Chapter 59: Uninhabited Island Survival Training (6)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 59: Uninhabited Island Survival Training (6)
The silence that settled between us was subtle.
Whoosh.
I stared intently at Leon, my hand resting against a rock. Leon still wore that easygoing, good-natured smile.
My appearance must have been sudden from his perspective as well, yet his face showed not a hint of surprise. My gaze slowly shifted down to the bladeless hilt Leon was holding.
So, you found it.
A weapon of contradictory attributes, both a demonic sword and a holy sword.
The hilt of Balmung, the Sword of Twilight.
The hilt, shimmering with a pure silver radiance, sparkled so brightly it stung the eyes, and a brilliant wave pattern swirled across its entire surface.
But what stood out most was the blue jewel embedded in the center of the hilt.
The Ether Gem.
Originally, it served as the catalyst to neutralize Balmung—the most wicked demonic sword in the world—with holy power. Its value was truly immeasurable.
Seeing it in person after only seeing it in-game brought back a flood of memories.
Back when I was a player, I used to swing it around like it was a starter weapon. Even though the blade was currently missing, its seductive silhouette was worthy of the world’s strongest armament.
To be honest, as a fellow swordsman, I was tempted, but that ego sword wouldn't allow so much as a finger to touch it without Leon’s unique blessing.
…It is cool, though.
But putting that aside, why was this guy here? Once my idle thoughts cleared, the question surfaced.
This garden was located in the very center of Avalon Island. From what I remembered, Balmung’s location should have been far out in the outskirts.
Even I, who had come to the island fully prepared, had wandered for two whole days before finally reaching this place.
Furthermore, compared to me—who looked like a mess after brushing through countless thickets—Leon looked perfectly fine. It seemed his journey had been quite smooth.
Well, given the nature of the island’s geography, which changed at the drop of a hat, there was a chance he had stumbled upon this place by accident, but…
When I thought about how I had found this area after grueling effort while Leon had seemingly found it by pure luck, irritation surged to the top of my head.
There’s a limit to protagonist buffs.
As anger flickered in my eyes, Leon, sensing the mood, hurriedly separated his clasped hands. He scratched his chin and spoke first.
“I saw an orb from a distance and ran over. I guess our paths crossed.”
Even as he spoke, his other hand was gripping Balmung tightly.
He was clearly on guard. Though, come to think of it, I hadn't let go of the sashimi knife in my right hand either.
I let out a short sigh and shoved the sashimi knife back into my pocket. Only then did Leon awkwardly put Balmung away.
Leon smiled awkwardly, seemingly struggling to find something to say.
Silence followed.
In truth, no matter how large Avalon Island was, it was crawling with academy students; it was actually more surprising that I hadn't run into anyone until now.
…The problem is that the one I ran into had to be Leon.
The uninhabited island survival training was a crucial event for him as the protagonist, a turning point that spanned the early part of the scenario.
If things went according to the official history, this was around the time Leon should have encountered Abel and started developing feelings for her.
A pair of beautiful youths sitting before a campfire, pouring out their hidden feelings and comforting each other’s wounds—that kind of story. Thinking about that, a thought suddenly occurred to me.
Did I accidentally hijack the time Leon was supposed to spend with Abel?
If so, the relationship between those two would completely deviate from my expectations.
Dammit.
As I bit my lip, Leon, who had been watching me, spoke up cautiously again.
“Uh, Geomma, did you come here after seeing this orb too?”
I narrowed my eyes slightly, trying to gauge Leon’s intentions. His face was pure, without a trace of a lie. It seemed he hadn't come here intending to find the blessing.
From my perspective, picking up an orb while I was at it wasn't a bad thing, but my primary goal was the ‘Blessing of Regeneration.’
Of course, an orb of this size would be highly valuable, but to me, it couldn't compare to the blessing.
However, if I just readily handed the orb over to Leon, I’d have to explain exactly why I had rushed over here so frantically.
There’s no reason or need to convince him.
I’d rather be seen as a greedy person than have Leon harbor suspicious thoughts about me. I made up my mind and gave a slight nod.
“Yeah, that’s right. I haven't found a single orb since coming to the island, but this one caught my eye.”
“Hmm, I see.”
Leon stroked his chin, thinking for a moment. He tilted his head a few times before muttering softly.
“Then, it can’t be helped.”
“……?”
Saying that, Leon drew the Balmung hilt he had just put away.
Kiiiing.
The bladeless sword cried out. The resonance lasted only an instant.
Immediately, a pure white straight sword extended from the top of the hilt.
Leon narrowed his eyes and pulled Balmung toward his chest.
The light from the intangible blade cast a halo along the lines of his face.
“Defeat me in a spar and take it.”
With the looks of a holy crusader, Leon was spouting lines like a dungeon boss.
This was an unexpected situation. Wasn't it a bit ridiculous to start a sword fight over a single orb?
I wondered if Leon had always been this worldly.
