The War God Alpha's Arranged Bride (Evelyn and Alexander) novel Chapter 361

**TITLE: Steps Along Forgotten Roads**
By Sophia Reed

**Chapter 361 Second Week**

**Judy’s POV**

As the weekend unfolded, we immersed ourselves in rigorous training exercises, pushing our limits in the gym. Every moment felt like a whirlwind of activity, leaving me with scarcely a moment to catch my breath before the impending battles of the week loomed on the horizon. Yet, amidst the intensity, Tabby and I carved out a brief sanctuary to celebrate. We had received our official notices—victory was ours as we advanced to the next round, and that called for a small celebration.

When the schedules for the upcoming week were handed out, I was taken aback. Group B, our group, was not slated to commence until Wednesday, a full day later than the previous week’s Tuesday kickoff. It felt odd, and I couldn’t help but wonder what this meant for our strategy.

Finally, Wednesday arrived, and the atmosphere buzzed with anticipation. This morning, Group B had been divided into smaller teams, each one preparing for the next match. Instead of gathering at the arena like we had done previously, we were herded onto buses that whisked us away to an airfield. There, three small planes sat idling, their engines humming softly in the background, waiting for us.

I tilted my head back to gaze at the sky, where drones buzzed overhead, capturing every moment of our journey. The competition was officially underway.

As the buses came to a halt, I spotted Levi, Mica, Jeremy, and Gavin already waiting for us at the airfield. The moment I joined my team, Gavin’s eyes locked onto mine, a connection that sent a flutter through my chest. Over the weekend, we had been issued team shirts, and I proudly wore the vibrant red of my group. It felt like a badge of honor.

There were teams in blue and green as well, each color representing a different faction in this fierce competition. We were also given white flags, each adorned with our names—symbols of surrender, meant to accompany us during this next phase of the challenge. The stakes were high; forgetting that flag would mean disqualification and elimination from the competition.

“Welcome to week two of the competition,” Alpha Levi’s voice boomed, cutting through the chatter.

Since we weren’t in the arena, there was no official announcer, so Levi stepped up to the plate, his presence commanding attention. Cheers erupted as teams high-fived, celebrating their advancement, while others stood nervously, chewing on their nails and biting their lips in anticipation.

“This week is crucial,” Levi continued, his expression serious. “It’s a test of your survival instincts and hunting skills. Each team will be flown to a different section of a deserted island, where we have hidden five flags in the forest. Your mission is to collect all five and return them to the base, which is the arena outside the resort. You have 48 hours to complete this task.”

A ripple of murmurs spread through the crowd, a chorus of disbelief and anxiety.

“Is it really going to take 48 hours to gather five flags?” I heard someone whisper. The thought of spending multiple days on a deserted island was daunting. They hadn’t instructed us to pack anything, leading me to believe this would be a quick endeavor, much like the matches from the previous week.

Beside me, Tabby wore a puzzled expression, mirroring my own confusion.

“It’s your responsibility to gather the resources you need for survival,” Levi elaborated, his gaze piercing. “But remember to strategize. The island is home to wild animals that may not take kindly to your presence. And most importantly, your opposing teams are your enemies. Killing is not prohibited, but if you feel overwhelmed, you can surrender. Surrendering means handing over your white flag to the other player. The drone will capture that moment, and you will be extracted by helicopter and returned to the base. However, surrendering means forfeiting the competition, and you will be eliminated.”

The murmurs grew louder, my gaze drifting to Gavin. His expression was tense, jaw clenched, eyes darkening with concern.

“There are no strict rules for this match, but we urge you to show mercy to those who surrender. You’ll be blindfolded, so you won’t know where you land, but you should aim to land near your teammates. Collaboration is essential for success.”

With that, Levi stepped aside, allowing the other Lycans to guide each team toward their designated plane. Tabby remained close by as we approached the entrance. I was the last to board, and just as I was about to step onto the plane after her, a gentle yet firm grip wrapped around my wrist, halting my movement.

I turned to find Gavin’s intense gaze fixed on me, his dark eyes revealing an emotion I couldn’t quite decipher.

“Don’t be reckless,” he urged softly, his voice barely above a whisper. “If it gets too dangerous, surrender.”

His words stung, and I pulled my wrist free from his grasp, feeling a mix of irritation and hurt.

“I won’t back down without a fight,” I retorted, my voice steady as I turned and stepped onto the plane.

Inside, a man greeted me, his demeanor calm as he helped strap a backpack onto my body. It quickly dawned on me that this was no ordinary backpack; it was a parachute.

We were really going to jump out of the plane.

A rush of relief washed over me as I felt the parachute catch the air, slowing my descent. I was not destined to meet my end in this way.

Minutes later, I landed with a soft thud on what felt like sand. The first thing I did was rip off the blindfold, disentangle myself, and unstrap the parachute, letting it fall away.

I was right; I had landed on a sandy beach, and my teammates were scattered around me, similarly disentangling themselves from their parachutes. Laughter erupted from some, while others lay on the ground, thanking the Goddess for their survival. I found myself somewhere in between.

As I looked around, I took in the stunning view: we were on a beach, with a vast forest rising before us, the trees towering majestically, leading up to a formidable mountain. The beauty of the landscape was awe-inspiring, yet it felt intimidating.

Small boats were docked along the beach, undoubtedly our means of escape from this island, but first, we needed to find those elusive flags.

Tabby landed beside me, and as she removed her blindfold, a grin spread across her face.

“That was incredible!” she exclaimed, her excitement infectious.

I chuckled, the thrill of the jump still coursing through my veins.

Once the rest of our team had touched down and we were all together, we gathered in a circle, shedding our blindfolds and backpacks. The reality of our situation settled upon us—we needed a solid game plan. If we didn’t work together, the consequences could be dire.

“We have two days to make this work,” Chuck declared, stepping into the center of our circle. I recognized him as a fierce fighter from our previous battles. “We need to secure shelter and resources for survival.”

“We should split into smaller teams,” Sherry suggested, joining him in the center. I respected her prowess from our last matches. “One team can focus on finding food and water while the other gathers materials to set up camp.”

“And another team should start searching for the flags,” Chuck added, his tone resolute. “Time is of the essence, so we should get moving right away.”