The System's "Panther" announcement sent a fresh wave of chaos through the surviving players. The collective sighs of relief from surviving Trial 1 turned into frantic shouts and panicked questions.
"Opposite gender?!"
"Only from our planet?!"
"Ninety thousand pairs?!"
Aarav watched the scramble. It was like a cosmic speed-dating event gone horribly wrong. Humans were shouting names, trying to find familiar faces. Aliens, with their many limbs or glowing bodies, doing the same in their own strange ways.
Maya, ever the optimist, immediately grabbed Rohan's arm. "Rohan! We're both Earth, right? And we're... opposite? Quick, link up!"
Rohan's face turned beet red. "Maya! But... but we just met!"
"No time for 'just met'!" Maya declared. She pushed her hand towards him. "Just think 'Panther Link' and touch my hand!"
Rohan gulped, looking utterly terrified but knowing their planet's survival depended on it. He fumbled, then touched her palm.
[PANTHER LINK ESTABLISHED: MAYA (EARTH) & ROHAN (EARTH)]
Maya cheered. "One down! Eighty-nine thousand, nine hundred ninety-nine to go!"
Aarav just shook his head. He pulled up his [PANTHER LINK] tab. It was empty. He scanned the crowds, but he wasn't about to go shouting for a partner. Too much effort. Besides, he needed someone competent, not just someone to fill a slot.
As the hours ticked by, the urgency grew. The sky screen showed a new countdown.
[PANTHER LINK DEADLINE: 23 HOURS 58 MINUTES]
[EARTH PANTHER PAIRS: 35,000 /90,000]
The number was rising, but slowly. Not fast enough.
Aarav saw Kiyea far away. He was standing alone, aloof, watching the panic with a cold, almost amused look. Clearly, his "Panther" wasn't a concern yet. Or maybe he just didn't care.
Night fell on Aethelgard's Crucible, a swirling canvas of alien purples and greens. Players huddled in groups, some already linked, others desperately searching.
[PANTHER LINK DEADLINE: 1 HOUR 30 MINUTES]
[EARTH PANTHER PAIRS: 87,500 / 90,000]
"We're still short!" Rohan yelled, looking distraught. "We need two thousand five hundred more!"
Aarav still hadn't moved. He was looking at his own EP, thinking. He could adapt a tracking skill if he saw one. But who would he even track? And then what? Force them? That sounded like too much work.
[PANTHER LINK DEADLINE: 10 MINUTES]
[EARTH PANTHER PAIRS: 89,950 / 90,000]
Panic reached a fever pitch. Screams of desperation mixed with bitter curses. Only 50 pairs left. Earth was going to be annihilated because people couldn't find a partner.
Aarav closed his eyes. This was it. He wasn't going to be bothered by this anymore. He'd lived a good, lazy life.
[PANTHER LINK DEADLINE: 1 MINUTE]
Suddenly, a sharp, exasperated voice cut through the despair, right next to him. "You know, for someone who supposedly saved our planet, you're surprisingly unhelpful."
Aarav opened his eyes. Sarah Anderson stood beside him, her dark hair slightly messy, her practical clothes dusted, but her eyes still sharp and focused. Her American accent was clear. She looked utterly fed up.
"It's down to the wire, Sharma," she stated, her voice brisk. "And my scanner says you're the last unlinked male in this sector. I'm the last unlinked female."
Aarav blinked. "Oh. So you... tracked me?"
"Someone had to," she sighed, extending her hand. "Unless you fancy being erased, along with the rest of Earth. Sarah Anderson. Path of Technomancy. Class: Energy Engineer. Rank 1."
Aarav stared at her hand. He didn't want to do this. He really, really didn't. But then he remembered his parents, their scared faces. And Maya and Rohan, still alive because of him.
"Fine," he muttered, reaching out. His fingers brushed hers. It was a firm, no-nonsense grip.
[PANTHER LINK ESTABLISHED: SARAH ANDERSON (EARTH) & AARAV SHARMA (EARTH)]
[EARTH PANTHER PAIRS: 89,951 / 90,000]
A faint, almost imperceptible surge of energy flowed between them, linking them. It wasn't warm or fuzzy; it was a cold, digital connection.
[PANTHER LINK DEADLINE: 5 SECONDS]
[EARTH PANTHER PAIRS: 90,000 / 90,000 - GOAL ACHIEVED!]
The last number flashed, then held steady. A collective cheer, weak but heartfelt, rose from the tired Earthlings. They had made it. Just barely.
Sarah let go of his hand. "See? Was that so hard?" she asked, a small, tired smirk on her face.
Aarav just sighed. "Infinitely," he grumbled.