Chapter 122
Chapter 122
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 122
Chapter Title: Survival Exam (15)
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"Hngh."
My fingers touched the back of Ellis, who somehow looked exhausted.
If we were inside the tent, I could've groped her comfortably while lying down, but since we were outside, I was giving her a cautious massage, and Ellis was obediently just showing me her back.
The more I massaged, the better my mana control became.
Injecting mana into someone else's body wasn't enough; manipulating it required quite a bit of focus, but I was getting used to it.
However, Ellis seemed to have adapted to the subtle stimulations inside her body as well.
Even when I trickled mana into her womb, she didn't bury her face in her clothes to stifle moans like last time.
"Huu..."
She just let out faint moans.
In that case, time to try something else.
I let my mana flow along the surface of Ellis's body.
The target was her crotch.
Since mana flowing outside the body had a high chance of being noticed by Ellis, I had to be careful.
I deliberately stimulated her mana circuits more strongly to divert her attention to them.
"Ah, ahn... It hurts."
"Sorry. Guess I went too hard."
Good.
In the meantime, my mana had reached Ellis's groin.
I slowly moved the mana, brushing over her pussy.
Even without looking, it felt as clear as touching it with my hand.
I could sense her tightly closed entrance that seemed untouched by masturbation, her smooth and firm labia without a single wrinkle, and even her clitoris covered by its hood.
'Maybe just a little.'
Going too hard from the start wouldn't be good.
I lightly stimulated her clitoris under the hood with mana.
"Hngh?!"
"What's wrong, Ellis? Did it hurt?"
I fussed over her like I had no idea.
"N-no, it doesn't hurt."
Ellis shrugged her shoulders, her body twitching faintly.
I continued expanding her mana circuits while lightly teasing her clit, so there was no reason for suspicion.
"Haah... Hnng..."
"You sure you're okay?"
"Y-yeah... Hnng... Hurry up and finish..."
Ellis, eyes squeezed shut to hide how good it felt, looked awfully cute.
*
The sun rose on day six.
Naturally, I was fucking exhausted.
I'd slept about four hours total.
"Come on, everyone up. It's morning already."
Lucy, who'd been on the last night watch, was already awake and full of energy, but the other three looked half-dead.
"Whoa, you guys look awful."
"...I'm fine. Just had trouble sleeping."
"Ah, yeah. Must be tough sharing a tent with a guy. Not that I care about stuff like that—I slept great!"
Lucy chuckled smugly with a confident grin.
Her simplicity was enviable sometimes.
I needed to shake off my drowsiness quick. Today was especially important.
I headed to the river to splash water on my face and wake up.
Ellis and Lumi followed me unsteadily to wash up too.
"Lucy, what time is it?"
"Seven o'clock."
Seven... three hours left.
The long survival exam would end tomorrow.
At 10 a.m. on day six, battle royale mode would activate, revealing all cadets' positions on their smartwatches.
Fortunately, we'd pushed deep into the island's center yesterday. Kim Young-han's team was probably still circling the outskirts.
Monsters were more plentiful there anyway.
Because they feared "that thing" living in the island's center.
"Hey, let's eat. I'm starving."
"Sure."
Lucy clung to me, whining about hunger.
It had been two hours since we woke up, so fair enough.
Ellis and Lumi were starting to perk up too.
'I slept the least, so why are they so wiped?'
We prepared breakfast.
We scarfed down the food I'd brought, then cleaned up.
The girls handled prep and cleanup since I'd supplied the grub.
It was eight o'clock.
Two hours until battle royale started.
"Should we head deeper in?"
"Deeper?"
Lumi tilted her head.
"Yeah. Figure there might be something inside."
"Do we have to? This is deep enough."
Ellis tossed in a comment while readying her sword swings.
"Ellis is right. No river deeper in."
"Hmm... True."
With Lucy chiming in too, I didn't push it.
Positions would show in two hours anyway—I'd suggest heading in then.
Being central made it easier to scout escape routes.
While Lucy and Lumi went to wash up, I watched Ellis, who'd said she'd train then clean.
After my early-morning massage, Ellis looked full of vigor.
She'd probably hold out till lunch.
"Hoo... Hup!"
As I watched her swing her sword and cast spells, a thought struck me.
"Wanna spar with me?"
"Spar?"
"Yeah. Could be good."
To get Ellis hooked on massages, she needed motivation.
'Fixing her mana disorder and boosting her combat power could be it.' Simple idea, but Ellis's expression brightened unexpectedly.
