Chapter 204 You're Going to Spend All the Points?
"The theme of this special exam is 'Freedom'." Mashima Tomonari spoke again, adding a key sentence to clarify the rules.
"Whether you want to swim at the beach, build a fire for a barbecue, or sit around talking with friends, it is entirely up to you. Of course, if you wish to save resources to accumulate Class Points and grit your teeth to survive these seven days—leaving as many points as possible to be added to your total—that is also a viable choice. Additionally, the guidebook records a method to obtain extra points, but it carries a certain level of risk. After this collective briefing ends, you can confirm the details. All decisions are yours to make."
Shimizu Akira nodded instinctively. No wonder the theme was "Freedom." Based on Mashima's explanation, there truly were many choices. If a class spent all 300 Special Exam Points on luxury goods and entertainment, these seven days would undoubtedly become a pure vacation.
However, on second thought, he felt no class would actually do that. Point balance was directly linked to Class Points, which determined class ranking and were converted into personal points every month. No one would trade a crucial amount of Class Points for seven days of enjoyment, leading to receiving fewer personal points every month for the next two years.
No matter how you did the math, it didn't add up.
'But the guidebook hides a way to earn extra points?'
Judging by Mashima's tone, this clearly had pros and cons.
'It's likely a rule involving inter-class competition,' Shimizu guessed.
'And it probably has everything to do with those so-called 'Bases'.'
As the rules stood, the four classes had no reason to clash. If things continued like this, it would just turn into a contest of who could be the stingiest. That would make for a very boring "Special Exam," which didn't fit the school's usual style at all.
Mashima paused and read out the list of basic supplies provided by the school.
"At the start of the exam, the school will provide each class with two tents, two flashlights, and a box of matches. There are no restrictions on the use of sunscreen, and a toothbrush will be distributed individually to everyone. Furthermore, as an exception, we allow female students unlimited access to sanitary products.
Finally, each student will be issued a wristwatch. Please do not take it off and ensure it remains on your wrist until the exam ends in one week. Removing the watch without permission will result in a penalty. These watches can confirm the time, but they are also equipped with sensors to detect body temperature, pulse, or movement, as well as a GPS
system. Additionally, just in case, the watches feature a function to report emergencies to the school. In a critical moment, do not hesitate to press this button."
"Wait! That's way too few supplies!"
"Two tents? We have forty people in each class!"
"And we have to separate by gender; that's not nearly enough!"
"What's with the mandatory watches? Are there wild animals on this island?"
"Damn! This special exam is too dangerous!"
Complaints rose one after another. Several extroverted students raised their voices, their faces filled with anxiety.
Shimizu didn't think the school's arrangements were problematic; he actually thought they were decent.
These supplies were free, and something was better than nothing. As for the safety monitoring functions, he didn't think too much about "danger." This was an exam, not a true survival challenge; the school wouldn't place them in an environment with large, dangerous animals.
Most likely, they were afraid of someone getting lost or trapped in a remote area, needing the emergency function to contact teachers.
The school officials acted as if they didn't hear the chatter. They signaled staff to pile the allocated supplies next to each class's line. Next, workers brought out boxes of watches and distributed them. Shimizu took a watch and strapped it to his left wrist; being right-handed, it wouldn't interfere with his daily movements.
Once the staff confirmed everyone was wearing their watch correctly and handed a guidebook to each homeroom teacher, they returned to Mashima to report.
"With that, dismissed!" Mashima's voice rang out again.
"The special exam officially begins! All four classes may act freely!"
As his last word fell, the atmosphere shifted. Complaints and unease receded like a tide, replaced by a commotion of tension and anticipation. In a sense, this was the students' first time having complete freedom outside of regular exams.
"My grades aren't great, so I can finally contribute to the class this time!"
"I used to climb trees all the time as a kid! If we find fruit trees, leave the picking to me!"
"My sense of direction is great! I won't get lost no matter how winding the paths are. I can scout or lead the way!"
Many physically capable boys were already itching to go, rubbing their hands together with excitement. This exam didn't care about textbook scores; it compared actual survival skills.
Whether it was finding edible fruit, scouting unmapped terrain, or locating safe drinking water, physical strength was the deciding factor. You couldn't expect someone who couldn't lift a feather to climb tall trees or descend steep slopes. Stronger students were going to be far more useful.
And when it came to "martial representatives," the gazes of other classes instinctively drifted toward Class D—specifically toward the seemingly unremarkable but always calm Shimizu Akira. No one had forgotten how he KO'd the massive Yamada Albert with one punch in June. If another class ran into Class D and had to compete for the same food source, they would likely choose to back off if Shimizu was present.
His strength was too far off the charts to confront.
In Class 1-D, Hirata Yosuke's brow gradually unfurled. He understood well how important a physically gifted person was to a class's morale. Even if the person did nothing, their presence gave everyone confidence.
More than half the class had lost their earlier anxiety.
