The Island's True Victor
That won't happen. At first, I was impressed. The plan to spread rumors, gather the scattered students, and wipe them out all at once showed just how differently Lee Seokhyun thought compared to ordinary cadets.
"Most people wouldn't even consider something like that."
"The way he spread the rumors was quite seasoned too."
"Exactly. He used letters to deliver messages without ever revealing his identity and even included smoked meat as a gesture of goodwill."
And the fact that he executed this method now was incredibly clever. If time had passed and the students were under the professors' control receiving proper education, this approach wouldn't have worked. It was a plan that could only be used in the very beginning, when no one knew the professors well. Watching him pull it off perfectly without anyone guiding him earned genuine applause.
"As expected, a flawless plan worthy of the magic department."
"Hmm, I wonder if there's anyone more suited to the martial arts department than him. I'd love to see that perfect execution in action."
"The unexpectedness and uniqueness he shows in an environment where everyone is given the same limited conditions—that's deviation itself."
Even after witnessing with their own eyes the subjects Lee Seokhyun had applied for, the professors couldn't let go of their desire for talent. He might make that choice now, but he could make a different one later. Helping with that was part of a professor's role, after all. The representative professors nodded silently with those thoughts in mind.
'We absolutely must bring him completely over to our side.'
Imagining the same thing, they continued watching Lee Seokhyun's movements—and were shocked.
"Incitement and fabrication that don't seem possible from a seventeen-year-old."
"Even the way he sets traps..."
"I'm really curious what he's been doing all this time."
Especially when Lee Seokhyun uttered the words about someone possessing the most noble honor, they nearly cried out. The lie about the most noble honor was ultimately destined to be exposed once someone reached the mountaintop. But instead, he layered another false piece of information on the person who arrived first, perfectly resolving the situation. This drew even the commoners who had no interest into participating with thoughts of "Did that really exist?" As a result—
"15, 115, 65, 72, 29 eliminated."
"12, 90, 80, 75, eliminated."
"There are too many eliminations!"
"From now on, we'll change the format to eliminate first and identify numbers later."
""Understood.""
Countless students were eliminated in a frenzy. Whether by their own will or not, they were eliminated simply for being there. The students moved like puppets on the stage Lee Seokhyun had laid out. It was enough to give one chills. The uninhabited island, clearly designed for survival, had been turned into a battlefield by a single person. They lost sight of the original purpose, chasing after nonexistent honor and uncertain bonus points, rushing in like moths to a flame.
Moreover, Lee Seokhyun's actions didn't end there.
"Number 2 and Number 6 are facing off."
Meiri and Lee Seokhyun's confrontation. This time, the professors focused more on Meiri than on Lee Seokhyun. Meiri Meribel. She had originally had no intention of entering Mirinae Academy. However, thanks to the professors' constant recruitment efforts, she had changed her mind and taken the entrance exam. Lee Hwaryeong recalled the time she had spent in the absolute forbidden land of Sinmibi trying to persuade her. How much time had been invested in appeasing Meiri, who would vanish in an instant if her mood soured even slightly. Especially since she was someone who wouldn't hesitate to submit a withdrawal form immediately, they had to be even more careful. The pressure of having to manage a fragile glass craft perfectly for four years.
Whether aware of this or not, Lee Seokhyun—
"Huh?"
"..."
"This is a bit..."
—drove a clean punch into Meiri's abdomen. Lee Hwaryeong barely managed to keep her jaw from dropping as Meiri collapsed to the floor.
"Number 2 eliminated."
...The professors fell silent at the announcement of Meiri's elimination that followed as they watched the situation unfold. They had expected a fair and intense battle, but the result was Lee Seokhyun's surprise victory. Even as she fell, Meiri glared at Lee Seokhyun with eyes full of resentment.
"I'll go check on Meiri for now."
"...Understood."
"Please take care of it."
Lee Hwaryeong quickly left her seat to check on Meiri's condition. If Meiri decided to quit the academy because of this incident, it would be a serious problem.
"...I hope this incident makes Lee Hwaryeong give up on Lee Seokhyun."
"I'd prefer it if you gave up too. How many times do I have to tell you that Lee Seokhyun originally applied for the deviation department?"
In the place where she disappeared, only the professors remained, still filled with greed for Lee Seokhyun. Meiri? They were worried, but she was ultimately just a fish already caught by the magic department.
"Ten survivors remaining, currently in standoff."
While they kept each other in check, the main event was about to begin.
After that tremendous free-for-all ended, exactly nine students remained, as if by some miracle.
'Incredible.'
