The next morning, the sun had barely risen when Ayaan opened his eyes.
The campsite was still quiet.
Kira and Rina were asleep in their tents, and the only sound was the nearby river.
Ayaan stood up and walked over to Anshuman's tent.
Without hesitation, he entered.
Anshuman was still lying in his sleeping bag.
"Ayaan... it's too early."
"We need to talk."
Anshuman sat up and stretched.
"What is it?"
Ayaan sat down across from him.
"We don't need to earn too many points."
Anshuman immediately understood.
"I know."
"If we rise too quickly, everyone will start paying attention to us."
Anshuman nodded.
"We stay competitive, but not dominant."
"Exactly."
The two left the tent and headed toward the others.
Ayaan stopped outside Kira's tent.
"Wake up."
A few moments later, a sleepy Kira stepped outside.
"You know normal people sleep during vacations, right?"
Ayaan ignored the comment.
Then he woke Rina as well.
Within a few minutes, all four were gathered near the campfire.
Ayaan unfolded the island map.
"There are several events scheduled today."
The others looked at the marked locations.
They were spread across different parts of the island.
Anshuman immediately understood.
"You want to split up."
"Yes."
Kira looked surprised.
"Wouldn't it be safer to stay together?"
"It would."
"Then why separate?"
"Because staying together limits the number of events we can participate in."
Rina nodded slowly.
"So we'll cover more ground by dividing into two teams."
"Correct."
Ayaan placed the map on the ground.
"There are two directions worth investigating."
One route headed north through the forest.
The other led east toward a rocky valley.
Ayaan looked at the group.
"We'll split into pairs."
Everyone became silent.
Then Ayaan asked,
"Who is coming with me, and who is going with Anshuman?"
Kira and Rina exchanged glances.
The decision would affect the rest of the day on the island.
Kira and Rina looked at each other.
For a few seconds, neither said anything.
Then Kira sighed.
"If I don't go with Ayaan, he'll probably forget to eat."
Anshuman burst out laughing.
"That's actually true."
Ayaan looked at her.
"I have never forgotten to eat."
"Last month."
"That happened once."
"Twice."
Rina smiled.
"I think Kira has already made her choice."
Kira crossed her arms.
"I'm going with Ayaan."
Ayaan simply nodded.
Then everyone looked at Rina.
Rina laughed softly.
"That leaves me with Anshuman."
Anshuman gave a thumbs up.
"Great. At least somebody appreciates my company."
"You talk too much."
"That wasn't very nice."
Soon, the groups were decided.
Team 1
Ayaan
Kira
Team 2
Anshuman
Rina
Ayaan marked two locations on the map.
"D3."
He pointed to himself and Kira.
"We'll investigate this area."
Then he pointed to another zone.
"C7."
"Anshuman, Rina. You'll go there."
The groups packed their supplies.
Before leaving, Anshuman grinned.
"First team to earn points wins."
"We're not competing."
"We are now."
Ayaan ignored him.
A few minutes later, the two teams headed in opposite directions.
As Ayaan and Kira walked through the forest, Kira glanced at him.
"Can I ask something?"
"You just did."
"You know what I mean."
Ayaan looked ahead.
"Go on."
Kira hesitated.
"Why are you always holding back?"
For a moment, only the sounds of the forest could be heard.
Then Ayaan answered.
"Because standing at the top makes you a target."
Kira thought about that.
"So you're afraid of attention?"
"No."
"Then what?"
Ayaan's eyes moved toward the distant trees.
"The less people know about you, the more options you have."
Kira couldn't argue with that.
Meanwhile, Anshuman and Rina were making their way toward C7.
Unlike Ayaan's group, their journey was anything but quiet.
Anshuman was talking the entire time.
"...and then Koenji somehow started talking about the beauty of mountains in the middle of a boxing match."
Rina laughed.
"You're joking."
"I'm serious."
"That sounds impossible."
"Exactly."
The two continued walking until they suddenly noticed something ahead.
A crowd of students.
At least twenty of them.
And at the center of the crowd stood a familiar girl.
Rina narrowed her eyes.
"Saki."
The leader of the number one ranked group.
At the same time, several kilometers away, Ayaan and Kira arrived at D3.
There, waiting beside an event terminal, was another familiar face.
Koenji.
He was completely alone.
As usual.
And he appeared to have arrived before everyone else.
Koenji noticed Ayaan and Kira approaching.
A smile immediately appeared on his face.
"Ah, Ayaan."
Kira sighed.
"How does he keep appearing everywhere?"
"A magnificent coincidence," Koenji replied.
"It isn't," Ayaan said.
