I had decided to wait. If I can be patient for so long then I can be patient for a little bit longer.
The nature of this round dictates that the members of the predator faction will increase.
By the end of tomorrow, I just have to pass information to the predator faction about a bunch of points holed up inside a building.
The hungry predators will jump towards the fat sheep and tear them apart. I can use that moment to get him, while the rest are distracted fighting the horde.
For now, I decided to wander around and find a spot to rest.
I ignored the presence of preys watching me as I walked into a building which I assumed they had constructed for this exam.
As I was walking up the stair to the second floor I suddenly noticed something unusual on the ceiling of the first floor. Something that was barely visible written on the ceiling. I had only managed to see it due to the light hitting it in a certain angle.
'Find all the white cards hidden inside the building within the next 5 minutes.
1 participation per person.
Scores reset every day.
Current ranking: None'
Oh, this seems like one of the mini-games that was mentioned.
Seems like no one has played the game yet. If I remember it right the reward for the high scorer will be a golden ticket.
I don't really need this, so there is no point in playing this game. Besides, I don't believe this will be an easy challenge. It says, 'find all the white card'. There is no specific number mentioning how many cards, meaning it could be 10, 20 or even 100 cards and that too in 5 minutes.
I walked up shrugging my shoulders and found a corner and sat down.
As if taunting me I saw a white card stuck against the wall perfectly blending in with the white walls.
I ignored it while resting. I decided to go and convert as many people as possible tomorrow morning for what I have planned for tomorrow night.
I slowly entered into my sleep, while thinking of what was to come tomorrow.
*Clang* *Clang*
Suddenly I heard and felt something hitting against my magi shield, I raised.
I opened my eyes to see something was moving around the room extremely quickly. It seemed it was the white card I had seen earlier.
After a few seconds of observing it, I suddenly noticed another card joining the room coming from downstairs.
*Clang* *Clang* *Clang* *Clang*
As time went on the number of cards in the room increased.
I was glad for the experience given by the game realm to set up defence before sleeping, if not considering the force at which the cards were colliding against my rank 1 shield, it would have left me with heavy bruises.
Before any more cards could come into the room I suddenly ran towards the hole in the wall, where the window was supposed to be and leapt out of the building.
After leaping out I carefully listened, as the intensity of collision inside the building increased, while I walked towards the front door of the building to see what caused all this.
Arriving before the door, I opened the door slightly to peek inside. What I saw inside was nothing like what I had seen upstairs. A huge amount of white cards seemed to be flying around the room, colliding with everything.
Anyone who couldn't even raise a rank 1 shield would be dead or heavily injured being in there.
I waited for a few minutes before the chaos settled and the cards slowly disappeared. I noticed the spot, where few of the cards had settled.
I walked inside the room where it seemed some kind of savage beast had laid waste upon.
What caused all the cards to go crazy? I walked around and poked a few cards to see if there was anything wrong with them or not.
Seeing there seemed to be nothing wrong with the cards, I took a few of the cards I had managed to trace to its hiding spot. I tried to analyse and see what caused the cards to attack me. Was it done by someone on purpose to harm me? Or was this part of the test?
This could only be answered after I identified the cause behind the cards going crazy.
Few minutes of sitting and observing the cards and later looking for traces of magi spells used by anyone, as I did so I didn't notice time flowing by.
Suddenly a card in my hand, flew out, slowly followed by the other 3 cards in my hand. I had a sudden realisation as I quickly ran out of the building while closing the door behind me.
This wasn't an attack, neither part of the exam. This seemed to be the penalty or punishment for not completing the mini-game inside.
This should be expected. There was no way his highness would let the students receive the golden ticket so easily. Besides that, it seems the location of the cards reset after each time the cards go violent.
After the cards settled down, silence filled the building again, except ignoring the occasional shouting and screams from the surroundings.
Seems like I have to find somewhere else to sleep.
I closed the door and walked around looking for another building to sleep, that seemed to not be occupied by anyone.
The moon shone its light as I walked in darkness.
*Swish*
Hearing the sound, I quickly moved a few steps back in a diagonal direction.
