Silence…
That was all that surrounded me. A deep, suffocating silence, broken only by the rhythmic murmur of the waterfall that concealed the entrance to my cave from the outside world.
White noise.
I sat on a cold metal crate, the faint green glow of a chemical lamp casting dancing shadows across the ancient rock walls.
It had been nearly two hours since the other teams woke up and the test officially began.
Two hours of complete peace—for me.
And two hours of chaos—for them.
I was watching everything through my Cardinal device.
I wasn't seeing images—but I was seeing data. A constant stream of notifications and updates flowed across the screen.
[Notification: Team Alpha-1 has secured "Supply Point Alpha-1." +100 Survival Points.]
[Notification: A member of Team Zeta-1 has been eliminated. Personal Points -25.]
[Notification: A "Special Monster" has been detected in the northern sector. Reward: 200 Survival Points.]
[Notification: Team Alpha-2 has failed the "Rare Sample Collection" mission. Personal Points -10 per member.]
'Wonderful,' I thought dryly. 'A promising start.'
I closed the notification screen and let out a slow breath.
Part of me felt satisfied. They were fighting, burning through their resources, exhausting themselves…
While I remained here, in absolute safety.
But another part of me—a small, irritating part—felt uneasy.
I stood and walked toward the cave entrance, stopping behind the curtain of falling water as I looked outside.
The forest appeared calm.
But I knew better.
'Should I go out?'
'I should wait,' the logical part of my mind answered.
'Wait longer—until I can move without drawing attention.'
But then…
'What if something changes?' a whisper of doubt crept in.
'What if the test ends before you even begin?'
I dipped my hand into the cold stream of the waterfall.
'I could go out now.'
'I could start…'
It would be proactive. I should do something—anything—instead of sitting here, waiting for the test to burn itself out.
But then the other voice spoke—the colder, more cynical part of me.
'And what would that accomplish?'
'No need to reveal your hand this early… You'll expose your position—and become a target.'
It was right.
I hated that it was right.
Going out now would be foolish. I would be an unknown variable—a lone actor with valuable resources.
The stronger teams, like Alpha-1, would see me as a threat to eliminate.
The weaker teams would see me as an opportunity to exploit.
I would be trading the absolute safety of this cave for a high-risk, low-reward gamble.
It went against every survival instinct I had.
'So… I just do nothing?' I muttered to myself. 'Sit here longer and hope nothing unexpected happens…?'
It felt wrong.
Passive.
Like running away.
The same thing I'd been doing since I arrived in this world.
I leaned against the cold, damp cave wall and closed my eyes.
I thought of my team.
Izzy. Toro. Kai. Luna… and the others.
They were out there now—probably struggling, failing… blaming the "coward" who abandoned them.
Did I feel guilty?
No.
Guilt was a useless emotion.
Especially when my presence wouldn't have made any difference.
Nothing would change.
This ridiculous game had been forced upon them by the academy's rules.
But still…
I felt a faint sense of responsibility.
After all, I needed them alive long enough to be useful.
If Team Alpha-2 got wiped out on the first day, my "victory" would be hollow—and I'd be eliminated alongside them.
That hadn't happened in the original story.
But my interference had already changed too much.
So it was a real possibility.
'I need them to not be completely useless.'
That was the problem.
I thought about their abilities.
Izzy's illusions were powerful for deception—but weak in direct combat.
Luna was strong—but reckless.
Toro and Kai… would they even cooperate?
It was a team designed to fail.
Not because of lack of strength—but because pride kills leadership.
Even Leo would struggle leading a group like this.
"...Haaah."
I exhaled, tired of overthinking.
'Forget the plan. Forget the points… Just survive.'
I could do that.
I had enough resources.
I could simply wait. Let them fight. Let the test end.
Then appear as if nothing had happened.
Move from cave to cave.
It was the safest option.
The most logical option.
The most… cowardly option.
I stood there behind the waterfall for what felt like an eternity, wrestling with my thoughts.
The sounds of the forest faded.
Only the rushing water and my racing heartbeat remained.
Move… or stay?
I pulled my hand from the water.
The decision was made.
'I'll wait.'
I returned deeper into the cave and sat back down on the cold metal crate.
Then I picked up the old, worn journal left behind by the original expedition team.
If I was going to wait—
I might as well gather more information.
Outside, the teams were fighting a battle of strength.
[POV: Isabella de Luna]
'Move!'
That was what I wanted to shout—but the words caught in my throat.
After waking up in this cursed paradise…
After receiving our initial instructions…
After realizing that Adam Lister had vanished like a ghost…
A tense, silent chaos took over our team.
Team Alpha-2.
"The Chaos Team."
The name was painfully accurate.
I looked at the holographic map projected from my Cardinal watch.
A red marker blinked about five kilometers northeast of our position.
[Supply Point Alpha-2]
Our first mission.
Our first objective.
"Alright," I said, trying to sound firm and confident—the voice a leader should have.
