On the morning of the last day on the deserted island, Tang Yu was jolted awake by hurried footsteps. He quickly got up and saw Hirata Yosuke standing outside the tent, his expression grave.
"Class C raided our Supply Warehouse!" Hirata lowered his voice. "Most of our food reserves and mission items were stolen, including the special equipment Chabashira-sensei gave us."
Tang Yu was instantly alert. "When did it happen?"
"Around four in the morning. Kushida, who was on watch, was lured away. By the time we noticed, it was too late." Hirata clenched his fists. "Ryuen left a message... He said he'd 'completely destroy Class D' in the Class Competition before we return."
The Class Competition was the final event of the Deserted Island Test. Each of the four classes would send representatives to compete in a physical contest, and the winner would earn an extra 100 points for their class. Clearly, Ryuen planned to use this opportunity to deal another blow to Class D's morale.
Tang Yu quickly got dressed and checked his status through the system:
[Emotion Points: 22450/30000]
[Stamina Recovery: 100%]
[Ability Reserve:
Emotion Manipulation (Beginner)
Emotional Link (Lv.1)
Chinese Martial Arts (Locked)]
"System, how many points do I need to unlock 'Chinese Martial Arts'?"
[Exchanging for "Shaolin Ancient Martial Arts Mastery (One Hour)" will cost 10000 Emotion Points]
[Includes complete routines in boxing, kicks, grappling, and more, with Muscle Memory implantation]
It was expensive, but the situation was special. Tang Yu gritted his teeth. "Exchange!"
A surge of warmth swept through his body, and countless martial arts techniques flooded his mind like a tide. Tang Yu felt a subtle change in his Muscle Memory, as if he had already practiced these movements thousands of times.
He tried a simple Opening Stance, and his body naturally assumed perfect form. Even his breathing rhythm adjusted automatically.
[Emotion Points: 12450/30000]
[Shaolin Ancient Martial Arts Mastery activated, time remaining: 59 minutes 42 seconds]
Hirata stared at Tang Yu's suddenly changed stance in surprise. "You... have you practiced martial arts?"
"I learned a little when I was young." Tang Yu casually brushed it aside. "What time does the competition start?"
"Ten in the morning, on the beach." Hirata was still looking at the lines of muscle in Tang Yu's arms, which seemed more pronounced than usual. "We were originally planning to send Sudo, but now..."
"I'll take on Ryuen." Tang Yu's voice was firm and left no room for doubt.
At the Leadership Group Emergency Meeting, some people objected to Tang Yu's proposal.
"It's too dangerous!" Kushida Kikyo said anxiously. "Ryuen nearly hurt you yesterday."
Horikita Suzune stood nearby, leaning on her cane, and calmly analyzed the situation. "If Tang Yu proposed this plan, he must have a reason to be confident. I've seen his fighting stance. He doesn't look like a beginner."
To Tang Yu's surprise, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka also voiced his support. "Having Tang Yu compete is the best option."
After the meeting, Ayanokoji sought Tang Yu out alone. "Ryuen's not acting normally. The drugs he's taking may have been upgraded."
"I know." Tang Yu nodded. "But that's exactly why Sudo or anyone else would be even less likely to beat him."
Ayanokoji looked straight at Tang Yu with his gray eyes. "You've been hiding a lot. Your martial arts, your Perception Ability, those devices that just happened to appear... They don't seem like things an ordinary Transfer Student would have."
"Likewise." Tang Yu smiled in reply. "Your powers of observation and analysis don't seem 'ordinary student' either."
The two looked at each other for a moment. Ayanokoji was the first to look away. "Watch out for Ryuen's right hook. He tends to use it on his third move."
[Deep Curiosity from Ayanokoji Kiyotaka +300]
[Current Emotion Points: 12750/30000]
At ten in the morning, students from all four classes gathered on the main beach. The School Administration had set up a Simple Ring, and Chabashira-sensei and the other homeroom teachers served as judges.
Tang Yu noticed Student Council Vice President Kiriyama Ikiteru at the judges' table. His gaze behind his glasses kept sweeping over the Class D area.
