Chapter 224 The Locations of the Six Spots / Ayanokouji Kiyotaka's Deduction
Shimizu Akira glanced at his watch. It was just past 10:10 AM, barely over an hour since he had left the Class D camp. Yet, in that short window, he had already completed a full circuit of the Class B and Class A camps, gathering a significant amount of intel.
However, it wasn't until he saw Class A's setup with his own eyes that he realized how critical the second piece of information he received today truly was.
Class A had placed their check-in device deep within the cave and used plastic sheets to shield the entrance. Aside from their own students, it was impossible for an outsider to see who was using the keycard. If he hadn't known the leader's identity beforehand, trying to break their defense through the check-in process would have been a fool's errand.
The current leader of Year 1 Class A was Totsuka Yahiko—this intel was like pulling an SSR card in a gacha game.
But more than the leader's identity, what caught Shimizu's attention was the physical state of the Class A members. The students he saw outside the cave—Hashimoto Masayoshi, Katsuragi Kohei, and Kamuro Masumi—all showed clear signs of weakness. Specifically, the haggard look of starvation.
When he handed over the snacks, Hashimoto's eyes practically glowed. Even the composed Katsuragi couldn't help but swallow hard.
Kamuro was pale and kept subconsciously clutching her stomach. It didn't look like they had just missed a meal; it looked like they hadn't touched food in nearly a day.
Even if Class A was being strategic, there was no reason to be this stingy with Special Exam Points regarding food. A theory began to form in his mind, but he lacked evidence. He needed to return to Class D and ask Ayanokouji Kiyotaka about the specific allocation of Class C's points. Only with that data could he turn his suspicion into a confirmed fact.
It was only ten o'clock, so he wasn't sure if Ayanokouji had returned from his own scouting mission yet. Furthermore, his primary goal for the morning was hunting. He didn't intend to finish the "five animals per class" quota all at once—fresh meat wouldn't last in the summer heat. Hunting could wait until the afternoon. Still, he needed to catch two or three things now; he was having BBQ with Horikita Suzune for lunch, and yesterday's portion hadn't been nearly enough to fill him.
As he was thinking, Shimizu suddenly stopped. He looked down at the grass. A faint, man-made path was hidden among the vegetation. The disturbed soil was fresh, and it seemed to lead toward the coast. He raised an eyebrow and peered into the dense forest, his curiosity piqued.
Regarding this island exam, the intel he received on the first day explicitly warned him to pay attention to the locations of the "Spots" marked on the map. He had taken photos and videos
of the map and had walked many miles over the past two days. By now, he knew the map like the back of his hand.
There were six spots in total, and their distribution was quite interesting. Four of the spots, if connected by lines, formed a rough oval. Of the remaining two, one sat right in the center of that oval, and the other was at the end of the path he was currently standing on.
It seemed the school had put a lot of thought into making the inter-class conflict engaging. It wasn't hard to guess their intent: they wanted to keep the four classes' activity ranges as close as possible. If the classes were too far apart, there would be no friction or confrontation.
The prominent spot in the center was a high platform. Its purpose was clear: by being a "conspicuous" landmark, it would break the balance and force the classes to fight for it.
However, when the locations were revealed on the first day, Horikita and Katsuragi both made practical choices. The former chose the forest spot near the river; the latter secured the hidden cave.
The advantage of Class D's river spot was obvious: they could fish for food and had easy access to water. Class A's cave saved them from spending points on tents or shelters and offered natural secrecy for their leader's check-ins. Class B's spot was even more efficient, coming with several wells and dense trees for hammocks, saving a massive amount of points.
As for Class C, Ryuen Kakeru claimed they were on the western beach—an area with no spots nearby.
It seemed every occupied spot provided a tangible geographical advantage. The central high platform was also a strategic structure; whoever held it could rent binoculars to observe other classes.
Shimizu wondered: What special advantage do the remaining two unoccupied spots hide?
Following his train of thought, he absentmindedly reached the coastal cliffs. Glancing down, he unexpectedly spotted an inconspicuous ladder hidden in a blind spot of the cliff. He climbed down cautiously. When his feet hit the ground, he was slightly stunned by the sight.
"So this spot comes with a small log cabin."