Koenji laughed.
The event terminal suddenly lit up.
A notification appeared.
Hidden Event
Forest Flag Hunt
Participants: 5
Reward:
1st Place: 800 Points
2nd Place: 500 Points
3rd Place: 300 Points
Kira's eyes widened.
"Only five participants?"
Ayaan nodded.
"The fewer participants, the better the rewards."
Soon three more students arrived.
Registration immediately closed.
The teacher explained the rules.
"Five flags are hidden throughout this forest zone."
"The participant with the most flags wins."
The event began.
As soon as the whistle sounded, everyone ran into the forest.
Except Koenji.
He casually walked away.
Kira stared at him.
"Does he ever take anything seriously?"
"Apparently not."
Meanwhile, Ayaan immediately analyzed the terrain.
The academy wouldn't hide the flags randomly.
There would be patterns.
Within minutes, he found the first flag.
A short while later, he found a second.
Kira managed to locate one as well.
The remaining participants struggled.
After nearly an hour, the event ended.
Results
🥇 Ayaan — 2 Flags
800 Points
🥈 Koenji — 1 Flag
500 Points
🥉 Kira — 1 Flag
300 Points
The final flag had never been found.
Their phones vibrated as the points were added.
Koenji looked at Ayaan.
"You have excellent instincts."
"I prefer logic."
"A beautiful answer."
Kira rolled her eyes.
Meanwhile, at C7...
Anshuman and Rina were standing among a large crowd.
Saki's group was there.
For the first time, Anshuman saw the famous leader of Class 1-A up close.
She had long black hair and calm eyes.
More importantly, everyone around her listened whenever she spoke.
Rina folded her arms.
"So that's Saki."
Anshuman nodded.
"The number one group."
Just then, a new event was announced.
Team Challenge
Participants: Pairs Only
Reward:
1st Place: 1000 Points
2nd Place: 700 Points
3rd Place: 400 Points
Anshuman grinned.
"Looks like we're participating."
Saki looked toward him.
For the first time, the leader of the top-ranked group and one of Ayaan's closest allies looked directly at each other.
The competition on the island was becoming more interesting.
Saki looked at Anshuman for a moment before turning back to the event board.
She didn't seem particularly interested in him.
Anshuman laughed.
"I got ignored."
Rina smiled.
"Most people don't take you seriously at first."
"That's rude."
The teacher stepped forward.
"All participants, gather here."
The students formed pairs and waited for the explanation.
The screen lit up.
Team Challenge: Relay Search
Rules:
Pairs must pass through five checkpoints.
Each checkpoint contains a puzzle or physical task.
Both members must contribute.
The pair with the fastest completion time wins.
The whistle sounded.
"Begin!"
Immediately, the participants rushed toward the first checkpoint.
Anshuman and Rina moved together.
Meanwhile, Saki and her partner quickly took the lead.
At the first checkpoint, a puzzle awaited them.
Rina immediately crouched down and began analyzing it.
Anshuman looked over her shoulder.
Within two minutes, they solved it.
"Nice."
"Let's go."
They ran toward the second checkpoint.
There, participants had to cross a narrow rope bridge stretched over a rocky drop.
Several students hesitated.
Anshuman crossed first and helped Rina across safely.
They maintained a strong pace.
By the third checkpoint, only a few teams remained near the front.
One of them was Saki's team.
The challenge involved arranging symbols into the correct sequence.
Rina solved most of it while Anshuman spotted the final mistake.
"Done."
The teacher nodded.
"Correct."
They continued running.
At the fourth checkpoint, participants had to carry a heavy crate together.
Many teams lost time.
Anshuman handled most of the weight while Rina kept their pace steady.
Finally, they reached the fifth and final checkpoint.
Only two teams had arrived before them.
One was Saki's.
The last challenge was a memory test.
Students were shown twenty symbols for thirty seconds.
Then they had to reproduce the sequence.
Rina memorized most of them.
Anshuman remembered the rest.
Together, they completed the sequence.
The teacher checked the answer.
"Correct."
A few minutes later, the results appeared.
Team Challenge Results
🥇 Saki's Team — 1000 Points
🥈 Anshuman & Rina — 700 Points
🥉 Class 1-C Pair — 400 Points
Anshuman grinned.
"Second place."
Rina smiled.
"Not bad."
Their phones vibrated.
+700 Event Points
At that moment, another notification appeared.
Group Rankings Updated
When Anshuman opened the rankings, his eyes widened.
Back at D3, Ayaan and Kira had also earned points.
Their group's total score had risen dramatically.
And for the first time since the exam began...
Ayaan's group had entered the Top 5.
