Classroom of the Elite: Standing Firm in Class A — Chapter 83

Chapter 83: The Optimal Route

“Staying up late? What do you mean?” Totsuka Yahiko’s eyes widened, reflecting the dim light of the cave. “We already captured all the strongholds we needed to capture.”

Katsuragi Kohei frowned. He crossed his arms, his sharp gaze fixed on the map. “Is it because of the eight-hour capture interval rule?”

“Smart.” Kaedehara Tetsu offered a brief nod. He smoothed out the crumpled paper over a flat rock, gesturing for the others to gather closer. “There is a fatal flaw in the timing and sequence of our stronghold captures today.”

He dragged a finger across the crude ink lines. “According to the current schedule, the first few locations are fine. But later tonight, Totsuka, you will need to visit one stronghold at one in the morning. Another at two. And two more at four.”

Totsuka stared at the paper. The blood drained from his face. “This… there is absolutely no time to rest.”

“Exactly. This arrangement is a logistical nightmare.” Tetsu kept his voice level, letting the reality sink in. “It wastes stamina and drastically increases the margin for error. If you slip up just once due to sheer exhaustion, the entire capture network collapses.”

The other boys huddled around the rock exchanged uneasy glances. The gravity of the situation finally dawned on them. If they strictly adhered to the current timeline, Totsuka would essentially be running a sleepless marathon for an entire week. A physical impossibility.

“Then what solution do you propose?” Katsuragi asked. Though he had conceded the leadership position to Tetsu, he remained fiercely pragmatic when it came to the survival of Class A.

“It is night.” Tetsu gestured toward the pitch-black mouth of the cave. “It is highly unlikely that the other classes are wandering the island at this hour. This gives us the perfect window to recalibrate.”

“How exactly do we recalibrate?”

“We send a detachment out right now to wait at the strongholds we secured early in the day. Then, when the later strongholds approach their eight-hour expiration mark, we recapture the early ones.”

Totsuka rubbed his temples. The exhaustion was already setting in. “Could you be a little more specific? My brain is completely fried right now.”

Tetsu let out a quiet breath. “Let me give you a simple example.”

“We captured Stronghold A at two this afternoon, and Stronghold B at five. Under the eight-hour rule, we are required to recapture A at ten tonight, and B at one in the morning.”

“If we follow the original, flawed plan, you would trek to Stronghold A at ten, return, and then drag yourself out to Stronghold B at one.”

“However, if we deploy people right now to wait at the early strongholds, we can intentionally delay. We wait until twelve-thirty to recapture Stronghold A. By the time you hike over to Stronghold B, it will be perfectly aligned for the two o’clock recapture.”

Tetsu tapped the center of the map. “I will draft an optimal, simplified route for you, Totsuka. You will be able to hit every single location in one continuous circuit.”

Totsuka’s eyes lit up. The crushing weight of a sleepless week vanished. “If we do it your way, how long will the entire run take?”

“Following the new route, the round trip takes two hours. If you push your pace, an hour and a half is more than enough.”

“This way, by just staying up late tonight, we guarantee smooth sailing for the rest of the exam.” Tetsu looked up, meeting the eyes of the group. “Compared to sprinting blindly into the jungle at random hours for seven days, this is the only logical choice.”

Katsuragi nodded slowly. By manipulating the time sequence, they bypassed the physical toll on their personnel while maintaining an iron grip on their territory.

“But there is a glaring issue.” Totsuka raised a hand, his anxiety flaring up again. “What if we accidentally run into students from another class? What if they approach the spot? Strictly speaking, those strongholds would not belong to us during that delayed window since we have not officially recaptured them yet.”

It was a valid concern. The exam rules dictated that control evaporated the second the eight-hour timer expired. If a rival class stumbled upon the scanner during that artificial gap, Class A’s entire monopoly would shatter.

“The rules explicitly forbid trespassing into another class’s stronghold.” Tetsu’s tone was dismissive, almost amused. “Technically, yes, the spot is neutral during the delay. But as long as our people stand directly in front of the scanner and confidently declare that the area is occupied, they will not dare force their way inside.”

“Will they actually believe us? What if they call our bluff?”

“They will not risk it.” Tetsu’s voice carried a chilling certainty. “The penalty for unauthorized access is a deduction of fifty Class Points. No one on this island is desperate enough to gamble fifty points just to test if we are lying.”

Katsuragi absorbed the logic. “This exploits a blind spot in the manual. It breaks no explicit regulations, yet it maximizes our operational efficiency.”

“In that case… move out. Keep a low profile.”

The assigned students nodded, turning away from the firelight. They slipped out of the cave one by one, their footsteps swallowed by the dense, humid night.

Tetsu stood near the entrance. He watched the shadows merge with the tree line until the last student completely vanished. The jungle was quiet, save for the distant rustle of leaves.

He turned back. Katsuragi was still standing by the rock, his hands buried deep in the pockets of his track jacket. His expression was heavy, weighed down by unspoken thoughts.

“Go ahead.” Tetsu broke the silence. “What did you stay behind to discuss?”

Katsuragi did not answer right away. He paced a few steps deeper into the cavern, his heavy boots scuffing against the dirt.

Finally, he stopped a few paces away and let out a slow breath.

“Ryuen Kakeru approached me today.”

Tetsu raised an eyebrow. His calm demeanor did not waver.

“He offered a deal. Class C would use their current exam points to purchase survival items and supplies for Class A.” Katsuragi kept his voice low, ensuring the words did not echo. “But there is a condition. We have to pay them twenty thousand Private Points per person after we return to the cruise ship.”

“And the rest?”

“He suggested further negotiations. A potential alliance to crush the other classes.” Katsuragi frowned. “However, he refused to reveal the specific details unless we agreed to his initial terms.”

“What is your assessment of this offer?”

“As a pure transaction, it holds merit.” Katsuragi analyzed the situation with his usual rigid logic. “From an economic standpoint, we acquire massive short-term resources without spending our own exam points. It would practically guarantee our dominance on this island.”

Tetsu listened in silence. Then, a faint, mocking smile touched his lips. He slowly shook his head.

“Logically, your math is correct. But you are forgetting the fundamental rule of this academy. Graduating from Class A is the only true success. Why would we ever finance the enemy?”

Katsuragi froze. The rhetorical question pierced straight through his economic theory. His brow furrowed deeply.

“It is infinitely better to bleed our own points than to feed a single point to the wolves below us.”

The cave fell into a suffocating silence. Tetsu’s words struck Katsuragi like a physical blow, shattering his previous rationale.

“Graduating from Class A is the only true success…” Katsuragi muttered to himself. The fog in his eyes cleared, replaced by sharp clarity. “I understand now. Ryuen’s proposal is a trap. He is asking us to trade our future potential for immediate convenience.”

“Precisely.” Tetsu nodded, his eyes cold. “Supplying Class C with a massive influx of Private Points means we are actively funding a threat. We would be cultivating a parasite that relies on us today, only to demand more tomorrow. Eventually, they will bite the hand that feeds them.”

Katsuragi was entirely convinced. He took a deep breath, purging the last lingering traces of hesitation from his chest.

“My judgment was flawed. I only looked at the immediate survival metrics. I will definitively reject Ryuen’s proposal.”

“Make sure your refusal is absolute. Leave him zero room for negotiation or false hope.” Tetsu paused, his gaze hardening. “And warn the rest of the class. If Ryuen is making moves in the shadows, they need to remain vigilant.”

“I will handle it.”