Survival on the Uninhabited Island

[Central Dome]

A massive stadium in Barsha with a capacity of 70,000 spectators.

Amid the packed stands, a special VVIP section had been set up.

Raymond, principal of Celia Academy.

Metis, Minister of Gate Management.

And among these heavyweight figures sat Selphis.

Metis... That high-and-mighty prick personally contacting the academy... But why Zien of all people? I figured he'd pick the top first-year, One Number.

Selphis was puzzled.

Zien was undoubtedly skilled, but his records as a perennial flunk-out showed no standout merits.

Whoever tipped him off, the guy has an eye for talent.

Curious as he was, Selphis didn't ask Zien directly. Participating in a gate as the first-years' inaugural event was a huge honor, but crushing Celia in the tournament came first.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Fireworks exploded then, and a man on the screen flashed a brilliant smile.

"Hello, everyone! Vernon here! Broadcasting has just gone live nationwide, and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I never dreamed I'd be casting for G Channel. Haha, right, Bluma?"

The caster was none other than Vernon, who'd topped the 'Most Handsome Saber' poll.

He appeared on broadcasts more than gates, but he was still a 5th-rank master in his twenties.

"Yeah, me commentating a match? Talk about living long enough to see it all."

And handling commentary was Bluma, guild master of Broom of Extermination.

"Haha, you've already lived plenty. My apologies... Yeah, just kidding."

A sudden chill of killing intent prickled the air. Vernon broke out in cold sweat ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠down his spine and pressed on.

"And right on cue! The 99 students are entering! So, Bluma, which team do you see as a top contender?"

"Hmm, I'd pick Arcana."

Selphis nodded contentedly at Bluma's words.

But this wasn't Bluma's genuine take—it was G Channel's script, designed to hype the rivalry between Celia and Arcana to draw viewers.

Vernon flashed ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a cheeky grin.

"Haha! Yes! Arcana's reputation as a prestigious school is legendary. And the team joining this time is especially famous, right?"

"Because their party leader is Student A, the one who took down Desire."

Student A.

When the mage tower incident hit the news, Zien's name had been redacted. The articles dubbed him Student A—and as they blew up in popularity, the alias stuck. These days, searching Desire pulled up Student A in related terms.

"Exactly, A! No wonder the hype is insane even before the event kicks off!"

As Vernon said, the viewer count on the screen was absurdly high.

The top two channels dominated overwhelmingly.

Zien had skyrocketed to stardom as 'Student A'.

Celia boasted the 'hero lineage' prestige. The result? Exploding viewership.

Excluding the main G Channel feed, over 60,000 were tuned into Zien's perspective streams alone.

As the screen switched from viewer stats to close-ups of the students, Vernon grabbed the mic again.

"As a Celia alum myself, I'm biased—gotta root for Celia, hot damn!"

"Heh, a clash of prestigious schools? Alright, time to introduce the lineups. First up, Celia's..."

When Bluma spotlighted Lucia, cheers buried the stadium once more.

Zien VS Lucia.

Arcana VS Celia. Just as expected, the hype matchup was set, and the principals—Selphis and Raymond—were glaring daggers from the VVIP seats.

"Gonna crush 'em proper, Raymond."

"Getting this fired up before the event? Still as childish as ever. Oh, and by the way, victory's ours at Celia. Kell kell kell."

As sparks flew from the principals' eyes, Vernon cut in urgently.

"The pre-event everyone's been waiting for—starts now!"

The portal glowed.

Step through that light, and you'd enter IG Group's virtual gate.

Giant screens around the stadium lit up with text.

"Whoa! Zone 1's Uninhabited Island—the biggest map there is!"

No sooner had Vernon spoken than Bluma chimed in.

"Right. And Despair Bridge is the iconic symbol of Battle Survival, yeah?"

"I hate it when people camp the coastlines. This tourney uses magic tools, not guns, though." As Bluma and Vernon bantered, the screen countdown hit zero.

Cannon fire signaled the start, and Vernon shouted with a grin.

"Match begins!"

The 99 students lined up before the portal started moving one by one. The first to pass through the light was Zien.

Here we go.

The scenery shifted as he crossed the portal.

Eliminate opponents.

Survive.

This wasn't just a pre-event rule—it was Zien's entire life from his past incarnation.

Five seconds into the match.

"Ah, of all the starts!"

Amy's voice already echoed through the sound booth.

Her monitor showed a pitch-dark spot with Zien.

"Why'd he spawn in such a dangerous spot—an abandoned hospital?!"

Amy covered her mouth with her fingers.

Her face had gone pale.

"Abandoned hospitals... Game devs confirm it's the deadliest spawn. No way combat hits right off the bat, right?"

Amy seized the tension to hype her viewers.

As she said, abandoned hospitals were risky. Players usually scattered evenly, but this three-story building meant one per floor—three total.

"Bad luck or good? What do you think?"

Win camps clashed with loss camps. Truth was, viewers didn't care about the outcome.

For them, it was all about the entertainment.

No sooner had Zien entered the gate than a blue hologram greeted him.

"Status Window."

Following the hologram's prompt, another floated up beside Zien.

Sword God trait, as expected.

It wasn't just any trait.

A cheat ability topping this event—regenerating MP through combat. The criteria were simple.

The virtual gate's AI judged it fairly, of course.

Sword comprehension, huh. Nice. I like it.

In his past life, Zien had learned the essence of the sword from Zone 3's Sword God.

Time and space differed, but the gates' mysteries carried the teachings across.

Even in a game, losing that Sword God title to someone else was unacceptable.

"But... what's with this Jet-Black Martial Robe?"

Only then did Zien look down.

He wasn't in his uniform—clad instead in a black martial robe straight out of Zone 3.

Because it's a broadcast. Can't be helped.

A new hologram popped up before him.

"Pocket."

That's how the display works.

Withdrawing items was straightforward. Place a hand on the band-style pocket, visualize the can briefly.

Whoosh.

Light particles formed above his wrist, becoming a drink can.

Turning virtual gates into full games—impressive tech.

Gulp gulp.

Zien cracked the can and downed the Mana Drink.

Sure enough, a small hologram confirmed the change.

Early game, I'll have to rely purely on swordsmanship.

Just then, faint vibrations hummed under Zien's feet.

"They're coming up. ...Two of them?"

His foes were stealthily ascending the stairs, but Zien was a battle veteran. His heightened senses warned him instinctively.

Normally, I'd evade.

But Battle Survival was entertainment at its core.

Viewers craved highlight reels, and those came from intense clashes. Zien waited leisurely for his sacrificial lambs.

My Previous Life was the Strongest Sword God