Only the sound of the buzzing insects could be heard as Han and Kuro moved through the forest. They stopped upon hearing a noisy crowd in the distance.
"Sssh."
Han placed his index finger upon his lips. Kuro gulped his saliva and silently followed behind Han.
Han used his fingers to snap off the overgrown weeds blocking his way. They could see Karl's gang who had made a base out in the wide open.
"The situation doesn't look good."
"Seems like they're fighting."
Han and Kuro whispered. Karl's gang were exchanging menacing looks as they yelled at one another.
"You secretly ate our food stock, right?"
"I did? You make me laugh. You're the one to have eaten it all and now you're trying to blame it all on me! I heard crumpling noises last night."
"What? I didn't like you ever since you shared only small bread crumbs with us. This Ba***."
Karl's gang were bickering over their emergency food supplies. No matter how much they stole from others, it was impossible for seven people to eat their fill. Rather, they began to mistrust each other due to their high number.
Everyone's tempers had become fickle now that they were all starved.
This had been a harsh survival drill to carry out for these youths. They could find nothing to do but mistrust and blame one another.
"Bring it on! I'll let you throw up all our food you ate."
It seemed they would end up fighting any second now. It seemed nobody would be satisfied until they saw blood. Now that they had not eaten properly for the past four days, it was only logical for some of the boys to start losing touch with their sanity.
Karl's gang consisted of mostly elites. They had all grown up without facing any form of poverty. Nobody had ever starved in their life.
"Stop wasting your energy! Shut up!"
Karl yelled. All the youths shut their mouth in an instant.
Karl was the gang's leader. He was a handsome European boy who sported blond hair.
He had heard rumors that Karl had been a child actor.
"But Karl…"
"Shouting will only get you hungry. Damn, those crazy drill instructors. Let's make another round when the sun rises. There should be more people hiding away their food supplies."
The youth's disturbances settled at once. Karlheinz influence with everyone was huge.
Han who had been observing Karl's gang from a distance spoke in a low voice.
"What a wasted opportunity. Their numbers could've been reduced."
Han waited until everyone fell asleep. Han was also sleepy but resisted the urge. Kuro was already nodding off to sleep in the back.
"Haaa~"
Karl's gang used their parachutes as blankets and slept peacefully.
They didn't even bother to set up a night watch system. It seem they didn't fear people daring to steal their supplies with seven members in their gang.
Han squeezed his wooden spear tight. He could still remember Jose's bruised up face very well.
'There was no reason to beat him up to that degree. Those scoundrels.'
Han shook Kuro awake. Kuro snapped awake.
"Ah, I fell asleep. Sorry, Han."
"It's ok, you need to be able to focus. Do you think you can focus okay?"
"I'll try."
Kuro took out the stones he prepared from his backpack. Han stood up, on guard.
"Now, throw Kuro! Let's avenge Jose!"
Kuro's eyes glowed bright spilling out psychic energy. The rocks floated and fiercely flew across. The rocks accelerated, no longer needing the aid of psychic energy.
A rock bopped a sleeping youth. The youth who had been hit started rolling and screaming. Blood dripped from his forehead.
"Ugh…"
Kuro flinched upon seeing the bloodied youth. Han gently punched Kuro's chest.
"Remember Jose, Kuro. Remember all the times the guys bullied you."
With Han's encouragement, Kuro nodded and focused again. The rocks flew across one after another. His accuracy was frightening.
"Ack! Who is it?!"
"Everyone wake up! It's an attack!"
Karl's gang woke up one by one. They were too busy trying to hide from the flying rocks. When Karl's gang gained their senses, they all faced toward the forest.
"The attack is coming from the forest!"
Karl's gang all armed themselves with a weapon and charged. One youth even had a knife wrapped around the end of his spear. If anyone were to be stabbed by that, it could end their lives.
"H-Han. Their coming."
"It's okay. Kuro, believe in me! Just keep your focus."
Han shouted. To Kuro, Han's back felt dependable. They were of the same age, but Han felt like an adult.
"Who are you?"
A youth with blood dripping from his forehead shouted, all the while charging forward with his fists ready.
Another rock flicked onto a member of the gang.
Karl's gang had just woken up, and were not fully alert. Han stood strong, fending off everyone who got close. He calmly took care of the students, one by one.
Kuro continued shooting stones, preventing Karl's gang from organizing properly.
"The guy behind is the one throwing the stones! Go around!"
Karlheinz yelled. Two youths promptly circled to the back.
"Tch, they've noticed."
Han retreated back. He used his wooden spear and fended off those coming after Kuro.
