Chapter 3

“Your rain shield. I’m returning it.”

The voice beside her pulled Bai Yi out of her thoughts. She glanced at the rain shield being offered to her, then at the raging wind and torrential rain outside. “Let’s go out together. That way, we can look out for each other.”

The girl had evidently sensed that something was amiss as well, because she didn’t refuse Bai Yi’s suggestion. The protective space created by a single rain shield was limited, so the two had to walk close together. Bai Yi stayed slightly behind and to the side of the girl, observing the island’s surroundings.

According to the usual procedures of previous examinations, the first thing students did upon entering the examination grounds was divide into groups. Instructors would organize them on-site, the group assignments would be displayed on a giant screen overhead, and then the examination tasks and completion requirements would be distributed. But now, there was nothing except the howling wind and pouring rain.

Someone suddenly shouted, “Where are the instructors?” Finally snapping everyone out of their excitement, the students looked around in confusion. The only response was the sound of the enormous starship slowly rising into the air.

At the same time, an identical message appeared on everyone’s optical computer.

[The examination has begun. Anyone who has not chosen to withdraw after seven days will be considered to have passed.]

There were no elaborate explanations or unnecessary details. Apart from that single sentence, there was only a red button labeled “Withdraw,” indicating that anyone who wished to end the examination could simply press it and automatically forfeit their eligibility.

“You’ve got to be kidding me. Is this year’s examination really that easy? It’s just island survival? How is that any different from handing us a free pass?”

Some students were pleasantly surprised, while [stolen content]others were suspicious. Still others stared thoughtfully at the unusually brief and hastily put-together examination notice, feeling that things couldn’t possibly be so simple.

Only now did Bai Yi finally relax. These events were still unfolding exactly as they had in the original novel. Moreover, she knew that this island was nowhere near as harmless as it appeared. It had once housed a biological research institute, but an experimental accident had allowed large numbers of mutated creatures to escape. Although the larger, highly destructive predatory creatures had supposedly been exterminated, many years had passed since then. Nobody knew what had become of the remaining mutants.

On top of that, an examination team had already been lying in ambush, ready to strike at any moment and eliminate careless new students who let their guard down. Far from being an easy examination designed to let everyone pass, it was quite the opposite. This would almost certainly be the harshest examination and elimination system the academy had implemented in decades.

After all, everyone present had made it through multiple rounds of selection and done extensive preparation. Once they recovered from their initial surprise, they quickly regained their composure. All their luggage had been confiscated, so if they were going to survive on this island for seven days with absolutely nothing, they needed to make preparations.

With no instructors around to assign groups, the students simply began forming their own teams, especially those who already knew one another and naturally gravitated together for mutual support. At the same time, everyone started searching for suitable shelter. Although wind and rain of this intensity could no longer cause them much harm, under such extreme circumstances, shelter served purposes beyond merely keeping out the elements.

Order gradually emerged from the initial chaos. Bai Yi remained where she was, scanning the crowd in an attempt to identify the protagonist. However, perhaps because there were simply too many people, or because the protagonist was still keeping a low profile, she found nothing despite looking everyone over.

Still, there was no particular reason to worry. Before her identity was exposed, the protagonist hadn’t encountered any truly serious danger. Everything should be fine if events continued along their original course.

For now, Bai Yi only needed to look after herself. She turned toward the girl beside her, but before she could invite her to form a team, someone from the largest group began walking in their direction.

The newcomer wore a practical camouflage uniform, with a long red scarf wrapped around her neck and covering nearly half her face. Her black leather boots splashed through the muddy ground without the slightest concern for the dirt. There was a sharp, icy severity in her expression, and she strode straight toward Bai Yi, seemingly unaffected by the wind and rain.

She raised a hand and pulled down the scarf covering her face. A family ring bearing a golden lion emblem gleamed coldly on her index finger. Her gaze was devoid of emotion as she looked at Bai Yi. “Come with me. I’ll ensure your personal safety throughout the examination.”

Bai Yi found information about this woman in her inherited memories. Si Zheng came from a family [bailiantales.com]of imperial guards and was a leading figure among the younger generation. She was an SSS-rank Alpha who was rumored to have already awakened her mental manifestation. With her formidable strength, she would almost certainly be one of the leading contenders for first place in this examination.1

Her family was responsible for protecting the imperial family, so it was no wonder she’d taken the initiative to approach Bai Yi. And following her would indeed be the safest option.

Bai Yi turned toward the girl beside her, only to see her silently press the rain shield into Bai Yi’s hand before turning to leave.

Reaching out to catch the girl’s arm, Bai Yi looked back at Si Zheng. “Can one more person join us?”

Si Zheng’s gaze swept over the girl. She couldn’t detect the slightest fluctuation of pheromones or mental manifestation from her. She was either a Beta or a low-ranking Alpha. Either way, bringing her along would only burden the team.

