Chapter 110
Chapter 110
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 110
Chapter Title: Survival Test (3)
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The test had been underway for two or three hours.
I was following the riverbank upstream, searching for a good spot to pitch my tent.
It was best to find a prime location and stick with it.
"Why is it so damn hot?"
I wasn't sure of the island's exact location, but it felt like somewhere near the equator. The sun blazed relentlessly, and the muggy air made for thoroughly unpleasant weather.
"I'm starving. Maybe I should grab a bite."
Besides full meals, I'd packed plenty of snacks.
I plopped down on a nearby boulder and cracked open a bag of potato chips.
Munch.
Good call bringing the snacks.
"...What the hell is that?"
As I munched and took a break, something golden flickered at the edge of my vision.
Looking closer, a blonde female cadet was drifting downstream from upstream, bobbing along.
"Isn't that... Ellis?"
Her face was dunked in the water, so I couldn't make it out, but her familiar build and hair length gave her away.
I shot to my feet, tossed the chips, and dove into the river.
I had no idea what had happened, but drifting unconscious wasn't normal.
It could even be life-threatening.
I fished Ellis out of the water.
Thankfully, she was still breathing—not too much time had passed.
Cadets with status windows don't go down easy. Awaken the window, pump those stats, and your body becomes something else entirely compared to a regular human's.
Still, it was a miracle I found her when I did.
She wouldn't croak from a little water in her lungs, but invincible? Hardly.
Another thirty minutes like that, and she'd have been in real danger.
"...Guess we'll camp here."
Dragging a sopping-wet Ellis anywhere seemed like a hassle, so I claimed the spot.
Just to be safe, I ran a quick scan of her body with my mana.
No internal damage. Dry her clothes to fend off hypothermia, and she'd be fine.
Even without that risk, wet clothes are just gross.
I gathered some firewood-worthy branches, got a blaze going.
Then stripped off Ellis's cadet uniform.
Going all the way to her underwear would dry fastest, but with her favorability in the gutter, that'd probably get me killed for real.
Crackle—pop—
Listening to the fire snap, I draped her outer layers over nearby rocks.
"...Nothing else to do. Time to eat."
I had to keep watch till she came to.
I set the portable frying pan over the flames and fired up some smoked duck.
"Brought everything for a reason."
The rich, oily aroma was mouthwatering.
'Smell like this, and someone's bound to come sniffing around.'
Whatever. Heroine gets a share. Stranger? Snag their points.
Cadets wouldn't feel true hunger yet.
Tonight or tomorrow morning, they'd get the real survival memo.
Me? Warm tent all the way.
"Man, that smells amazing."
I'd plated the crispy golden duck and was prepping sides when I heard rustling.
"Ugh..."
Ellis twitched and let out a groan.
I'd parked her by the fire to speed-dry her clothes, and the warmth must've done the trick.
I kept at the meal prep, eyes on her.
"Nngh... haah, haah..."
Moments later, she bolted upright, panting hard.
She patted herself down and scanned the surroundings—must've been flashes of drowning.
"You okay?"
"Eek?!"
She yelped at my voice behind her and whipped around.
(For the record, I was heating instant rice while tearing into smoked duck.)
"Saw you floating downriver, so I hauled you out. Clothes are drying there."
I pointed at the rocks with one finger to head off any weird ideas.
"...Thanks. I'm outta here."
She snatched her still-damp uniform and made for the exit.
"Clothes aren't dry yet. At least eat while they finish."
"What's your game? Trying to buy me with food?"
"No game. We're both in the Student Council PR Department. I've got more than enough even after sharing."
I stocked up specifically to hand out to heroines—why fight it?
"...Pass."
She eyed the meat, then turned away.
"Suit yourself. Get hungry, hit me up. I'll share my location."
The special exam island blocks normal comms except for profs, but meet once, and you can link up if you want.
Alliance feature even shares positions—I'd set it while she was out.
"What're you thinking? Why share your spot with me?"
