They halted the SUV. Looking at the packed rear seat full of supplies, Yukio couldn't help but smile. Thanks to Hoshinomiya's help, he'd ended up with far more supplies than he needed—the backseat was stacked to the roof.
No big deal—he could just leave them there for now. Everything was in the car, easy to move, and could still support other members of the class.
With that in mind, Yukio engaged the handbrake, got out, locked the door, and instinctively looked up. The night sky was at its most spectacular.
"As expected, the stars out in nature are the best." It was a grandeur surpassing even the ocean. The starlight seemed to form a pure white river cutting through the black void, impossibly beautiful.
It made him think, for no good reason, of that line: drunk, you can't tell if the sky is water—a full boat of clear dreams pressing against the Milky Way.
On the first night of the special exam, when night fell, all the SUVs returned to the starting port. Most of Yukio's classmates didn't have to sleep in tents out on the wild like the other students.
Back at the port, most of Yukio's class regrouped, laughing and chatting like old friends. "Man, Yukio-aniki's amazing! He brought a lifeboat and SUVs! Driving today was a blast. Who knew driving could be this fun!"
"Haha, it's not just driving—having cars helped us win both mobility and task points. Every move command we were first to arrive! Any nearby task we got to fastest! I'm sure our score's way ahead!"
"Don't be overconfident. The other classes aren't slouches. They can't beat an SUV on foot, but they might have a slight edge on task work."
"True. If only we could exchange supplies for satellite phones; then we could coordinate, drive to tasks together and monopolize them. Since tasks limit team numbers, if we take them all others couldn't join. Our speed is unbeatable."
"Damn, isn't that too greedy? But you know what, sounds good. Let's book several tasks and go together tomorrow."
"I don't think that'll work. I checked—tasks seem to spawn randomly. Their content and locations change daily, even between morning and afternoon."
Seeing everyone so cheerful and engaged in planning, Yukio encouraged them with a satisfied smile, then asked Ryuen about the support deliveries. "How's your person? Did you get the supplies over to them?"
Ryuen's eyelids flicked; he shot Yukio a curt look. For some reason, the street punk Ryuen went a little awkward in the face when Yukio mentioned "your person." "Of course I sent them."
Because vehicle slots were limited, the nine remaining members of Yukio's class who hadn't gotten into cars were the weaker ones overall—academics and physicals both lagging behind those who rode in the SUVs. They'd have to trek on foot like everyone else and sleep in tents overnight, but Yukio had arranged support supplies for them.
Even if they had to camp out, they'd gather in a designated area so other SUVs could deliver supplies. One of those nine was Rika, who'd once been in Manabe's small group. Yukio's question was to make sure supplies would reach them.
Seeing Ryuen's reaction, Yukio tossed him a car key with a smile. "I couldn't pass that area on my way back today, but I have plenty of supplies in my car. Move two-thirds of it into your vehicle and deliver it tomorrow."
Ryuen caught the key cleanly, glanced at Yukio, and gave a faint smile. "Heh, you're something else. Thanks. Albert, come help."
After saying thanks, he called for Albert and they went to move supplies together.
The sight delighted Yukio's classmates—they laughed and joked—but the students from other classes felt pressure building. This was the port; most students chose to camp in the wild to be ready for tomorrow's move commands, but a few confident early risers stayed at the more comfortable port to sleep. Free water and hot showers were a draw.
When these port sleepers saw Yukio's class gathered and Ryuen and Albert repeatedly hauling piles of supplies off Yukio's SUV, they all went green with envy.
So many supplies—instant meals, drinking water, spare tablet batteries, mosquito repellent, insecticide, medical kits—everything the other classes were desperate for.
"My God! How many tasks did he do today? Where did he grab all these supplies?"
"This is insane. Just from these supplies, if you do the math, Yukio probably scored dozens of points in a single day from multiple tasks."
"No way. If this keeps up, our elite teams won't catch Yukio at all."
"But won't their SUVs only last two days max? Don't they run out of fuel on day three and turn into junk?"
"Even if they break down later, those first two days give them such a gigantic head start. If they hold that lead, it'll be impossible to catch them."
"What should we do?"
"I say we—as third-years—unite and do everything to stop them scoring more."
"Agreed. I second that."
The third-years around the port suddenly had a common goal and started plotting. They even ran out at night to find their teams sleeping in the wild to tell them the news.
That ruined the first-night rest for many third-years on the island—hearing someone shout outside your tent in the dead of night is a shock. When they learned it was their classmates bringing an update, they agreed to cooperate.
After the first-years discovered Yukio's class as a major threat, the third-years did the same and also silently prepared to work together to suppress Yukio's scoring spurt.