ACADEMY OF SURVIVAL

As Micheal and Tohira entered the room, Micheal's eyes scanned their teammates. Gin was smiling and waving at them, Christopher looked as calm as ever, Bruse leaned back casually, and Starter sat with his back against the wall, one leg propped up, his cold gaze fixed on Micheal and Tohira as they entered.

"Was he anticipating us?" Micheal thought, locking eyes with Starter. Though no words were exchanged, Micheal felt as if Starter's gaze was trying to communicate something—something only he and Tohira were meant to understand.

The tension in the room was palpable. Micheal could feel it radiating between them, but beside him, Tohira faintly smiled, seemingly unfazed by the weight of Starter's stare.

Suddenly, an announcement crackled to life, cutting through the silence.

"Hello, Team A!" a voice chimed enthusiastically.

It was Nola, his tone cheerful, but there was a momentary pause.

"Congratulations on completing—uhh…" Nola trailed off, as if noticing something.

"Oh?"

In his secluded room, Nola peered at the screen in front of him. His list of Team A's members flashed before his narrowed eyes.

"Nishi and Rodé… missing?" he muttered, a faint smile curling at his lips.

Still, he quickly composed himself, his expression turning unreadable. He looked up at the plasma screen projecting Team A's exhausted faces.

"Well, congratulations, Team A!" Nola said, his voice smooth and composed. "You six have officially made it through the House of Crows."

His words hung in the air as the surviving teammates exchanged wary glances, each of them acutely aware that not all of them had made it.

Micheal's eyes discreetly widened as the reality of the situation hit him. His initial assumption—that if one of there team members simply making it to the destination guaranteed success—was instantly shattered.

"Yeah!"

Micheal heard Nola's voice, his tone laced with a casual cheerfulness, almost as if he were addressing him directly.

"Now that you've all passed this phase," Nola continued with a smile, "congrats on moving up the ranks, Team A!"

Micheal turned his attention to the large screen displaying the updated rankings:

Team A Rankings:

Starter Dylan: Median Rank: 780

Tohira Claudson: Median Rank: 810

Christopher Yanker: Median Rank: 900

Nishi Crownson: Eliminated ❌

Bruse Nunez: Median Rank: 870

Gin Arkson: Median Rank: 850

Micheal Walker: Median Rank: 980

Rodè Paul: Eliminated ❌

"Damn, I'm still the lowest here," Micheal thought, a flicker of frustration crossing his mind despite the cold expression he maintained.

Just then, Micheal noticed Nola's expression shift into one of shock.

"Wait, what?!" Nola exclaimed.

"Please excuse me; I'll be right back!" he added, forcing a smile before the screen abruptly cut off, leaving the team in confusion.

"What's up with that?" Gin asked casually, glancing at the now-blank screen.

"Don't know," Tohira replied, turning toward Gin with an easy smile. "But mind if I ask you all something?"

Micheal's gaze followed Tohira as he walked nonchalantly toward Gin, smiling as if he hadn't noticed the sudden tension creeping into the room.

"I'm sure, since we all made it here, you don't mind sharing how you managed to get through the Forest of Intermediary?" Tohira asked, his tone light but deliberate.

The atmosphere shifted noticeably, and Micheal felt the weight of the room grow heavier. It hit him then—these people weren't ordinary. Like Tohira, they must have supernatural abilities. Otherwise, they wouldn't have survived the trials.

"I mean, I'm just curious," Tohira added, his smile unwavering despite the tension he was provoking.

"Curiosity killed the cat," Starter said coldly, his eyes glancing briefly at Tohira. "I suggest you mind your business."

"Mister Ice, I promise you," Tohira replied with a mock smile, "your existence means less to me than you think. Don't overestimate your importance."

The tension escalated, and Micheal could feel the hostility between Starter and Tohira threatening to boil over. Just then, Gin interjected with a casual grin, resting his hand against his jaw.

"Come on, you two. Relax."

"Why does he look like he's enjoying this?" Micheal wondered, his gaze shifting to Gin's relaxed demeanor.

"Quick question, Tohira," Gin said, his smile lingering as he briefly glanced at Micheal. "How did you and Micheal make it through? And wasn't Rodè supposed to be behind you two?"

Micheal and Tohira exchanged a brief look before Tohira shrugged, his grin widening.

"I guess we were lucky, and he wasn't," Tohira said lightly.

"Besides, he was way at the back, even before we headed out," Tohira added nonchalantly.

"Anyway, why are you asking?" Tohira asked, his gaze sharpening slightly.

Micheal, observing the scene, noticed the tension rising again. Gin's question, though seemingly innocent, felt oddly pointed. Micheal's own suspicions grew as he wondered why Gin would bring up Rodè, especially when it was clear he hadn't been close behind.

Just then, a guard entered the room, breaking the tense atmosphere.

"We're waiting on one more member before starting the next trial," the guard announced.

The room fell silent. Everyone exchanged uncertain glances, a shared thought forming: Could it be Rodè?

Meanwhile, in a secluded chamber, Nola's eyes widened in surprise as another guard leaned in, whispering something into his ear.

"You're saying his corpse wasn't found?!" Nola asked coldly, his tone sharp and probing.

"Yes, sir," the guard confirmed.

Nola's expression darkened slightly as he murmured, "Then this isn't good."

Straightening up, Nola turned back to the guard, his gaze chilling.

"Find his corpse immediately!" he ordered, his voice hard.

The guard hesitated for a moment, clearly uneasy.

"And you'd better hope one of the Sinders hasn't eaten him yet, Major Corner," Nola added, his tone dropping to a sinister growl.

The man visibly flinched under Nola's glare. "Y-yes, sir," he stammered, bowing slightly before turning on his heels and leaving the room in haste.

"Because that would be an unfortunate disaster of the highest order," Nola thought, his legs crossed as he watched the screen, where Team A was being addressed by a guard.

His gaze shifted to the name Nishi Crownson in his meticulously kept book of participants. Just then, a notification buzzed on his watch. Clicking it, a gruesome image popped onto the screen—a body crushed beyond recognition, reduced to a pool of blood with nothing identifiable left.

A faint smile curved on his lips.

"Oh boy... Who would've thought there's a hidden gem among these new participants," Nola murmured, leaning back in his chair.