Girls like Karuizawa Kei, Matsushita Chiaki, Sato Maya, Sakura Airi, and Hasebe Haruka couldn't help but peek in a certain direction. Hirata noticed that Karuizawa's tense expression relaxed significantly after looking at Shimizu; she even turned to her clique and laughed, saying, "Wilderness life seems kind of fun."
Probably because they are both in the boxing club and know each other well, Hirata mused with a bit of sentimentality.
He remembered how Karuizawa had approached him at the start of school, but at some point, her attention shifted to Shimizu.
They had grown close, and she had even joined the boxing club. Hirata felt he had missed a key turning point, but he decided not to pry. The change was a good thing; the current Karuizawa looked much better than she had at the start of the year.
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Chabashira Sae cleared her throat and held up the guidebook. "As Mashima-sensei said, there are extra rules. I will outline them for you." She scanned the crowd, her tone becoming stern. "First, understand that the island exam has explicit point-deduction rules. Every violation is directly linked to your Special Exam Points—memorize them well."
Shimizu summarized them into four points:
Retirement: If a student is unwell or injured and deemed unable to continue by the school, 30 points are deducted, and the student is withdrawn.
Pollution: Any act of polluting the environment results in a 20-point deduction. Roll Call: Roll calls are held at 8:00 AM and 8:00 PM daily. Each absence results in a 5-point deduction. Violence/Misconduct: Acts of violence, theft of supplies, or destruction of equipment against other classes will result in immediate disqualification for the entire class and the forfeiture of all the perpetrator's personal points.
The first rule wasn't a surprise, but the 30-point penalty for a withdrawal was significant. He wondered if students could apply to withdraw voluntarily. The pollution and roll call rules were also logical. However, the last rule puzzled him. The island was vast and full of forests; conflicts over water or food were inevitable. It was impossible to have cameras everywhere. If someone actually hit a member of another class or stole something, how would the school find out with such precision?
"What? We lose points for withdrawing? Does that mean we can't even skip meals to save points if it makes us collapse?"
"Exactly! It's seven whole days!"
"Looks like we have to spend points on the minimum amount of water and food... and tents too, we can't sleep in the open!"
Class D students discussed fervently. Those who previously planned to "starve for points" realized that if they collapsed, they would lose 30 points anyway. It was more cost-effective to spend points on basic necessities to stay healthy.
As Chabashira Sae was about to turn the page to continue explaining, a fierce argument erupted from Class 1-C. The noise was so loud that Class A and B turned to look as well.
"Ryuen! You're going to spend all the points? Are you serious?!"
"Ibuki. We finally have a 'summer vacation.' If we don't enjoy it, are we supposed to mistreat ourselves?"
Shimizu looked over. In the Class C crowd, a blue-haired girl stood before a red-haired boy, glaring at him with a face full of anger. He recognized the red-haired boy immediately—Ryuen Kakeru. He couldn't quite remember the blue-haired girl's name, but he recalled seeing her at the student council in the first month; her name was Ibuki.
'Wait! According to Ryuen, they are going to blow all 300 points on pleasure?!'
"Don't joke around! The gap between our class and Class D is already so small, how dare you do this!" Ibuki shouted through gritted teeth.
"You expect me to suffer from hunger and heat like the other classes for a measly one or two hundred points?" Ryuen sneered. "Don't make me laugh."
"Ryuen-kun, I don't think this idea is very appropriate." A soft voice spoke up from Class C. It was Shiina Hiyori. She looked cautious as she advised, "Um... why not reconsider? Even if we don't save much, keeping at least a hundred points for emergencies would be safer."
"Shiina Hiyori!" Ryuen's tone turned cold instantly.
"My decision is made. It's not your place to question it. Did you think helping classmates study a few times in May made you a leader of Class C?"
"You bastard! How can you talk to Shiina like that!" Ibuki was provoked, her voice rising. "Losing 100 points over the last two months wasn't enough? You're going to keep acting this recklessly?!"
"If you're unhappy with my arrangement, get lost. Don't stand in the way of our enjoyment," Ryuen retorted with a cold laugh.
Hello everyone! I'm VarieTL
Thank you as always for your support!
I wanted to announce that I posted a new Fanfiction!
Saving the World with Crossovers, starting with replacing Natsuki subaru with Hikigaya Hachiman
Kawata Osamu transmigrated and became a God.
Wonderful start, right? Unfortunately, this world is destined to be destroyed by the Abyss...
The only thing he can do is try to merge many worlds together thanks to the "Children of the World."
If he can show everyone their adventures and evoke enough emotion, the worlds will merge! Kawata Osamu decided to start by replacing Natsuki Subaru with Hikigaya Hachiman!
2nd Arc: Ayanokouji Kiyotaka in Redo of Healer
3rd Arc: Shirogane Miyuki in Inuyasha
4th Arc: Kousaka Kyousuke in Overlord
I have already posted 264 Chapters of this Fanfiction!
Mostly because it's really really good, so I wanted to continue working on it XD
Read ahead (60 chapters) by supporting me on buymeacoffee com/varietl or ko-fi edwriting