The valley stretched endlessly, its sheer size far greater than I had anticipated. At first, my wandering was aimless, my movements cautious as I navigated the alien terrain. The ground beneath my bare feet was uneven, shifting between patches of damp earth and sharp, jagged rocks. Each step was deliberate, my mind constantly analyzing and cataloging the environment, searching for anything of use.For hours, I pressed forward, finding nothing. No signs of wildlife. No structures. Not even a hint of water. It was as though this place had been abandoned by life itself, left to rot in eternal silence. By rough calculation, I had walked nearly twelve hours, covering over seventy kilometers despite the difficult terrain. The pace was grueling, each step a challenge to maintain focus and avoid missteps that could lead to injury. And yet, stopping was not an option.Ryuen snorted lightly, leaning back in his seat. "Barefoot, through jagged rocks? He's either insane or a total machine. Guess I shouldn't be surprised anymore."Sudo shook his head, frowning. "I don't get it. Why didn't he just stop and rest? Walking barefoot for hours sounds like torture."Horikita sighed softly. "Stopping would only make him more vulnerable. He knows that. It's not just about surviving—it's about not wasting time."Nagumo raised an eyebrow, impressed despite himself. "Seventy kilometers? In this kind of terrain? No food or water? This guy really is something else."Karuizawa crossed her arms tightly, her face a mixture of worry and frustration. "Why does he always push himself like this? It's like he doesn't care about his own limits."Kiryūin let out a low whistle, a sly smile tugging at her lips. "Walking for twelve hours without stopping? That's a level of discipline most people can't even dream of."The land offered no reprieve. As night began to fall, the mist thickened, wrapping itself around me like a suffocating shroud. The faint light from the stars above grew dimmer, swallowed by the encroaching darkness. Continuing forward in this state would be madness—an invitation to the unseen dangers that surely lurked within the shadows.The air turned colder, its icy grip biting at my exposed skin. My breath misted in the freezing air, a harsh reminder of how vulnerable I was.Sakayanagi's eyes gleamed with interest, though her voice remained measured. "Even someone as capable as Ayanokoji must feel his vulnerability now. Nature itself is the ultimate equalizer."Kushida tilted her head, her usual sweet smile absent. "It's strange, though. He never looks scared, even in situations like this. Is it because he's trained himself not to feel fear?"I pushed onward, my gaze scanning the landscape for anything that could serve as shelter. Finally, I found it—a shallow overhang carved into the side of a cliff. It wasn't much, but it would have to do.Ryuen chuckled. "Heh, not exactly five-star accommodations, huh? Wonder if he's going to turn that into some kind of fortress."I huddled beneath the overhang, wrapping my arms tightly around my knees in an effort to conserve body heat. The cold seeped into my bones, relentless and unforgiving. Above me, the faint light of the stars offered no solace, their distant glow barely piercing the mist-laden sky. The valley was silent, save for the faint whisper of wind through the skeletal trees.So this is what survival feels like. Interesting. My entire life had been a test of endurance, a battle against impossible odds. Yet, I would have never imagined ending up in a situation like this.Sleep came in fits and starts, my mind on high alert for even the faintest sound of movement. Every creak of the trees, every shift of the wind, made me alert. I was a coiled spring, ready to snap at the slightest provocation.Horikita closed her eyes briefly, her thoughts running deep. "That constant vigilance... It's how he's survived this long. But how much longer can someone live like that without breaking?"Sudo let out a low sigh. "Man, this guy... he never catches a break, does he?"▬▬ι═══════ﺤThe second day dawned with a sense of purpose. Survival had taken root in my mind, and the clarity of my situation was undeniable. I couldn't rely on luck to find shelter again; I needed to take control.I woke up after seven hours of sleep, though the persistent darkness outside made it impossible to gauge time accurately. The mist still hung low over the ground, its presence oppressive and unyielding. I waited, watching as it began to thin, revealing the bleak expanse of the valley once more.Shiina tilted her head thoughtfully. "Seven hours of sleep... That's surprising. I wouldn't have expected him to rest so much in a place like this.""A proper shelter," I murmured aloud, my voice breaking the silence. "Something more secure. This won't last."The memory of wandering seventy kilometers the previous day lingered in my mind. I would need to move often if I found nothing in this area. But a stable base was the first step. I couldn't keep expending energy without a reliable fallback.Kiryūin let out a low whistle. "Seventy kilometers in a day, and now he's building a base? The guy's got stamina for days."Ishizaki muttered, "Man, I'd be dead after half that. How the hell does he keep going?"My stomach growled, a sharp reminder of another pressing concern. Hunger gnawed at me, its presence growing more insistent with each passing moment. If this valley is entirely desolate... I shook my head, refusing to entertain the thought. There had to be something here. Some form of sustenance.Sudo grimaced, crossing his arms. "No food, no water... How long can he even last like that?"Once the mist began to clear, I set to work. The skeletal trees and wiry plants around me became my first resource. I gathered fallen branches, large leaves, and sharp rocks, my hands moving with a single-minded determination. Every item I collected had a purpose in my mind—a crude lean-to against the cliffside, a shelter that would offer some protection