I woke up at 6:30 the next morning. From the way the dazzling sunshine lit up the inside of my tent, I could tell that it was a bright sunny day without even needing to go outside.
A world of green spread out before my eyes as I emerged from my tent in the sweltering heat.
"Seems like choosing somewhere out of the direct sunlight was the right choice after all."
Even though I had walked a little further to find a good spot, setting up my tent in a consistently shady place had been the smart thing to do.
After a quick breakfast of one of my portable meals and some water, I packed up my tent and waited for 7:00 AM.
Most students should already be awake by now and waiting for the exam to begin for the day. Designated areas would be my top priority, but I'd consider changing focus if a Task showed up somewhere nearby. That is, depending on the details and rewards.
Then, at 7 o'clock, a notification was sent to my watch.
I set my tablet on my lap and powered it on before refreshing the map.
My current location was area D7. So where would I be traveling today?
The area highlighted on my map was─ E8.
The location closest to where I had chosen to set up camp for the night.
Put another way, I was in an ideal position to go after the Early Bird Bonus this time.
Without wasting even a second, I immediately set off.
I had spent the first day sitting back and taking a look at the situation, but from today onward, I would gradually begin to pick up the pace.
Before too long, I stepped foot into area E8 and received a confirmation notification on my watch.
As my entire group had arrived, I was given the full 10 point reward for a first-place finish.
In one fell swoop, I managed to recover from yesterday's deficit. You could even say that things were going a little too well.
Since I had the time, it'd be best if I could lock in some Task wins as well, but…
There were no Tasks that a solo group could register for in the surrounding area, with the closest one all the way over in B8. Given the time it would take to go there and back, I felt that I should probably just pass up on the opportunity for now.
Since I didn't know when some other Task might show up, I'd just keep an eye on the map as I waited for my next move.