Chapter 112
Chapter 112
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 112
Chapter Title: Survival Test (5)
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Chirp chirp.
I opened my eyes to the sound of birds outside.
I tried to sit up right away, but a weight on my stomach made me glance down—Lumi was lying on top of me.
"Oh, right..."
Only then did I feel the tight grip of her pussy around my dick.
"Mm... ah..."
Lumi stirred as I moved, waking from her sleep.
"Yawn... Ho-yeon... good morning. Mmm..."
"Lumi, let's do it once before getting up."
I grabbed her hips firmly as she tried to rise.
"Ah, yes...!"
Her face flushed red as she pressed herself against me again.
I'd fantasized plenty about morning sex to shake off that erection first thing, but I never thought it'd actually happen.
The moment she consented, I thrust my hips upward.
"Ah, hnnngh...!"
*
After finishing sex, I realized my mana was completely depleted.
I'd kept the rune barrier up all night.
The barrier looked unstable now, flickering on and off during the night... but thankfully, no issues arose.
Next time, I need to wrap things up properly before sleeping.
Lumi was twitching on the blanket, her hips raised high.
Did I go too hard first thing in the morning?
I dispelled the barrier and scanned the surroundings. Nothing had changed since last night.
At the stream, I splashed water on my face, clearing my head.
Lumi soon came to her senses and crawled out of the tent like a zombie. She washed her face with a splash-splash, then stretched.
"Good morning."
"Y-yes... good morning."
We exchanged late morning greetings, and I did some stretches to loosen up.
★ Heroine Status ★ [Lumi] ❤️ Favorability: 92 (+0.3) 💖 Libido: 46 🍽️ Hunger: 78 😴 Fatigue: 55 Current Status: I'm hungry... but I can't suggest eating first... I wonder when Ho-yeon will want to eat. Did she sleep well last night? Her fatigue dropped a lot.
But her hunger rose even higher, meaning the calories from the eggs and chocolate bar weren't enough to cover what we burned having sex.
"Lumi, I'm hungry. Wanna eat breakfast?"
"Yes. Sounds good..."
I was pretty hungry myself, so we decided to have breakfast together.
Eating greasy stuff on an empty stomach isn't great, so I pulled out beef porridge and braised beef for a light meal.
"Ho-yeon... thank you so much..."
"No big deal. I bought plenty to take care of you girls anyway. So, where to next?"
"I want to go find Lucy. I wanna team up with her."
"Then let's go together. I don't mind tagging along."
"No. This time, I want to try just the two of us."
I had nothing else to do, so I'd planned to stick with her, but this was an unexpected response.
What? Is she rejecting me?
"Uh, okay?"
"Yeah. Before the test started, I talked to Lucy. We agreed to meet up and sync our teamwork."
"Ah..."
Looks like they're finally starting to mesh as a pair.
Makes sense—if I baby them too much, they miss out on growth opportunities.
Sometimes, I should let them handle things on their own.
"Take some food at least."
"It's fine. We'll manage."
"Quiet. Just take it."
I ignored her and pulled food from my subspace.
I packed lightweight, high-calorie stuff into a bag and forced it into her hands.
"Ah, really, it's okay..."
"I bought it for you girls, so it's fine."
"...I'll eat well."
She'd survived a day here, so she knew how hard it was to forage food on this island.
Of course, supply drops start today, but fighting for them would drain energy I'd rather replenish for her.
That food would last a few days at most, so after that, her gratitude toward me would grow even more.
"Good luck. I'll share my location, so if you need to run from anything, come to me."
"Pfft... Got it."
Lumi waved goodbye and trotted into the forest.
The once-loner Lumi's grown so much—makes my heart swell with pride.
I was a bit worried, but I can't always bail her out. She needs to make mistakes and learn sometimes.
Once Lumi was fully out of sight, I packed up the tent.
I needed to meditate somewhere quiet to refill my mana.
Luckily, I'd spotted a small cave in the rocky hill behind us yesterday.
That should work.
Rustle. Thud thud.
But as I finished packing, I sensed a faint presence behind me and turned around.
"Ellis?"
Ellis staggered toward me, looking in rough shape.
★ Heroine Status ★ [Ellis] ❤️ Favorability: 30 💖 Libido: 57 🍽️ Hunger: 85 😴 Fatigue: 90 Current Status: I need mana stones. I'm starving to death... Fatigue at 90, hunger at 85... she's really struggling.
Libido up to 57—maybe she just wants to breed before dying?
"Ellis, what's up? Want some food?"
Her condition was too poor; she needed to eat first.
"Mana stones... just share a few."
"What?"
No hello, straight to that.
Why ask me for mana stones? You have spares.
"I have food, but no mana stones. Why bring them to a test anyway?"
"I know you did. You brought mana stones too."
"No, I didn't."
I have no idea why she thinks I have mana stones.
I bought a ton of random crap, but mana stones? What for?
