Their Mistake, Her Rise - Chapter 28: Chapter 28
You are reading Their Mistake, Her Rise, Chapter 28: Chapter 28. Read more chapters of Their Mistake, Her Rise.
Since it was a survival exercise, having the right stuff was crucial. Highcrest University did a solid job. They had a bunch of supplies piled up on the field—food, sleeping bags, bug spray, flashlights, compasses, knives, and more.
The students knew the drill. Most of them grabbed the essentials first—food and sleeping bags.
Eunice and her brothers, Herbert and Jacob, were extra careful. They grabbed some food, necessities, flashlights, and even electric batons.
Cheryl followed Eunice, copying everything she did.
After they got their gear, they saw Zoe in the crowd. She walked up to the supplies and did something that left everyone scratching their heads.
Zoe rummaged through the supplies and only grabbed a military knife. She tucked it in her waist and plopped down on the ground, crossing her legs.
Everyone was shocked. Zoe only took a knife and skipped the food. They thought Zoe didn't know this year's challenge was way more dangerous.
They heard that the place was unexplored. No one knew what was out there. In their eyes, taking a knife only was equal to asking for trouble.
"Zoe, I know you've never been to something this fancy before and don't really get the rules, but you should know food's important. Just a knife won't fill your belly—you're gonna regret it." Eunice stepped forward, pretending to care, but really just wanting to embarrass Zoe.
Her voice was so loud that everyone turned to look at Zoe. And, just like that, the crowd erupted in laughter.
"These country folks are something else. Look at her, acting like a wild person. No food at all? Does she think she's Robinson Crusoe, building huts and living off wild plants in the wilderness?"
"What a moron. She only brought a knife. Thinks she's gonna cut off her own meat to eat?"
"Who knows, maybe that's the plan. Remember that day in class? Didn't you see all the scars on her wrists? Maybe she's been cutting herself and eating her own flesh."
The students laughed at Zoe, mocking her for bringing just a knife and no food.
Even though they were making fun of her, Zoe didn't care. She just knelt down, closed her eyes, and took a rest to recharge.
"Quiet!" A deep, commanding male voice cut through the noise. The crowd instantly shut up.
Not far away, Shawn stood tall in his military uniform. His tanned, muscular body radiated authority. He walked over with Chase and a bunch of soldiers.
When Eunice saw Shawn, her heart raced. She wanted to impress him. But remembering how Zoe had tried to get his attention, she decided to make Zoe the target of everyone's criticism, hoping Shawn would dislike Zoe.
Lowering her head shyly, Eunice softly said to Shawn, "Instructor, could you please talk some sense into Zoe? This survival activity is dangerous, but no matter what I say, she insists on only bringing a knife."
"Everyone thinks it's a bad idea," she added. "I mean, she should've at least brought some food and water."
Shawn didn't even look at her. He just waved his hand dismissively.
In a flash, his trained soldiers acted quickly. Before the students could react, they had taken all the gear from everyone.
The students were completely shocked. They all stood there, stunned.
Right in front of them, Shawn crossed his arms. His white-gloved fingers intertwined, making his long, slender knuckles stand out. He gave Chase a cold glance.
Chase stepped forward and explained, "Hey students, this survival event will be led by our chief instructor, Shawn, who'll be in charge the whole time. The rules are different this time.
"For this survival activity, there won't be any supply drops. You can't bring food, sleeping bags, or bug spray. The only thing you'll have is a knife. How you survive in the wild is up to you."
As soon as he said that, the students' expressions changed drastically. Eunice's face looked like she had just eaten something disgusting.
Just a moment ago, everyone had been laughing at Zoe for only bringing a knife, thinking she'd suffer the most.
And now, everyone felt like they'd been slapped in the face, so embarrassed they couldn't say a word.
Chase continued, "Also, to make it more realistic, we'll have some soldiers join you in the forest. They might pretend to be enemies and ambush you. If you get ambushed, you're out. This event will be recorded in your files, so take it seriously."
"What?!" As soon as Chase finished, all the students exclaimed in shock.
Instead of laughing at Zoe and being proven wrong, everyone was more focused on the people around Shawn. These were warriors who had fought alongside Shawn in battles. They were once the strongest team in the world.
