Chapter 31
Chapter 31
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 31
Chapter Title: Jungle Survival Test
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I kept my mouth shut even as I watched Merdi fume.
'I can't do anything for her right now.'
Before the practical test began, I checked the supplies we'd been given.
All we had were the survival kits we'd learned about in class, basic first-aid tools, and a single day's worth of emergency rations.
Truly the bare minimum.
The administrator really seemed intent on throwing us into the most extreme conditions possible.
"One day's worth? What are we supposed to eat for a whole week?"
"We'll have to forage for it. Just follow what we learned in survival class. With the neutralizer and antidote in the survival kit, we can find plenty to eat even out in the wild."
"I didn't pay much attention in that class..."
Roze muttered with a dejected look.
Merdi and Roze were both in rough shape.
After a moment's thought, I spoke up.
"Listen up."
I used the short time before the practical test started to quickly teach Roze how to use the survival kit.
I had no idea how much she'd remember, but it was still better than nothing.
"Got all that?"
"...No."
"If you can't remember, read the instructions inside the kit. It has the basics explained, so it'll help."
"Okay."
"And if things really get bad, head to the dead center of the test zone."
"The center?"
"Yeah."
"...Got it."
Roze nodded, looking a bit more spirited.
"Merdi too. No one said anything about teamwork being forbidden, so we can group up if we want."
"Back off."
Merdi was still on edge.
Pushing her now might cause a real scene, so I decided to hold off on any more advice.
Barton showed no interest in the conversation, absorbed in reading the Rulebook.
He was probably planning to take first place again, just like in the first semester.
'This test seems to favor Barton a bit more.'
On the surface, survival was the main goal.
But for cadets like Barton and Sahim, it was different.
To them, even higher-grade threats were just targets to take down.
And since the rules explicitly stated that hunting them would give bonus points, their priority would be hunting, not just surviving.
Of course, they had to survive a week without supplies like the rest of us, but top students like them wouldn't sweat that.
Soon, we were transported to the test site.
We were all dropped off separately at our individual starting points.
This time, there were no restrictions on moving between zones.
'Tropical rainforest terrain?'
The ground was muddy.
A swamp sat right nearby.
The air was humid and sticky, thick with moisture.
Conditions were lousy all around.
I climbed the tallest tree nearby and made my way to the top.
To the east and west, nothing but treetops stretched to the horizon.
There was a mountain to the north, but it was outside the test zone.
'That must be about the center.'
Roughly 30km away, I spotted a lake.
Lakes were essential for replenishing water during survival.
It looked clear enough from here.
But with alien contamination happening everywhere, who knew.
Either way, things weren't going to get better with time, so I decided to head for the lake first.
Even if it was contaminated, that was fine.
The survival kit could neutralize light contamination.
And with a few rounds of natural filtration, cadets could purify it to drinkable levels.
On top of that, my body had much stronger resistance to alien contamination than other cadets.
It was a hidden perk of my ability.
'I'll grab all the edible stuff too...'
The hot climate meant food was plentiful.
Most of it required solid knowledge of the forest to use safely, but obvious fruits were scattered everywhere.
While picking fruit, I spotted one, plucked it, and tossed it to the ground.
'Not this one...'
Mongo Berry.
Apple-shaped with blue spots clustered all over.
They tasted great.
Sweet and juicy— one could fill you up.
But that was just a facade.
Mongo Berries contained a dehydrating agent.
They were mildly addictive too, making you crave more after the first one.
The more you ate, the thirstier you got, and eventually, you'd suffer full dehydration.
They were hard to digest on top of that, wrecking your insides.
That's why they're sometimes called mirage fruit—people eat them and start hallucinating.
Gurgle! Gurok!
Just as I neared the lake, a sudden noise made me hide.
Camouflage activated, blending me seamlessly into the shadows.
The source was a new type of dangerous beast I'd never seen.
It resembled an ostrich but felt bulkier overall.
Like a wild boar, maybe.
Either way, it looked aggressive.
'Edible?'
My only concern was one thing.
Could I eat it?
Dangerous beasts weren't like aliens.
We just had to watch out for their hazards—they were no different from the animals and plants we encountered every day.
As long as there was no alien contamination, most were safe to eat.
I decided to try hunting it.
Gurok?
I approached in camouflage mode.
It sensed something off and looked around.
Finding nothing, it shook its long neck and headed my way.
'Closer... closer.'
The moment it entered range, I lunged and slashed its throat.
The beast screeched, flapped its wings, and thrashed wildly, trying to flee.
But the hit was solid—it couldn't keep its balance.
Made finishing it off easy.
"Hmm..."
Hunting this new dangerous beast wasn't too hard.
