Chapter 230 - Start Of The Fifth Phase The participants could see the large opening held by countless pillars that led underground from their current altitude. Everyone figured that the underground ruins were probably very vast. This was the reason for the wide space within the barricades. "Your secondary objective is to retrieve as many grand stones as you can," Gradier Xanatus stated. "Huh?" The participants were confused by the sudden mention of a secondary objective and grand stones. Before they could start throwing questions around, Gradier Xanatus began explaining. The MBO had placed some energy shards called the grand stones inside the Caskia Ruins before the participants arrived. The ruins no longer had any energy crystals inside, so they had to put these ones in manually. Gradier Xanatus explained that the participants were to gather as many as they could while trying to survive. Gathering these shards would also increase their points. The participants were excited when they heard this. Those that had lesser points saw this as a turning point since, according to Gradier Xanatus’s words, the shards were scattered in different places across the ruins. They felt that if they were lucky enough, they could find these stones before others. While they were immersed in their wild thoughts, Gradier Xanatus told them that numerous mixedbreeds would also be coming for the shards the moment they sensed it. This dampened some of them as they thought about how they would have to deal with mixedbreeds while trying to get the shards. "Team up if you have... Survival is the ultimate goal. However, If you can’t deal with a bunch of weakened criminals and low-level mixedbreeds, then you’re not meant to be here!" Gradier Xanatus voiced out. "Drop will be initiated in one minute. Pick up your electronic survival bag." Gradier Xanatus stated. Shhhsshh! Shhhsshh! The ceiling of the aircraft opened, and a backpack was revealed. The participants picked up the backpack and wore it. "After jumping from the aircraft, your electronic bag pack will automatically power on and fly you down. After that, the nitro power will be cut off, so none of you will be able to escape using it," Gradier Xanatus explained. "There are some tools kept inside for your usage, properly make use of them... We will be watching!" Immediately after saying this, Gradier Xanatus’s holographic form disappeared. "INITIATING DROP IN 39 SECONDS!" "38!" "37!" "36!" "35!" "34!" The participants were on their toes as the AI counted down. They kept staring at the ruins below, wondering how the internal structure underneath would look. "Are you ready?" Gustav asked Angy beside him. "Hnm," She nodded with a smile on her face. "Hey, Rival, you won’t ask me?! No fair!" Ria, who was sitting three places to the left side of Gustav, shouted out. "I don’t care," Gustav muttered without even turning to stare at him. "Ekk! You..!" Ria pointed at Gustav with a disgruntled look. "Stop spitting on my face, you loud-mouthed idiot!" Glade, who was seated on Ria’s right, voiced out with a repressed look. "Hey, who..." Just as Ria wanted to retort, the last countdown reverberated inside the spacecraft. "1!" "OPENING HATCH!" Immediately after those words were voiced out, the floor of the aircraft opened up. Fwowoosshhhssmmmm! The wind blew into the aircraft through the opening underneath their bodies. "ENGAGE DROP!" This was the last announcement they heard from the AI before their seats were pulled from underneath them and folded into a small cube. "Kiiaarrhhh! "Arrrgghhhh!" "Kieeekkk!" "Ahhhhhhhhh!" Most of the participants screamed out as they fell from underneath the aircraft. Fwoooshhhhsss! Numerous bodies could be seen dropping from the sky towards the ruins below. They were falling from a height of over ten thousand feet, so it was enough to give anyone anxiety even though they knew the backpack would save them. Participants that had bloodlines that gave them a flight ability were unable to activate it. Other participants tried activating their bloodlines also and found out that they couldn’t. As Gustav fell, he stared at the structure that was thousands of feet below, slowly becoming bigger and bigger in his sight. The wind blew his hair backward, making him look extremely cool. He was among the few participants without a hint of fear on their faces. He turned his head to the left side and noticed Angy’s frightened look. He stretched out his hand and grabbed onto hers. Angy turned to stare at him and smiled. The frightened expression on her face was gone. "Ugh! A sore sight to see indeed!" Ria voiced out from the side and placed both of his hands by his sides before diving forward. Angy and Gustav ignored him, of course, and focused on the structure below as they descended. Ria started descending quicker than others. Some of the participants saw his action and also did the same. They didn’t want to give Ria the chance of getting the ruins before they did because of the grand stones. When they were two thousand feet away from the ground, the engine in the backpacks activated. Twhoosshh! Twhoosshh! Blue fires ejected from the backpacks, and the participants stopped falling loosely. The backpack controlled their fall and started flying them towards different parts of the environment around the structure beneath. Fwooshh! Fwooosh! The backpacks separated the participants taking some towards the north area and some towards the south. They became scattered around, and in a few seconds, everyone landed. At that instant, the participants regained their abilities and started heading towards the entrance ahead. Gustav was dropped at the far east of the entrance. Angy and the others had been separated from him, and the structure was now thousands of feet away from his position. ’Does the MBO always have to make everything a hassle?’ Gustav sighed internally as he looked around him. Some participants were also dropped not far away from his position, but he had never seen these ones before. So, he assumed they were from other aircraft, which also meant they were from other cities. ’Oh well, this is good too... I prefer working alone,’ Gustav said internally as he dashed towards the structure ahead. [Dash has been activated]