Students at Highcrest University had trained hard since they were kids, but they were no match for the pros. Their skills just weren't good enough.
This event went on their permanent record. If they got knocked out and it showed up there, forget about joining the Eminence Nexus as a top leader.
The students looked dead serious. The only one who stayed chill was Zoe.
"Everybody got the rules?" Shawn's sharp eyes scanned the crowd. Everyone could feel the tension. When no one spoke, he just said, "Alright, let's start this mission."
The annual wilderness survival event at Highcrest University was on.
After Shawn and Chase left, the heavy vibe eased up. Students started forming six-person teams to tackle the mission.
Teaming up was crucial here. Once in the forest, they would face nature's dangers and surprise attacks from warriors.
If they were on a weak team, they were risking your life or getting knocked out—a big black mark on their record. For Highcrest students, that was a huge deal.
Philip didn't participate, so Eunice teamed up with her two brothers and the three strongest honors class fighters. The other students grouped by strength, strongest to weakest. Naturally, Zoe ended up on the weakest team.
Not far off, Cheryl, who got a solid team, laughed her head off seeing Zoe on the weak group. "Zoe, you're done. You're only good at sneaking around, and now you're stuck here? If Mr. Ludwig's guys ambush you, you're finished. You'll get eliminated.
"And if there's real danger, they'll probably chase you down. Just thinking about it cracks me up!"
Everyone thought Zoe's past wins were just from sneaking. Now, in a teamwork task, she was on the weakest team. Her fate seemed clear. Just thinking about it made students around her laugh.
"That annoying girl! With her lousy skills, what makes her think she can handle survival? I hope danger finds her soon, so she sees how useless she is."
"I don't know where she heard it, but she knew we'd only get one knife. Maybe she didn't just flirt with Mr. Ludwig; maybe she charmed his teammate too? What a shame!"
"But wait till we're in the forest. Let's see how she handles it, never having done survival training. She'll be crying soon."
"Having Zoe around helps us. Thanks, Zoe. If it weren't for you, our group might've been last."
Some guys even teased Zoe's teammates, "If you get eliminated and it's on your record, thank your amazing teammate Zoe. Don't let her off!"
The students knew the drill. Most of them grabbed the essentials first—food and sleeping bags.
Eunice and her brothers, Herbert and Jacob, were extra careful. They grabbed some food, necessities, flashlights, and even electric batons.
Cheryl followed Eunice, copying everything she did.
After they got their gear, they saw Zoe in the crowd. She walked up to the supplies and did something that left everyone scratching their heads.
Zoe rummaged through the supplies and only grabbed a military knife. She tucked it in her waist and plopped down on the ground, crossing her legs.
Everyone was shocked. Zoe only took a knife and skipped the food. They thought Zoe didn't know this year's challenge was way more dangerous.
They heard that the place was unexplored. No one knew what was out there. In their eyes, taking a knife only was equal to asking for trouble.
"Zoe, I know you've never been to something this fancy before and don't really get the rules, but you should know food's important. Just a knife won't fill your belly—you're gonna regret it." Eunice stepped forward, pretending to care, but really just wanting to embarrass Zoe.
Her voice was so loud that everyone turned to look at Zoe. And, just like that, the crowd erupted in laughter.
"These country folks are something else. Look at her, acting like a wild person. No food at all? Does she think she's Robinson Crusoe, building huts and living off wild plants in the wilderness?"
"What a moron. She only brought a knife. Thinks she's gonna cut off her own meat to eat?"
"Who knows, maybe that's the plan. Remember that day in class? Didn't you see all the scars on her wrists? Maybe she's been cutting herself and eating her own flesh."
The students laughed at Zoe, mocking her for bringing just a knife and no food.
Even though they were making fun of her, Zoe didn't care. She just knelt down, closed her eyes, and took a rest to recharge.
"Quiet!" A deep, commanding male voice cut through the noise. The crowd instantly shut up.
Not far away, Shawn stood tall in his military uniform. His tanned, muscular body radiated authority. He walked over with Chase and a bunch of soldiers.