Anshuman immediately called Ayaan through the event terminal's messaging system.
A few minutes later, both teams met at a clearing halfway between D3 and C7.
As soon as they arrived, Kira spoke.
"We got first and third."
Anshuman grinned.
"We got second."
Rina showed her phone.
The updated rankings were displayed.
Everyone looked.
Group Rankings
🥇 Saki Group
🥈 Class 1-A Group 2
🥉 Class 1-B Group
4️⃣ Another Class 1-A Group
5️⃣ Ayaan Group
Kira's eyes widened.
"Fifth place."
Anshuman laughed.
"We're climbing too fast."
Ayaan looked at the rankings calmly.
"That's not a good thing."
The others immediately understood.
If they kept rising, more groups would start paying attention to them.
Rina nodded.
"Especially Saki."
As if on cue, another notification appeared.
Notice
Top 10 groups are required to attend a meeting tonight at the Central Zone.
Anshuman groaned.
"Great."
Kira sighed.
"So now everyone in the Top 10 gets to see each other."
"Exactly," Ayaan replied.
That evening, all Top 10 groups gathered at the Central Zone.
The area was brightly lit by portable floodlights.
Students from different classes stood around while teachers supervised.
For the first time, all the leading groups were in one place.
Ayaan's group arrived quietly.
Almost immediately, they noticed several familiar faces.
Saki was there with her teammates.
Koenji was standing alone as usual.
Several leaders from Class 1-B and Class 1-C were also present.
The teacher stepped onto a platform.
"Congratulations to the current Top 10 groups."
Nobody looked particularly happy.
Everyone knew rankings could change at any time.
The teacher continued.
"Tomorrow will mark the halfway point of the Island Survival Test."
The crowd became silent.
"To increase competition, a special event will be held."
The screen behind him lit up.
Special Event
Capture the Base
Groups must defend their own base.
Groups may attack other bases.
Stealing a flag earns points.
Defending a flag earns points.
Event Duration: One Day
The students immediately began discussing strategies.
Then another rule appeared.
Bonus Rule
The Top 3 groups will have their base locations revealed to all participants.
The entire crowd froze.
Saki's eyes narrowed.
Anshuman blinked.
"That's brutal."
Kira looked at the rankings.
The top groups would become targets.
Ayaan, however, noticed something else.
His group was ranked fifth.
Meaning their location would remain hidden.
For the first time that evening, a faint smile appeared on his face.
Meanwhile, across the gathering, Saki noticed that smile.
And for the first time, the leader of the number one group began paying attention to Ayaan.
The meeting ended shortly afterward.
Groups immediately began discussing plans for the next day's special event.
As Ayaan's group was leaving, Saki suddenly walked toward them.
Several students noticed and became quiet.
After all, she was the leader of the number one ranked group.
Saki stopped in front of Ayaan.
The others watched curiously.
"I haven't seen you participate much."
Ayaan looked at her.
"Is that so?"
"It is."
"And yet your group is fifth."
Anshuman smiled.
"Are you investigating us?"
Saki ignored him.
Her eyes remained on Ayaan.
"Maybe."
For a few moments, neither spoke.
Then Saki turned and walked away.
"See you tomorrow."
Her group followed behind her.
As soon as she left, Kira looked at Ayaan.
"I think she suspects something."
"Probably."
"That doesn't bother you?"
"No."
Anshuman laughed.
"It definitely bothers her."
Later that night, the group returned to F2.
The campfire burned quietly.
Rina was studying the event rules.
Kira was organizing supplies.
Anshuman was lying on the grass looking at the stars.
Meanwhile, Ayaan sat in front of his laptop.
After nearly thirty minutes, he finally spoke.
"I know where we're placing our base."
The others immediately looked at him.
Ayaan turned the screen around.
A map of the island appeared.
His finger stopped on a location.
E4 Cliff Zone
Kira frowned.
"Why there?"
"Three reasons."
He pointed to the map.
"First, there is only one easy path to reach it."
Then another point.
"Second, there is a water source nearby."
Finally, he pointed at a narrow ridge.
"Third, attackers will have limited movement options."
Rina slowly nodded.
"A natural fortress."
"Exactly."
Anshuman sat up.
"So we're playing defense?"
Ayaan shook his head.
"No."
The others looked confused.
"Then what?"
A small smile appeared on his face.
"We're letting other groups believe we're playing defense."
For a moment, nobody understood.
Then Anshuman's grin slowly widened.
"Oh."
Kira blinked.
"Wait..."
Rina immediately understood as well.
"You want to lure people in."
Ayaan closed the laptop.
