Chapter 1066
The surrounding competitors screamed, instinctively scrambling backward to put as much distance as possible between themselves and the containment bags.
A wave of pure panic ripped through the crowd.
“Are you serious? There are actually that many venomous bugs in there p>
“How the hell did something like this survive on a secured island p>
“If… if one of those things bites you, you’d be dead before the medics even arrived p>
“This is insane! No wonder The Dreamscape Initiative lost their minds. I… I’m not going to be able to sleep at all tonight p>
“Chief Arbiter, how can there be an infestation like this? Is our safety actually guaranteed p>
Graves watched the mass hysteria rapidly spiraling out of control. If this Vermin Infestation compromised the psychological state of the competitors and derailed the tournament, he would be held entirely responsible as the Chief Arbiter.
The financial penalties would be the least of his worries. If the federal directors charged him with criminal negligence, his career would be permanently destroyed!
Desperate to regain control, Graves puffed out his chest and roared with all the authority he could muster. “Silence! Everyone, calm down immediately p>
The shouting died down, but the sheer terror remained plastered on the students’ faces.
Graves kept his expression deadly serious. “I personally guarantee that this island underwent a maximum-level bio-sweep. Even if a few anomalies slipped through the cracks, the threat has now been completely neutralized and contained p>
“I will personally lead The Board of Arbiters and the GSTF Security Detail in a
secondary, comprehensive sweep of the perimeter tonight. There will be absolutely no further incidents p>
“Now, return to your dormitories and go to sleep. Do not let this affect your performance in tomorrow’s trials p>
The competitors exchanged nervous glances.
Everyone was still deeply shaken. How could anyone guarantee that those things weren’t currently waiting in their own beds?
But facing Graves’ furious, threatening glare, no one dared to openly challenge him. Slowly, reluctantly, the crowd began to disperse, shuffling back toward their rooms in small, frightened groups.
Bianca and Isabella remained frozen in place, refusing to take a single step toward the luxury suite.
“I am not going back inside! There are definitely more of them!” Bianca stared at the beautiful building with pure dread, shaking her head frantically.
What happened in that room was a living nightmare.
They had been lying comfortably in their beds when they suddenly felt the sickening sensation of dozens of tiny legs skittering across their faces When they turned on the lights, the entire bed was a moving
mass of insects, and the floor was a writhing carpet of venonious
predators.
They had screamed, jumped from the mattress, and literally crawled out the ground- floor window to escape.
They would rather die than experience that again.
“I want a different room! Move us right now!” Bianca screamed, her voice breaking
under the weight of her panic.
“A different room?” Graves had
completely lost whatever shred of
patience he had left. He let out a harsh, mocking laugh. “The housing blocks are completely full. Where exactly do you expect me to put you p>
“Do you expect someone else to just hand over their bed to you p>
Graves had absolutely no intention of coddling her anymore. “You think these bugs have a personal vendetta against you? Out of every single room on this island, they just magically decided to bypass everyone else and crawl exclusively into your bed p>
“Why is every other team completely fine p>
“Maybe you should ask yourselves if karma is finally catching up with you p>
He scoffed aggressively. “If you refuse to sleep in your assigned room, then you can stand out here in the freezing wind and fend for yourselves p>
“But if I hear you scream again, or if you disrupt the other competitors for a second time, I will hit you with an immediate disciplinary violation p>
Without wasting another breath on The Dreamscape Initiative, Graves turned on his heel and hobbled away alongside the heavily armed security operatives holding the writhing bags.
Bianca and Isabella collapsed against each other, sobbing uncontrollably in the freezing dark.
Even though the security team had physically removed the predators, they didn’t have a shred of courage left to step foot inside that suite. Who knew what was still lurking under the furniture?
As the remaining security personnel, officials, and competitors finally cleared the area, the night went quiet once again.
The only people left standing in the shadows, quietly observing the absolute wreckage of their enemies, were Lydia and the rest of The Hope Initiative.