The cabin was small, seemingly only big enough for two or three people. However, the thatched roof was neat and the walls were intact; it could easily withstand the island's wind and rain. The key marker was at the door—a small indicator device nailed to the wall, blinking red. This was the official school marker for a "Spot."
This place was incredibly secluded, much like Class A's cave. Hidden under a cliff, it was so remote that even if someone checked in here, other classes wouldn't notice. Shimizu stepped forward and looked at the screen on the device. "Occupied by Class A" was written in bold, with a countdown showing six hours remaining.
Class A had been here an hour ago and secured it.
"Already taken? And by Class A?" he muttered with genuine regret. If this had been unoccupied, Class D could have taken it, adding nearly 20 points to their goal of 250. But on second thought, it made sense; this spot was very close to Class A's cave. Katsuragi had clearly planned this from the start.
'Wait... if Class A occupied it, does that mean Totsuka Yahiko is the one actually coming here to check in?'
He didn't stop, but glanced through the window as he passed. The interior was simple—no extra facilities, just a sturdy wooden bunk bed with bare slats. He didn't dare enter. The rules stated: "Using a spot occupied by another class without permission will result in a 50-point penalty."
.
.
.
Shimizu then entered the forest and successfully hunted a wild rabbit and a pheasant. Working alone was far more efficient; it took less than half an hour. By the time he returned to his tent, it was nearly 11:30 AM.
He placed the digital camera and voice recorder in his backpack. He put the game in plastic bags, left them in his tent, and headed to the main camp.
Upon entering, he saw Ayanokouji Kiyotaka had already returned. Seeing Shimizu, Ayanokouji walked up and handed him a piece of paper. Shimizu raised an eyebrow and looked at it. It was a complete list of all the items and facilities Ryuen Kakeru had purchased with Special Exam Points.
The list was exhaustive: a jet ski (20 pts), a temporary toilet (20 pts), and a shower room (20 pts). There were also marquees, BBQ sets, chairs, snacks, sodas, and volleyballs. Ayanokouji categorized these as "entertainment items," totaling nearly 100 points.
The bottom half of the list contained "practical items": one radio transceiver (Ryuen had one, the location of the other was unknown) and over 12 sets of basic food and water packages. These two items alone cost over 130 points.
"Since Class C's plan is to enjoy themselves and then withdraw from the exam, these basic food and water packages completely conflict with their 'hedonistic' plan," Ayanokouji added tonelessly.
"Therefore, these supplies likely aren't for Class C. Ryuen probably bought them for another class—most likely Class A."
"Huh?! How can you be sure it's Class A?!" Shimizu was stunned, his eyes widening. He had noticed the oddity of the supplies, but Ayanokouji's ability to pinpoint the partner class
immediately exceeded his expectations. He only knew because of his daily intel, but the student in front of him reached the conclusion through pure observation and analysis.
'Is this guy's deduction skill a bit too broken?'
Shimizu frowned in thought for a moment and then asked, "Is it... because Ryuen bought a massive amount of water packages?"
"Exactly," Ayanokouji nodded.
"A quick analysis makes it clear. Aside from Class C, the water situation for the other three classes is transparent. Class D is by the river and has plenty of water. I ran into Class B members earlier, and they mentioned having several wells nearby. That leaves only Class A. I checked their camp; it's in a cave."
He paused before adding, "A cave is good for hiding a leader and avoiding rain, but the downside is obvious—getting water is extremely difficult. Therefore, only Class A would have the specific need to order a large amount of bottled water."
He continued his analysis: "Furthermore, looking at class relations, Class D and B teamed up to cost Class C 100 Class Points two months ago. Given Ryuen's personality, he would never cooperate with them. That leaves Class A as his only option."
"Makes sense! That logic is sound," Shimizu nodded repeatedly.
He followed the thread: in this environment, any normal class would just boil river water. Only Class A, being too far from the river, would be forced to buy it. This explained why the Class A students looked like they were starving—Ryuen's supplies probably hadn't been delivered yet!
Faced with the praise, Ayanokouji remained indifferent, as if he had just discussed the weather. He didn't mention the BBQ they talked about earlier; he simply waved at Shimizu and walked away.
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