*Twang*
A stone that seemed to be covered in paper landed where I was a few seconds ago.
I quickly looked towards the spot to see someone running off. Although it was hard to guess any of that persons feature due to them covering their face and hair properly, I could easily guess he/she was a rank 2 magi, due to the speed they are moving at.
I walked towards the stone and looked at the message written on the paper.
After reading it I burned the paper using a fire spell.
If what was written on the paper was right, then I will have to make sure Phil doesn't reach anywhere near the exam hall. Knowing him he will make sure to drop out as soon as he is there, to be safe from me.
I didn't care who that person was, neither their intention for passing this message to me. All I should care about is that I will have my chance tomorrow.
I can make sure to attack them, but I have to restrain the other two rank 2 magis in 5 minutes at least before dealing with Phil. If not things will get troublesome.
I sighed as a plan gradually formed in my mind as I walked back towards the building I previously walked out off.
------------------------------------
Natasha woke us all up early morning before everyone else.
She gathered us all in a location away from everyone before giving us some instructions.
"Sorry for waking you all up so early, but I didn't explain the full plan yesterday." This surprised all of us, as to why she didn't say anything last night.
"Umm... Why Tash?" Maisy asked while combing her messy hair. Why she brought a comb out of all things to an exam, I have no idea.
"You will understand after I explain it." She replied.
We all nodded for her to carry on. "There will be a slight change in the plan I gave out yesterday. Instead of going to the safe zone and eating the food there, make sure no one eats their food and drink." I was confused at where this was going before Ruby eyes suddenly widened.
"You want to attempt a battle of attrition?" Ruby asked.
Natasha smiled while nodding "I am sure in the next few days we will be sieged by the predator faction because the numbers in the predator faction are simply going to increase, while our number is going to go down. At that time none of us will be able to walk out safely and get to the safe zone and back. The best solution to this is stocking the rations now and conserving it over the next 36 plus hours while fighting the horde that will inevitably attack us."
"But why did you not say this yesterday? I am sure everyone will gladly help out." Randall asked in confusion.
"Not everyone is stupid like you and kind like Law, Rondell." Ian spoke up, who seemed to have understood the plan as well while pointing towards me.
"There will be many in the group who would cunningly stay back and leech of other people's hard work, using any sort of excuse. Would you go out if you were a noble like Phil, who found out that you could potentially stay cooped up in here for the next 2 day, with food and water? There is no risk and you could easily have a high chance of passing this phase of the exam." Ian explained
All of us suddenly looked at Ian in surprise.
"What? Just because Phil apologised doesn't mean he changed. He could probably be planning to just use us until the end of the exam right Tash?" Ian asked as he looked at Natasha in a smile.
Huh, what's going on?
"Did you figure the whole thing out?" Natasha asked Ian.
Ian shook his head while sighing. "It was only after your warning yesterday I remembered the warning my father gave me about manipulative people. It didn't take me long to figure out he was using us. But for what reason I am still not sure, and I am sure asking for more information will bring more danger to us right?"
Natasha nodded with a serious face.
I knew they would come to this conclusion. Although I had come to this conclusion as well, I wanted to give other people a chance. Besides these guys could just be overthinking things.
I shook my head as I explained "I can understand you two being paranoid, but you should at least give him a chance. What if he really changed? You never know when a change might happen in someone."
All my friends sighed as they shook their head at me.
This was the problem with this world. No one really trusted each other or gave another person a chance. Once someone committed a mistake then they were forever branded and kept away due to that mistake.
I have seen many people reform in their life in my past life. Murderers, rapist, thieves, corrupt politician etc. Many people after realising their mistake had repented for it and amended their mistakes.
The problem with this world was there were no human rights, and no one gave second chances. Once you commit a murder, whether accidentally or knowingly, you only had 2 choices: either be executed or live like and be treated as a criminal.
When I first realised this, I decided to make a change and be an example and show people that you could trust people who once made a mistake.
Many people shunned, told me off and warned me against my path. But I want to show them that it is possible to change.