"Sigh... I know everything. I know about your mana disorder, your physical relationships with Lumi, Teacher Baek A-young, and Professor Im Sol, and that you're secretly living with women. But I won't spread rumors. Just help me a little in this test."
'What?'
Mana disorder? No clue what bullshit that's from, but she knows about my women.
'How the hell does she know?'
I'd been super careful...
If even Professor Im Sol's involved, that means her lab's compromised...
'Must be some high-ranking exec tailing me.'
Im Sol's treated like a goddess in the magic world, but she's still in her mid-to-late twenties.
She's no match yet for the real top dogs with decades of experience—this early in the story.
Didn't expect that level of surveillance... I should've been more cautious.
"...Eat first, then talk. You're in no state."
I pulled out smoked pork belly.
Greasy on an empty stomach's bad, but no need to baby someone here to blackmail me.
"Here, eat slowly."
"..."
Ellis picked at the meat with chopsticks, one piece at a time.
How'd she end up like this?
Ellis isn't this type originally.
She's the poster child for prideful characters, but once seduced, she falls easily and softens.
We even saw that side recently when her favorability spiked and she got sweet.
So why the change?
Because I have so many women? Because I'm trash?
'Nah.'
Surprisingly, Ellis is tolerant of harems.
Her dad cheats constantly behind her mom's back—a total scumbag—but her talented mom forgives him.
The game only has a pure love route, but Ellis has this line:
[It's natural for talented men to attract bees. I can forgive that. But don't forget—I'm the queen bee.]
Basically, talent excuses it. And I've proven mine nonstop.
I'm a guaranteed winner; calling me untalented doesn't add up.
So what's missing?
'Favorability.'
She doesn't like me yet.
Once she does, she'll accept the others.
'First, raise that dropped favorability.'
And establish a clear hierarchy.
I'm the flower; she's the bee.
She comes to me—not the other way around.
Best to be upfront about my women from the start. Every harem needs one like her.
I spoke as she finished the meat.
"Got it on sale at the mart. Tasty?"
"...Yeah."
"Good. Everything tastes great when you're starving."
"...You're weird. I'm here to blackmail you. Why act all friendly?"
She set down her chopsticks, staring oddly.
"Hmph."
I snorted loudly on purpose. Her face stiffened a bit.
"Ellis. Go ahead, spread rumors. This is Korea, not your home turf."
"..."
"Teacher Baek A-young and Professor Im Sol are with me willingly. You don't know the intricate under-the-table deals. And if it goes public, whose side do you think the media takes? You'll head back to France after graduation; I'll stay in Korea."
Simple logic.
Ellis, future pillar of France post-grad, vs. Lee Ho-yeon, Korea's rep hunter.
No brainer whose side Korea picks.
Truth doesn't matter.
People believe the headlines.
Of course, if real Ellis blew this up, it'd be a huge hassle for me.
Major roadblock to conquering heroines—and she's one too; can't make her a big enemy.
But crucially, she doesn't know that.
If there were no must-conquer specific women, I'd take zero damage.
Worst case, date someone else. I have the skills.
Smart Ellis would get it.
"You think that makes sense?"
"Ellis, you investigated me—why're you mad? I just wanna help as a friend. You know my point's valid best."
"...Not after my body?"
"Sorry, if I wanted it, I'd have taken it already. You have zero mana right now."
She shut up.
Whoops, sounded a bit threatening.
"I don't jump every girl I see. And sorry, no mana stones. Mana disorder? No idea what misunderstanding that is."
Can't bluff on unknowns—might backfire if exposed.
"...Fine. I'll tell you. I have congenital mana disorder. Naturally, I know tons about it."
Her confessing outright... she must be desperate.
"But you. Buying top-grade mana stones useless to cadets, getting periodic treatment from Teacher Baek A-young, low mana for your magic skill. Explain that if not mana disorder?"
"..."
She grilled me relentlessly, sounding frantic.
She figured if she didn't pin my weakness, I wouldn't help in the test.
★ Heroine Status ★ [Ellis] ❤️ Favorability: 31 💖 Libido: 55 🍽️ Hunger: 43 😴 Fatigue: 87 Current Status: This has to be a lie...! I'll get the truth out of him no matter what. 'Plenty of room to bluff now...'
High fatigue dulled her sharp mind. The meticulous Ellis spilling all that was a huge mistake.
Situation grasped.
Unlike canon, she mistook me for having mana disorder—favorability spiked, she softened.
Then learned about my women, and it tanked.
To raise it again? Talk mana disorder, obviously.
I schooled my expression and continued.
"Sigh... yeah. You're right. I had mana disorder."
"Had...?"
She caught my deliberate slip.
"Yeah. Cured it recently."
As I spoke, I drew in ambient mana.
It flooded my body instantly, racing through my circuits.
"Wha—how...?"
Refilling from air without stones? Impossible for mana disorder.
"As you see, I cured my mana disorder. And... I know the method."
Ellis's eyes widened at my words.