"Fwoosh…"
The sound of the waves was a calm, steady rhythm. The scent of salt and the dampness of leaves filled the air. The warmth of the rising sun on my skin was gentle.
Dawn…
If I were an ordinary tourist, this scene would have been the definition of paradise… a white sandy beach stretching endlessly, a calm turquoise ocean, and a clear blue sky.
But I wasn't a tourist.
And this wasn't paradise.
I moved through the dense bushes at the edge of the tropical forest, ignoring the faint buzzing sound trailing me from above. It was a surveillance drone—one of the Academy's many eyes watching over the island…
I didn't care.
I knew it couldn't hear my thoughts, and that was all that mattered.
My steps were quiet and deliberate. I wasn't running, and I wasn't exploring.
I was heading toward a specific destination.
'So the plan worked,' I thought with a faint smirk. 'Simple… but effective.'
Back on the beach behind me, the rest of my team—Alpha 2—were still sprawled across the الرمال, lost in deep sleep. They would wake up soon, confused, only to find themselves trapped in this beautiful snare.
I had been awake from the very beginning.
This wasn't a surprise to me.
This event—"mass sedation"—had been mentioned in the original novel. It was one of the Academy's twisted methods to begin its tests… a way to ensure "fairness," as they claimed.
A method to throw everyone into the unknown at the same level of confusion and vulnerability.
In the novel, there was no grand conspiracy behind it. It was just a harsh logistical measure.
But knowing something in theory… is completely different from experiencing it.
I remembered the moment on the ship.
That maid.
When she approached me with a tray of luxurious food, I initially thought it was just part of the high-end service.
The glass of water.
"Purified hydrogen water."
It looked completely normal.
I didn't think much of it at first.
But what truly caught my attention was that all the students—even those who weren't hungry—were being handed "electrolyte-enhanced" water bottles by the staff. They gently insisted that "hydration is important before the test."
'Why this insistence on drinking water?'
The method of administering the sedative was never mentioned. That left two possibilities: airborne—some kind of anesthetic gas… or oral.
Then, like a light bulb flickering into existence…
I remembered.
In the novel, there was a vague passage—one where a minor character described to Ethan how he woke up on the island feeling dizzy, his throat dry. He mentioned something about a "drink" they had been given on the ship.
At the time, as a reader, I glossed over that detail.
But now, as someone living through these events…
That detail was everything.
'The water,' I realized. 'It's in the water.'
So I didn't drink.
When the maid walked away, I carefully poured the contents of the glass beside me.
Then I waited.
About half an hour later, I began to notice it.
Ethan and Chloe—the most energetic and lively—were the first to be affected. Their laughter slowed… until their loud voices faded into silence.
That was all the confirmation I needed.
When I felt the effect spreading through the hall, it was time for my performance.
It was terrifyingly easy.
All I did was relax my muscles, slow my breathing, and close my eyes.
When the soldiers came to transport us, I was just another unconscious body.
They had no reason to suspect anything.
Why would they? Who would expect a student to know their plan and play along?
'Why did that damn maid bother bringing me food when I clearly wasn't interested?' I thought, recalling the scene.
'She was making sure everyone—even the one sitting alone in the back—got their dose.'
So I pretended to sleep.
I felt them carry me, place me on a stretcher, then transfer me onto a transport aircraft. I felt the landing… then the salty air brushing against my face.
All while pretending.
It was a gamble.
If they had discovered me, I would've been in serious trouble.
But it worked.
And now…
I had an advantage.
A complete advantage over everyone else.
Minutes, in a week-long test, could be the difference between victory and defeat.
I continued through the forest.
It was dense and humid, filled with the sounds of insects and strange birds. I followed a barely visible path—one I remembered from the novel's description.
'The original protagonist, Ethan, found this place by chance on the third day of the test. But me… I don't need luck.'
Isn't this the cheat of someone who gets transported into a novel…?
Knowledge of events.
And now, after waking up in this world, I could finally make use of what I knew.
After about ten minutes of walking, I arrived…
A small waterfall flowed between moss-covered rocks, pouring into a clear, cold pool.
It was beautiful.
But it was also a façade.
"Fwoosh!"
I walked straight toward the waterfall. The cold water drenched me, but I didn't care.
Behind the curtain of water… there was a dark cave entrance.
My entrance.
My secret base.
I stepped inside.
The cave was dry and surprisingly spacious.
In one corner, there was what I had been looking for.
Old metal crates, marked with the UTA emblem.
Remnants of an old exploration team that had visited the island before it was turned into a training facility.
I opened one of the crates.
It was full…
Advanced manual water filters, a complete military-grade first aid kit, climbing ropes, flares, and even high-energy dried rations.
'These are my initial assets,' I smiled.
'While the others fight over a can of beans… I'll be the one holding this treasure.'
I sat on one of the crates and pulled out the rulebook I had picked up from the beach.
It was time for the real work…
Time to read the rules carefully.
I had already begun constructing my first plan, step by step.
A plan I call:
[Surviving the Beating]
The test had begun.
