Ruvian turned his head toward Yerin. She met his gaze calmly. For a brief moment, neither of them spoke. But it was enough.

Yerin seemed to understand exactly what he wanted to bring up. A small smile appeared on her face before she gave him a slight nod, telling him to continue.

"Alright."

Ruvian said at last.

"First, before we decide what our own strategy is going to be, I think we should spend some time thinking about how everyone else is likely to approach this examination."

The room gradually quieted as everyone’s attention shifted toward him.

"We’ve been discussing what we should do, but we’ve barely talked about what the other squads will do. I think that’s something we can’t afford to overlook." (+100PP)

"The academy didn’t create several ways to earn points just to give us more options. They also created several ways for different squads to compete with one another. Obviously, every objective on this island is limited in one way or another. There are only thirty Dungeon Prototypes. There are only a hundred Flags. And even the Voidspawns aren’t infinite."

His eyes slowly swept across the group.

"If we’re thinking about claiming those objectives, then dozens of other squads are probably thinking the exact same thing." (+100PP)

Arlok scratched his chin.

"...Hmm, I mean... true I guess."

Ruvian nodded.

"Let’s say every squad decides that conquering Dungeons is the fastest way to earn points. What happens then?"

Horren thought for a moment before answering.

"They’ll all start searching for Dungeon?"

"Yeah. Exactly."

Ruvian replied before folding his hands together.

Shima slowly lowered her gaze toward the map.

"So... even if our strategy is good, it could still fail if too many squads think the same way."

Ruvian gave a small nod.

There would also be countless different ways each squad could choose to play the examination.

Some squads, fully aware that they lacked the combat strength to compete head-on with the stronger participants, would undoubtedly choose the safest approach, avoiding unnecessary battles altogether and focusing solely on surviving until the end of the 10-day trial.

While some would take the complete opposite route; playing as aggressively as possible from the very beginning — racing across the island in search of Voidspawn, Flags, and Dungeons, determined to accumulate as many points as they could before everyone else caught up.

And then there were those who chose to stay patient, saving their mana and stamina during the first 6 days. They would wait until player elimination was allowed before going all out and turning the island into a battlefield.

Ruvian slowly raised a finger.

"Also, there is one more thing."

Everyone’s attention returned to him.

"I think we also need to consider something else before deciding on our strategy."

His gaze drifted toward the parchment lying on the table.

"During this island examination, Julian has already set his sights on me. And with the addition of this Special Card—"

He reached out and lightly pointed at the list.

{Bounty}.

"—I’m almost certain he’ll use this to mark me and track my location." (+50PP)

The words settled heavily over the room.

No one spoke for a few seconds.

Ever since the confrontation in the dining hall, everyone knew Julian would not simply let the matter go. They had only been so focused on understanding the examination itself that the problem had temporarily slipped from their minds.

Horren frowned.

"...Right."

Shima quietly lowered her eyes, while Yerin’s expression became noticeably more worried.

If Julian truly used the Bounty Card, Ruvian’s location would be revealed to every squad on the island. Even scholars with no personal grudge against him might be tempted to chase after him if enough points were involved.

And this could easily become a problem for the entire squad.

Ruvian looked around the table before giving them a reassuring smile. "But, since I was the one who dragged all of you into this trouble, I did come up with a plan for it." (+50PP)

Yerin quietly studied his face.

There wasn’t the slightest hint of hesitation in his eyes.

"...Alright," she said with a small nod.

"Tell us then."

Ruvian returned the nod before taking a slow breath.

Then, without any unnecessary suspense, he began explaining the strategy he had prepared for approaching the island examination. (+200PP)

*****

After Ruvian finished explaining his plan, he finally decided to show them the things he had already gotten from Silvena.

The [Equinox Cloak], the [Nightward Necklace], and the [Nightward Ring].

One after another, they took the [Equinox Cloak] from Ruvian and draped it over their shoulders. The moment the fabric settled against their bodies, the cloak began to adjust on its own. It quietly shrank and tightened until it fit each of them perfectly.

Yerin lowered her gaze and ran her fingers across the smooth dark fabric before lifting one side of the cloak to inspect its stitching. She rolled her shoulders a few times, testing the fit, then looked back at Ruvian with a curious expression.

"Where did you get this?"

"From someone," Ruvian replied proudly with a smug little smirk.

He then continued.

"These cloaks can regulate your body temperature, so they’ll keep you comfortable whether you’re in freezing cold or scorching heat. They’re also quite durable and have a decent enchantment against magic. It’s not strong enough for you to depend on in a serious fight though, so don’t put too much faith in it, but at least... it’s still an extra layer of protection."

Arlok looked down at the cloak wrapped around his body before spreading both arms with a grin.

"Ha! I feel like I’m in some sort of a cult."

A few chuckles came from the others.

Horren, however, was staring at the cloak with wide eyes. He carefully rubbed the fabric between his fingers before asking hesitantly.

"H-how much does this cost?"

Ruvian simply shook his head.

"Sadly, I have no idea. I got these through a deal, not by buying them directly. The price wasn’t really part of the agreement, so I never asked."

He left it at that without offering another word, making it clear that he had no intention of explaining the deal any further.

Arlok’s attention soon shifted to the remaining two artifacts resting on the table.

"But what about these two?" he asked, pointing at the [Nightward Necklace] and the [Nightward Ring].

Ruvian picked them up and held them out for everyone to see.

"These will be useful once night falls — when we need to rest. The enchantment isn’t particularly powerful, but it should discourage weaker Voidspawn from approaching the wearer. At the very least, it will make it much less likely for anything to wander too close while we’re asleep."

Yerin quietly listened to every explanation before her eyes lingered on Ruvian for a moment.

"You... prepared a lot." (+100PP)

There was unmistakable admiration in her voice.

But at the same time, a faint trace of suspicion flickered across her eyes as she studied him. Though, the expression disappeared almost as quickly as it appeared.

Ruvian simply answered her with a knowing smile.

Then, a knock echoed from the door.

’Right on time...’

The door slowly opened, and the same academy staff member from earlier stepped inside.

Following behind him was a large black box, roughly the size of a small travel chest. He carried it with both hands before setting it down carefully on the table.

The old man straightened his back and looked at the five of them.

"Inside are the bracelets for your test. You may put them on now. Once the trial begins, do not remove them under any circumstances."

His wrinkled face then stretched into an eager smile.

"Ah, and you may want to check the parchment again. Two hours have already passed. Your starting location should have been revealed by now."

*****

After the old man left the room, the five of them gathered around the large black box.

Ruvian opened the box, revealing five identical bracelets inside. Each one was made of dark metal with thin silver bands running along its surface.

Without much thought, they each picked up a bracelet and fastened it around their wrist.

The bracelet snugly adjusted to his wrist the moment it clicked into place. It fit perfectly without feeling too tight or too loose... and most importantly, there was no discomfort at all!

’Haha, it’s so light. I can barely feel like I’m wearing one.’

Yerin soon turned her attention back to the parchment resting on the table. Her eyes carefully swept across the map until they suddenly stopped.

A hint of surprise appeared on her face as her eyes widened.

"So?"

Arlok asked eagerly.

"Which sector did we get?"

The others quickly walked over and gathered beside her, all trying to catch a glimpse of the parchment.

Yerin unfolded the island map beside it, then raised a finger and pointed at one of the marked grids.

"Here."

The four of them looked at the location she pointed to on the map.

[Grid Location: B6]

"This... will be our—

──────── ✦ ────────

[Chapter 218: Starting Location]

Plot Points= 30,555