against the elements.It was far from elegant. The roof of leaves, woven together with thin branches, barely provided cover. The jagged rocks I arranged in a rough circle around the site were hardly a defense. But it was a start. It was mine.Ryuen chuckled. "Building a shelter out of scraps in the middle of nowhere? Gotta admit, the guy's resourceful."Sakayanagi nodded slightly, her tone contemplative. "This demonstrates his adaptability. In a situation where most would panic, he remains composed."Amasawa smiled mischievously. "Not bad for being stuck naked in a strange world. But I bet he's already thinking about improving it."Kushida's lips curled into a soft smile, though her eyes betrayed a hint of unease. "Even when it's not perfect, he's proud of what he's built. That's... admirable."With the shelter complete, I turned my attention to tools. Using a thick branch and one of the sharp stones I had collected, I fashioned a spear. The process was slow and deliberate, the stone's edge was refined by striking it repeatedly against another rock until it became thin and sharp. The result was crude but functional, bound tightly to the branch with plant fibers.I held the spear aloft, testing its weight. It felt familiar, almost natural in my hands. Memories of combat training in the White Room surfaced unbidden, the movements instinctive. Some skills never fade, I thought.Nagumo furrowed his brow, his fingers drumming on the armrest of his seat. "Combat training in the White Room? This place isn't just about intelligence, is it? They were shaping him into something... more."Ryuen chuckled darkly, his smirk widening. "Makes sense. A guy like Ayanokoji doesn't just pop out of nowhere. Combat training, manipulation, strategy... That place sounds like a factory for monsters."Ichinose looked uneasy, her hands clenched tightly in her lap. "A factory...? No, it can't be. Why would anyone create a place like that? It sounds so... inhumane."Horikita nodded slightly, her expression pensive. "Inhumane is an understatement. If they were training him for combat, then the White Room wasn't just an academic experiment. It had to have a larger purpose."Shiina tilted her head thoughtfully. "Larger purpose? Like what? Training him for war? Or something more covert, like espionage?"Kiryūin leaned back, her eyes sharp with curiosity. "Whatever it was, it wasn't just about knowledge. They molded him physically and mentally. The question is—why? What kind of world would need someone like him?"Karuizawa shivered slightly, hugging herself. "Combat training... That's insane. They made him fight? How old was he when they started doing this to him?"Ishizaki crossed his arms, his expression serious for once. "If that's true, it explains why he's so damn good at everything. But also why he's so... disconnected. You don't come out of something like that normal."Chabashira, seated among the staff, frowned deeply. "I knew he was different, but combat training? The White Room's goals were far darker than I realized..."Hoshinomiya, trying to lighten the tension but failing, added, "It's almost like he's some kind of super-soldier experiment. A perfect student and a perfect fighter? That's too much pressure for one person."The room buzzed with murmurs, theories swirling in everyone's minds. Each revelation about the White Room only deepened the mystery, painting an increasingly grim picture of the place that had shaped Ayanokoji into who he was.Meanwhile, Sakayanagi remained quiet, her hands resting on her lap. She knew more about the White Room than anyone else except her father and Amasawa. The 'goal' of the White Room and fragments of its methods were no mystery to her, yet she stayed silent, observing the growing theories of her peers.Amasawa, sitting nearby, wore a faint smirk. Like Sakayanagi, she listened to the speculations with an air of detached amusement. However, unlike the others, Amasawa knew the White Room intimately—she had been part of its fifth generation, a firsthand product of its relentless training.Clothing, however, was still a problem. The leaves I used to drape over myself offered minimal protection against the cold, but they were far from adequate. I would need something better—and soon.Karuizawa flushed slightly, muttering, "At least he's trying... but leaves? Seriously?"Nagumo chuckled, a playful grin on his face. "Well, can't blame him for improvising. Let's just hope he doesn't run into anyone else looking like that."...With a few hours of daylight left, I decided to scour the valley for signs of life. To avoid losing my way, I marked my path with scratches on rocks and notches in tree trunks, creating a makeshift trail back to the shelter. It was a simple system, but effective. This precaution wasn't optional; getting lost here could mean certain death.An hour into my search, I noticed faint tracks etched into the damp earth. My gaze lingered on them, sharp and calculating. These were fresh, unmistakable, and my mind quickly began to process their direction and likely source. My breathing remained steady, my movements precise and unhurried as I followed the trail. Each step was a measured act, a blend of efficiency and caution, though the faint hope of sustenance gnawed quietly at the edges of my thoughts.Nagumo leaned forward, his brows furrowed as he watched Ayanokoji's precise movements on the screen. "He moves like an assassin," Nagumo muttered, his voice tinged with awe. "Each step is deliberate and calculated. No wasted motion. How is he this... efficient?"Kiryūin crossed her legs, a sly grin forming on her lips. "Assassin? He's practically a shadow incarnate. Look at him—no sound, no hesitation. It's chilling how natural it looks for him."Shiina watched silently, her hand clasped to her chin. After a long pause, she finally spoke, her voice almost a whisper. "Every action he takes is instinctual. It's not just training; it's part of him now. But... What kind of life would someone have to lead