—
Silence.
That was the first thing I noticed inside the cave.
The roar of the waterfall outside had turned into a distant, muffled hum—like the calm heartbeat of the earth.
The air was cool and damp, carrying the scent of old stone and soil.
There was no light except for a faint beam filtering through the curtain of water—just enough to outline the space.
This was my refuge.
My current base.
My escape from the other students.
My true starting point in this test.
I opened one of the old supply crates and pulled out a wide green stick.
A chemical light.
"Crack!"
I snapped it, and a ghostly green glow spread through the cave, revealing its details.
It was wider than I expected, with a high ceiling and relatively dry walls.
'Perfect.'
I sat on one of the cold metal crates and placed the booklet I had taken from the beach in front of me.
It was thin and flexible, designed to be waterproof and shock-resistant.
[Welcome to the Vanguard Academy Annual Survival Test]
[Version 7.3 – Arcadia Island]
[Please read all rules and regulations carefully… ignorance of the rules is not an acceptable excuse.]
'Ignorance is no excuse.'
I began flipping through it.
It was 150 pages long—filled with complex rules, subclauses, and marginal notes.
Designed to be overwhelming.
Designed so most students would read only the first few pages… and then rely on instinct.
But I… am not like most students.
For someone without even a shred of power, this booklet was more than just ink on paper.
It was the sacred script of this arc.
And I had to read every word.
[Pages 1–20: Introduction and Core Objectives]
The opening pages were straightforward.
Objective: accumulate the highest number of Survival Points (SP) within 7 days.
[Methods of earning points…]
[Capturing special locations: strategic points (watchtowers, shelters, water sources) scattered across the island.]
[Each location grants a fixed number of points per hour as long as it remains under a team's control.]
'So this is how the strong teams will compete…'
[Completing missions: random tasks that appear on the Cardinal (explore areas, collect plant samples, defeat specific monsters).]
[Eliminating other teams: taking out a member of a rival team grants a portion of their personal points.]
'A classic system,' I thought. 'Encourages aggression and territorial control… just like in the novel.'
[Pages 21–50: Environment Rules and Hazards]
Now things became more interesting.
[Article 7: Restricted Zones…]
["Restricted zones" will activate randomly at unspecified times. Any student detected within an active restricted zone will immediately lose 50 points. These zones change every 6 hours.]
'So the island itself is an enemy,' I analyzed. 'A rule to prevent camping. It forces constant movement and risk-taking.'
[Article 9: Special Monsters…]
[The island contains a limited number of "special monsters." These creatures are far stronger than normal ones. Defeating them grants a large point bonus, along with a chance to obtain "special items" usable for trading.]
'High risk, high reward…'
This was bait for the strong teams.
People like Ethan and Chloe would go straight after them—burning resources and energy in the process.
[Article 15: Virtual "Life Points" System…]
[Each student begins with 100 virtual life points. Attacks do not cause real harm (thanks to a built-in safety system in the uniform), but instead reduce life points. When a student's life points reach zero, they are considered "out" and are automatically extracted.]
It was like handing a child a lollipop.
The Academy was making them focus on this game-like system—on fighting, on defeating each other.
They wanted them to think like players.
What's the worst that could happen…? Just elimination.
I continued reading for a long time.
[Pages 51–140: Logistics, Integrity, and Penalties]
The next section was the most boring.
Ninety pages of pure bureaucracy.
Clearly written by people who had never fought a day in their lives.
My eyes skimmed through dozens of clauses.
[Article 19: Any "special item" found must be reported within one hour.]
[Article 20: Points gained from "capturing special locations" cannot be traded or transferred.]
[Article 21, Clause 3: Teams may exchange resources… all trades must be officially recorded.]
[Article 10 (Penalties): Any deliberate attack on a student who has lost all virtual life points will result in immediate expulsion.]
'This is going to happen a lot…' I thought, glancing at Article 10.
[Article 11: Collusion between more than two teams to control a special location is considered a violation.]
'So alliances are allowed… but monopolies aren't. Interesting.'
[Article 12, Clause 2: It is strictly forbidden for any team to trade vital survival resources in exchange for assets the system considers to have zero value… penalty: confiscation of location points.]
'A strangely specific rule. Someone must have tried something stupid before.'
I finished the rest the same way.
When I reached the final page, I closed the booklet and let out a long sigh.
'One hundred and fifty pages of rules… and they can all be summarized in one sentence: "Don't actually kill each other… and try not to be too stupid."'
There was nothing particularly interesting.
No obvious loopholes.
No hidden tricks.
Just a straightforward, boring survival test.
'So… no shortcuts.'
I felt a slight disappointment.
'I'll have to rely on stealth and avoiding trouble as much as possible.'
The plan didn't change.
I stood up and brushed the dust off my clothes.
I understood the game.
And it's not one I intend to play.
I'll stay in my cave… and let them tear each other apart.
Now…
It was time to properly secure my base.
And the first step…
Was making sure no one could ever find this water source.
And I would start right now.