"Tomorrow, every top group will focus on protecting their own base."
He looked toward the dark forest.
"While they're busy defending, we'll be attacking."
The camp became silent.
The plan was risky.
But if it worked, they could gain a huge number of points.
Far away on another part of the island, Saki was making plans of her own.
And somewhere deep in the forest, Koenji was sleeping alone under the stars, completely unconcerned about the upcoming battle.
The next day would be the biggest event of the island test so far.
The next morning, the entire island was in motion.
Every group was preparing for the Capture the Base event.
Ayaan's group quietly moved to the E4 Cliff Zone and established their base.
As expected, the location was difficult to attack.
But Ayaan had no intention of staying there all day.
The event began.
Capture the Base
Flags appeared at every group's base.
The hunt had started.
Most groups immediately focused on defending.
Especially the Top 3 groups whose locations had been revealed to everyone.
Before long, Saki's group found themselves fending off attack after attack.
The same was true for the other top-ranked groups.
Meanwhile, Ayaan's group did something unexpected.
They left only enough defense to protect their own flag and spent most of the day moving around the island.
Using routes that few students noticed, they targeted vulnerable groups.
Anshuman's speed helped them move quickly.
Kira and Rina gathered information.
Ayaan coordinated everything.
By the end of the day, they had successfully captured several flags and defended their own.
When the results were announced, the rankings changed dramatically.
Updated Rankings
🥇 Saki Group
🥈 Class 1-A Group 2
🥉 Ayaan Group
4️⃣ Koenji Group
5️⃣ Class 1-B Group
The entire island was shocked.
Ayaan's group had climbed into the Top 3.
Even more surprising was Koenji.
Despite being completely alone, he had somehow climbed to fourth place.
Nobody understood how.
Days passed.
More events appeared.
More points were earned.
Some groups rose.
Others fell.
The pressure increased as the end of the exam approached.
Several groups were now desperately trying to avoid the bottom three positions.
Meanwhile, the battle for first place became increasingly intense.
Saki's group remained at the top.
Ayaan's group stayed close behind.
And Koenji continued to earn points in ways nobody could predict.
Two Days Before the End of the Island Test
The sun was setting over the island.
A notification appeared on every student's phone.
Remaining Time:
2 Days
The atmosphere across the island had changed.
The excitement of the first few days was gone.
Now every group was focused entirely on survival and rankings.
At their campsite, Ayaan sat quietly studying the rankings.
Anshuman was lying against a tree.
Kira and Rina were discussing possible final events.
The current standings were displayed on their phones.
Top Rankings
🥇 Saki Group
🥈 Ayaan Group
🥉 Koenji Group
The gap between the top three groups was smaller than ever.
Anshuman looked at the rankings.
"We can still get first."
"Yes."
Kira looked at Ayaan.
"But do we want first?"
The camp became quiet.
That was the real question.
Ayaan had spent the entire exam avoiding unnecessary attention.
Winning the island test would make them the center of attention for the entire academy.
Rina crossed her arms.
"So what's the plan?"
Ayaan looked toward the darkening forest.
"The academy won't end the exam quietly."
The others listened carefully.
"There will be one final opportunity to gain a large amount of points."
Anshuman smiled.
"And you're already looking for it."
Ayaan closed his phone.
"Of course."
At that exact moment, every student's phone vibrated.
A new notification appeared.
Emergency Announcement
All students are required to gather at the Central Zone tomorrow morning.
The four exchanged looks.
Something big was coming.
And whatever it was, it would likely decide the winner of the entire Island Survival Test.
The next morning, students from every group gathered at the Central Zone.
The atmosphere was tense.
Only two days remained in the Island Survival Test.
Everyone knew that whatever happened next could determine the final rankings.
A teacher stepped forward.
"This is the final special event."
The crowd immediately became silent.
The screen behind him lit up.
Final Event: Island Grand Hunt
Rules:
Special checkpoints will appear across the island.
Each checkpoint contains a challenge.
Points earned are added directly to group totals.
The event lasts until the final day of the exam.
The reward section appeared.
Grand Prize
🥇 3000 Points
🥈 2000 Points
🥉 1000 Points
Students immediately became serious.
These rewards were enormous.
Even Saki narrowed her eyes.
Ayaan quietly studied the map.
The final battle for first place had begun.
For the next two days, the island became a battlefield.
Groups ran across forests.
Students climbed mountains.
Every checkpoint was fiercely contested.
Ayaan's group continued performing well.
Saki's group remained incredibly strong.
Neither side could create a decisive lead.
Meanwhile, nobody knew what Koenji was doing.
