Chapter 253: Squad #4 (1)
A Mystery Card.
The academy, in all its infinite wisdom, didn’t bother explaining what the card was, what it did, or why anyone should care about it. They simply handed it out and expected everyone to figure it out themselves.
Most scholars probably thought it was some useless consolation prize.
But... Ruvian knew it better.
The moment the card was activated, it would grant its owner a random unique Special Card, one that wasn’t included among the academy’s standard selection before the exam.
Some of them were downright ridiculous actually.
There was [Card Exchange], which let you swap your Special Card with any scholar in the entire exam, whether they were your teammate or from any squad members. There was [Revival], a card capable of bringing an eliminated squadmate back into the competition.
There was [Card Reassignment], allowing every member of your squad to replace their current Nature Card with a different one. And then there was [Special Pick], a card that simply let you pick any one of the academy’s original Special Cards.
But no matter which card he ended up receiving, Ruvian would make full use of it. He had already considered every possible outcome and prepared a plan for each unique card the [Mystery Card] could grant. Whether it was the most favourable card or the most situational one, he already knew exactly how to turn it into an advantage.
Arlok blinked twice before looking at the black card in Ruvian’s hand.
"Huh? A Mystery Card? What the hell does that even do?"
Yerin folded her arms as her brows slowly drew together. "Wait... I think the academy did say something about a Mystery Card during the briefing."
Shima shifted her gaze toward Ruvian, her curiosity getting the better of her.
"Did the card tell you what it does?
"Yeah, it did tell me something. Hmm, let’s see... if I activate it, I’ll get a random unique Special Card."
Horren rubbed his chin while staring at the card.
"Ah, I see. So that’s how it works — the only way we’ll know what kind of card it gives is by activating it, right? There’s no way to check it before that."
"I guess that’s the case."
Ruvian turned the card over in his fingers.
"Well then, let me try it."
"Wait."
Yerin suddenly raised a hand to stop him. "You’re really going to use it now? Shouldn’t you save it until later instead?"
Ruvian glanced at the card again before giving a small shrug.
"Huh, but from what the description says, once the roll is finished, I can either activate the new Special Card immediately or keep it until I want to use it later.
Since that’s the case, I think it’s better to know what kind of unique Special Card I get now, instead of saving it."
He tapped the edge of the card with his finger.
"If we know what it is early, we can plan around it."
Arlok nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, he does have a point. Come on, just roll it."
Ruvian nodded and activated the [Mystery Card].
The black card suddenly trembled between his fingers.
Its dark surface slowly faded away, the deep black melting into a clean white. At the same time, the large question mark on its center disappeared, replaced by a single line of glowing letters that gradually carved themselves onto the card.
[Card Exchange]
Ruvian’s eyes narrowed slightly.
’Ohh... not a bad one.’
’If I already have this at my disposal, then I can just execute Plan A.’
The corner of his lips almost lifted before he forced it back down.
Arlok had already stepped forward, practically leaning over Ruvian’s shoulder.
"So? What did you get? What did you get?"
Yerin, Shima, and Horren also moved closer, their eyes fixed on the white card in his hand.
Ruvian lowered his gaze and read through the description of the card loudly.
After he did so, everyone went silent.
Even without uttering a word, they all immediately understood how useful that card could become for the next phase of the island test.
*****
[Vanessa’s POV]
After crossing the desert region, they finally arrived at Sector D9.
It was no longer a barren wasteland. Instead, the land had changed into a rugged rocky grassland, where patches of green stretched between weathered stone outcrops and low hills.
By the time they arrived, night had already fallen.
Rosalin’s squad had taken shelter inside a small cave with no deep tunnel, but it was still large enough for the five of them to spend the night. Compared to the cramped [Earth Shelter] spell, this place felt far more spacious and comfortable.
Freya was busy preparing dinner over a small campfire. Arrin sat nearby, quietly running a whetstone along the edge of her sword, while Talon leaned against the cave wall with his eyes closed, taking the chance to rest after the long journey.
Rosalin, meanwhile, sat a short distance away from the others. Her legs were crossed, her eyes gently shut as she was deeply focus on refining her control.
As for Vanessa?
She was busy in her own way.
Resting in her hand was a small notebook called [Farscribe].
At first glance, it looked no different from an ordinary journal used to record daily notes, but actually, it was far more than that.
—"Did your team manage to get into D9?"
It was a message from Ruvian.
Vanessa replied immediately by writing a few words in the book.
—"Yeah. I managed to convince them. They weren’t agreeing at first, but I figured out a way. You’re lucky to have me."
—"I see. You’ve done well."
Then, she smiled from ear to ear.
"He.. hehe."
If anyone could see her face right now, they would have noticed the unmistakable smug grin spreading across it. (+200PP)
Fortunately, none of her teammates could.
It remained concealed beneath the cave’s shadows and the darkness that had settled over the island, even the small campfire barely managed to push back the gloom filling the vast cavern.
But then, a voice suddenly echoed through the cave.
"Vanessa?"
"Eep!"
Caught off guard, a tiny squeak escaped her lips before she could stop it.
Then, she instinctively hugged the [Farscribe] tightly against her chest, her shoulders stiffening as she turned toward the source of the voice.
Standing a few steps away was Freya, carrying a wooden bowl in one hand.
"The food... is ready," she said.
Her eyes drifted to Vanessa’s unusually flustered expression, then to the way she was clutching the journal so protectively against herself.
One eyebrow slowly rose in confusion.
"...Anyway, is something wrong?"
Vanessa’s face warmed with embarrassment.
"N-No. I’m... I’m fine. You’re just startled me."
She quickly looked away, refusing to meet Freya’s gaze.
"Ah... but, thank you for letting me know."
She tried to sound composed, but the awkwardness in her voice only made the silence that followed even more uncomfortable.
Freya stared at her for another second before simply shrugging.
"...Alright."
Without asking any further questions, she turned around and walked back toward the campfire, leaving Vanessa alone.
Only after making sure Freya was out of sight did Vanessa let out a long sigh of relief.
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[Chapter 253: Squad #4 (1)]
Plot Points= 16,100