Deserted Island Game (4)

As the squad prepared to descend the mountain, Tang Yu suddenly sensed a wave of intense emotional fluctuations coming from below. He signaled for everyone to hide, then quietly crept to the edge of the cliff to look down.

Katsuragi's squad from Class A had finally shaken off the interference of the decoy targets and was heading toward the summit. Meanwhile, Ryuen had not actually left; he was lying in ambush behind some rocks halfway down the slope, clearly preparing to strike at Class A.

"The show is about to begin," Tang Yu whispered, signaling his squad to descend from the other side.

On the way back to the camp, they heard the sounds of arguing and fighting echoing from the mountainside in the distance. The corners of Tang Yu's mouth curled up—Class A and Class C wearing each other down was exactly the outcome he wanted to see.

[Task Completion Reward: Intelligence +0.5 (Current 10.5/12)]

At three in the afternoon, the squad returned safely to the Class D camp. Tang Yu handed the Task Card to Ayanokoji for study while reporting the situation at the summit to everyone.

"Well done," Hirata praised sincerely. "Not only did we secure strategic supplies, but we also caused Class A and Class C to exhaust each other."

"Don't celebrate too early," Ayanokoji reminded him calmly. "Ryuen won't let this go so easily."

Horikita suddenly raised a question: "I heard you reached some kind of agreement with Ichinose from Class B?"

Tang Yu nodded: "A temporary alliance for information sharing. Why?"

"Class B is also a competitor," Horikita frowned. "Getting too close to them could be counterproductive."

"It's just a temporary tactical necessity," Tang Yu explained. "Facing the threat of Class C, we need allies."

"Horikita-san has a point," Ayanokoji unexpectedly supported Horikita. "Over-reliance on external alliances will weaken the internal cohesion of the class."

Tang Yu keenly detected a hint of deliberation in Ayanokoji's Emotion Cloud—he wasn't truly against cooperating with Class B, but was using this opportunity to drive a wedge between the trust Tang Yu and Horikita had just established.

[Calculated manipulation from Ayanokoji Kiyotaka +150]

"I'll reserve my opinion," Tang Yu said, not refuting him directly. "However, we can re-evaluate the situation tomorrow."

The meeting ended on a sour note. Tang Yu noticed that small factions had already begun to form within Class D—those who supported him, those who supported Horikita, and those who were just watching. This division was detrimental to the class as a whole, but it was highly beneficial for his personal collection of Emotion Points.

By evening, the dark clouds in the sky grew thicker, and the sea breeze turned violent. Tang Yu stood on the coastal reef, watching the churning waves in the distance, a sense of foreboding rising in his heart.

"A storm is coming."

Ichinose's voice came from behind him. Tang Yu turned to see the leader of Class B standing alone on the beach, her flaxen short hair disheveled by the sea breeze.

"How is your camp prepared?" Tang Yu asked, jumping down from the reef.

Ichinose shook her head: "Not sturdy enough. I'm worried that..." Her words were blown away by a sudden gust of wind.

Tang Yu activated Emotion Perception and saw that Ichinose's Emotion Cloud was filled with anxiety and worry. He hesitated for a moment, then activated the Deep Emotion Resonance ability, wanting to understand the situation of Class B more accurately.

In an instant, he felt the pressure deep within Ichinose—the sense of responsibility as a leader, the fear of the approaching storm, and... some deeper shadow related to a past failure.

"Are you okay?" Ichinose's concerned voice pulled Tang Yu back to reality.

"Sorry, I was distracted," Tang Yu retracted his ability. "If the situation becomes critical, Class B can take refuge at our camp."

Ichinose opened her eyes wide in surprise: "Are you sure?"

"Of course," Tang Yu nodded. "But in exchange..."

"Information sharing, I understand," Ichinose smiled. "Thank you, Tang Yu-kun."

After agreeing on a way to contact each other in an emergency, the two parted ways. Tang Yu had just returned to the Class D camp when large, heavy raindrops began to fall. Soon, a torrential downpour arrived, and the gale howled through the woods, making the tents flap loudly.

"Everyone, reinforce the tents!" Hirata shouted through the wind and rain. "Move important supplies to the Central Tent!"

The students of Class D braved the storm to urgently reinforce the camp. Tang Yu and Ayanokoji were responsible for securing the storage tent, the two of them working arduously amidst the fierce wind.

"Will Class B come?" Ayanokoji suddenly asked, his voice almost drowned out by the sound of the storm.

Tang Yu pulled the rope tight: "It depends on the intensity of the storm."

"You trust them too much," Ayanokoji commented, his tone flat but edged with sharpness.

Tang Yu did not respond. He knew Ayanokoji was testing his bottom line, but now was not the time for an argument.

Suddenly, a harsh tearing sound rang out—the tent in the girls' area was ripped open by the gale, and several girls screamed as they grabbed at the flying canvas.

"I'll go help!" Tang Yu rushed toward the girls' area, with Ayanokoji following closely behind.

With everyone working together, the tent was finally secured again. Soaked to the bone, Tang Yu took a headcount and suddenly realized one person was missing: "Where is Horikita?"

"She... she said she was going to check the Perimeter Alarm Device..." a girl replied, stuttering. "She's been gone for almost half an hour..."

Tang Yu and Ayanokoji exchanged glances, both realizing the gravity of the situation. In such a violent storm, being alone in the wild was extremely dangerous.

"I'll go find her." Tang Yu grabbed a raincoat and a flashlight.

"It's too dangerous," Ayanokoji objected. "Wait until the wind and rain die down..."

"We can't wait," Tang Yu was already rushing toward the edge of the camp. "She is an important member of Class D!"

[Crisis Task: Rescue Horikita Suzune]

[Success Reward: Significant increase in Horikita Suzune's trust]

[Failure Risk: Casualties, collapse of class morale]

The rain poured down like a waterfall, and the wind roared in anger. Tang Yu charged into the pitch-black woods, the beam of his flashlight appearing weak and powerless against the curtain of rain. He activated all his sensory abilities, searching for traces of Horikita.

"Horikita! Horikita Suzune!" His shouts were swallowed by the storm.

Just then, Emotion Perception caught a faint emotional fluctuation—fear, persistence, and... a hint of despair? Tang Yu adjusted his direction and pushed forward with difficulty toward the source of the fluctuation.

In a low-lying area, he discovered Horikita. Her leg was pinned under a fallen tree trunk, and she was submerged in the rising rainwater, already in a semi-conscious state.

"Horikita! Hang in there!" Tang Yu struggled to move the tree trunk and hoisted Horikita onto his back.

The path back to the camp was even more difficult than the journey there. Floodwaters began to form on the hillside, and with every step, Tang Yu had to fight against the rushing currents and debris in the water. Horikita breathed weakly on his back as the freezing rain lashed down upon them both.

"Why... come to save me..." Horikita asked weakly in his ear.

"Because we are companions." Tang Yu gritted his teeth and replied, pushing forward with difficulty through the gale.

[Emotion Points have reached a critical threshold]

[Adrenaline Burst: Strength +2 temporarily, Agility +2 temporarily]

A surge of warmth flooded his entire body, and Tang Yu felt his strength multiply. He gripped Horikita tightly and carved a path through the raging storm, struggling toward the direction of the camp's lights...