After carefully reading through the instructions and rules governing the trial, Ruvian quietly let out a breath of relief. The Survival Game on Vazrun Island was exactly as he remembered from the novel.

Not a single rule had changed.

For him, that was the best possible outcome. Because, at the very least, he wouldn’t have to deal with unexpected variables.

Unfortunately, it seemed he was the only one who felt reassured.

As he glanced around, he noticed the expressions of his teammates. Their earlier excitement had long since faded, their brows were furrowed and their eyes looked uneasy, as they continued rereading the rules.

The reality of what awaited them on the island was finally beginning to sink in.

"What the actual heck is this?"

Arlok rubbed his head in confusion.

The rules were way longer than he expected, with line after line explaining the trial’s format. It was giving him a headache just reading through it.

Then, he let out another long groan as he slumped back in his chair.

"I don’t like it. Why’s there gotta be so many ways to get points? Why can’t they just throw us onto the island, tell us to kill Voidspawns, and whoever gets the most wins? That would’ve been way easier."

Yerin smiled faintly, already expecting that kind of reaction from him. "No Arlok, I think you’re making it sound more complicated than it actually is."

She pointed at the parchment as she spoke.

"If you ignore all the explanations, the trial itself is pretty simple. The academy is just giving every squad different ways to earn points. That’s all there is to it."

Her gaze drifted across the list of objectives.

"Some squads can focus on hunting Voidspawns. And some might spend more time searching for dungeon prototypes or capturing flags. There isn’t a single correct answer. The academy wants to see what kind of strategy each squad comes up with to earn as many points as possible."

Shima nodded in agreement.

"Yeah. We could go for an aggressive approach, or we could play it more cautiously."

She folded her arms as she studied the map lying on the table.

"It really depends on what suits our squad better. Every approach has its own strengths and weaknesses, so... we’ll have to make the most of our advantages."

Arlok rubbed his chin.

"Ah... I see. So it was just that."

The puzzled look on his face gradually faded, replaced by one of understanding as he glanced back at the parchment.

Ruvian couldn’t help but smile.

It would have been nice if it were really that simple.

Unfortunately, the academy had added one more twist to the trial, one that would make the entire Survival Game far more unpredictable and chaotic than it first appeared.

His gaze quietly remained on the parchment as he waited. Just as he expected, the living ink had not stopped moving.

Horren, who had been staring at the parchment the entire time, suddenly leaned forward and pointed at the page.

"Look. There’s more."

===============

{Special Card}

[Notes!]

→ Special Cards are consumable items that grant unique authorities or temporary effects during the island examination. Once activated, a card is consumed and cannot be used again.

→ Special Cards can be obtained by clearing dungeon prototypes, or purchasing them through your bracelet using Points.

[Types of Special Cards]

[1] {Protection} - If your bracelet is broken, this card is consumed instead. You are not eliminated and can continue participating. Can only activate once. (1,250 Pts)

[2] {Bounty} - Mark another scholar. Once marked, their location and current points will be visible to every squad. If they are eliminated within 48 hours, the player who eliminates them will earn an additional 50 Pts and 100% of the marked scholar’s current points. (1,250 Pts)

[3] {Flag Reveal} - Reveal the nearest uncaptured Flags for 15 minutes. (150 Pts)

[4] {Dungeon Reveal} - Reveal the nearest Dungeon for 5 minutes. (200 Pts)

===============

{Nature Card}

[Notes!]

→ Before the island examination begins, every scholar must choose one Nature Card. Once selected, it cannot be changed for the remainder of the trial.

→ A Nature Card grants a passive ability that reflects the scholar’s preferred approach to the examination. Unlike Special Cards, Nature Cards are permanent and remain active throughout the entire 10-day trial.

→ Nature Cards cannot be purchased, traded, or removed. Each scholar may only possess one Nature Card.

→ Different Nature Cards excel in different aspects of the examination. Choosing the right Nature Card can greatly influence your strategy.

[Types of Nature Cards]

[1] {Executioner} - Gain 200 bonus Points whenever you successfully eliminate another scholar.