for that to happen?"Chabashira folded her arms, her face grim as she addressed the staff section. "If this is what the White Room turned him into... then we've barely scratched the surface of what he's capable of. This is beyond academics or strategy—this is survival at its most ruthless."Sudo couldn't help but gape at the screen, his usual bluster replaced with genuine shock. "Are we seriously watching the same Ayanokoji? This is nuts... He's moving like he's on a mission or something."Ichinose's hands clasped together in her lap as she looked down, her voice trembling. "He's... like a completely different person. This isn't the Ayanokoji we knew. It's someone else entirely."Ryuen, recovering his smirk, muttered under his breath. "Nah, this is the real Ayanokoji. The one he's been hiding all along."The tracks led me to a clearing, and there, nestled in the shadows, were surprisingly large rodent-like creatures, each about 50 centimeters in length, grazing on the sparse vegetation scattered across the area. Their fur was a deep black, almost absorbing the faint light around them, and they moved with a nervous, skittish energy as if sensing the ever-present danger in their environment.Sudo grimaced, pointing at the creatures. "What the hell are those things? They look like rats on steroids."Sakayanagi's voice was calm, almost clinical. "They're prey animals, clearly. Likely adapted to their environment by evolving darker fur to blend with the shadows. A curious ecosystem."Ryuen chuckled. "I'm more curious about what he's gonna do next. Let's see if that White Room training comes into play again."I crouched low, gripping my crude spear tightly. Instinct took over. Years of relentless training in the White Room surged forward, guiding my actions. My movements were fluid, every motion deliberate and noiseless as I stalked the creatures. My eyes analyzed their patterns, the subtle shifts in their behavior, and the gaps in their defenses.Kiryūin's lips curled into a sly grin. "Stalking prey like a born predator. The White Room didn't just train his mind—they turned him into a hunter."Chabashira's face was unreadable, though her voice carried a trace of unease. "This level of control... It's unnatural. Most students wouldn't even know where to start, but for him, it's second nature."One of the smaller beasts wandered away from the group, its steps hesitant. It paused, sniffing the air, oblivious to the predator closing in. I shifted my weight, my muscles coiling like a spring ready to release.Perfect.In a single, fluid motion, I lunged forward. The spear struck true, piercing the creature's side with a sickening crunch. Blood sprayed across my hands and face, warm and metallic. The creature shrieked in pain, its body convulsing in a desperate attempt to escape. It struggled, its limbs flailing weakly, but my second thrust ended its life.Karuizawa gasped, covering her mouth. "He just... killed it. Like it was nothing."Ryuen raised an eyebrow, his tone amused. "What, expecting him to start crying over a rat? This is survival, princess. You kill or you die."Shiina tilted her head, her soft voice carrying a note of sorrow. "It's still unsettling, though. Watching someone take a life, even if it's just an animal... It makes you wonder how much he's had to endure to act so instinctively."Sakayanagi adjusted her cane, her eyes narrowing as she addressed the room. "Instinct or training? Perhaps both. This scene tells us more about his upbringing than anything he's ever said directly. Efficiency like that doesn't come naturally—it's honed."Sudo frowned, leaning forward in his seat. "Yeah, but even so... He didn't flinch. Most people would hesitate, even if it's just a rat. But him? Nothing. It's like he's done it a thousand times before."Nagumo chuckled, though there was a sharp edge to it. "You're all acting like he's some kind of monster for doing what had to be done. If anything, this shows just how prepared he is. Hesitation gets you killed in situations like that."Ibuki crossed her arms, her voice tinged with admiration and frustration. "Say what you want about him, but the guy's a machine. No fear, no doubt. Just action."Amasawa grinned mischievously, leaning back with a glint in her eye. "And that's exactly why he's survived this long. You all might be squeamish, but he's alive because he does what's necessary."Ishizaki looked pale, scratching the back of his head. "I don't know what's scarier—him killing that thing so easily or the fact that he didn't even blink after it."I stared at the lifeless form, blood pooling beneath it as its final twitch faded into stillness. My expression remained unchanged. There was no place for sentiment here. Survival required sacrifice, and this was no different.Lifting the creature onto my shoulders, I rose to my feet, ignoring the slick warmth of its blood against my skin. My gaze swept the clearing one last time, ensuring no other threats lingered nearby, before I turned back to retrace my marked trail. The weight of the creature slowed my pace, the added burden straining my body, but I pressed on. Every step brought me closer to the fragile semblance of safety I had carved out for myself.Ryuen chuckled, shaking his head. "Sentiment's for people who have the luxury of safety. He's not wasting energy on feeling sorry for something he killed to stay alive. That's how he's survived."Ichinose pressed her hands together tightly, her knuckles white. "I get it... but it's still hard to watch. He's so... detached. Like it doesn't even affect him."Chabashira's voice was low, almost a whisper. "He's so young, and yet... he acts like someone who's been fighting to survive for decades. This isn't just survival—it's conditioning. This is what the White Room made him."Hoshinomiya sighed heavily, looking genuinely troubled. "It's hard to believe this is the same boy who sat quietly in my classroom. How much of his life has been like this? Always enduring, never really living?"...