Fate Online: Shadow

'They're coming too?'

Michael thought when he saw that the deckhands from before had also disembarked from the ship with changed clothes.

'But these two ladies still look carefree when most of the students around them look nervous and anxious'

When everybody finally got off the ship, the yacht had once again moved and slowly sailed away from the island under the reluctant gazes of the students.

"Come on, follow me students"

Mr. Santos led the students off the docks, walked through the beach and arrived before a rugged road that's covered in weeds and rocks with large trees surrounding the island, providing cover under the scorching sunlight.

Along the way, their nervousness already disappeared as their inner child or inner artist appeared as they immediately started taking photos with the scenery of the island.

Then one geeky looking student suddenly spotted something that made his eyes lit up in excitement!

So he quickly walked over towards it with gusto!

"Oh my god, isn't this a Morchella esculenta?! Some of them are actually growing here!"

One student who heard him was taken aback when he heard those foreign words that came out of that student's mouth that he couldn't help but say, "A morchella what?!"

The nerdy looking student turned his head towards the source of the voice and rolled his eyes and said, "Morchella esculenta, otherwise known as Gucchi mushroom. A kilogram of this mushroom can fetch from around one hundred dollars to four hundred!"

"That expensive?!"

"Yeah, but it's actually amazing that this kind of mushroom grows on this island during this season"

"Why?"

"Because they only grow after snowfall, dumbas*!" answered the nerdy dude with a snort.

The commotion on their side quickly attracted the others towards them as they also curiously looked at these so-called expensive mushrooms, with a few of them going as far as lying down on the ground beside them just to take a selfie.

"Wow, people would do everything for fame huh?" Michael muttered while looking at his fellow students taking a selfie…with mushrooms.

"Not really, they probably just want to brag to their friends in their social group. After all, most of us here came from well off families, and these mushrooms that are considered expensive to the eyes of others, probably just look very novel to them" Maine answered after taking a selfie with the four of them.

And she was right, after taking a photo with the mushrooms, all of those students quickly left and followed after the others who are at the front of the group, while those students that are in need of money or probably just want to have a taste of an expensive item, carefully plucked them off from the ground and stored them into their own containers, that includes that nerdy looking student from earlier who looked at those mushrooms while salivating.

"See? Besides, there's really not much difference between eating that and an ordinary mushroom, they almost all taste the same" Maine said with a laugh while walking with the others, and Michael just shrugged his shoulders and started observing his surroundings like it was some kind of field work before a mission.

'This island…it has some traces of wildlife' Michael thought, noticing the traces of animals on the ground.

"Wow! There's actually a building here, and here I thought we'd be camping outside!"

Michael's train of thought was immediately interrupted because of that shout, and he immediately turned his head to the front, and a two story tall building that's designed to look like a dormitory immediately came into view!

"Yes! We don't have to camp outside!"

The students quickly rushed inside the building, leaving only Michael and his friends behind as they just slowly walked towards it, and then his eyes and his professor's eyes met, and the latter showed this mysterious smile on his face.

'They never learn, do they?'

Michael realized something from that smile and laughed as they walked past him and also made their way inside the building, and looked for a corner where they could put their luggages down.

After all the students were inside, Mr. Santos also followed suit with his luggage, leaving those five so-called deckhands from earlier waiting outside.

A few minutes later, the students are once again gathered outside the building.

"Okay then, let's start the challenge that will determine the two teams who will be sleeping inside the building with us tonight!"

"Huh??!"

Almost all of the students had the same reaction after hearing what their teacher said.

"What do you mean by that professor?! Aren't we gonna sleep inside the building?" one of Chad's friends couldn't help but raise a question that almost every other student wanted to know.

"Yes and no, only two groups will be allowed to sleep inside, while the rest...well, you're gonna have to sleep outside"

He didn't allow any more of them to open their mouths, so he quickly followed with a yell!

"The first two groups to circle the island and come back here will be the winners! Don't even think of cheating because those people over there at the corner and came with us would also be running along with you! They will be your instructors and at the same time monitor all of you while living on this island, and there will also be a drone in the sky to spot anyone cheating!"

But no one moved, they just looked at each other in confusion, except for one guy who had already turned around and was making his way towards the beach, who were quickly followed by the members of his group that wore anxious looks on their faces, especially Brandon, who looks the most unfit among them!

Michael's group left first, followed by Chad's group, then another group, then another, and even though the others had already started, there's still half of the students remaining at the campgrounds, who don't seem to have any care if they would finish first or last as they still continued dawdling around!

Looking at the students who are not taking his words seriously, Mr. Santos couldn't help but immediately get angry and yelled at them, "What are you fools still standing there for? Christmas?! The others had already started, if you arrive here late and are not able to build shelter before night falls, then pray to the heavens that it doesn't rain before you can do so!"

"So move your f*cking asses!"

Hearing that, all of the remaining students were like startled rabbits as they quickly made a run towards the beach, and following behind them are the two remaining so-called instructors who will be accompanying them until their MT ends.