his voice steady despite the tension.

  William hesitated for a moment, then nodded. He released his hold on the metal, and as soon as he did, Laurel unleashed his laser vision. The bright, scorching beams sliced through the night, striking Nickolas squarely between the eyes.

  Nickolas's body went limp as the lasers burned through his skull, leaving nothing but a smoking hole where his face had been. His body slumped in the metal cage, lifeless.

  Announcer 1: "Oh! That's it! William and Laurel with the perfect combo! Nickolas, aka Monkey Man, is out of the game for good!"

  Announcer 2: "An impressive display of teamwork and strategy. William's quick thinking and Laurel's precision have earned them a hard-fought victory. But with 86 competitors still out there, they can't rest just yet."

  As the chapter drew to a close, William and Angelo carefully lowered themselves from the tree. The war boars, sensing the death of Nickolas, began to scatter, their hive mind broken. For now, the immediate danger had passed, but they knew more challenges lay ahead.

  Laurel's laser vision dimmed, and he wiped sweat from his brow. "We did it."

  "Yeah," William said, his voice quieter now. "But this isn't over. Not by a long shot."

  They stood in silence for a moment, catching their breath and taking in the gravity of what they had just survived. The Power Royale was far from finished, and the stakes were only getting higher.

  To be continued...