However, his eyes were thick with resolve and fighting spirit. They were the eyes of a swordsman, completely cleared of any foul thoughts.
Seeing that, I began to understand Leon’s capricious reaction.
The orb was just a pretext; he wanted to use me as a stepping stone for his growth. He was drawing his sword to temper himself.
The distrust I had secretly harbored toward him until recently began to fade.
A veteran hero only achieves great deeds after overcoming all sorts of hardships and trials. Perhaps the reason Leon had seemed unreliable until now was simply because he hadn't been chosen by Balmung yet.
As if to prove it, Leon exuded an arrogant aura that was quite different from before.
I let out a smirk, feeling a sense of pride, and gripped my hilt.
“A protagonist is a protagonist, I guess.”
However, regardless of his admirable mindset, I didn't intend to spend much time on this.
Considering potential variables, wasting the duration of my Blessing of Painlessness on something like this would be a waste.
Besides, even in a spar, I might accidentally cut his throat if I got caught up in the atmosphere.
I took a few steps forward and drew the blade from its sheath.
Kiiiing.
Balmung and the sashimi knife resonated in unison.
* * *
A moment later.
The spar ended so quickly it was almost hollow.
It didn't even last a second.
The moment the small sashimi knife grazed the holy sword Balmung, Balmung’s blade was sliced clean through like a piece of soft taffy.
It’s too high.
It was a realm that felt unreachable even if one swung a sword for decades. It wasn't just a step up from the midterms; his sword energy felt like it had evolved.
Leon had no way of knowing how someone his age could possess such ghostly skill. Even if he asked, he wouldn't be able to understand. It wasn't a mere technique; it was swordplay that felt like pure instinct.
“Haha.”
Leon stared blankly at the empty hilt before letting out a hollow laugh.
Leon looked at Kang Geomma. He had already put his weapon away and was examining the rock where the orb sat.
It seemed the previous spar didn't occupy even a hair’s breadth of Kang Geomma’s mind. All his attention was focused solely on the reward, the victor’s prize.
…Kang Geomma, you should have been the one chosen instead.
Leon spoke without moving his lips. An unknown, subtle emotion filled his chest from deep within, making it feel tight.
Suppressing the words he wanted to say, Leon slowly turned and walked toward the forest path without a word of farewell.
The deepening shadows of the sunset began to dye his retreating back.
* * *
“Oh, what? When did he leave?”
While I was momentarily distracted by the rock engraved with patterns, Leon had vanished into thin air.
“Did I end it too quickly…?”
Even I thought the result was a bit hollow.
Perhaps I had overthought my desire not to waste fifty seconds, but the spar had ended with a single stroke.
When the sashimi knife traced the red line on Balmung, the intangible blade scattered into the air like dust.
In my own way, I had been careful to strike only Balmung so as not to leave a scratch on him.
Even if it was just a hilt, it was still the world’s strongest armament, yet it vanished so helplessly. I briefly replayed the spar in my head before shaking it off.
“Well, the final form of Balmung will be different.”
I picked up the orb sitting on the rock. The crystal-like gem was about the size of a baseball.
“Still, this should be worth a lot for my grades.”
I stuffed the orb into my backpack and stepped closer to the patterned rock.
A faint light flowed through the engraved grooves. I opened my palm and brought it close to the rock.
“…….”
There was no reaction. Usually, shouldn't there be a flash of light and an effect where it absorbs into the body?
Come to think of it, in the game, you just had to get close, and you’d naturally obtain it with a ping sound effect.
I narrowed my eyes and scanned the rock from top to bottom. I looked closely to see if there was any specific point of interest, but it was just a tree-shaped stone with a few lines of text carved into it.
After standing there for a few minutes, lost in thought, irritation began to set in.
I had worked so hard to get here; what was I doing standing in front of my goal like this?
Then, a thought flashed through my mind. Memories of when I had accidentally obtained the Blessing of Regeneration surfaced in fragments. I fell into silent thought before muttering.
“…No way.”
I took off my backpack and pulled out a sashimi knife.
Then, I gripped the hilt firmly and swung with all my might.
Slice!
The moment the tip of the blade touched it, the rock split apart like butter.
Thud!
The fallen leaves nearby surged and scattered from the aftermath of the impact.
Immediately after, a welcome status window appeared on my retina.
Flash!
* * *
[NEW! Congratulations. You have acquired a new blessing.]
[Blessing of Regeneration]
Rapidly proliferates damaged cells to restore them.
[※ However, severed body parts will not be regenerated.]
* * *
I looked at the status window with narrowed eyes, put the sashimi knife back, and pulled a machete from my bag.
“Should I give it a test?”
I lightly grazed my forearm with the machete. It wasn't a deep cut, but it was a laceration that would leave a scar if left untreated.
However, the blood that had begun to bead on the skin stopped, and the flesh knit back together in an instant.
“Oh, the performance is solid.”
