Of course, Chen Ze didn't have any objection. After all, this would be the best approach here. Those who hadn't completed the requirement to enter the second round would be anxious right now, rushing left and right carelessly for the other player's blood. As long as Levin was careful enough, he would be able to take advantage of some of the battles and strike when the enemy was exhausted.
However, there was also one more thing that Levin didn't say out loud.
While scouting outside, he also wanted to check the waterfall where he and Mira met Azzar and the other animals a few days ago. After all, he was a bit worried about them, especially after knowing that the area there turned into a no-signal area, and they couldn't monitor that place from afar with Eggly anymore. He wanted to see whether something had changed or not in that place and if that would affect the second round or not.
Oh, and if anyone else mentioned that he did this because Levin didn't want to make Mira sad, the soldier would deny that accusation instantly. No, this was not because of the promise he made with the animals under Mira's instigation. He wasn't that soft, after all.
"You sure get so close to the girl, huh?" The illusionist's voice suddenly rang inside his head again. "I wonder what would happen if, in the next round, you have to fight against her… That would be a spectacle to see… Ku… Ku… Ku…"
Levin paused for a moment, somehow thinking about what the illusionist had just said. Indeed, that was the concern he had inside his mind a long time ago. If the battle royale really asked him to fight with the girl to death, could he really do that?
'Well, that would be a problem for me in the future.' In the end, Levin just shrugged it off. 'For now, let's make sure that we can survive this round first.'
Right after that, Levin took his laser gun, put his military vest on, and also brought his bag before getting ready to go out. Even if it was just a scouting mission, he still prepared to the best that he could, knowing that underestimating the outside world was a recipe for disaster right now.
"Okay, Chen Ze, I will go out first. Do you want to let one of your babies follow me?" He asked.
"Oh, wait a second!" Chen Ze replied, turning his attention to his safe box. He rummaged through it for a few seconds before finding the things that he was searching for. "Ah, here it is! A mini camera, untraceable by anyone except me! Here, attach it to your vest. This way, I can monitor your position, and if you tap it twice, it will send a rapid red signal that will tell me that you are in danger. How about it?" He asked with a smug smile.
Levin watched how the scientist demonstrated his invention and couldn't help but feel impressed about it. Although this kind of mini camera was not something new or special, to have it in this kind of situation was God's blessing. Once again, he had to take a hat off toward the scientist's resourcefulness.
"Well, if that is all, I will go first!"
At that time, the sun was still scorching hot above his head. Not to mention how crazy it was to go outside in this kind of weather, but to do that while using a military vest was a different level of insanity. However, Levin didn't care about that. He just went through the forest without hesitation, heightening all of his senses to figure out if there was a living being other than him or not around here.
'It is crazy how all of those animals that we met before suddenly disappeared like this.' He couldn't help but mutter at himself after walking for about three miles without finding any clue about the animals' whereabouts. 'I wonder how that crow man hides them all. His ability must be terrifying, right?'
As he went deeper into the forest, Levin somehow noticed the shift in the atmosphere around him. Even though the quietness was still there, the tension rose gradually, crawling on his back as if it were ready to eat him alive. Levin gripped his laser gun tightly, knowing that whatever caused this pressure should be a strong enemy.
'I should've already entered the no-signal area zone that Chen Ze talked about, right? Shit! Does the camera still work? I should've asked him about this before!' He cursed at this negligence.
"Focus, Mister Soldier!" The illusionist suddenly cursed inside his mind, snapping Levin from his daydreaming. 'Whoever caused this pressure is not an ordinary person. Be careful, Mister Soldier!' The voice warned him, there was a hint of edge in his voice.
Levin was startled, knowing full well that the illusionist usually only had two modes in his head, either mocking him nonchalantly or teasing him with a psychopathic tone. This was the first time he heard the voice get so serious like this, making him wonder the cause of it.
'Is there anything special here?' He couldn't help but ask.
"Just look around at your surroundings." That was the only answer he got from the illusionist. However, it was enough to give Levin a clue about what was going on here.
To his surprise, he found out that the illusion that he thought he had under control already suddenly gone wild out of nowhere. The flowers changed colors every five seconds, the air got distorted, the leaves danced funnily, and even the trees corroded crazily before going back to their original state. Levin tried his best to control his breath immediately, yet found that nothing changed at all.
'Oi, Psycho, what the hell is going on here?!' He screamed inwardly to the voice inside his head. 'How come I suddenly lose control over the illusion?! Can it even get hijacked like this?!' He asked incredulously.
To Levin's surprise, though, the illusionist didn't deny the possibility instantly. "Well, you see, the source of the illusion is coming from the user's breath control. It is something that is not hard to learn, and that is why in my old world, this secret has been kept by one family for so many generations. However, this ability is also easily hijacked when you meet someone with better control of his breath, so…." His voice trailed behind.
"So, I am close to someone with a better breathing ability than me, huh?" Levin didn't need the illusionist to continue explaining, as he could conclude it easily. He also raised his gun unconsciously, ready to fight at any random time possible. "The fact that he could hijack my illusion shows that I am at a disadvantage here. I need to be careful, or this person will force me to dance into his palm. I cannot reveal my position so easily. So, let's treat it cautiously…"