Sometimes students reported seeing him near a mountain.
Sometimes near a river.
Sometimes nowhere at all.
He seemed to appear and disappear across the island at random.
Final Day
The last morning arrived.
The examination was finally ending.
Students slowly returned to the beach where the cruise ship awaited them.
Many looked exhausted.
Others looked nervous.
Everyone wanted to know the final rankings.
A giant screen was set up near the shore.
Teachers gathered all students together.
The Chairman himself had arrived to announce the results.
One by one, groups assembled on the beach.
Saki stood with her teammates.
Ayaan, Anshuman, Kira, and Rina stood together.
Ryan was with his own group.
Sudo waited nearby with several classmates.
Then the rankings appeared.
Students immediately began searching for their names.
Suddenly, whispers spread through the crowd.
Then shock.
Then complete silence.
Anshuman's eyes widened.
"No way..."
Kira stared at the screen.
"That's impossible."
Even Saki looked stunned.
Ayaan's expression remained calm, but even he paused for a moment.
At the very top of the rankings was a single name.
Final Rankings
🥇 Koenji Group
Members:
Koenji
The entire beach erupted.
"WHAT?!"
"HE WAS ALONE!"
"How did he beat everyone?!"
"That's insane!"
Students couldn't believe it.
A single person had defeated every group on the island.
Groups with four members.
Groups with six members.
Groups led by top students.
All of them had lost to one person.
Koenji himself stood near the back of the crowd.
As usual, he looked completely relaxed.
The Chairman continued.
"Koenji Group has achieved the highest point total in the history of the first-year Island Survival Test."
The shock only grew.
Anshuman laughed.
"I knew he was ridiculous, but this is on another level."
Kira shook her head.
"I don't even know what to say."
Rina stared at the ranking screen.
"A single person..."
Meanwhile, Koenji simply smiled.
"A beautiful result."
For the first time during the entire exam, even Saki was speechless.
And as the cruise ship prepared to take the students back to the academy, everyone realized one thing.
The most mysterious and unpredictable student on the island had been Koenji all along.
The beach was still buzzing with shock after Koenji's result.
Students couldn't stop talking.
A single student had taken first place on the entire island.
The Chairman raised his hand.
The crowd slowly became quiet again.
"The remaining rankings will now be announced."
Everyone focused on the giant screen.
The battle for second and third place had been extremely close.
The rankings updated.
Final Rankings
🥇 1st Place — Koenji Group
Members: Koenji
🥈 2nd Place — Saki Group
Members: Saki and her teammates
🥉 3rd Place — Ayaan Group
Members: Ayaan, Anshuman, Kira, and Rina
The students applauded.
Saki remained calm as always.
Anshuman grinned.
"Third place isn't bad."
Kira smiled.
"We actually made it."
Rina nodded.
"After all that work, we deserved it."
Ayaan simply looked at the rankings.
The result was acceptable.
They had earned a huge reward without drawing as much attention as first place would have.
The Chairman continued.
"Rewards will be distributed shortly."
A few moments later, the students' phones vibrated.
The reward points had been added.
Then the Chairman's expression became serious.
The entire beach fell silent.
Everyone knew what was coming next.
"The bottom three groups will now be announced."
Many students became nervous.
Some were visibly shaking.
Others looked down at the sand.
The screen changed.
Expelled Groups
Group 47
Group 51
Group 58
For a few moments, nobody reacted.
Then reality hit.
Several students turned pale.
Others lowered their heads.
One girl began crying quietly.
A boy clenched his fists in frustration.
Weeks of effort had not been enough.
The Chairman spoke without emotion.
"The academy's rules were explained before the examination began."
Nobody argued.
They all knew the rules.
"The students belonging to these groups will be expelled from the academy effective immediately."
The beach became silent once more.
Even Anshuman's smile disappeared.
Kira looked uncomfortable.
Rina quietly looked away.
Ayaan watched the scene calmly.
This was the reality of the academy.
Every special exam had winners.
And every special exam had losers.
The Chairman finally made his last announcement.
"The Island Survival Test has officially ended."
The students slowly began boarding the cruise ship.
Some were celebrating.
Some were relieved.
Others were devastated.
As Ayaan's group walked toward the ship, Anshuman glanced back at the island.
"That was a crazy vacation."
Kira laughed.
"Calling this a vacation is insane."
Rina nodded.
"Agreed."
Ahead of them, Koenji was already boarding the ship with the same relaxed smile he always had.
And somewhere nearby, Saki was already thinking about the next battle that awaited them back at the academy.
The Island Survival Test was over.
But the competition between the classes was only just beginning.