Chapter 36: Canary in a Coal Mine

Eric didn’t flinch. “If I comply with your demands, you’ll accept our alliance?”

While that was an unexpected response, I had anticipated the possibility that he might persist regardless of my unreasonable conditions.

“So, what exactly are you looking for in this alliance?” I asked.

“It’s simple,” he said, flashing a confident smile. “Whenever other teams come after either of us, we’ve got each other’s backs. It’ll make it harder for anyone to come after either of us.”

“That’s a lot of trust you’re putting in us. What if we ‘accidentally’ break your egg, or keep your sashes—maybe even lose them?”

Eric’s smug expression didn’t falter for a second. “Somehow, I get the feeling that’s not gonna happen.”

Was it a bluff? An uneasy feeling gnawed at me, telling me to reject his request. My decision here would affect my whole team. I decided not to make any rash decisions on the spot. Unfortunately, I doubted he would appreciate us delaying any longer. I decided to be blunt with him.

“Sorry, that was just a test. In reality, Scarlette has decided that we would be better off fending for ourselves. It’s hard to cover for another group, especially in this forest without reliable phone reception for communication.”

Eric’s eye twitched ever so slightly. “Well, I guess there’s no helping it then. Have a nice evening.” He gave a nod as he walked back to his tent.

I walked back to my group and relayed the news.

“He’s definitely plotting something. But I can’t figure out what!” Scarlette complained.

“If we’re uncertain of something, we shouldn’t act recklessly. Besides, most groups will be acting solo as well,” added Kaede.

“You’re right. Besides, acting independently allows us more freedom,” I said, while once again confirming that our egg was still intact. I had made sure to do it while out of sight of any prying eyes.

We spent the next hour or so just chatting or wandering around the clearing, taking in the cool, fresh air from the forest. In the distance, I could see small clusters of light from the other classes, scattered like fireflies against the darkening landscape, giving a sort of magical feel to the atmosphere.

“We should rest up soon. Long day ahead tomorrow,” Scarlette yawned.

“Right. See you girls tomorrow,” I said.

“See ya!”

I then climbed into my tent with Jonah.

“So, now that we’ve got some time to ourselves, let’s get to the fun stuff!” Jonah exclaimed, flopping back onto the ground with a dramatic flourish.

I stretched out on the other corner. “Like what?”

“C’mon man, you know exactly what I’m talking about! Now’s the perfect time to talk about girls! If you had to date someone from our group, who would you choose?”

I supposed this question was inevitable. However, I wasn’t really interested in evaluating my female friends in that manner. I decided to deflect the question back to him.

“How about you?”

“It’s a secret,” he remarked.

“Wait, so you actually like one of the girls?”

“I didn’t say that.”

There was a brief silence.

“You know, maybe it’s better if we talk about combat. Do you think there’s anyone who could beat you in this school?” he finally asked.

“I don’t know. But whoever they are, they won’t have it easy.”

We continued bantering until I felt the exhaustion from the day seep into my bones.

“I think I’ll call it a day here,” I said.

“Oh, okay. Good night then.”

I shut my eyes, letting the gentle lull of sleep tug me in.

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

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I felt a cool breeze hit my face as I unzipped the tent the next morning. Jonah was still asleep, so I quietly stepped out of the tent. It was still early, so I decided to head to the bathroom to wash my face. The area was shrouded in early morning mist. Just as I was about to set off, I noticed Kaede making her way back.

She looked refreshed. Her hair was slightly damp from the morning dew, cheeks flushed from the cold air. “Good morning!” she greeted me with a bright smile. “Did you sleep well?”

“Morning. Yeah, I did,” I replied, stretching a bit. “What about you? How was the girls’ tent?”

“Pretty good! Scarlette was a bit restless, but Mira was a great pillow.” She giggled.

We walked over to the girls’ tent and peered inside. Mira wasn’t there—I presumed she was probably washing up—but Scarlette lay in a heap in one corner. Was this really how she always slept? Her eyes were still closed, and her mouth was slightly open as she breathed softly.

“Could you pass me your water bottle?” I asked Kaede, keeping my voice low.

She shot me an exasperated look, silently questioning my antics, but handed it over anyway.

Very slowly, I tilted a couple of drops into Scarlette’s mouth.

She jolted awake, sputtering. “Hgurh? Wha—ugh!”

“Good morning,” I beamed. Kaede turned to the side to hide her laughter.

“Cadel!” Scarlette exclaimed, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. “What was that for?”

“Just a little wake-up call!” I said, unable to hide my amusement.

