Meanwhile...

Somewhere in the woods behind the campus. Floyd is all alone, bored, and tired.

Floyd sighs, "No randos should bother me if I catch some Z's in the branches around here," He scoffs, "Hup..." He then climbs up a tree and lets out a scoff, "Tch. That stupid Octavinelle junior I ran into on the way here, though..." and says, annoyed, "'Wah-wah-wah, you should be helping your upperclassman out. I'm super lame and whiny.' Why should I carry a bunch of wimps through the game for free? What is this, community service? Guy was goin' on about giving me his bean blaster in return, but I don't even want the dumb thing. I gave him my best death glare... And he just shoved it in my hands like, 'Uh, you can have it anyway! Forget I said anything.' Then he booked it."

Soon, Floyd hears poinking sounds.

And soon shoots his bean gun, "What a goofy sound. This thing's like a toy for babies." Then says in his thoughts, " Jade seemed pretty happy yesterday about getting to play tag with Azul. Wonder where he's at now. (Azul's been prepping for this for ages so he can boost his PE grade. I asked him what he was up to once, and he was like, 'I'm not disclosing my plans when there's a non-zero chance you could be my enemy.' I mean... With a no-magic rule in place, Jade and I could squeeze most people in the game if we teamed up, right?"

Then says, annoyed, Pah. It's no fun when there's no challenge."

He soon notices someone below, "Oh, hey, it's Crabby and Gator."

And down below, he sees Ace and Cater.

Ace looks at the map, "Let's see. According to the map, there are multiple farmer supply crates in the woods near Ramshackle Dorm."

"Hm? But we're on the monster team. Why would we venture out to enemy supply crates?" Sebek questions.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk! You gotta play it smart in tag, Sebek. You can't just run hard and call it good," Ace says, "The supply crates might as well be bait to lure out our targets. You get where I'm going with this?"

Sebek understands, "Ah. You speak of setting up an ambush."

"Now you're getting it. The start of the game is when farmers are most likely to be seeking out equipment," Ace says.

"Then the sooner we act, the better," Ace says and lets out a shout, "TO ACTION!"

Ace quickly shushes Sebek, "SHHH! Not so loud. Geez. Remember, we're supposed to get the jump on the enemy. You gotta play it quiet-like! Be stealthy."

The two students continue talking, unaware that Floyd is up in the trees and hears the conversation.

Floyd says in thoughts, "An ambush, huh? Not the worst play, but the farmers outnumber the monsters by a lot. They could easily get surrounded. Crabby's a quick thinker. Too bad his follow-through always falls flat. Same story in the Basketball Club." And soon notice something else, "Now someone else is coming. It's Sea Otter. And it looks like he's carrying some ginormous bundle on his back."

Down below is Kalim, and he is carrying the lunch kit Jamily packed for him.

Kalim happily says, "Whew... This lunch kit Jamil packed for me sure is heavy."

Floyd sniffs and says in thoughts, "I can smell the meat and spices all the way up here. Is that WHOLE thing full of food?

Kalim looks around, "The weather's nice. If I want to set this up to eat with a group, it's gotta be the commons... Then again, I can't rule out the courtyard. But if I want a place to really relax, maybe the botanical garden would be better? It's warm in there year-round. The vibe would certainly be closer to the Scalding Sands than I'd get anywhere outdoors at this time of year. All right—lunch at the botanical gardens it is!" And begins to head to his destination.

Floyd shakes his head in response, "Is he totally forgetting farmers are supposed to get the harp? Well, whatev. Not like I'm in a position to 'harp' on anyone. Heh."

And soon, he spots Jamil, "There's still some time before lunch. I'd better get more pawns in the meantime."

Floyd stands up on the tree and calls out, "Oh, hey. Whaddup, Sea Snake?"

Recognizing the voice, Jamil searches around, "Floyd?! Where—?" and soon looks up, "Up above?!"