Ryuen's face twisted. "Shut up!" He swung a fist at Tang Yu, moving at astonishing speed.
Tang Yu barely dodged. The force of the punch brushed his cheek. He activated "Emotional Link," trying to disrupt Ryuen's consciousness. In an instant, a chaotic, violent flood of emotions surged into his mind—anger, inferiority, a desire for control,
fear of being seen through...and a strange, icy sense of command that didn't belong to Ryuen himself...
The link lasted only a few seconds before Ryuen's raging emotions forcibly severed it, but Tang Yu had already learned something crucial—someone really was pulling the strings behind Ryuen!
"Who are you working for?" Tang Yu asked, panting. "Who gave you the drugs?"
A flash of surprise crossed Ryuen's eyes, then he grew even angrier. "Go to hell!"
Another heavy punch came at him, and this time Tang Yu couldn't fully evade it. The fist grazed his ribs. A burst of pain made his vision go black.
[Severe blow received: cracked rib, stamina down to 45%]
[Emotion Points reached 19500/20000]
At the critical moment, Ken Sudō's roar came from the cave entrance. "Let go of Tang Yu!"
Sudō charged in with the Reconnaissance Team, while Ichinose arrived with reinforcements from Class B. Seeing that things had turned against him, Ryuen roared, "Retreat!" He fled through the cave's other exit with the students from Class C.
"Are you all right?" Sudō helped Tang Yu up.
"I'm fine..." Tang Yu stood, fighting through the pain. "Is the mission item safe?"
Ichinose nodded. "I had a classmate take it back to camp already." She looked at Tang Yu with concern. "Your injury..."
"It's not serious." Tang Yu managed a faint smile. "We need to get back to camp right away. Ryuen's acting strangely. He might launch an all-out attack."
The two groups quickly evacuated the cave. On the way, Tang Yu's Emotion Points finally broke through the threshold:
[Emotion Points exceeded 20000!]
["Emotion Manipulation" ability unlocked (Beginner)]
[Can briefly influence a target's emotional state. Duration: 30 seconds]
This ability was far more powerful than "Emotion Influence." He could directly plant an emotion in someone's heart instead of merely amplifying emotions they already felt.
Tang Yu immediately thought of several ways to use it, but the most important thing now was dealing with the threat Ryuen posed.
Back at the Class D camp, Tang Yu reported what had happened to the Leadership Group. Horikita joined the discussion by video call.
"Drug Enhancement?" Hirata looked incredulous. "That's a serious violation of school rules!"
"Ryuen has always been willing to do whatever it takes." Ayanokoji calmly analyzed the situation. "The question is, who supplied the drugs?"
Tang Yu noticed that Ayanokoji had asked "who" rather than "where." It seemed he also suspected someone inside the school was involved.
"We need evidence." Horikita's voice came through the tablet. "Otherwise, the accusation means nothing."
"We should focus on defense first." Tang Yu pointed at the map. "Ryuen is in an irrational state now. He might attack the camp directly."
The meeting decided to strengthen their defenses and keep in contact with Class B. Just as they were wrapping up their plans, a commotion suddenly broke out outside the camp.
"Someone from the Student Council is here!" A classmate rushed into the tent to report.
Everyone froze. Tang Yu followed the others out of the tent and saw a tall boy with glasses standing in the middle of the camp, with two Student Council members behind him. He wore a neatly pressed uniform, with a Student Council Vice President badge pinned to his chest.
"Kiriyama Ikiteru..." Horikita's voice came through the tablet, unmistakably wary.
"Routine inspection." Kiriyama pushed up his glasses. "During special exams, the Student Council has the right to supervise each class's conduct." His gaze swept over the Class D students before stopping on Tang Yu. "I hear your class has been performing...rather unusually."
Tang Yu activated Emotion Perception and found that Kiriyama's Emotion Cloud was eerily calm—too perfect, unnaturally so, as if his emotions were under the control of someone who had undergone special training.
"We've followed all the rules." Hirata stepped forward and spoke politely but firmly.
Kiriyama smiled. "Of course. This is just routine." He turned to Tang Yu. "The Student Council is especially interested in the Transfer Student's performance."
The probing intent behind those words was obvious. Tang Yu remained composed. "I'm just doing my best to help the class."
"Is that so?" Kiriyama said meaningfully. "From Perfect Score in All Subjects to leading your class on the Deserted Island, your 'contributions' have certainly been impressive."
The atmosphere suddenly grew tense. Ayanokoji silently moved to Tang Yu's side, offering a subtle show of support.
"Inspection complete." Kiriyama abruptly ended the conversation. "Good luck with the exam." He turned to leave, but as he passed Tang Yu, he spoke in a voice only the two of them could hear. "Be careful you don't get burned playing with fire."
[Warning from Kiriyama Ikiteru +200]
[Student Council Attention: 40%]
Tang Yu watched the Student Council members leave, alarms ringing in his mind. Kiriyama's appearance couldn't have been a coincidence. He was clearly here for someone—possibly Tang Yu, or perhaps Ayanokoji.
"Strange Student Council." Ayanokoji remarked in a tone as casual as if he were discussing the weather.
By evening, the camp was on high alert. Tang Yu and Ayanokoji were assigned the first watch. Sitting side by side on the lookout platform, they silently observed their surroundings.
"What did you find in the cave today?" Ayanokoji suddenly asked.
Tang Yu hesitated, then decided to be partly honest. "Ryuen took some kind of drug that enhanced his strength and speed beyond normal limits."
"The drug..." Ayanokoji mused. "Where did it come from?"
"I'm not sure, but I sensed...someone was pulling the strings behind him."
Ayanokoji turned to Tang Yu. "Your 'perception' ability is unusual."
This was the first time Ayanokoji had directly brought up Tang Yu's special ability. Their gazes met, and invisible sparks seemed to fly between them.
"Everyone has secrets." Tang Yu spoke softly. "Your powers of observation, for instance, don't seem ordinary for a high school student either."
Ayanokoji didn't deny it. Instead, he asked an unexpected question. "What do you think this school is really testing?"
"On the surface, it's ability. In reality, it's human nature." Tang Yu replied. "Under extreme pressure, people show who they really are."
"An interesting perspective." Ayanokoji gazed toward the Class C camp in the distance. "Then what is Ryuen showing us?"
"Fear hidden beneath violence." Tang Yu recalled the emotions he'd sensed through Emotional Link. "He's afraid of losing control, afraid of having his true nature exposed."
Ayanokoji was silent for a long time. "You see more clearly than I expected."
[Wariness from Ayanokoji Kiyotaka +200]
[Current Emotion Points: 20350/30000]
[Next-stage goal: Unlock "Group Emotion Influence" ability]
As night deepened, Tang Yu knew the most dangerous moments were still ahead. Under the drug's influence, Ryuen might take desperate risks. Kiriyama's appearance suggested the Student Council might get involved, and Ayanokoji's attitude was becoming harder and harder to read.
The final day of the Deserted Island Test would surely bring a storm of violence. Tang Yu gripped the Mission Key in his pocket, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.
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