Chapter 119
Chapter 119
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 119
Chapter Title: Survival Test (12)
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The first-year cadets gathered around Kim Young-han.
The so-called Kim Young-han Team had already surpassed fifty members.
"Hey, those guys are really first-years like us, right?"
"...Don't ask me."
"You're still third place in the one-on-one duels, though."
"I told you, it's not third."
Kim Young-han stared in shock at Nam Da-eun's movement speed.
'I really couldn't have beaten her...'
He'd been saving his trump card ambush for the finals against Lee Ho-yeon and felt a bit regretful when it got blocked, but regret? No way.
If he'd faced Nam Da-eun, the finals might've ended in three seconds flat.
"How the hell did our pretty boy beat that...?"
Kim Young-han seriously pondered whether gathering cadets could even take down Lee Ho-yeon.
But soon enough, Nam Da-eun finished her hunt and approached.
"Good work."
"Here. Points."
"Yeah, thanks. I'll hand over the contact pass I got from over there."
Kim Young-han transferred the contact pass that allowed communication with the outside to Nam Da-eun.
'Transfer all contact passes to me.'
That was Nam Da-eun's condition for joining the team.
Kim Young-han recalled his initial conversation with her.
'You just need contact passes to the outside?'
'I've got enough points. Don't need 'em.'
'...Fine. I'll give you all the contact passes. Take some points too. But we still need to distribute fairly.'
'Do whatever.'
He still didn't quite get it, but seeing her hoard those measly five-minute passes to rack up over an hour of outside contact daily suggested someone precious out there.
'Boyfriend, maybe?'
She'd been hunting every visible monster for passes even before joining, so probably a boyfriend or family.
"I'm off."
Nam Da-eun took the contact pass and vanished somewhere.
"She's always like that. Where does she go?"
"To make calls, probably. Leave her be."
Kim Young-han couldn't make sense of Nam Da-eun's behavior but had no intention of prying.
He had a feeling digging too deep would just get him hurt.
*
"Finish it!"
At my shout, Ellis leaped between the Wood Giant's legs and swung her sword.
Rumble—
After about ten minutes of battle, we took down the boss monster.
The Wood Giant was a massive tree golem.
Its vines extending from hands and feet made it a real pain.
Of course, I didn't go all out. No need to waste energy needlessly.
Now that I knew Nam Da-eun was around, I had to reserve most of my power for contingencies.
"Whew. Nice shot."
"Yeah."
Ellis brushed the dirt and grass off her blade as she approached.
Her condition seemed improved—her expression looked brighter.
'...She's definitely faster.'
Short-term, but my mana massage was working.
I scanned the code on the back of its head to claim points for the Wood Giant.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Wood Giant defeated! Obtained 80 points] - Boss monster elimination reward. - Granted one opportunity to contact the outside. - This opportunity can be transferred. "Ah, this again?"
I had no idea why contact passes kept dropping so much.
They didn't in the original story.
"Want it?"
"If you're offering."
I transferred the contact pass to Ellis, stretched, and sat on a nearby rock.
Ellis was swinging her sword through the air.
Ever since the mana massage, she trained like this during every free moment.
Perfect—she'd crave my massages even more. And her growing stronger was a bonus.
The survival test was already into Thursday.
Over half the period had passed, so the weaklings should've been weeded out by now.
Only those who could read mana and prepare for ambushes should remain.
But strangely, tons of prey were still kicking around.
Take these two heading our way, for example.
They hadn't sensed our presence at all.
Ellis stopped training and hid behind a tree at my signal.
She drew her sword, ready to pounce.
As the pair passed by, we struck simultaneously.
'Flame Burst.'
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ [Flame Burst] Flames erupted from the ground at the rear cadet, while Ellis burst from the tree and slashed the panicked guy's back.
"Gahhh!"
The slashed cadet crumpled to the ground.
"W-What the—?!"
Ellis ignored the remaining one and sliced the fallen cadet's smartwatch.
His body teleported away. That was a nasty wound—he'd feel it.
The last guy dropped his sword in near surrender upon seeing us.
"Damn it. If I'd known we'd run into you guys, I'd have joined Kim Young-han's team..."
But his mutter piqued my curiosity.
"Hold up, Ellis. Hey, what'd you just say?"
Ellis halted her swing toward the mumbler.
"W-What?"
He seemed flustered by the sudden question instead of a quick death.
"You said Kim Young-han Team. What's that?"
The male cadet's face brightened a bit, sensing a chance to live.
