Trust Game

The Trust Game, as the name implies.

All-Member Rules

1. Each Trust Card starts with 100,000 points by default. Before entering the exam grounds, everyone must hand their card to someone they trust.

2. Trust Cards cannot be held by each other; a trustee cannot hand the card to a student who is already holding a Trust Card.

3. Trust Cards cannot be seized by force; the transfer of a Trust Card must be witnessed by a teacher. Any illegal possession of an additional Trust Card will result in a penalty of 100,000 points per card.

4. Each class has a default of 300 class points, which can be used to purchase supplies or be saved. Each base can be occupied using a Trust Card; every 8 hours, it will settle 10,000 trust points and refresh the occupation status.

Trustor/Trustee Rules

1. A trustee has two options: swallow the trust points of one card, or swallow half the trust points of all cards held. If half the points of a single card are less than 50,000, it is calculated as 50,000. One can only swallow points once per day.

2. When trust points are less than or equal to zero, the student has thirty minutes during the special exam to go to the homeroom teacher to withdraw from the exam; those who exceed this time limit will be expelled.

3. Swallowed points can be used during the exam or after the exam.

4. Trust points can be converted into personal points after the special exam ends.

Endgame Rules

1. On the sixth day from 23:00 to 24:00, everyone becomes a Devourer. Not only can they devour trust points, but they can also control the permissions of the devoured trustor on their mobile phone, including phone permissions. After devouring a Trust Card, all cards held by that trustee can be used by the Devourer.

2. It takes 20 minutes to digest one card.

3. Each base is equipped with a microphone and speaker; when someone is eliminated, it will be broadcast to everyone.

4. Each class has an anonymous Water Ghost. After meeting the conditions for withdrawing from the special exam, they can designate one person to withdraw from the exam or be expelled (without deducting class points). After expulsion, the points belong to the Water Ghost. Format: Class, Name.

5. On the sixth day, the exam ends at 25:00. Each class receives 10 class points for every person who survives; for every person missing on the sixth day, 10 class points are deducted.

6. To encourage competition among students, Resurrection Tickets and Class Transfer Tickets require 4,000,000 points.

Chabashira announced the rules of the special exam and distributed the newly printed flyers one by one. Afterward, she called names one by one to collect the customized Trust Cards.

The students sat crookedly on the grass in the open space with their luggage.

(When did the school start liking to play Battle Royale!)

The air was still filled with the fragrance of plants and soil, but it was mixed with a faint scent of wood, seemingly emanating from the newly built trails or guardrails.

In this Primeval Forest, located in some unknown corner of the Earth, there were obvious traces of artificial processing, not to mention the hardened roads.

The slightly sparse large trees faintly revealed traces of careful human sculpting; the tall trees still stood, but they were arranged more neatly than in a true wild forest.

The plants in the forest were still lush, but many chaotic shrubs had been cleared away.

(Could this have been a hunting ground for some rich person before?)

Nagami observed this forest, which was called "primeval," through the obstruction of the layers of trees.

"Wow, the rules are so complicated. I give up; anyway, there's no penalty for class points this time, so I'll just lie flat."

Yamauchi, a beacon of human intelligence, was the first to express his intention to lie flat.

"Yeah, I get dizzy just looking at these rules. It feels like they made them this complicated on purpose to make things difficult for us. But since they are the rules, we have to follow them, or else we'll just wait to be eliminated."

The Three Idiots chimed in.

"I just hope to find someone worth trusting as soon as possible and hand over my Trust Card first."

A classmate nearby agreed.

"Hey, Kanji. Let me keep your card. It's better to give the points to me than to someone else."

Sudo suggested, with a sense of coercion.

"Actually, I'm the Water Ghost. If you swallow my points, Sudo, just wait to be expelled."

"Huh? Do you think I'm a three-year-old kid?"

Even Sudo wasn't bluffed by this statement.

"Everyone, look over here. If we use this special exam properly, we might be able to make our class stand out."

Hirata said boldly to everyone.

"As long as we are united and don't fight among ourselves, the whole class will have 3,000,000 points!"

"3,000,000!"

Hirata's gentle smile infected many people, and everyone nodded in agreement.

"Hooray! (≧▽≦)/"

Many students in Class D began to cheer. After months of bitter days with 0 points since the start of school, the students were finally about to turn the tables.

