Deserted Island

The next morning, the school summoned everyone to gather and explained the rules for this special exam.

First, everyone must survive alone on a deserted island for seven days.

Then, they would be given a corresponding amount of points to purchase supplies; any points remaining after seven days would be converted directly into class points.

Each class would have a leader, and for every leader of another class correctly identified at the end of the exam, the class would gain 50 class points; conversely, guessing incorrectly would result in a deduction of 50 points.

Furthermore, there were bases that could be occupied, which would provide corresponding points every eight hours.

There were also rules for point deductions, such as losing 30 points if a student withdrew, or 50 points for polluting the environment.

Xia Mu summarized it all.

The game was simple.

Beyond the premise of survival, each class had to preserve as many of the starting points as possible, then correctly identify the leaders of other classes; occupying bases would be the key to guessing the opponent's leader.

Or, perhaps, the key to misleading the opponent.

Of course, one could not rule out playing by any means necessary.

For example, stealing the other side's cards or acting as an undercover agent.

As long as the rules did not forbid it, nothing was off-limits.

After the rules were explained, the ship approached the deserted island.

Then, the homeroom teachers of each class led the students off the ship and emphasized the rules once more.

Afterward, they told the students to find a base first and return to them to exchange for supplies before dark once they had discussed it.

Xia Mu did not participate in the process at all.

Ike Kanji from Class D found a small stream surrounded by plenty of wild fruit.

Following that, the boys and girls began arguing over a toilet.

Xia Mu just stood by and watched; rather than bickering over such trivial matters, it would be better to discuss how to identify the leaders of other classes to gain points, or rather...

Xia Mu's gaze shifted to Suzune Horikita, who was pale and clutching her arm.

He needed to take care of his classmates to prevent her from withdrawing and causing points to be deducted.

He had almost forgotten that this girl also needed his Correction.

Her problem was likely that she didn't treat others as people, believing she could do everything on her own, and therefore never considered anyone else.

Then there was her blind pursuit of her brother, which made her look down on everyone.

So this time, Xia Mu would cut in from these angles to see if he could shake her heart.

If it didn't work, it didn't matter; at worst, he would just give up and move on to the next target, just like with Kushida.

Someone like Sakura Airi was much easier.

Feeling Xia Mu's gaze, Sakura blushed and dared not meet his eyes.

It's so great to be able to live on a deserted island with Xia Mu... Such intimate living at such close quarters would surely lead to many interesting things.

When it came time to search for supplies, she took the initiative to raise her hand and say she wanted to be with Xia Mu.

Xia Mu didn't say much, bringing along the dagger he had acquired through special means.

The school allowed students to bring some personal items onto the island.

The two walked through the forest; Sakura Airi, who rarely exercised, was drenched in sweat, which soaked through her back and revealed her pink bra.

Although he had seen it before, seeing it this way felt more mysterious and sexy.

"Slap!"

She reached out, patted her fair arm, and opened her hand to reveal a smear of blood and a crushed black mosquito.

Seeing this, Xia Mu walked over to a patch of weeds, picked up a bunch of special serrated grass roots, and sniffed them.

Then, he grabbed a handful, cut off the roots, and turned to reach toward Sakura's cheek.

"Eh?" Sakura thought Xia Mu was going to pat her head; her heart felt sweet, her face flushed, and she obediently stayed still.

But Xia Mu only tucked the bunch of pungent, strange-smelling weeds behind her ear.

"This kind of weed can repel mosquitoes."

Xia Mu explained, "In the wild, never let mosquitoes suck your blood at will; it's very likely to spread viruses."

As he spoke, he also placed a bunch of the weeds behind his own ear.

Sure enough, the army of Draven did not harass the two of them again.

"That red fruit is edible and can supplement vitamin C," Xia Mu said, pointing to some fruit on a bush.

"There are also coconuts on the beach, which are good sources of hydration, but this island is rich in resources, so there's no need to eat coconuts unless necessary."

"Though, they can be drunk as a casual beverage."

Sakura followed on Xia Mu's right, listening to him speak with authority.

It was as if he had walked right out of the wilderness, so familiar was he with all of this.

"Xia Mu, you're so amazing!"

Sakura's eyes lit up. "It feels like you can do anything."

It was truly reassuring.

She blushed again.

A natural-born shy soul.

"It's just some trivial knowledge. As long as you read enough, it's really nothing," Xia Mu said, waving his hand dismissively.

He searched through the jungle, finally finding what he needed.

A dozen straight, slender saplings.

He brandished the dagger in his hand, and under the flickering cold light, the saplings were cut down neatly.

"Xia Mu, what are you going to do with these saplings?"

Sakura leaned in, asking curiously, "These are still green; they can't be used as firewood, right?"

"You'll know soon enough." Xia Mu smiled slightly, not answering directly.

Afterward, he found some Macaranga branches and vines.

The two returned to the camp fully loaded.

Hirata looked at Sakura Airi, who had brought back a basket full of wild fruits, and a warm smile couldn't help but appear on his face. "Sakura, Xia Mu, thank you both."

"N-no, it's nothing..."

Sakura Airi's voice was tiny. "It was all Xia Mu's hard work; I just helped carry a few things."

"What are you saying?"

"As long as you put in the effort, you've contributed to this class. You've done great!"

Hirata's voice was gentle and warm; it had to be said that he was quite good at winning people over.

After putting down the fruit, seeing that it was getting late, he had the students return to set up their tents.

By the time everything was finished, it was already seven in the evening.

Everyone sat around the campfire, laughing and eating fruit.

Only Suzune Horikita sat with her legs pressed tightly together; despite being next to the campfire, she felt a chill down her back.

Xia Mu naturally noticed Suzune's abnormality, but now was not the time.

He took his dagger and began to whittle the saplings he had found today.

With each stroke of the blade, one end of the sapling gradually became sharp.

After finishing that, he began to use the Macaranga branches to fashion the prototype of a bow and arrow.

He intended to craft a bow and a spear.

If not for the limited resources, he would have really liked to add some fletching to the tail of the arrow.

Once finished, he wrapped them in cloth and set them aside.

Afterward, he took out his phone and sent a message to Karuizawa Kei.

Karuizawa Kei, who was among the crowd, looked up in slight astonishment toward Xia Mu's direction after receiving the message.

But she didn't dare say anything, only averting her gaze with a hint of panic.

This scene was observed by Hirata, Ayanokoji, and the others.

Late at night, Xia Mu turned his head to glance at Ayanokoji, who was feigning sleep, and Ike Kanji, who was sleeping like a log, before slowly unzipping the tent and stepping outside.