"First, I'll announce the current class rankings." Chabashira-sensei opened the score board. "Class A, 325 points; Class B, 310 points; Class D, 300 points; Class C, 295 points."
Murmurs spread through the crowd. Tang Yu frowned. Before the Warehouse was raided last night, Class D had been 15 points ahead of Class A. Now they were behind. The special equipment they'd lost must have been worth a lot.
"Here are today's competition rules." PE Teacher Sakagami Kazuma made the announcement. "Each class will send one representative, and the match order will be decided by drawing lots. The winner advances. The final champion earns 100 points for their class, and the runner-up earns 50."
The draw results came out quickly: Class A versus Class B in the first match, and Class D versus Class C in the second. The winners of the two matches would compete for the championship.
Class A sent the sturdily built Hashimoto Masayoshi, while Class B sent Shibata So. Once the match began, the two sides were evenly matched, but in the end, Hashimoto won by a narrow margin.
"Next, Class D versus Class C!" Teacher Sakagami announced loudly. "Representatives, please step forward!"
Tang Yu took off his jacket, revealing the athletic shirt beneath. His muscles, strengthened by his martial arts ability, were well-defined but not exaggerated, and his whole body gave off a sense of restrained power. He stepped into the ring and saw Ryuen Kakeru already waiting there.
Compared to yesterday, Ryuen seemed even more abnormal. His eyes were bloodshot, the veins in his neck bulged, and his muscles had swollen unnaturally. He looked like a beast ready to explode at any moment!
"I didn't think you'd dare to come out here yourself." Ryuen sneered, his voice hoarse. "Good. I can take care of you once and for all."
Tang Yu didn't respond. He simply took up a standard Opening Stance. The movement sparked a quiet buzz of discussion. No one present had seen such a proper Chinese Martial Arts stance before.
"Begin!"
Ryuen immediately charged like a ferocious beast, moving faster than yesterday. But Tang Yu's martial arts instincts had already predicted his movements. He easily dodged to the side, then shaped his right hand like a blade and struck precisely at the nerve cluster in Ryuen's neck.
"Ugh!" Ryuen winced in pain and staggered a few steps, disbelief flashing through his eyes.
Tang Yu didn't pursue him, instead maintaining a defensive stance. He needed to let the spectators see Ryuen's abnormal condition while gathering more Emotion Points.
[Shock from the entire crowd +500]
[Anger from Ryuen Kakeru +300]
"Bastard!" Ryuen roared and charged again, this time with a combination of punches. Tang Yu used Shaolin Small Grappling to deflect each attack with minimal effort, turning aside force with skill.
When he counterattacked, he deliberately restrained his strength, causing only slight pain without inflicting any real injury.
The scene in the ring grew increasingly strange. The frenzied Ryuen was like a beast out of control, while Tang Yu moved with leisurely ease. Every movement flowed smoothly, with the distinctive rhythmic beauty of traditional martial arts.
"What kind of martial arts is that?"
"So cool!"
"Ryuen can't even touch him!"
Gasps of admiration rose one after another from the spectators. The system notifications for Tang Yu kept updating:
[Admiration from the spectators +800]
[Current Emotion Points: 14050/30000]
A minute later, Ryuen was already gasping for breath, and his drug-enhanced body was beginning to suffer the backlash. Tang Yu seized the moment and decided to end the show.
As Ryuen charged at him again with a punch, Tang Yu suddenly changed his moves and launched into a complete Shaolin Arhat Fist routine. First, "Arhat Rings the Bell" knocked Ryuen's arms apart. Next, "Black Tiger Steals Heart" struck him in the chest. Finally, "Whirlwind Leaf-Sweeping Kick" swept Ryuen heavily to the ground.
The whole sequence flowed seamlessly and took less than ten seconds. Ryuen's massive body crashed to the ground. He struggled several times, but couldn't get back up.
"Class D wins!" Teacher Sakagami announced in surprise.