She stared straight at me, then nodded.
"Sure. Let's do it."
We took stances and circulated our mana.
Not a duel—just light sparring to match moves.
No safeties, so extra caution needed.
Kwaduduk-!
Ellis charged with sword raised, casting spells simultaneously.
Vines erupted from the ground at my feet; I blocked with Cotton Guard and hurled fireballs at her.
Ellis batted them away and swung her hand, shaking nearby trees.
Dozens of leaves flew at me; I shook them off with mana over my body.
Hwaruk-!
Ellis rushed in the gap but stepped on my ground rune, trapping her in rising flames.
She instantly back-calculated the spell and escaped, but my fireballs were already in her face.
"...I lose."
Ellis gripped her sword tight, staring at me, then lowered her arm, spirit broken.
"Close one. With your talent, fixing that mana disorder would skyrocket your skills."
"Thanks for the praise."
Blatant hype, but she didn't seem offended.
★ Heroine Status ★ ❤️ Favorability: 41 💖 Lust: 45 🍽️ Appetite: 20 😴 Fatigue: 51 Current Status: If only I could've cast that spell a little faster... I might've won. As planned, her desire to fix her mana disorder was rising.
Keep nudging, and eventually she'll come begging me. That's the hope.
If not, no big loss.
Planting seeds costs nothing.
"Tell me if you wanna spar again."
"Got it."
Her movements really had quickened. Spell back-calculation was insanely fast too.
'Weirdly effective...'
If I'd known my mana massages were this good, I'd have tried on myself.
I dismantled the rune barrier I'd set for the spar.
Ellis watched closely.
"What?"
"No... That barrier's on another level."
"Ah."
She was analyzing it.
Rune barriers were top-tier barrier magic.
It wouldn't break easily, but in this world's lore, genius Ellis at barriers and back-calc was worth watching.
Settings weren't to be ignored here.
She might shatter it in seconds.
"Hey! What's with this place? Did you fight?"
"Ho-yeon! Your clothes are dirty!"
"It's fine. Just a quick spar."
Lucy and Lumi were back; time neared ten.
*
Victoria Academy Student Council President's office.
Moon Soo-rin frantically dialed somewhere.
"Haah, reallocating festival budget now...? Fine. Hold on."
Next week was Victoria Academy's festival.
Council execs worked weekends nonstop; Soo-rin handled internal academy stuff too, stretched thinner than thin.
Knock knock.
"Come in."
"President. Dropping off those files you mentioned."
"Yeah. I'll read 'em later."
The female cadet set down papers. Soo-rin hammered the keyboard without looking up.
The cadet spoke up.
"President, have some coffee. Aren't you overdoing it?"
She placed a canned coffee on the desk, eyeing Soo-rin worriedly.
"Thanks. Gotta do what I gotta."
Soo-rin stretched her typing hands, yawned hugely, and cracked open the can.
"At least the first-years are gone. They're the biggest troublemakers."
"True."
First-years had tons of prodigies—and problem kids. Good they'd bailed for survival exam during peak busy season.
"Festival right after survival? Kinda jealous, kinda not."
"They'll feel shafted. Need a day or two rest, but festival hits."
"Speaking of, PR team's taking the exam too, right? Should've dumped work on them! Tell me ahead next time—I'd have bossed 'em around!"
"Mana Oath was on it."
Soo-rin crushed the empty can with telekinesis and tossed it in the trash.
"Got it. Won't bug you. Hang in there!"
"You too."
The cadet left.
Soo-rin sighed faintly, like after a storm.
>
Noisy, but her chatter refreshed the stuffy mood.
'Wonder how Ho-yeon's doing.'
PR mention brought him to mind.
Regretted not tipping him off about survival...
Though she'd prepped thoroughly.
Suddenly recalling something, Soo-rin rummaged her desk and pulled a file.
[Sparring Match: Student Council Vice President (3rd Year) Shin Dong-min vs. PR Department (1st Year) Lee Ho-yeon]
"Hmm..."
Soo-rin recalled Ho-yeon's moves from that 1v1 duel.
Above vice president's level.
Lowball it, equal at least.
Potential issues: survival fatigue, random field setup.
"Fields are randomized..."
Overview claimed thrill for festival-goers, but...
Random over plain arena screamed ulterior motives.
'If it seems too fishy, I'll step in. Maybe grab food during festival?'
Soo-rin savored a brief break.