“My only obligation is to protect you.”

“Then there’s no need.”

Bai Yi felt the girl trying to pull her arm free, but she didn’t let go. Instead, she tightened her grip slightly and led her away.

They entered a dense forest that offered better concealment. Only after they were out of everyone’s sight did Bai Yi release the girl’s arm and survey their surroundings. The island was rich in natural resources, with coconut palms, other palm trees, large-fruited figs, and various other plants growing abundantly. The enormous leaves could be used to construct a simple rain shelter, while the fruits would provide enough food to temporarily stave off hunger. As long as they didn’t encounter any mutated creatures or members of the examination team, survival wouldn’t be a problem.

“There’s a slope over there that’s sheltered from the wind. Go wait there while I look for some banana leaves to build a rain shelter. I’ll gather some fruit on the way back, too. We’ll rest here tonight and decide tomorrow morning whether we should head deeper into the island.”

They were near the edge of the dense forest, a location that offered both room to advance and a way to retreat. The level of danger should be relatively low. Bai Yi left the rain shield with the girl and turned to disappear into the rain.

After she left, the girl, who had remained silent the entire time, walked to the designated spot. Her brows drew together slightly, and a complicated look appeared in her eyes.

Ye Sheng kicked a small stone near her foot and glanced in the direction Bai Yi had gone. She felt that she ought to seize this opportunity to run away as quickly as possible, yet for some inexplicable reason, she found herself hesitating.

From the very first moment she’d seen Bai Yi at the terminal, she could tell that this was someone whose overly sheltered upbringing had left her excessively innocent and naive. Ye Sheng admitted that she’d approached her deliberately. What she hadn’t expected was that Bai Yi would actually be rather guarded. She’d assumed they would never cross paths again, only to discover that the other girl was also a prospective student taking the entrance examination.

In an unfamiliar place where she knew no one, having Bai Yi as a companion would undoubtedly make things much easier. Ye Sheng had grown up on a frontier planet, surrounded by all kinds of people from every walk of life, including the most disreputable sorts. If she genuinely wanted to get close to someone, it was hardly difficult. It hadn’t taken long before the two of them were practically friends.

Everything had been going smoothly until Bai Yi activated her optical computer to send her some information. That was when Ye Sheng saw the account name displayed on the other girl’s screen: Bai Yi.

She didn’t know who Bai Yi was, but she certainly recognized that surname. Outside the imperial family, there could be no other Bai. This exclusivity had been forcibly established by law years ago, with no exceptions.

The imperial bloodline had always been thin, and even after so many generations, the family still had remarkably few members. Consequently, every member of the imperial family was considered exceptionally precious and received absolute protection, preferential treatment, and care.

The moment Ye Sheng realized this, her first instinct was to run. Anyone who appeared around a member of the imperial family could be subjected to a secret background investigation. Friends were scrutinized especially thoroughly, with investigators digging into their family histories for eighteen generations. Her current identity would never withstand that kind of investigation.

Unfortunately, through a strange twist of circumstances, she’d failed to get away. Worse still, Bai Yi had actually refused someone else’s protection and chosen to team up with her instead.

Ye Sheng kicked another stone away. Hardening her heart, she prepared to leave, but the thought read the original at bailiantales.com of abandoning Bai Yi all alone made her conscience ache faintly. How had she ended up meeting someone so ridiculously easy to deceive?

She wrestled with her indecision for a long time. By the time Bai Yi returned through the curtain of rain, dragging an enormous pile of banana leaves and carrying two pockets stuffed full of fruit, Ye Sheng was still standing exactly where she’d left her.

She took a couple of steps forward to meet her, thinking that she might as well forget about leaving for now. She’d simply stick with Bai Yi until they managed to scrape through the examination, then cut off all contact afterward. Otherwise, abandoning her to fend for herself would be rather pitiful.

Ye Sheng reached out, intending to help carry the banana leaves, but Bai Yi instead placed two coconuts in her hands. She lifted her head to look at Bai Yi’s face. Those eyes were still as clear and upright as ever. Even with rainwater covering her face, she didn’t look the slightest bit disheveled. Instead, the moisture only accentuated the smooth, jade-like quality of her skin. Beneath her straight, elegant nose, her rain-dampened lips were a vivid red. Seeing that Ye Sheng had accepted the coconuts, Bai Yi smiled and said, “See if you can open these coconuts. I’ll go put up the rain shelter.”

The rain shield worked just as well when placed on the ground beside her feet. Ye Sheng mechanically struck the coconut shell with a stone, but her gaze kept drifting toward the figure building the shelter in the pouring rain. How could someone be so generous and considerate toward another person?

Perhaps she’d encountered far too many monsters disguised as people. Now that Ye Sheng had actually met a genuinely good person, she found herself strangely uncomfortable, as though she’d stumbled upon some extraordinarily rare species.