THE FINAL CHALLENGE BEGINS! (I)

Alex had a good rest, if you ignore all the mosquitoes that had him for dinner, and as the sun's rays fell upon him, waking up on the last day brought a surge of determination. He prepared for a thrilling day ahead, knowing that survival was the only goal. Even minor injuries were acceptable as long as they didn't lead to immediate death. With this optimistic outlook, he jumped from the tree, ignoring the damp ground. Shouting, "Reincarnation, here I come. Just you wait!" he began running toward the volcano.

Navigating through the burnt region required caution, given the higher visibility that made him an easy target for animals. Alex observed an increasing density of smaller animals, making him more vigilant. He decided to postpone his initial plan of taking a dip in the water, acknowledging his weakness there and opting to prioritize survival.

He also covered himself with ash, hoping it would help him blend into the environment. After this makeshift camouflage, he resumed running as silently as possible.

As he joyfully embraced the challenge of staying alive for one last day, a paper suddenly appeared in front of his face. Startled, he proceeded to read it:

"**Dear Mr. Alex,

Congratulations on the adventure up till now. But fear not, it's about to get more exciting. Let's break the suspense: the egg has to be in your hand when the time is over; otherwise, let's say you'll spend some years in that beautiful world, before getting your chance to reincarnate. Also, the egg's range would be increasing from 1 mile to 3 miles. Lastly, the egg's life and the universe's life, in which your family might be, is connected, or maybe not. Who knows?

## THE FINAL CHALLENGE BEGINS - {"You've got until midnight, and when there are only 30 minutes left, a timer will appear in the sky."}

BEST OF LUCK

Your favorite ORIGIN** "

Reading this, Alex punched the nearby tree. "This old man wants to die. Why drag my family into it? This is unacceptable." He tried to calm himself down, recognizing that emotions taking over could mean game over for him. Crushing the paper angrily, he resolved to focus on survival.

Alex now had to plan, although he was considered funny and didn't get serious easily, his anger was out of control. "What is this all about? I can understand why you brought my family into it, but why is a whole universe involved in all this?" He couldn't guess the origin's intention behind it, but it was not the time.

Alex hid near a place and tried to recall all the details about the volcano and its surroundings as he could. He drew all of it on a map, considering potential problems.

1) How to retrieve the egg from the animals surrounding it, as it would be impossible without being crushed by them.

2) The problem of his hunger, which had been on cooldown mode as he had been collecting and swallowing all the small worms he could find in the region. On this thought, he hoped he wouldn't develop a taste for them.

After drawing the map, he decided to go to a higher elevation near the volcano. It would be foolish to plan without getting an idea of how the animals were reacting to the egg's power. He began his run quietly, not like an athlete, but more like an assassin, avoiding the notice of any animals. In some places, he even crouched to become less noticeable. He finally cleared the ash-covered region very slowly to get the location without attracting any attention.

When he reached about 3 miles in the mountain range and 1 mile in the ash range, he discovered there were no carnivorous animals in the region. All the animals were herbivores, which eased Alex's fear, knowing that as long as he didn't provoke them, he would be fine.

Entering the lava region was fearful, as it might have cooled down, but harmful gases were still present, and the temperature was too hot even after the rain. He stepped on it, feeling like walking on desert sand in summer that got squeezed with too much pressure and heat. But he didn't have time to worry about these things; time was running out of his hands.

Immediately crossing the region while covering himself with the black t-shirt he had torn, he thought, "Sorry, Naruto-sensei, although you've taught me much, it is the time's need." After tearing it, he looked at the shorts again, saying, "Ace, you have one on me," remembering a debt he thought to repay one day.

He made a blanket, by holding the pieces of cloth together and slowly moved forward, covering himself to blend in with the all-black cooled lava. While noticing no animals around, he didn't get too excited and moved slowly toward his destination.

After reaching at the location, he gazed at the region where all animals had gathered. They were fighting among themselves over something. The larger animals battled each other, while smaller carnivores engaged in their own conflicts. Something shone through the cooled lava, catching the hues of the setting sun reflecting on the river. About 100 to 200 animals were locked in wrestling matches.

The egg was surrounded on all sides, except for the cliff, which was approximately 100 meters from the egg. Alex was currently about 1000 - 1200 meters away from the egg, and the sun was in its evening position. He had until midnight to figure out how to retrieve the egg amidst the chaos of the fighting animals.

As the animals were too busy in their fierce battles, he contemplated all the possible scenarios to get his hands on the egg within the group of animals. With time ticking away, he got an amazing idea. Without a care in the world, he stood up and ran, towards the forest where he came from, as fast as he could.