"You don't know? Over half the survivors are in it, and you're clueless? That's big info. Tell you if you let me go?"
"Yeah, you're free."
"R-Really?!"
He spilled about the Kim Young-han Team.
Starving cadets banded together at first, then rallied around Kim Young-han: "No more infighting—let's steal from Lee Ho-yeon!" Now it was a fifty-plus powerhouse.
Ridiculous.
'That fox Kim Young-han.'
Me as the target was just a pretext. He needed numbers.
He wasn't that dumb.
Selling me out to hoard points. More people meant better survival odds, and if they all made it, he'd score big as the point holder.
But why was Nam Da-eun there?
"S-So, I'm good?"
"Yeah. Bye."
He finished and eyed me nervously.
I waved him off as he backed away from his seated buddy.
After some hesitation, he stood and retreated slowly—until Ellis slashed his watch.
"You said you'd let me go! You bastard!"
"I did. Ellis killed you."
Send him off? He'd just join that team. No thanks.
He cursed as he teleported, leaving just us in the forest.
"Sorry. Guess I became your target."
Ellis had done nothing wrong, yet here she was fighting because of me.
Wait, I hadn't done anything wrong either?
"We can win small guerrilla fights."
She was right. Without Nam Da-eun, we two could handle twenty easy.
At full power, maybe me alone...
Maybe not.
Fifty-plus, including Kim Young-han and Nam Da-eun? No frontal assault.
So what should I do?
Simple: seduce Ellis.
Subpar cadets get culled on the last day anyway.
Just evade till then.
Kim Young-han's number game seemed smart, but knowing the future, it was idiotic.
"Whatever. Ignore it till we run into them."
Deal with it then.
Of course, with Ellis here, I could say that confidently—but I'd run if we met.
Fifty? No way.
"Yeah. Um, now possible?"
"Ah... I'll set up the tent."
Her slightly flushed request was our signal.
Ellis wanted a mana massage.
We did it tented up, even daytime, since she bared her back.
Instructors might suspect, but whatever.
Not their business, and I had nothing to hide.
Ellis entered first.
At her call, I unzipped and stepped in—to an unexpected pose.
Usually, she'd strip her top, cover chest and stomach with clothes, bare her back, and turn her head.
But now, fully uniformed, lying with just her midriff exposed.
"...Ellis?"
"T-Trying other spots. See how it feels."
"Got it."
She covered her face with both hands.
Her cheeks and ears peeked red—she was mortified.
'Her navel’s cute too.'
Toned abs without an ounce of fat, adorable belly button.
No breasts or pussy visible, but plenty sexy.
Gazing at her like a work of art.
"Starting then."
I wanted to savor touching her slowly, but daytime meant limited time.
Upside: easy to stimulate below from the stomach.
My mana split evenly: half to stomach circuits, half to groin and womb.
"Hng...!"
Ellis clamped her mouth shut, stifling moans.
'As long as it doesn't seem fake.'
If word got out some guy was groping the guild master's daughter under false pretenses, Iris Guild wouldn't sit idle.
Maybe even a hit on me.
Iris Guild was that terrifying.
"Hrng... W-Wait."
"Ah, yeah."
Got lost in thought and botched her pleasure control.
⚔ STATUS ⚔ ★ Heroine Status Window [Ellis] Favorability: 41 Libido: 62 Appetite: 30 Fatigue: 41 Current Status: The massage... Is it supposed to feel this refreshing? Ellis's body glistened with sweat.
Seizing the moment, I spoke up.
"Feel any heat or anything?"
"Haa... A little. Kinda."
"Guess you're the type it works well on. Same as me."
I tossed out a casual white lie to keep chatting.
"R-Really?"
"Yeah. Just roll with any weird feelings. I won't let it hurt you."
Whether she trusted me or was that desperate for relief, she listened intently.
I kept talking, easing her guard as much as possible.
"Hng...!"
I focused on the stomach's mana circuits this time, skipping elsewhere—but slipped a bit into her womb below.
"Ha... Ah... Hnng...!"
'Watching her reactions is fun in its own way.'
She held her breath to hide the pleasure whenever I teased mana in—hilarious.
"W-Wait. Too low."
"Oh, sorry. Got focused."
Pretended it was an accident, hand drifting to her pelvis—of course, she stopped me.
Bummer.
At least she had zero resistance to my massages now. Good enough.
Just expand the areas bit by bit.
No telling how far we'd go in the survival test, but she'd seek me out after anyway.