Surviving the Island (8): The Golden-Haired Watcher
Combat between trainees was strictly forbidden. Yet in a jungle like this, accidental clashes were bound to happen. While Han Yeoreum and I kept ourselves in peak condition through mutual cooperation—though her methods might invite some debate—the other trainees were probably in rough shape. After all, we had thrown pampered young nobles straight into this brutal deserted-island life. The only real exception was probably Cheon Hayeon, who could overcome every inconvenience with her transcendent strength.
When fatigue clouded even basic judgment, mistakes came easily. Naturally, one had to keep their senses sharpened and tread carefully around any danger.
“I’m heading out, dear. Keep the house safe.”
I slung the prepared backpack over my shoulder and spoke to Han Yeoreum.
“That ‘dear’ nonsense again. Be careful. I don’t think you’ll get hurt, but… just in case.”
“Yeah. I told you, they’re not dangerous creatures.”
“I’ll hold down the fort.”
“Good. I’m off.”
I placed my hand on Han Yeoreum’s head as she watched me with anxious eyes and gave it a gentle pat. Then I waved and stepped beyond the residential area.
Thanks to our dedicated road-maintenance project on the island, a clear path now stretched invitingly ahead—though it was only partial and would soon be reclaimed by the trees. As long as it lasted until the evaluation ended, that was enough.
I moved leisurely using light-body technique. My destination was the mid-slope of the central mountain. Yesterday, I had spotted Tamatoma from a distance. Since there were more than one or two, it seemed their colony nested nearby.
After cutting through the jungle with practiced ease, a rustling sound reached my ears. It belonged to a creature with a distinctly different aura from ordinary animals. The presence of the variant monster Tamatoma registered in my senses.
In the past, I might have mistaken it for a spiritual beast. Its size alone resembled a coconut crab enlarged a hundredfold. It was strange that something like that was herbivorous, but there it was, peacefully grazing on grass and still unaware of me.
I hadn’t been idle for the past month either. The Blood Demon Art, true to its SSS transcendent rank, was a comprehensive martial art encompassing everything done with the hands. It included fist, palm, finger, and claw techniques, along with countless variations. I had managed to learn the finger techniques that required delicate qi control, though I hadn’t been able to use them before. However, the Blood Demon Art’s finger methods were fundamentally long-range qi projection techniques like the Flicking Finger Art, so I couldn’t be sure they would work against these creatures.
‘Better to be certain.’
I drew up the energy of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art and refined my intent. I needed to prevent the target from fleeing even if it noticed me. Gauging the positions of the Tamatoma and myself, I expelled propulsion waves from the Yongcheon acupoint while pressing down on the opponent with the power of intent. Though its effectiveness halved against those who had mastered orthodox martial arts, it displayed excellent results against anything carrying demonic energy—human or monster alike.
True to its name, the Heavenly Demon Sovereign Step was never about harmony. It was a heaven-rending art meant solely to suppress and crush the opponent. That was the essence of the Heavenly Demon Sovereign Step.
As my realm advanced, I could now understand to some degree the things I had once used instinctively through the Martial Soul. Suddenly, Cheon Hayeon’s shocked expression from the first time I properly executed the Heavenly Demon Sovereign Step came to mind. It was the first time I had seen her composure shaken to that extent.
Feeling the energy of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art circulate pleasantly through my meridians, I took a step forward.
Thud—
With each solid stomp against the ground, concentric waves of internal energy rippled outward. Like a wide-area suppression field, every living creature nearby was crushed beneath the pressure with every step I took. The Tamatoma was no exception. Monsters inherently possessed demonic energy, and these variants were no different.
I thrust my palm, infused with spiraling internal energy, toward the stiffened creature. According to the Blood Demon Art’s mantra, a blazing heat gathered in my palm. It was far more condensed than the usual techniques of the Blood Demon Art.
Thud—
A sound like lightly tapping an iron plate. When my palm, brimming with dense energy, struck the Tamatoma’s hard carapace, a translucent shockwave spread in a circle.
Blood Demon Art
Dark Six Yang Palm
A tremendous heat enveloped the surroundings, and chaotic heat haze rose. I slowly lowered my hand. Crimson flames ignited from within the Tamatoma, engulfing its carapace. It looked as though a lotus-shaped fire was blooming.
The acrid smell of burning and the distinctive scent of cooking crustacean brushed past my nose. Like most Blood Demon Art techniques, the Dark Six Yang Palm carried exceptional danger because it directly hammered intense heat into the target’s interior. The Heavenly Demon Divine Art, the Sun Body, and the Blood Demon Art combined in an oddly perfect synergy. I realized it while attacking. I had thought so during practice too—this was a technique that should be sealed against ordinary humans. Even without any buffs, this level of power…
In sparring, no matter how much I held back, there was a high chance of inflicting irreversible internal damage. It was no coincidence that I could only use it after reaching the third star of the Blood Demon Art. On the other hand, it was indeed a perfect counter against creatures with hard outer surfaces like the Blood Fiend or Crimson Blood Fiend. This Tamatoma would end up like this—its insides completely incinerated by raging flames.