Some upperclassmen even suspected that the reason there were so many hot, beautiful girls in this year's Class D was because of their daily fat-loss meal plans.

In the distance, in the open space where the first-year Class B students were also gathered.

"Are they playing a 'don't laugh' challenge? I admit I lost."

Nagami sighed from afar.

"Kagami? Did you come here because you have another strategy?"

"No, I was just wondering if Honami has enough points to buy me."

"Ah! That's so direct."

Even though Ichinose was often shocked, she still wasn't used to Nagami's bold jokes.

"Nagami-kun's value is indeed worth 20,000,000 points, and it's 4,000,000 now. But to say it so blatantly, won't you attract the resentment of your peers? To your classmates, that's practically an act of betrayal."

Kanzaki, Ichinose's follower, stepped forward and said.

"Just a joke. In such cold weather, only my heart is burning with passion."

"You're really full of energy, Kagami!"

"Ichinose-san, could you keep this for me?"

Shiranami Chihiro said softly from behind.

"Honami, while it's good that you've gained everyone's trust, I suggest you don't keep all the cards yourself. Don't put all your eggs in one basket; it's very easy to get wiped out."

"I know that."

Ichinose pouted in protest.

(Theoretically, this exam requires at least three small groups to check and balance each other to ensure no one runs off. In reality, the more groups there are, the greater the variables, the difficulty of calculation increases exponentially, and it becomes harder for evildoers to scheme.)

(The school didn't say at all how the Water Ghost is chosen, and it seems only the Water Ghost themselves knows.)

"We need to discuss a strategy. There are quite a few loopholes in these rules. If used properly, we might be able to make Class D stand out."

Horikita touched her chin, deep in thought.

"For example, the existence of this anonymous Water Ghost must be kept at the highest level of secrecy. If they are exposed, this exam will turn into a one-sided battle royale."

"But the information about the Water Ghost must also be known only to a few people who are absolutely trusted."

"This Water Ghost is invincible, right?"

The small group gathered around and began to discuss seriously. Everyone chimed in, gradually sorting out some clues.

The complaints about the complex rules were gradually replaced by discussions on how to actively respond, and a game plan centered on the rules of the trust game was quietly taking shape.

Therefore, the truster needs to find someone who is trusted less to share the risk, and the trusted person needs to resist temptation.

If one accumulates more than 4,000,000 points, the ugliness of human nature will follow.

"Kagami, this time my card, you have to keep it well..."

"Where did he go?"

Kushida turned around and found that Nagami, who had been right there, was gone. She shook her head and looked around.

"I'm here."

Like a ghost, Nagami suddenly flashed out from the shadows behind Kushida.

Kushida hadn't expected him to appear from that angle at all and was momentarily at a loss.

"Kagami, being so mysterious, did you sneak out for a date again?"

"How could that be? Being that kind of time-management master is exhausting; I couldn't handle it at all."

"So, you've tried it?"

Nagami felt a chill down his spine and said in a slightly wavering tone.

"How could that be? I have absolutely no interest in that sort of thing."

Kushida smiled slightly. For this kind of "pink-haired black-hearted" character, the gold content of the art of language went up another level.

Class D was divided into the Horikita-Ayanokoji group, the Nagami-Kushida group, and the Hirata-Karuizawa group.

"Apart from Kushida, it seems you don't have any other friends?"

"Ayanokoji counts as one, barely."

"Kiyotaka, can you keep my card for me?"

Karuizawa stepped forward with expectant eyes and said.

"Sure."

"Kiyotaka, I... can I too?"

The study group stepped forward one by one. It seems their thoughts were surprisingly consistent; great minds think alike.

"Then my card, Horikita."

"It's only right. You should have said that a long time ago."

Horikita took the trust card with an unquestionable tone.

"I actually wanted to give it to Hirata."

After some discussion among the leaders of the small groups, the order for holding the trust cards was decided.

Hirata group -> Nagami group -> Ayanokoji group -> Hirata group.

A perfect closed loop.

"Is everyone here?"

Mashima, the teacher for Class A, looked at his watch and raised his megaphone to speak.

"This is the only exit and the only entrance, so, I declare: the Primeval Forest special exam, officially begins."

The first day, 10:00 AM, the special exam kicked off.

If you can't find the book by its title, try searching for the author; perhaps it just changed its name!