"Just... same department. Friends, y'know."
(Couldn't exactly say 'Gonna seduce you.' So, improv.)
"...Haa."
She sighed like it wasn't worth a reply and bailed.
That hostile? Her digging into my background checks out... but no clue how deep, so no pushing it.
Exam's brutal, but Ellis won't tap out. Huge expectations back home. France's top prospect? Iris Guild heiress? Both massive weights.
Inferiority complex to her sister seals it—she won't quit.
She'll crawl back if desperate.
Little food for big favorability bump? Steal.
No show? Next time.
'Where'd she stash the spare mana stone, anyway?'
Not in the outer pockets earlier. Sewn inside maybe?
*
"..."
Ellis grimaced her way through the jungle.
Wet clothes weren't just sticky—they chafed, disgusted, and drew swarms of bugs.
Dusk falling, still no food in sight.
Scattered mushrooms dotted the ground, but after that gut-wrencher from an "edible" one earlier? Hard pass.
'Should've taken the food...'
That smoked duck haunted her.
"No. Absolutely not."
Grateful for the save, sure. But she knew the play—he wanted her body.
Sebas Chan's reports: different girl every day. Even academy profs.
'Saintess and Professor Im Sol... both letdowns.'
Her ideals of "proper" at the academy, ruined. Couldn't hide the disappointment.
Lee Ho-yeon stung worst.
'Really wanted to be friends.'
His grit with mana disorder? Inspiring. Never saw the sleaze coming.
Pride intact from ditching his "help," but belly screaming. No mana stone? Dead end.
She peeked at her smartwatch—his dot glowed steady.
"...No. Treasure first."
Didn't know specifics, but survival boost for sure.
Just outlast a week? Top ranks locked.
Awooo—
Wolf howl echoed far off.
"..."
Magic on the fritz, so hide first.
Sword lost to the river. Bare hands fine for weaklings, but stamina's finite—run smart.
Awooo—
Woof! Woof!
All night, monsters hounded her through the woods.
Pathetic chasers, but what could she do?
Thud.
"Ow!"
Tripped on a vine in the dark—vision shot. She scrambled up fast.
No downtime, pain or not.
Luck struck: cave ahead.
She ducked inside, hunkered down.
Scritch-scratch...
Gut-twisting bug crawls tormented her ears, but beats monsters.
Thus, Ellis crashed in the cave.
*
"Ugh..."
Ellis woke to full-body agony.
Starved all day, weird sleep spot and pose? Every muscle rioted.
"..."
This ain't cutting it.
Smartwatch on: his position near the river now, still snoozing.
"Need a mana stone at least."
He had the disorder too—bound to have extras.
'Should've frisked properly.'
Regret hit late. Tough.
Packed heavy? Stones galore, bet.
Pride bruise fades.
No body demands? Tolerable.
Grrrowl.
She justified it and lurched toward his blinking coordinates.
*
The special exam app tracked live survivors too.
"Dropouts already."
Refreshes headcount at midnight.
200-plus cadets; forty gone.
"Just hunker down, half make it. Buncha morons."
Hide till finale? Top tier easy.
Day one axes a fifth—survive it, bye bottom ranks.
"Why no run-ins with me? Slacked on moving?"
Not all KO'd in fights. Most quit outright.
No preps in this hell? Brutal. Some bail early, grades be damned.
Now it's the go-getters' race.
Airdrops, hidden treasures, boss fatties with fat points—bloodbaths incoming.
Others lurk, snipe the grinders.
All mind games. Rush, paint target. Wait, miss shots.
"Not my circus~."
Winner's the last one breathing.
And I'd just scored prime real estate.
Post-Ellis meal and nap, hustled till dark paid off.
No cave, but mountain backs it, river flanks—gold.
Unfurling tent, prepping barrier—rustle from the brush.
"Who's there."
Flame bloomed in my palm; I tensed toward it.
"H-Ho-yeon sunbae..."
Trembling through the foliage... Lumi.