Deserted Island Game (11)

The forest before dawn was shrouded in thick fog. Tang Yu stood on the observation deck, the white mist of his breath condensing in the air. He had kept watch for the entire night, but that mysterious person had not appeared again.

"Time to switch shifts." Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's voice came from below, breaking the silence of the early morning.

Tang Yu climbed down from the observation deck and stretched his stiff shoulders: "Everything is normal."

"What about Ryuen's side?" Ayanokoji asked, his voice as calm as ever.

"No movement." Tang Yu lowered his voice, "But I'm certain he obtained something yesterday."

Ayanokoji's gray eyes appeared exceptionally profound in the morning light: "The special exam resumes today; he will make a move."

Returning to the tent, Tang Yu splashed cold water on his face, forcing himself to stay alert. The System Interface displayed:

[Emotion Points: 18250/20000]

[Stamina Recovery: 78%]

[Special Alert: Hostility from Class C detected to have risen to 75%]

He was only 1750 Emotion Points away from unlocking the next level of ability, and Tang Yu had a premonition that he would reach it today. He quickly formulated a plan—take the initiative, lure Ryuen into action, and collect enough Emotion Points during the confrontation.

After breakfast, the Class D Leadership Group held an emergency meeting. Horikita Suzune appeared unexpectedly via video link—she was sitting in the school infirmary with a cast on her right leg, but she looked to be in good spirits.

"The doctor said I can participate in decision-making via video." Horikita's voice came from the tablet, "Although I cannot be there in person, I can provide suggestions."

Tang Yu noticed Ayanokoji frown imperceptibly—Horikita's return had disrupted some of his plans.

"Welcome back, Horikita-san." Hirata Yosuke said sincerely, "Your advice is very important to us."

The focus of the meeting was how to deal with a potential attack from Class C. Tang Yu proposed splitting into two groups: one to guard the camp, and the other to take the initiative and search for mission points.

"Too risky." Ayanokoji objected, "Splitting our forces will weaken our defense."

"On the contrary." Tang Yu pointed at the map, "Ryuen expects us to hunker down and defend. If we take the initiative, it will disrupt his plans instead."

"I support Tang Yu's point of view." Horikita suddenly spoke up, surprising everyone, "The best defense is a good offense."

Ayanokoji's gaze shifted between Horikita and Tang Yu, as if he were re-evaluating the change in the relationship between the two. Tang Yu activated Emotion Perception, capturing a flash of alertness in Ayanokoji's Emotion Cloud—Horikita's change in attitude had triggered his vigilance.

[Alertness from Ayanokoji Kiyotaka +150]

In the end, Hirata adopted Tang Yu's suggestion: Tang Yu, Sudo Ken, and three other students would form a Reconnaissance Team to head to the north of the island to find new mission points; Ayanokoji, Hirata, and the others would remain to guard the camp.

Before departing, Tang Yu quietly found Kushida Kikyo: "Do me a favor and keep an eye on Ayanokoji's movements."

Kushida gave a sweet smile: "Of course, but... why?"

"Just curious about what he's planning on his own." Tang Yu replied nonchalantly, while simultaneously activating Emotion Perception. The surface of Kushida's Emotion Cloud was a friendly pink, but the core was a deep, calculating gray.

[False cooperation from Kushida Kikyo +50]

"No problem!" Kushida readily agreed, "I'll let you know if I find anything."

Tang Yu nodded in thanks, though he remained secretly vigilant. This two-faced girl could not be trusted, but for now, she was a necessary channel for obtaining information.

The Reconnaissance Team marched north along the stream. After the storm, the forest was exceptionally quiet, with only footsteps and the occasional bird call breaking the silence.

"I heard Ryuen met someone from outside the school yesterday?" Sudo asked in a low voice.

Tang Yu nodded: "Not sure who, but it definitely isn't anything good."

"If you ask me, we should just beat him up and he'll behave." Sudo waved his fist.

"Violence doesn't solve problems." Tang Yu said this, but in his heart, he was calculating how to utilize Sudo's combat strength. If they were to truly face Ryuen head-on, Sudo was an indispensable asset.

