Chapter 57
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 57
Morning came early to Avallon Island. The dawn was a deep, dusky blue.
I woke up, my eyes squinting against the dim light. Taking a deep breath, the biting morning air rushed into my lungs, instantly clearing my head.
I stretched my limbs and muttered to myself, "I hope I can find it today."
The Blessing of Regeneration.
That was the name of the blessing I was determined to find on this island.
Its rank was Guardian Spirit-class, one tier below my Essence Spirit-class Blessing of Transfer. Though a tier lower, its standalone utility was widely considered superior to Transfer.
When activated, its effect was exactly what the name implied: rapidly repairing physical damage and lacerations. However, it couldn't regenerate severe injuries like severed limbs.
"...If it did, it would basically be magic."
It might sound like one of those extremely rare healing or buff-type blessings, but in reality, it was a reinforcement-type blessing that instantly amplified the body's natural cellular regeneration.
Unlike typical buff blessings, however, its effects were strictly limited to the caster.
On its own, its utility was nothing more and nothing less than a glorified performance enhancer.
But.
For me, as the holder of the Blessing of Transfer, its versatility would become absolutely crucial.
If I activated both blessings simultaneously, I could perform basic healing on others. More importantly, I could temporarily repair my armaments, which were always prone to breaking.
Since it was only a Guardian Spirit-class blessing, its limits would be clear, but I wasn't in a position to be picky. At the very least, it would be better than the Personal Spirit-class Blessing of Painlessness.
Moreover, since this blessing was a minor hidden piece, taking it wouldn't hinder Leon's growth.
Besides, that bastard's potential was so far beyond normal human limits that he would eventually grow strong enough to laugh off most injuries anyway. There was no need to worry about him.
Still, I have the one thing he doesn't: gaming experience.
Chewing on the jerky I had skewered on a twig before going to sleep, I reviewed my plan.
To find the hidden location of the Blessing of Regeneration, I needed to locate a rock engraved with a specific pattern. I had narrowed down the location to the vicinity of Yggdrasil. If I picked up the pace, I should be able to reach the area by this afternoon.
I needed to see results by tomorrow at the latest, so I shook off the remaining sleepiness and quickly packed my things. After double-checking my hand-drawn map, I glanced over to the side.
Across the dying embers of the campfire, Abel was sleeping soundly like a baby bird, snuggled beneath the fur blanket.
Last night, right after eating dinner, she had started nodding off, the tension finally leaving her body. Judging by the deep exhaustion etched onto her face, she must have had quite an eventful time on her own.
Perhaps that was why we barely spoke. There wasn't much to say anyway. She had parted her lips a few times as if she wanted to say something, but I had shut down the conversation before it could start.
We weren't close enough to sit around a campfire and chat, and I wanted to avoid forming any unnecessary bonds.
Besides, she doesn't seem to like me very much anyway.
Then again, I was the one who had overheard her pouring her heart out. It would be stranger if she behaved comfortably around me. Besides, Abel's character concept was originally that of a cold, haughty noble lady.
I quietly watched the sleeping girl for a moment.
Strands of shimmering hair fell across her cheek, and her long eyelashes rested elegantly over her closed eyes. Even in her sleep, her beauty was unreal, almost bewitching—like a masterpiece painted by an artist.
She really is beautiful.
To be honest, after running into her so unexpectedly last night, I had gone out of my way to be kind.
Not because I had feelings for her, of course. I just couldn't bring myself to coldly turn away someone in such a pitiful state.
Clutching her growling stomach in sheer embarrassment, limping on an ankle she had injured somewhere...
No matter how much I wanted to avoid the main heroine, basic human decency dictated that I couldn't just turn a blind eye to someone in that condition.
Besides, showing a little kindness wasn't going to turn the world upside down. The original storyline might shift a bit, but compared to how much things had already changed, it wouldn't derail completely.
Prioritizing basic humanity over rigid calculations of favors and grudges—perhaps that was the principle I needed to hold onto, no matter how many wild variables cropped up in the future.
Ah, come to think of it...
If I remembered correctly, today was the day Abel and Leon were supposed to start developing feelings for each other.
"..."
A sudden wave of empty futility washed over me. The classic post-effort letdown.
"Sigh."
I let out a heavy sigh, packed my gear, and stood up. Then, I began walking toward the center of the island.
The chirping of birds echoed through the trees, announcing the arrival of morning.
* * *
"Mmm..."
At the sound of chirping mountain birds, Abel's eyelids slowly fluttered open.
She sat up, trying to shake off the lingering sleepiness. Rubbing her eyes, she looked around.
"Huh?"
Kang Geomma was nowhere to be seen. Abel tilted her head, caught off guard. She wondered if he had just stepped away for a moment, but a strange sense of emptiness hung in the air.
Abel bolted upright and scanned her surroundings more closely. His gear was completely gone. He had clearly left while she was still asleep.
A sudden wave of hollow disappointment washed over her at the realization that she had been left behind without a word.
"...What? He just left without saying a word?"
Abel's brow furrowed, and she slumped back down with a pout.
Then, she noticed a few pieces of jerky neatly laid out. He must have left them for her to eat before he departed. At the sight, her narrowed eyes widened in surprise.