In alien threat terms, about grade 1.5.
But unlike aliens, it didn't have that blind ferocity.
Felt easier overall.
And no contamination.
I considered butchering it.
Around 200kg.
I could carry it as is.
But with the heat and humidity, it'd spoil fast, so better to prep it now.
Recalling survival class lessons, I pulled a small knife from the kit.
Keep this handy, and food worries were off the table for the test.
Butchering done.
I wrapped the meat in broad leaves.
Destination: the center of the test zone.
No breaks until I got there.
*
"I'm starving..."
Roze clutched her growling stomach with her right hand.
It was day three of the practical test.
She'd devoured all her emergency rations on day one, so two full days without food.
She'd tried everything to forage.
But every dangerous beast she caught was contaminated, and wild edibles were packed with toxins.
She almost ate some anyway, but Lemon's advice from before the test stopped her.
So she kept moving.
Thinking maybe it'd be like the first-semester final—accomplish something big, and food would appear—she hunted higher threats and burned a whole day.
Now she was even hungrier.
"Ugh, what am I supposed to do with this?"
Roze grumbled.
What she was kicking was the higher threat she'd just taken down.
Most of its body was buried underground, but the exposed part was elephant-sized.
Problem was, it was contaminated by aliens once she caught it.
Way beyond what neutralizer could handle.
"Tsk... gulp!"
No good.
Roze slumped down, burying her face between her knees to endure the hunger.
But the gnawing emptiness only grew, forcing her back up.
'Wait...!'
Then she remembered Lemon's last words.
'Head to the center?'
That's what he'd said.
She'd been too focused on his earlier advice to recall it until now.
Roze kicked a tree and leaped to the top, scanning from the peak.
'That way?'
Her spot was a bit south of center.
She'd gotten lucky moving for higher threats—pretty close already.
Her body crested and plummeted.
No slowdown—she used the fall's momentum to launch herself toward the direction she'd spotted.
'So hungry.'
Calorie burn was insane.
First time starving like this since she was a kid meeting her master.
Roze wasn't in her right mind.
Half-dazed, she charged straight for her target.
Anything blocking her path got demolished.
Rock, tree, terrain feature, dangerous beast—didn't matter.
"Food!"
A massive racket cleared a straight-line path.
Every living thing nearby turned its attention her way.
*
Sizzle.
The meat roasted.
The unnamed beast's flesh was delicious.
Sprinkled with a bit of prep salt, it was gourmet.
"Leonard, want more?"
"Nah. I'll keep watch outside."
Yun Ji-hye, who'd joined on day two, transferred perfectly grilled meat to a wooden plate she'd carved and called to me.
Meeting her was pure chance.
I'd been heading centerward when I investigated some spreading noise.
Too bad her beast was too far contaminated to eat.
Still, we'd shared meals since and bonded enough for me to suggest teaming up and build a shelter.
"See anything?"
"Nope."
We were in a cave on the test zone's central ridge—perfect vantage for spotting trouble.
The rugged terrain kept dangers away, and it ran deep inside for comfort.
'Feels more comfy than usual.'
A bed of giant leaves guaranteed good sleep.
For someone buried in overtime like me, it felt like vacation.
Stick it out here a week, and no need for actual leave.
Then, a faint vibration rippled through the air.
Distance to the source meant it was huge noise.
'...What the?'
I focused my vision.
Far off, through dust clouds, scarlet hair flashed.
Only one academy cadet had that color.
Roze.
She was barreling through the forest at insane speed.
Smashing trees and everything.
'What's her deal?'
Even dangerous beasts drawn by the noise weren't spared.
She bulldozed straight ahead, clearing obstacles like trash.
Where was she headed?
I plotted her trajectory.
No clue where she'd stop, but she'd pass right under my cave's mountain.
After a moment's thought, I jumped down from the tree.
"Lemon?"
"Be right back."
"H-Huh...?"
Ignoring Yun Ji-hye's confusion, I descended the slope.
Course right ahead.
I arrived and waited a bit—then a roar, and something charging.
Roze burst into view.
"Roze!"
No reaction.
She seemed out of it.
An elephant-sized dangerous beast lunged from the side—she pulverized it with a body slam and kept coming.
"Uh..."
Right in front of me, and still no recognition.
Did she eat something bad?
Rushing in blindly might get me smashed too.
But I couldn't let off-kilter Roze go like this.
I scanned around, grabbed a midsize rock, and hurled it at her face.
Timing it as she went to smash it with her head, I full-powered a tackle at her leading foot.
Accounting for counterattack—a desperate move.
"Whoa!"
Even dazed and vision blocked, she dodged.
She shattered the rock mid-leap, spun in air over me, and landed.
Then tilted her head.