Upon hearing Hashima Hikaru's words, the entire class fell silent, their expressions shifting. The boy's serious demeanor was familiar—a sign he was about to devise a plan.
"Please, Hashima-kun, tell us. We'll follow your lead."
"Absolutely, we trust you completely."
"Yeah, Hashima-kun, share your thoughts. We'll discuss the leader later," Ichinoe Honami smiled gently, her gaze fixed on him, eager for his plan.
Hoshinomiya Chie also quieted, fully aware of Hashima Hikaru's authority in the class. She anticipated his insights.
"First, the school gave hints before we landed."
Hashima Hikaru gestured to the cruise ship docked nearby. "Remember the school's broadcast earlier?"
"You mean the one calling us to the deck? I thought it was just a heads-up that we were arriving."
"It wasn't that simple. Ichinoe and I noticed something unusual," Hashima Hikaru glanced at her warmly. "The broadcast didn't force everyone to the deck. It mentioned 'scenery,' which was odd."
"Before landing, the ship circled the island a few times. That was another hint, likely to let us observe the island's terrain."
"Really? I never thought of that. Did you gather any info, Hashima-kun?"
"Just a bit. Without actually landing, it's hard to be sure."
Hashima Hikaru shook his head slightly, scanning the class. "I saw signs of human intervention—cleared trees, roads, and flat, open areas."
"I initially thought the exam would be a competition, not a survival test."
"Wow, you were already guessing the format back then?"
"As expected of Hashima-kun!"
The class grew excited, realizing the exam hints had begun earlier. Thankfully, Hashima Hikaru had noticed.
"Now that the exam format is clear, those cleared areas might be the bases the school set up. Once we land, we can search for them to decide our campsite."
"But before that, we need to clarify something else."
Hashima Hikaru held up the guide booklet. "It contains crucial exam rules—roll call procedures, point deductions, and more."
"Everyone should memorize these to avoid losing points."
He read aloud the key rules, essential for conserving points. Once done, he passed the booklet to Ichinoe Honami.
"Now that the rules are clear, there's one last thing before we set off."
Hashima Hikaru glanced at the other classes on the beach, some already departing.
"Is it about using exam points?" Ichinoe Honami guessed, holding the booklet.
"Exactly. While we aim for more class points, surviving on this island requires resources we can't create."
Hashima Hikaru smiled. "Ichinoe-san, organize a discussion. Decide what's essential, what we must exchange for, and what we can manage without."
"Once decided, we'll search for our campsite."
"Got it," Ichinoe Honami nodded firmly.
Hashima Hikaru understood the school's limited supplies were meant to force trade-offs. The booklet's rules, like the ban on environmental pollution, restricted options.
Basic exchanges were unavoidable. After all, they were ordinary humans with limits.
As Ichinoe Honami led the discussion on minimizing expenses, Hashima Hikaru opened his system panel.
This was the first special exam, so he had to take it seriously. Though unsure if the system was prophetic, he redeemed the Wilderness Survival (Master) skill.
If they won, their class evaluation points would soar.
Hashima Hikaru checked his Stock Interface, pondered, and made trades.
Sell Sakura Airi Stock?
Quantity: 1000
Current Price: 160
Sale Successful. Funds: 160,000
Sell Ichinoe Honami Stock?
Quantity: 1000
Current Price: 170
Sale Successful. Funds: 170,000
Current System Funds: 369,600
Purchase Wilderness Survival (Master)?
Purchase Successful. Remaining Funds: 69,600
After redeeming the skill, Hashima Hikaru's mind flooded with information.
It covered everything about wilderness survival: nighttime precautions, choosing sleeping spots, food classification and cleaning, plant and animal identification, and what was edible or not—all in detail.
The vast data felt like a new door opening, leading him to another world.
"Hashima-kun, we've finished discussing," Ichinoe Honami's voice came from ahead.
"Mm-hmm."
Rubbing his temples, Hashima Hikaru processed the survival knowledge, his mind settling.
We must win this exam!