2025-11-26 17:35:51
Previous Chapter
Latest Chapter
XLIV
The next day started the same way as the previous days. Dean Morrison's announcement at 7 AM, teams assembling, everyone exhausted and injured but forcing themselves to keep going."Day three challenge: Extraction," Morrison announced. "Hostages have been placed in designated buildings throughout the facility. Each hostage is worth points based on difficulty of extraction. Teams must locate hostages, extract them safely, and escort them to designated safe zones. The challenge ends at 1800 hours."A pause. Then the complication."However, teams carrying hostages are vulnerable to ambush. If your hostage is stolen by another team, they receive double points. Physical confrontation is expected and permitted."The announcement ended. Team Phoenix gathered for strategy discussion.This time, the meeting was less chaotic. People were too tired for prolonged arguments. They quickly divided into the same three groups as yesterday.Carter was again assigned to Gamma group with Raina, Sophie, M
XLIII
Dean Morrison's voice echoed across the facility at 7:30 AM."Day two challenge: The Hunt. Academy staff members are positioned throughout the facility, dressed as enemy combatants. These are your targets. Capture a target and return them to your base camp to earn points. Point values range from one hundred to five hundred based on target difficulty and location."A pause. Carter could hear the tension in the silence."However, teams may also ambush other teams and steal their captured targets. Additionally, eliminating members of opposing teams earns bonus points. The Hunt ends at 1800 hours. Points are tallied based on targets held at end time and enemy eliminations."The announcement ended. Immediately, Team Phoenix erupted in argument.Alex pulled up a map on his tablet. "We need to split into three groups. Cover more ground, capture more targets. Speed is essential.""Splitting up makes us vulnerable," Kira countered. "We should stay together as one unit. Smaller groups will get
XLII
Night fell over the facility and the temperature dropped fast. The camping areas had no heating, no electricity beyond the dim emergency lights. Just basic tents and sleeping bags that barely kept out the cold.Team Phoenix's designated zone was a cleared area between two abandoned buildings. Fifteen tents arranged in clusters. The upper class students had set up together, their tents forming a protective circle. The Silver students stayed in the middle. The Bronze students were on the edges, as always.Carter sat on the ground outside his tent, too exhausted to move but too uncomfortable to sleep. His body was a collection of pain points. Ribs, face, arms, legs. Everything hurt.Isla appeared with a ration pack and a bottle of water. She sat down next to him without asking."Eat," she said. Carter looked at the food. His stomach was still unsettled. "I'm not hungry.""I don't care. Your body needs fuel to recover. Eat."She was right. Carter forced himself to open the ration pack an
XLI
The announcement for day two came at 0700 exactly. All teams gathered in the central area where Dean Morrison stood on her platform."Day two challenge: The Hunt," she announced. "Each team will be given a list of targets. These are academy staff members positioned throughout the facility, dressed as enemy combatants. Capture a target and return them to your base camp for points. Each target has a different point value based on difficulty of capture."She paused, scanning the assembled students."However, teams may also ambush other teams and steal their captured targets. If you eliminate an opposing team member, you can take their targets and earn their points. The Hunt lasts until 1800 hours. Points are tallied based on targets held at the end."Carter immediately saw the problem. This wasn't just about finding targets. It was about deciding whether to hunt for new targets or ambush other teams. And teams would be scattered across the facility, vulnerable to attack."Target location
XL
For the first twenty minutes, nothing happened. Carter stayed crouched behind rubble, watching the tree line to the east. His tablet showed no movement from other teams yet.Maybe they were coordinating. Planning their attacks. Deciding which buildings to hit first.Or maybe they were moving in silently, trying to avoid detection.Carter's radio crackled. Raina's voice came through."West side reporting movement. Multiple contacts. At least ten students approaching.""Copy," Alex responded. "Mobile defense move to support west side."Carter stayed focused on his sector. The Protocol enhanced his vision slightly, highlighting movement patterns, filtering out irrelevant motion from wind and animals.Then he saw them.Students moving through the trees. Lots of them. They were still a hundred yards out but closing fast.Carter counted quickly. Fifteen people. An entire team.He keyed his radio. "East side. Fifteen hostiles. Full team assault. They're organized.""Can you identify which te
XXXIX
The transport buses left campus at 5 AM on Saturday morning. All 180 participants were required to be on board. No exceptions, no delays.Carter had barely slept the night before. He'd packed and repacked his bag three times, checking the approved equipment list. Basic clothes, water bottle, first aid supplies. Nothing electronic except academy-issued communication devices. No weapons. No performance enhancing drugs.The Bronze students boarded the buses first. Carter found a seat near the back. Felix sat next to him, looking terrified. Isla sat across the aisle, already reviewing strategy notes on her tablet.The other class levels boarded after Bronze. Gold students looked confident, energized. Silver students looked nervous but determined. Platinum students looked like they'd done this before, even though they hadn't.The buses were luxury coaches with comfortable seats and climate control. Even in crisis, the academy maintained certain standards.The ride took three hours. They le
You may also like
TRILLIONAIRE IN DISGUISE
Lyonlee322.4K viewsRise Of The Supreme General
Anakin Detour84.0K viewsRevenge Of The Rejected Heir
Beautypete95.8K viewsRise Of The Student Billionaire
Dragon Sly206.4K viewsThe Beggar’s Throne
Danny Ink3.4K viewsAshes Between Us
RebornWill 169 viewsTHE RETURN Of the LEGENDARY KING of WAR
SAMMY'S LAST 596 viewsOnce An Uber Driver, Now A Trillionaire!
Author Promise4.4K views