When Eunice saw Shawn, her heart raced. She wanted to impress him. But remembering how Zoe had tried to get his attention, she decided to make Zoe the target of everyone's criticism, hoping Shawn would dislike Zoe.
Lowering her head shyly, Eunice softly said to Shawn, "Instructor, could you please talk some sense into Zoe? This survival activity is dangerous, but no matter what I say, she insists on only bringing a knife."
"Everyone thinks it's a bad idea," she added. "I mean, she should've at least brought some food and water."
Shawn didn't even look at her. He just waved his hand dismissively.
In a flash, his trained soldiers acted quickly. Before the students could react, they had taken all the gear from everyone.
The students were completely shocked. They all stood there, stunned.
Right in front of them, Shawn crossed his arms. His white-gloved fingers intertwined, making his long, slender knuckles stand out. He gave Chase a cold glance.
Chase stepped forward and explained, "Hey students, this survival event will be led by our chief instructor, Shawn, who'll be in charge the whole time. The rules are different this time.
"For this survival activity, there won't be any supply drops. You can't bring food, sleeping bags, or bug spray. The only thing you'll have is a knife. How you survive in the wild is up to you."
As soon as he said that, the students' expressions changed drastically. Eunice's face looked like she had just eaten something disgusting.
Just a moment ago, everyone had been laughing at Zoe for only bringing a knife, thinking she'd suffer the most.
And now, everyone felt like they'd been slapped in the face, so embarrassed they couldn't say a word.
Chase continued, "Also, to make it more realistic, we'll have some soldiers join you in the forest. They might pretend to be enemies and ambush you. If you get ambushed, you're out. This event will be recorded in your files, so take it seriously."
"What?!" As soon as Chase finished, all the students exclaimed in shock.
Instead of laughing at Zoe and being proven wrong, everyone was more focused on the people around Shawn. These were warriors who had fought alongside Shawn in battles. They were once the strongest team in the world.
Students at Highcrest University had trained hard since they were kids, but they were no match for the pros. Their skills just weren't good enough.
This event went on their permanent record. If they got knocked out and it showed up there, forget about joining the Eminence Nexus as a top leader.
The students looked dead serious. The only one who stayed chill was Zoe.
"Everybody got the rules?" Shawn's sharp eyes scanned the crowd. Everyone could feel the tension. When no one spoke, he just said, "Alright, let's start this mission."
The annual wilderness survival event at Highcrest University was on.
After Shawn and Chase left, the heavy vibe eased up. Students started forming six-person teams to tackle the mission.
Teaming up was crucial here. Once in the forest, they would face nature's dangers and surprise attacks from warriors.
If they were on a weak team, they were risking your life or getting knocked out—a big black mark on their record. For Highcrest students, that was a huge deal.
Philip didn't participate, so Eunice teamed up with her two brothers and the three strongest honors class fighters. The other students grouped by strength, strongest to weakest. Naturally, Zoe ended up on the weakest team.
Not far off, Cheryl, who got a solid team, laughed her head off seeing Zoe on the weak group. "Zoe, you're done. You're only good at sneaking around, and now you're stuck here? If Mr. Ludwig's guys ambush you, you're finished. You'll get eliminated.
"And if there's real danger, they'll probably chase you down. Just thinking about it cracks me up!"
Everyone thought Zoe's past wins were just from sneaking. Now, in a teamwork task, she was on the weakest team. Her fate seemed clear. Just thinking about it made students around her laugh.
"That annoying girl! With her lousy skills, what makes her think she can handle survival? I hope danger finds her soon, so she sees how useless she is."
"I don't know where she heard it, but she knew we'd only get one knife. Maybe she didn't just flirt with Mr. Ludwig; maybe she charmed his teammate too? What a shame!"
"But wait till we're in the forest. Let's see how she handles it, never having done survival training. She'll be crying soon."
"Having Zoe around helps us. Thanks, Zoe. If it weren't for you, our group might've been last."
Some guys even teased Zoe's teammates, "If you get eliminated and it's on your record, thank your amazing teammate Zoe. Don't let her off!"
End of Their Mistake, Her Rise Chapter 28. Continue reading Chapter 29 or return to Their Mistake, Her Rise book page.