The entire crowd fell silent for a second, then erupted into deafening cheers. Class D students rushed into the ring and tossed Tang Yu high into the air. The Emotion Points notifications refreshed like crazy:
[Awe from the entire crowd +1500]
[Fear from Class C +800]
[Frustration from Ryuen Kakeru +500]
[Current Emotion Points: 17850/30000]
After being put down, Tang Yu immediately noticed something unusual at the judges' table. Kiriyama Ikiteru looked grim and was quietly leaving his seat. Tang Yu activated "Emotional Link" and briefly caught Kiriyama's emotional fluctuations-anger, worry, and... urgency to destroy the evidence?
"Stop Vice President Kiriyama!" Tang Yu suddenly shouted. "He's involved with Ryuen's banned drugs!"
The entire crowd fell silent at once. Kiriyama froze in place, his eyes narrowing to slits behind his glasses. "That's an absurd accusation. What evidence do you have?"
Tang Yu took a small Recording Pen out of his pocket, which he had exchanged for with Emotion Points last night. "Ryuen admitted it himself."
He pressed the play button. Ryuen's hoarse voice came through: "...The Student Council gave me the drugs... Kiriyama said he could make sure Class C won..."
The recording was short, but its contents were shocking enough. Ryuen had been carried away by Class C students after passing out following the match, so he couldn't be confronted on the spot, but the effect had already been achieved.
Kiriyama's face turned deathly pale. "Th-this is fabricated!"
Chabashira-sensei stepped forward. "Vice President Kiriyama, please cooperate with the investigation. If this is true, it's a serious violation."
Amid the chaos, Tang Yu saw Ayanokoji Kiyotaka standing at the edge of the crowd. A rare change of expression had appeared on his face-not surprise.
Instead, it was a subtle smile that was almost appreciative. Their gazes met across the noisy crowd, silently conveying a certain understanding.
[Appreciation from Ayanokoji Kiyotaka +400]
[Current Emotion Points: 18250/30000]
The final competition was canceled because of the sudden incident, and the School Administration announced that the test results would be calculated based on the current scores. Because Class C was suspected of cheating and had been disqualified, Class D ranked second with 300 points and received the 50-point runner-up reward.
On the ferry back, the Class D students gathered on deck to celebrate. Although they hadn't won the championship, Tang Yu's two victories-defeating Ryuen and exposing the conspiracy-had already raised the class's morale to an unprecedented level.
"That was amazing!" Ken Sudō slapped Tang Yu on the shoulder. "Could you teach me a few moves from that martial arts routine?"
"If I get the chance." Tang Yu smiled in reply, noticing Horikita Suzune walking toward him.
"Thank you." Horikita looked straight into Tang Yu's eyes, her tone sincere. "Not only for the competition, but also for your leadership throughout the test. Class D... needs a leader like you."
Her words won the unanimous agreement of the classmates around them. Tang Yu felt a warmth well up inside him. This wasn't a system notification, but a genuine sense of accomplishment.
"We all have our own roles." Tang Yu looked toward Ayanokoji in the distance. "Class D's rise depends on everyone's strength."
Ayanokoji seemed to notice his gaze and gave a slight nod in reply. Tang Yu's Emotion Perception caught the complex fluctuations inside him-wariness, curiosity, and a hint of something hard to define... anticipation?
When the ferry docked, Chabashira-sensei stopped Tang Yu. "The School Board wants to see you. It's about the... unusual circumstances during this test."
Tang Yu's heart tightened, but he kept calm on the surface. "All right, sensei."
As he walked toward the school gates, Tang Yu checked his latest system status:
[Emotion Points: 18550/30000]
[Next Stage Objective: Unlock "Group Emotion Influence" Ability]
[Special Reminder: Attention from the School Administration has risen to 60%]
The Deserted Island Test was over, but the greater challenges were only just beginning. The Student Council, the School Board, the other classes... Every faction would pay closer attention to this Transfer Student who had suddenly risen to prominence. And Tang Yu, who possessed the Emotion System, was already prepared to face any challenge.
He looked toward the Clock Tower at the center of the campus, the corners of his mouth lifting in a confident smile. In this school where strength reigned supreme, he would write his own legend.