"We have a target. We need to move. The sooner we get there, the better our chances of securing resources."
No enthusiasm.
No acknowledgment.
Just blank stares… and silence.
Luna Ferris was staring into the dense forest, her eyes gleaming with excitement.
She seemed to like this environment.
Jasper Rock stood silently, like a statue.
Toro was cleaning his glasses, his expression analytical and cold.
And Kai Morgenstern…
He was sitting on a rock, watching the ocean like he was on vacation.
'Are they serious?'
A wave of frustration surged through me.
This was my team?
A group of disconnected individuals who didn't care?
"Did you hear what I said?" I repeated, my tone sharper.
"We move. Now."
"And what's the point of rushing?"
Toro's calm voice cut in as he put his glasses back on.
"The mission says 'within 24 hours.' We have time.
Blind rushing is the first mistake beginners make."
"We're not beginners," I snapped. "We're Alpha Class."
"Really?" he said with a faint smirk.
"Because I see a divided team, a tense leader, and a missing member.
Doesn't look like 'Alpha Class' to me."
His words hit like a slap.
My face flushed—but I forced myself to stay composed.
"Whether you like it or not, I'm the leader. And we're following the plan.
We move. Now."
I turned and started walking toward the forest, expecting them to follow.
For a moment—
No one moved.
Then Luna sighed and followed.
Jasper came next.
Then the rest, reluctantly.
Toro and Kai were the last to move, walking behind us and whispering to each other.
The journey through the forest was a nightmare.
This wasn't a normal forest.
It was an ancient tropical jungle—alive in a disturbing way.
The trees were massive, their branches intertwining overhead to form a canopy that blocked most of the sunlight.
The air was warm, humid, and heavy—filled with the scent of decay and strange, vividly colored flowers.
Sounds were everywhere.
Insects the size of fists buzzing.
Strange bird calls.
Constant rustling in the bushes—something always moving, just out of sight.
I felt like we were being watched.
Luna took the lead, moving with fluid confidence.
Her eyes scanned everything. Her nose twitched as she sniffed the air.
"There's water nearby," she said suddenly.
"And… something else. Something…"
"A monster?" I asked, tense.
"I don't know. It smells… metallic. Slightly electric."
"That's the supply point," Kai said calmly from behind.
We all looked at him.
I didn't ask how he knew.
I wasn't in the mood for more mysteries.
We quickened our pace, pushing through dense vegetation.
After about an hour of exhausting travel—
We arrived.
The "Supply Point" sat in a small clearing.
It wasn't a tower like I expected.
Just a simple metal console mounted on a concrete base, with a small antenna on top.
A red light blinked.
Poorly built.
Rushed.
Not even worthy of being called a tower.
But the problem… wasn't the supply point.
It was everything around it.
Footprints in the damp soil.
Many of them.
Empty ration packs.
Discarded water bottles.
And that blinking red light…
It was flashing faster than normal, accompanied by a faint, broken hum.
"No…" I whispered, my heart sinking.
I ran to the console.
A small screen displayed a single message—
Glowing in red:
[Supply Point Alpha-2: Depleted]
[Remaining Resources: 0%]
"Damn it!" I shouted, slamming my fist against it.
"We were too late."
"Not just late," Toro said, pointing at the tracks.
"They took everything. Didn't even leave us a drop of water."
"Who could it be?" Maya asked, staring at the empty packs.
"Most likely Team Beta-1," Kai replied calmly.
"Their initial route was closest. They arrived at least thirty minutes before us."
…
Silence.
We failed.
Our first mission—failed.
No points.
And worse—
No resources.
We were stranded in the middle of this forest with only what we carried.
"Alright," I said, forcing myself to regroup.
"This… isn't good. But it's not over.
We find water. Then we make a new plan."
"What plan?" Toro asked mockingly.
"Your first plan brought us here. Do you have a 'Plan B'?"
"Of course I do," I snapped.
"We just need to—"
I stopped.
I didn't have one.
I had relied entirely on this supply point.
"Just as I thought," Toro said, shaking his head.
Then he turned and started walking away.
"Where are you going?!" I shouted.
"To scout," he replied without looking back.
"Clearly, staying with a leader who has no plan is a waste of time."
And then—
He disappeared into the trees.
"Toro! Get back here! That's an order!"
No response.
I looked at Kai, expecting him to say something.
He simply sat on a rock, closed his eyes…
And began meditating.
"And what are you doing?!"
"Observing," he said calmly.
"The current situation… is bad."
My blood boiled.
I looked at the rest of the team.
They were all looking at me—waiting.
But what could I do?
Jasper was silent.
Luna was watching me.
Maya gave no real reaction.
The team… had already fallen apart.
At the very first real challenge.
I sank to the ground.
The weight of failure crushed me.
I didn't know what to do.
I didn't know where to go.
All I knew—
Was that we were alone.
Divided.
On an island full of enemies… and alliances.
'What a headache…'