Deserted Island Game

Tang Yu nodded and walked toward the medical tent. Pulling back the curtain, he saw Horikita sitting up in a makeshift hospital bed, reading an original English book as she usually did. The only differences were her pale complexion and the cast on her right leg.

"Am I interrupting?" Tang Yu asked softly.

Horikita looked up, the sharpness in her eyes replaced by a hint of complexity. "Come in."

Tang Yu sat down beside her. "How are you feeling?"

"The doctor said I'll recover in two weeks," Horikita closed the book. "The test... I'm sorry I can't continue to participate."

"You've already done enough," Tang Yu said sincerely. "Leave the rest to us."

Horikita hesitated, as if struggling with something, before finally speaking. "About last night... I said some..."

"You didn't say anything," Tang Yu interrupted her. "Focus on healing, and we'll be waiting for your return."

A flicker of gratitude crossed Horikita's eyes, and she nodded gently. The atmosphere between them was no longer as tense as before; instead, there was a subtle, newfound rapport.

A commotion suddenly erupted outside the tent. Tang Yu walked out to see Ayanokoji and a few other boys gathered together, their expressions grave.

"What's wrong?" Tang Yu asked as he approached.

Ayanokoji handed him a damp piece of paper. "Found this by the creek this morning."

On the paper was a rough map marking the location and defensive layout of the Class D camp, along with some scrawled text: "Wait for the storm to pass..."

"A masterpiece from Class C," Tang Yu sneered. "Ryuen really hasn't given up."

"It's not just Class C," Ayanokoji pointed to a tiny symbol in the corner of the map—an elegant "A," as if stamped on with a seal.

Tang Yu frowned. "Class A and Class C working together? Impossible. Katsuragi wouldn't team up with someone like Ryuen."

"Unless..." Ayanokoji didn't finish his sentence, but Tang Yu already understood what he meant.

Unless someone was impersonating Class A to frame them. Or worse—a split had occurred within Class A.

"Tighten security," Tang Yu told the surrounding students. "Especially tonight."

At three in the afternoon, the School Administration's speedboat arrived at the island. Chabashira personally escorted Horikita onto the boat and brought news that the test had been postponed.

"Due to the impact of the storm, the special test is suspended for 24 hours," Chabashira announced. "It will resume at this time tomorrow. Each class may use this time to rest, but attacking or sabotaging other classes' camps is strictly prohibited."

The decision sparked a wave of discussion. Tang Yu noticed Ryuen Kakeru standing at the edge of the Class C camp with a malicious grin on his face. When he realized Tang Yu was watching him, Ryuen made a throat-slitting gesture.

[Hostility from Ryuen Kakeru +200]

After the speedboat departed, Class D held an emergency meeting. Tang Yu proposed taking this opportunity to reinforce defenses and scout the movements of other classes.

"Sudo and I will head east to check on Class A," Tang Yu assigned the tasks. "Hirata and Kushida will be responsible for camp security, and Ayanokoji..."

"I'll go to the west side," Ayanokoji said calmly. "It's more convenient to move alone."

After the meeting, Tang Yu and Sudo headed east. The woods were slippery and difficult to traverse after the storm, but the visibility was much clearer.

"Do you think Ryuen will really come to raid us?" Sudo asked as they walked.

"He definitely will," Tang Yu activated Emotion Perception, staying alert to his surroundings. "But not a frontal attack. He likes to play dirty."

The two reached a high point overlooking the Class A camp. Unlike Class D, Class A's losses seemed more severe; nearly half their tents had collapsed, and the students were busy rebuilding.

"Doesn't look like they're planning anything," Sudo commented.

Tang Yu nodded, but suddenly sensed an abnormal emotional fluctuation—not from the Class A camp, but from somewhere closer.

"Get down!" He pulled Sudo down abruptly, and the two hid behind a thicket of bushes.

A few seconds later, a familiar figure walked along the path below—Ryuen Kakeru, alone and moving with purpose.

"Where is he going?" Sudo whispered.

"Follow him," Tang Yu decided.

The two quietly trailed Ryuen, keeping a safe distance. Ryuen clearly had a specific destination, heading straight for the northeast corner of the island. There was a reef area there, which was even more dangerous after the storm.

Ryuen stopped in front of a massive reef and looked around. Tang Yu and Sudo held their breath, hiding in the bushes twenty meters away.

To Tang Yu's shock, a figure emerged from behind the reef—wearing a hood, face obscured, but clearly not a student based on their build.

Ryuen exchanged a few words with the mysterious person and then accepted a small package. Just then, the mysterious person suddenly turned their head, seemingly looking directly at Tang Yu and Sudo's hiding spot.

Tang Yu felt a bone-chilling cold—it wasn't the gaze of a human, but the stare of some kind of predator. He instinctively activated Emotional Link, trying to probe the other party's emotions.

[Warning: Target's emotional fluctuations are abnormal]

[Extreme danger signal detected]

[Recommendation: Evacuate immediately]

The system had never issued such an intense warning. Tang Yu grabbed Sudo, who was about to rush out. "We're leaving, now!"

The two quietly retreated until they reached a safe distance before turning and sprinting away. By the time they returned to the Class D camp, both were gasping for air.

"What happened?" Sudo asked, confused. "Who was that person?"

Tang Yu shook his head. "I don't know, but it's definitely not good news."

He told the leadership group what he had seen and heard. After listening, Ayanokoji looked thoughtful. "Outside personnel intervening in the test... that violates school rules."

"The question is what he gave Ryuen," Tang Yu frowned. "Weapons? Intelligence? Or..."

"No matter what it is, we must be prepared," Hirata said solemnly.

The meeting decided to increase the number of night patrols and set up more alarm devices. Tang Yu volunteered to take the first night shift.

Deep in the quiet of the night, Tang Yu sat alone on the watchtower, reviewing the day's discoveries. Horikita's unexpected injury, the appearance of the mysterious person, Ryuen's conspiracy... there were too many fragments, and he still couldn't piece together the complete picture.

He opened the system interface to check his newly acquired ability:

[Emotional Link Lv.1]

[Can establish a 3-minute deep emotional connection with a target]

[Upgrading can extend the duration and transmit simple emotions]

This ability had huge potential; not only could it be used to gather intelligence, but it might also influence the decisions of others. Tang Yu planned to use it on Ayanokoji tomorrow to see what this mysterious figure was really thinking.

Under the moonlight, Tang Yu looked toward the direction of the Class C camp. Whatever Ryuen had obtained must be related to the upcoming test, and Class D had to be prepared to deal with every possibility.

"Come on, Ryuen," Tang Yu whispered to himself, "let me see what other tricks you have up your sleeve."

[Special Alert: Multiple threats detected]

[Class C hostility: 70%]

[Unknown force threat level: ???]

The system prompt flickered in the moonlight, and Tang Yu knew that the real test had only just begun.