A sudden warmth rushed to her cheeks. The storm of conflicting emotions inside her melted away in an instant.
Then, a sudden tear welled in her eye and rolled down her cheek.
"Oh?"
Startled, Abel quickly wiped it away with her sleeve. It took her a long moment of wiping her face before her racing heart finally calmed down.
She didn't even know why she was crying. Or perhaps, she knew all too well but was simply pretending not to. Her long, delicate eyelashes trembled as a soft sob escaped her lips.
Being cared for by someone was an entirely foreign experience for Abel. Throughout her life, no matter what hardships came her way, she had always faced them alone.
No matter how high the wall, she had always overcome it. That was the duty of one who bore the name of Nibelung. Even when the crushing weight of that pressure threatened to break her, she had borne it all on her slender shoulders, never relying on a soul.
Weakness is a luxury. She had repeated those words like a mantra to keep herself strong. Abel sniffled, trying to stop her nose from running.
"Geomma... why do you go so far for me...?"
Sitting alone in the quiet clearing, Abel pulled her knees to her chest.
The realization that she had spent so much time envying and harboring jealousy toward the one person who had shown her unconditional kindness cut her to the quick. Yet, paradoxically, a warm, fluttering sensation swept through her entire body.
After sitting in somber silence for a long while, Abel lowered her gaze.
Her right ankle was still bound tightly in the splint. Thanks to his expert treatment, it had healed enough for her to walk on it.
She recalled how flustered she had been when Kang Geomma first removed her boot, remembering how she had even stammered her words. A faint smile touched her lips as she gently stroked her ankle. The knot of the fabric was tied with meticulous care.
Considering there were still two days left of the training, keeping the splint on would only hinder her movements like a shackle. Yet, for some reason, she felt reluctant to take it off.
After a moment of hesitation, Abel picked up her sword.
"But I still have two days left."
After a brief pause, she calmly sliced through the knot.
Slice.
With a single clean stroke, the fabric fell away. She stared down at the discarded strips of cloth and the fur blanket he had given her, then carefully gathered them up.
"...I have to return this to him, after all."
A gentle, pleasant smile graced her lips. She stood up, straightening her posture, and lightly tapped the toe of her right foot against the ground. Her condition was perfect.
Abel shaded her eyes with her hand and looked up at the sky.
Bathed in the morning sunlight, her eyes shimmered like pale gold, and a gentle island breeze caressed her cheek. She stretched her body before taking a tentative step forward.
As her foot pressed into the grass, her stride felt firmer and steadier than ever before.
* * *
I trekked through the forest for hours, following my hand-drawn map.
To be honest, it was hard to pinpoint the exact location of the blessing using such a crude sketch.
So, I treated the map as a rough guide and relied on my intuition whenever I hit a fork in the path. The island's geography was constantly shifting, but fortunately, a certain pattern began to emerge the longer I walked.
Rather than being completely random, it felt as though the island itself was breathing, pulsating like a living organism.
"Whew, it's seriously hot out here."
The salty, humid sea air made every breath feel heavy. My boots sank deep into the muddy ground with every step.
I kept walking along the ridge for several hours.
"Whew, I need a break."
I slumped down onto a large, shaded boulder and loosened the tie that had been suffocating my neck.
Wiping the sweat from my brow with the hem of my shirt, I pulled out the jerky I had dried yesterday and began to chew. It tasted a bit damp and musty from being exposed to the humid sea breeze, but it was good enough for a quick bite.
I had to spend today and tomorrow running all over the place, so I needed to keep my energy up. As I chewed on the tough jerky, I chewed on my goals as well.
"Though, while I'm looking for the blessing, it'd be nice to snag a few Orbs too."
Although this Uninhabited Island Survival Training was technically meant to be a vacation, the Academy had hidden Orbs all over the island as a competitive element to fire up the hot-blooded students.
Of course, my primary objective was finding the Blessing of Regeneration, but I had no intention of ignoring the Academy's side quest. Joaquin Academy was always generous when it came to rewarding hard work.
Turning in the Orbs would boost my grades, and even if I didn't submit them, I could always sell them to the blacksmith, Wieland.
After chewing absentmindedly for a while, the jerky finally dissolved in my mouth. I dusted off my pants and gathered my gear to stand up, but suddenly, a wave of realization hit me.
"Ah, right. The rabbit blanket."
I had spent hours tanning that hide yesterday just to make it. But after draping it over Abel last night, I had completely forgotten to take it back before slipping away this morning.
"...Ah."
It was a pretty monumental achievement for me, so I had planned to keep it as a souvenir.
I let out a small groan of regret, but quickly shook my head to clear the thought.
Well, she looked pretty rough anyway, so I'm sure she'll put it to good use. Besides, it'd be pretty petty to take back something I already gave her.
Besides, as I kept exploring, running into another wild beast or two would be inevitable. Now that I had some experience, the second tanning job would be much easier.
I forced a chuckle to shake off the lingering regret. But just as I was about to take a step forward, a sudden thought struck me.
"Wait... she wouldn't give that to Leon, would she...?"
I stood frozen in place for a long moment, letting out a heavy sigh, before picking up my pace.
"...Forget half-baked romance. Let's focus on utility."