[2] {Hunter} - Gain 30+ additional Points from any redeeming Voidshards.

[3] {Flag Bearer} - Flags under your control generate +10 additional Points per hour.

[4] {Conqueror} - Gain 50 bonus Points for discovering a Dungeon Prototype, then earn another 100 bonus Points for clearing it.

[5] {Survivor} - Gain 200 Points at the end of each day you remain uneliminated.

[6] {Mystery} - Can only be found as reward from dungeon.

===============

This time, they all went quiet.

After carefully reading the new information, they finally realized just how drastically it had expanded the number of ways they could approach the test.

It was, quite simply, insane!

Horren’s eyes trembled slightly.

"This... this changes everything."

Yerin gave a calm nod.

"Yeah. I guess these four hours aren’t for nothing. It’s obvious the academy expects us to use this time to figure out how we’re going to approach the test."

Ruvian nodded in agreement before finally speaking.

"Even so, we shouldn’t become too obsessed with earning points. They’re certainly part of the examination, and they’ll determine the final rankings once the trial ends. But the academy made one thing very clear from the beginning..." (+50PP)

He paused for a brief moment.

"Survival comes first. That’s our real objective. To remain in the examination until the ten days are over." (+50PP)

Then, Shima finally spoke again, joining the conversation.

"Yeah, you’re right."

She stopped, as if she had something to address.

"But wait... doesn’t this mean each of us can choose a different Nature Card? If that’s the case, then to play it safe... couldn’t the five of us just pick all five different cards?"

Based on what she said, that should be possible. The rules clearly stated that each scholar had to choose a Nature Card. There was nothing saying everyone in the same squad had to choose the same one.

And if each of them picked a different card, they could take advantage of every passive bonus.

If one of them chose {Hunter}, they could simply hand all the Voidshards to that person to redeem for the extra Points.

Likewise, if another chose {Flag Bearer}, they only needed to let that person capture the flag so it would be registered under their ownership, allowing the bonus to take effect.

Yerin looked around at everyone seated at the table before giving a small nod.

"I see. That’s actually a good point, Shima."

Her gaze swept across each of their faces.

"In that case... why don’t we start discussing how we’re going to approach this test? We still have four hours before we arrive at the island, so there’s no reason to waste that time."

"We should also decide which Nature Card each of us should choose. If we’re going to take advantage of all five cards, then we need to plan everything carefully."

The others nodded one after another.

There wasn’t a single person who objected.

If they wanted to survive the next ten days and earn as many points as possible, they couldn’t afford to make careless decisions.

And so, Squad 69 began their discussion.

"I still think hunting Voidspawns should be our main priority," Arlok said without hesitation. "They’re everywhere, and we know exactly how many points they’re worth. Isn’t that the safest way to keep earning points?"

Shima immediately shook her head.

"Safe? Nah, you’re assuming we’ll always be able to find them. What if another squad clears the area before we get there? We’d just be wasting time."

Arlok opened his mouth, only to pause.

Horren scratched his cheek.

"I actually think searching for dungeon prototypes sounds better. Even a Bronze Dungeon gives a hundred points. That seems way faster than hunting dozens of Lesser Voidspawns."

"But we don’t even know where they are," Shima pointed out. "We could spend half the day searching and still find nothing. Unless, we spend some points to locate it."

"That’s true..."

Yerin quietly listened to both sides before speaking.

"Maybe we shouldn’t lock ourselves into a single objective. If we happen to find a Dungeon Prototype, we clear it. If we come across a Flag, we capture it. If we encounter Voidspawn on the way, we hunt them."

"So... basically do everything?" Arlok asked.

"...In a way."

"Ha! I’m all in with that!"

Then, the discussion continued, with ideas and opinions flying back and forth across the room for a few minutes long. In the midst of all of it however, Ruvian remained silent, quietly listening to every suggestion from his teammates.

Only after letting the conversation continue for a while did he finally decide it was time to speak.

"By the way... before we go any further, there’s also a few things I’d like to say."

──────── ✦ ────────

[Chapter 217: Rules of the Vazrun Island Survival Game (2)]

Plot Points= 29,955