"This bastard!"
Another youth jumped at the chance to attack Han's back at that moment.
'This will be hard to dodge.'
He felt something chilling from behind. Han prepared himself for an attack, but he didn't feel any impact. Rather, the youth who had snuck up from behind had fainted, and a stone plopped onto the ground.
Kuro's support came just in time. Kuro had to keep his focus, so he couldn't talk at all. His whole body was drenched in sweat.
"Damn, what are these f***s."
Karlheinz cursed. Four youths from the gang had already fainted.
The mysterious spear wielding youth and the stone thrower showed perfect teamwork. It was too dark, and they couldn't make out the duo's faces.
"AAAAAH!"
The youths of the gang shouted and charged forward together. Everyone got hit by rocks and fainted.
"Good job, Kuro," Han said.
Kuro took care of the majority of the gang.
"I, I did it."
Kuro mumbled, with an disbelieving expression. He couldn't believe he had done such a great job.
"Karlheinz, stop right there."
Han pointed his spear and spoke. Karlheinz looked exponentially fearful as he looked around at all his fainted gang members.
'It took only these two to wipe us all out…. This black and Asian boy.'
Karlheinz had known about Han. He was the Asian boy who ranked the highest in weapon arts. However, he never thought that he would be done in by the likes of Kuro.
"Why are you doing this to us? Han, Kuro."
"You guys attacked Jose first."
PAK!
Han gave a short reply.
He attacked Karlheinz's face with his wooden spear. His handsome face glowed with a vibrant bruise. Karlheinz bent forward, grasping at his face.
"ugh."
"Jose was already suffering from a broken leg. What was the point of beating him up so bad, when he couldn't even properly walk around?"
"Jose was the one to reject me first. I asked him to join our gang. He offended us first but rejected us."
Han attacked with his spear again.
Blood spurted from Karlheinz's lips, and dripped down the side of his face. A wound formed on the inside of his mouth, and he could not properly talk.
"Kuro, pack these guy's emergency food rations. They should have some remaining."
Kuro nodded and moved hastily.
"Ugh, you'll regret this. Don't forget, we're in the same class. If you continue this attitude…."
Bam!
Han's spear was drenched with blood.
"What did you say? I dare you to say it one more time."
Han continued to beat Karlheinz without holding back. Karlheniz touched Han's wrath in the wrong way.
When Han had been the leader of the group of homeless orphans, he had personally witnessed three young children die of illness. If they had been given antibiotics, and were properly fed, then they would have lived on to see another day.
It was the worst memory of his life. He didn't want to be in such a situation again.
"You dare hit me? Scum like you?"
Karlheinz slurred. Han looked on with cold eyes.
"Don't show yourself in front of me again, Karl, or else I'll kill you."
Karl lowered his head. His legs trembled, and he felt a warm yellow liquid flow down his legs.
"Let's go, Kuro."
Han directed Kuro with his eyes. After Kuro finished collecting all the food, he chased after Han.
Han's party passed the remaining three days peacefully, a few more straggling students, who had been starved, had joined them.
They accepted the students as long as they could provide them with enough fish to eat.
On the morning of the last day, the sun rose as a helicopter flew towards the island. All the students cheered. The week long survival drill had ended.
The drill instructors ended the survival drill, and gathered for a meeting. They had to compile a report for their superiors. They had to compile the data of all the students who showed equally good results for their controlled and uncontrolled training drills. The drill instructors discussed while monitoring all the students' data bracelets.
The ones who chose to steal versus the ones who chose to defend.
Also, there had been students who survived on their own.
The students had been divided into several different categories.
"There was also a brat who built a raft and returned to Ark. What an eccentric brat."
"I like his active and creative mindset. Granted, it's not the results we were hoping for."
"I see that Karl's party, who had chose to steal and plunder, fell apart after meeting Han Lee."
"Karl had the advantage in numbers, but it was Han and Kuro's complete victory."
"I already knew Kuro had great psychic talent, but he could never properly use his talent, due to his weak mind."
"Han Lee has great leadership. Kuro was able to fully utilize his psychic powers with Han's leadership. This is a very amazing feat."
"According to Han's profile, he had survived in Korea while leading a group of homeless orphans. He's young, and his leadership skills are already solid. You all know Korea's situation right now, right?"
"Han should be a good candidate to become the next squad leader of the first years, following Dimitri's transfer."
"But his psychic skills are very lackluster. Is there any hope for growth?"
"He will probably just barely make passing grades."
"Let's continue to keep an eye on him."
The drill instructors divided the report parts and ended the meeting.