Through the cracked carapace, a sparkling gem caught my eye.
‘So this is a Tamatoma magic stone.’
It was about half the size of the orc magic stone I had obtained before. The stone itself remained undamaged despite the intense heat. I had roughly gauged the Tamatoma’s durability. At this level, I could inflict sufficient damage even with the Blood Net Finger from a distance without needing to use intent.
Spreading my senses, I searched for the next target. I had plenty of time anyway.
***
While running, I fired Blood Net Finger repeatedly, severing the Tamatoma’s neural centers one by one. As the uncontrolled Tamatoma collapsed with a thud, I formed a hand blade and gathered internal energy before thrusting it forward. The spiraling energy pierced through the hard carapace in an instant. An unfamiliar sensation at my fingertips between the elastic flesh. Confirming the feel of the Tamatoma magic stone, I immediately pulled it out.
This way, I could now hunt skillfully without overusing intent. Twenty. That was the number of Tamatoma I had hunted so far, and thanks to that, it was becoming difficult to find them nearby.
While burning the surface of the magic stone clean with yang energy, the energy of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art reacted to something. I had felt something similar before.
“Who’s there?”
As expected, there was no answer.
‘I won’t miss you.’
I lightly fired a Blood Net Finger and immediately climbed a tree. Though it had been faint until now, it was clear this time. Just before reaching the top of a tree dozens of meters tall as if running on flat ground—
Kwaaaaaang—!
A deafening roar erupted as if a sonic boom had burst. Startled birds scattered noisily.
‘What the hell is this?’
I climbed all the way to the treetop where the sun beat down. And then I saw it. Far away, a blond man I had never seen before was rushing into the forest. Though his appearance was unfamiliar, I realized who he was the moment I saw him.
‘…You idiot.’
If you were going to change your appearance, you should have changed your hair color too. Among the people currently on this island, there was only one person with blond hair. I had no idea why he was doing this, but Cheon Hayeon had fled while destroying the treetop.
I quickly moved across the trees, following Cheon Hayeon’s trail. Somehow, there was only one martial art that could resonate with my Heavenly Demon Divine Art. Until now, only the same Heavenly Demon Divine Art had been able to perceive and react to each other.
I had suspected it all along, but now that suspicion had turned into certainty.
“Cheon Hayeon—!”
I ran while infusing internal energy into my voice like a lion’s roar. Finally, I reached the man who had stopped and was standing still.
Thud—
I descended from the tree and stood before the man.
“What are you doing here?”
Cheon Hayeon’s appearance, who had slightly averted her gaze, was a mess. To be precise, the rest of her maintained its usual noble dignity, but the dark circles under her eyes… were so heavy they reminded me of a panda.
“I am not Cheon Hayeon.”
…What nonsense was this again. There was only one person in the academy with such beautiful blond hair, and the peony scent emanating from her body couldn’t be hidden as usual. If she still smelled like that after a week, maybe her natural body odor was like that. It was quite fascinating. Anyway, the only one who emitted such a scent that put those around her at ease was Cheon Hayeon.
“Then who are you?”
I asked, the corner of my mouth curling up slightly. This made me want to tease her.
“…I don’t know.”
“Did you lose your memory?”
“I wish that were the case.”
Cheon Hayeon let out a deep sigh and finally met my eyes.
“You’re Cheon Hayeon, so why are you in a different form this time?”
Cheon Hayeon glanced around and scattered the drones with a wind technique. Then she released the Body Transformation Art and returned to her female form.
“Aren’t the drones academy property? Is that okay?”
“I’ve already destroyed over a hundred, so it doesn’t matter.”
“Over a hundred…”
As I was about to continue, a chill suddenly ran down my spine. Cold sweat trickled down my forehead instinctively. Before boarding the transport plane, I had made one request to Cheon Hayeon.
‘If you happen to land near Han Yeoreum, please keep an eye on her, even from afar.’
Cheon Hayeon had silently nodded at my request. What if Cheon Hayeon had taken my request ‘excessively faithfully’ and tracked Han Yeoreum’s path while hiding her presence? A terrifying possibility crept into my mind. If that were the case, Cheon Hayeon’s destination would surely have been my shelter.
She had taken down over a hundred drones. There would have been no need for that if she had simply been comfortably circulating her energy alone. Suddenly, everything Han Yeoreum and I had done over the past week flashed through my mind like a panorama. The strangely absent surveillance around us. And the dark circles under Cheon Hayeon’s eyes—something that shouldn’t have existed under normal circumstances.
Seeing her frown with her delicate brows while subtly avoiding my gaze, there was only one answer I could reach. My lips trembled as I carefully spoke.
“Did you see…?”
She flinched. That reaction was answer enough.