Out of all the achievements I had gained so far, this was the most intuitive and reliable in terms of performance. I thought about testing it further, but I stopped, feeling like I was playing around with my precious body.
“Phew, I’m glad I got what I wanted, at least.”
I pushed my chin up with my palm. The sound of joints popping echoed.
I felt refreshed.
There was Leon’s unexpected intervention in the middle, but compared to my past experiences, it didn't even qualify as a nuisance.
I suddenly looked up at the sky.
The sun had completely dropped below the western horizon, and darkness was quickly setting in.
Growl.
My stomach let out a loud rumble.
“Come to think of it, all I’ve had today is jerky.”
I had no food left. It was because I had been too busy running through the brush all day to hunt.
I thought about looking for a wild animal now, but the accumulated fatigue hit me, making my eyelids heavy.
‘Well, I did run around for over five hours.’
I scratched my chin and looked around the area. I wanted to find something edible. Then, the fruits hanging in clusters from the trees caught my eye.
“The Fruit of Life.”
They had smelled fragrant before, but with an empty stomach, drool began to leak down my chin. My sense of taste revived, whetting my appetite.
“A heavenly scent, but a hellish taste…”
Based on my experience as a chef, it’s not easy for a fruit with this kind of aroma to taste bad. I didn't know for sure, but the rumors were probably just exaggerations born from a bit of astringency.
I picked a fruit and wiped it roughly on my clothes. The surface of the fruit took on a glossy sheen. Then, I took a large bite, leaving deep teeth marks.
Crunch.
“Gaaah!”
The foul taste swirling in my mouth made me shudder involuntarily, and phlegm boiled in my throat.
“Fuck! Ptooey, ptooey!”
It was a taste that felt like hell had been moved into my mouth; I felt like I’d lose my sense of taste if I ate any more.
* * *
The next day, as dawn broke, I spent about two hours pushing through the forest paths.
I hacked through the brush blocking my view with my machete.
“…Phew, it’s sweltering.”
Sweat poured down my temples in the stifling wind. Perhaps because it was an island surrounded by the sea, a salty and humid sea breeze wrapped around my entire body.
I unbuttoned the top two buttons of my shirt and wiped the sweat with my sleeve. I let out a short breath as my discomfort index soared to the top of my head.
My stomach was also aching painfully. My insides hurt, likely because I had eaten the Fruit of Life yesterday. It wasn't a metaphor; when I woke up this morning, a literal hellscape was unfolding in my stomach.
“Water, water.”
I desperately needed water to quickly rinse out my ruined insides and wash my body.
I fanned my sweat-soaked shirt and sharpened my senses to find a nearby stream.
I didn't need to sit cross-legged with my hands on my knees like in the movies. Just standing still and closing my eyes was enough.
The detection ability tempered by the Blessing of the Sword God was far superior to my original perception. My expanded sensory vision projected a three-dimensional map of the surrounding terrain into my mind.
Following the sound of grass rustling in the wind and the flow of seabirds playing in the sky, the sound of flowing water soon reached my ears.
Found it.
I forced my eyes open. Since the geography changed so quickly, I had to reach it before I lost it.
I put strength into my calves, kicked off the stone at my feet, and began to run toward the sound. The scenery scattered and blurred in my vision.
Thanks to my diligent training, I was very fast despite the heavy backpack.
Then just how fast was that rabbit bastard the other day?
I didn't know for sure, but that thing definitely wasn't an ordinary animal. After running for about five minutes, a flowing stream at the end of the path came into view.
The humid wind blowing from the river increased my discomfort, but a single cold bath would wash it all away. All my nerves were already focused on that spot.
The fragments of the passing scenery began to take shape, and just as I drew close to the stream to wash off my sweat—
Swish, swish, swish—
Blades crossed before my eyes like bolts of light.
“……!”
I instinctively twisted my hips to dodge, and a curved sword thudded into the tree standing beside me. The small branches trembled from the aftershock.
Before I could even wonder what was happening, three more of the same curved swords curved back toward me like boomerangs.
Swish— swish, swish— swish, swish, swish—
The swords flew through the air in a staggering motion.
Simultaneously, I stomped the ground to perform a breakfall, then spun around to deflect the blades that were dizzying my eyes.
However, because I hadn't been able to manifest the Blessing of the Sword God due to the sudden ambush, my body was grazed in several places, and blood began to seep out.
The swords immediately embedded themselves into an old tree like awls.
Step, step.
The sound of multiple unpleasant footsteps followed.
“Wow, Boss. Is that kid really a student? That’s insane. Why don't we just scout him while we’re at it?”
“Be quiet, Parik.”
“Yessir.”
Shadows began to walk out one by one from my blind spots.
They revealed themselves, led by a man whose tongue was split like a snake’s. Among them, the one who stood out was the woman standing in the center of the men.
Because I knew who she was.
Ray Shan.
The leader of the assassin group Undertaker, and the first half-human, half-demon that Leon von Reinhardt would encounter in the future.