“That’s twice already you got me!” she protested. “You’d better watch yourself! I’m so gonna get you back.”

“Seems Kaede was right about you snoring in your sleep. But she didn’t mention about you drooling to, did she?”

Scarlette’s face flushed. “I didn’t—okay that’s enough! As your leader, I order you to scram back to your tent!”

As I was trying to think of a witty reply, we received our first instructions of the day, courtesy of Ms Reina.

“Rise and shine! Everybody to be up and have their breakfast collected within the next 15 minutes! By 9.30 AM, I want everyone to assemble at the Rumble Pit! That’s the place where you all got chewed out by Dr Connor yesterday. It’ll be time for your combat brief. Please wake your teammates up if they’re still sleeping!”

Combat? It seemed like things were finally about to get interesting. The outdoor life was fun and all, but I felt we could really use some action now.

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After a quick breakfast, our class made our way back to the Rumble Pit. Our first experience at this place wasn’t a particularly good one, and the atmosphere today was still charged, albeit with a bit more excitement. We lined up in our classes and got into neat rows. The weather was slightly overcast. I hoped it wouldn’t rain again today.

Dr Connor stood on a podium-like structure. He raised his hand for attention.

"As you all know, combat will be allowed starting today. However, there are regulations you must follow. First, combat is only permitted between 9 AM and 6 PM. If you wish to engage in combat outside of this time frame, a teacher must be present. Additionally, the standard combat rules apply: you are not to go overboard or cause serious injuries. Violators will be dealt with severely."

I flashed a glance at Scarlette, who shrugged shamefully.

"Regarding sashes, they can either be stolen or fought for. If an opposing team challenges you, you have two options—accept the challenge or decline it. If you decline, you are to forfeit all your sashes to the other team. If you accept, you'll have to fight. Should your team admit defeat during combat, you must forfeit all your sashes as well. Once your team has lost all its sashes, you may not challenge that same team again, but you may still challenge others. Remember, if you’re fighting, it’s gotta be over sashes. No personal vendettas.”

He continued reiterating a couple of obvious rules and the consequences for violating them. He further explained that any injured students would receive immediate medical treatment using advanced healing techniques from medics on standby, with more serious injuries handled at the camp's infirmary, though he hoped it wouldn’t come to that.

Next, he mentioned that combat would not be allowed during scheduled training activities unless stated otherwise, ensuring it wouldn't interfere with the training program the school had planned for us. Combat was also not allowed within our resting grounds, granting us a safe space.

Finally, he instructed us to wear our Abizium suits from now until 6 PM. If combat were to occur after that time, both teams would still need to be in their suits. Essentially, whenever two teams faced off, everyone on both sides had to be wearing their suits, for safety reasons. This would limit the number of surprise ambushes when it was dark out, but I understood the school figured it would be better to be safe than sorry.

“Now that we’ve got all that covered, let’s move on to today’s schedule. We’ve hidden various flags throughout the forest, each one worth a specific number of credits. You’ll have free roam till midday, at which point you need to return to your campsites for lunch. This also means you’re free to battle each other for the next couple of hours while searching for as many flags as you can find. For now, please return to your campsites and change into your Abizium suits as soon as possible. Oh, and remember: if your egg isn’t broken yet, it must remain with you at all times.”

With that, he ended the speech. Conversations erupted as everyone began strategising their approaches to flag hunting and potential battles. We soon gradually made our way back to our respective campsites.

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Back in our tents, we quickly slipped into our Abizium suits. The fabric felt sleek and comfortable as I slipped it on, a second skin that promised protection. Once we were geared up, we gathered outside our tent.

“So, we can challenge any team now, right?” Scarlette’s eyes sparked with eagerness.

“Yeah, but we aren’t allowed to fight here. If we do challenge a team, it’ll have to be out in the forest,” I replied.

“Well, you already know who we’re targeting.” She stuck a finger over in the direction of Kazen’s tent.

However, none of the boys in their group were in sight. The only member lingering near their area was Raven, already clad in her Abizium suit.

“Looks like it’s just Raven,” Kaede observed, narrowing her eyes. “Should we approach her or wait for the others?”

Scarlette grinned mischievously. “I say we go for it. In fact, we should just take her hostage. And crack their egg while we’re at it.”

Not for the first time this camp, an uneasy feeling gnawed at me. Raven was still an enigma, a girl whose power I was unsure of. But before I could say anything, it seemed Scarlette had decided to instigate.

“Hey, Raven,” she called out, offering a friendly wave. “What’s up? We were just wondering if your team is interested in a little challenge.”