Even after a battle that lasted over half a day, they could still remain vigilant of their surroundings. It wasn't for nothing that they were called the top students of Mirinae Academy. The mountaintop where the most noble honor was said to exist. On the wide plains, they maintained safe distances from each other while keeping watch. I hid my presence nearby and observed the situation.
"Was it you? Are you the one who did all this, commoner?"
"That kind of expression isn't good. This is supposed to be a place where everyone is equal."
"Hah, you think you're something just because a commoner took first place? You can't even beat me."
"We'll see about that."
The ones in the best condition were Woo Dohyun and Velos Velon. They looked the most intact among the nine, as if proving why they were ranked first and third. Following them were fourth-ranked Mi Juran, fifth-ranked Yu Sohyun, eighth-ranked Kim Seokcheol, and so on. It was a gathering of the top students from the first year.
"Is this really necessary? We could just fight."
"Stupid girl."
"What? What did you just say?"
The foolish Velos. Perhaps because he was the imperial prince, he didn't know his own arrogance and kept picking fights everywhere. If this had been a normal situation, nothing would have happened. But—
"Mi Juran, I know you're angry, but how about apologizing to Woo Dohyun first? His words aren't wrong."
—this was an extremely special situation. 3:6. The fantastic ratio of nobles to commoners that I had created. They had also somewhat gauged each other's strength by now.
"What?"
"I said apologize. This isn't the outside world—it's Mirinae Academy. There's not a single commoner here that you can ignore."
In short, it meant that Velos Velon wasn't intimidating. Kim Seokcheol knew this too, which was why he bared his teeth at Velos as if his liver had jumped out of his body. It was only scary when you didn't know how strong someone was. After spending half a day fighting together, there was nothing left to fear.
'Their strength has been assessed, and they've realized their numbers are more than double, so of course.'
But Velos wasn't the type to bow his pride just because of that. The empire wasn't so weak that it would change its attitude just because the situation was disadvantageous.
"You think having more numbers means something?"
Pathetic scum. With those words, Velos moved.
Bang!
The first one he targeted was Kim Seokcheol, who had been spouting insolent words. Kim Seokcheol tried to respond, but his exhausted body wouldn't listen.
"Aaaagh!"
"I told you not to crawl up."
One strike. Velos accurately struck Kim Seokcheol's jaw and eliminated him instantly, then continued moving without rest. It seemed like a calculated decision, knowing that moving first in a standoff situation would make him the priority target.
"They're moving that way!"
"Only the weak ones huddle together."
Velos eliminated students with destructive force. The skill gap was unbelievable for students of the same year and class.
'That's how it should be.'
The large gap between main characters and regular characters wasn't easily bridged. In the early stages, the difference in advantages gained from the prologue made the disparity even greater. That was why I had chosen a surprise attack to defeat Meiri.
Because Velos insulted the commoners, they banded together to attack him, forcing the remaining three nobles to form an alliance. In the end, while the numbers had decreased, the situation was no different from before. When they didn't know each other well and were placed in an environment divided solely by class, their options were limited. Moreover, having resolved the previous situation through combat, it made no sense for them to solve this one differently now.
"Haaaaah!"
Breaking, shattering, being eliminated, eliminating others. Even with only nine people left, they turned on each other with hostility and hatred. Dragging their exhausted bodies forward, the final victor was—
"...Why isn't it ending?"
—Woo Dohyun. The hardworking genius, the Sword Saint, the true protagonist of Final Destiny. He had countless titles. A fraudulent skill that could cut through everything with a single sword. A being born with the talent of the Sword Saint. Even after defeating all the remaining students, he found it strange that the survival hadn't ended. And then—
"Why do you think? Because there's still one person left."
I revealed myself. I returned my hidden presence and the deathly slow breathing to normal.
"...So from the beginning, we were all dancing in the palm of your hand."
Woo Dohyun immediately identified the mastermind behind the incident upon seeing my completely unfatigued appearance.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
I naturally played dumb. I wasn't foolish enough to admit it right away.
"Don't lie."
"I was just hiding and came to the noisy place."
I countered Woo Dohyun's words with eyes full of pure innocence that didn't know how to lie.
'This really makes me look like a villain.'
Woo Dohyun was using his sword as a cane to support his trembling legs. I approached him leisurely. From the situation alone, it was a scene where villain and hero were instantly distinguishable.
"Next time, I won't fall for this again."
"Really? But there won't be a next time."
A newbie could never beat a veteran.
Whoosh! Crack!
A clean high kick struck Woo Dohyun's head directly, sending him flying far away. He might have suffered additional damage if he crashed into something, but before that, he was naturally summoned through a portal.
"Finished."
First class ended.
Final survivor: Lee Seokhyun
The long, grueling uninhabited island survival had come to an end. Final survivor Lee Seokhyun. It had a really good ring to it.