Two hours later, the squad arrived in front of a cliff in the north of the island. A symbol was carved into the rock face, pointing toward a hidden cave.

"A mission point?" a boy asked excitedly.

Tang Yu activated Emotion Perception, capturing faint emotional fluctuations inside the cave: "Someone got here first."

"Class C?" Sudo immediately entered combat mode.

"Not sure." Tang Yu signaled for everyone to hide, "I'll go in to scout first; you guys provide support from the outside."

Before Sudo could object, Tang Yu had already silently slipped toward the entrance of the cave. The entrance was narrow, but the inside was a different world—a natural stone chamber of about fifty square meters, with a metal Mission Box in the center, and standing next to it was...

"Ichinose?" Tang Yu appeared in surprise.

The leader of Class B turned around, equally surprised: "Tang Yu-kun?"

The two stared at each other for a second, then both smiled. Ichinose's Emotion Cloud presented a warm yellow, full of sincere joy.

"Looks like we thought of the same thing." Ichinose pointed at the Mission Box, "Just found it, haven't opened it yet."

Tang Yu inspected the Mission Box: "It requires the fingerprints of two class leaders to verify simultaneously."

"What a coincidence that we both came." Ichinose smiled, "Shall we cooperate?"

Tang Yu nodded, and both pressed their thumbs onto the scanner at the same time. The box clicked open, revealing several waterproof maps and a key.

"This is...?" Ichinose picked up the key.

Tang Yu quickly scanned the maps: "There is a hidden warehouse in the southeast corner of the island; this should be the key. The map marks the weaknesses of the four class camps."

"Strategic intelligence." Ichinose's eyes lit up, "Shall we share it?"

"Of course." Tang Yu readily agreed, "However..."

He suddenly stopped, his Emotion Perception capturing intense hostility from outside the cave. Ichinose also sensed the anomaly: "Someone is coming."

The two quickly hid behind a stone pillar. A few seconds later, three Class C students walked into the cave, led by none other than Ryuen Kakeru. Unlike usual, Ryuen's eyes were bloodshot today.

His muscles were visibly swollen, and his entire being radiated a dangerous aura.

"Search!" Ryuen ordered sharply. "That girl from Class B must still be nearby."

The two Class C students began searching the cave. Tang Yu and Ichinose held their breath, pressing themselves into the shadows of the stone pillar.

"Strange, the map shows the mission point is right here..." one Class C student muttered.

Ryuen kicked the Mission Box in a fit of rage: "Someone beat us to it! It must be Class D or Class B!"

Tang Yu noticed that Ryuen's state was highly abnormal—rapid breathing, dilated pupils, and muscles twitching unnaturally. This didn't look like simple anger; it looked more like... a reaction to drugs?

Just then, Ichinose accidentally knocked over a small pebble. The faint "click" was exceptionally clear in the silent cave.

"Who's there?" Ryuen whipped his head around, a beast-like ferocity flashing in his eyes.

Tang Yu made a split-second decision, rushing out from the shadows while shouting: "Ichinose, run!"

Ichinose reacted quickly, sprinting toward the cave entrance. Ryuen let out a roar and lunged at Tang Yu. The two collided in the center of the cave, and Tang Yu felt a massive force hit him—this was definitely not the strength of a normal high school student! He was slammed heavily against the stone wall, a sharp pain shooting through his back.

[Impact sustained: Stamina decreased by 30%]

[Target abnormal status detected: Drug Enhancement]

The system's warning confirmed Tang Yu's suspicion. Ryuen had taken some kind of mysterious drug to enhance his physical abilities; no wonder he dared to be so arrogant.

"Finally caught you, Chinese Kid." Ryuen sneered as he approached. "I'll finish you off today."

Tang Yu quickly assessed the situation: deep in a cave, isolated, and facing a berserk opponent under Drug Enhancement. His only advantage was that Ryuen's emotions were extremely unstable, making this the perfect opportunity to collect Emotion Points.

"Relying on drugs to build up your courage?" Tang Yu deliberately provoked him. "It seems you know you're no match for me."

[Rage from Ryuen Kakeru +300]