Chapter 107: Survival Hero (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 107: Survival Hero (2)
Ignoring Im Jin-ah and her unpleasant smirk, I waited until all the teams had gathered.
"Everyone is here! It must be hard finding a place to sleep, right? That’s why for this game’s reward, we’ve prepared tools to help you out!"
Ugh, you could’ve told us that sooner.
My teammates' faces are beet-red from the struggle of trying to start a fire. You should’ve told us to play the game before trying to build a shelter.
I can see the direction of this program now.
Show people suffering first, then provide help or an answer later. It’s such an outdated format, like some old-school variety show.
I don't know if it's the same here, but isn't the current trend more like, 'Look at how effortlessly I live, just watch me flex'?
However, the others cheered at the MC's words. I guess everyone else had been struggling barehanded too.
The MC began introducing the rewards starting from first place.
First place gets a tent and a barbecue set.
Okay, I can understand the tent, but a grill? That’s not survival; that’s just camping.
The quality of the prizes dropped sharply after first place, offering only a single tool and some basic rations.
I don't care about the food, but I really hope we can get a knife. Might be a long shot, though.
"Since today is the first day, we won't push you too hard. We'll start with a simple quiz. You all will..."
As the MC explained, I realized I was screwed.
It was a general knowledge quiz.
But I have absolutely no general knowledge of this world.
Entertainment, politics, current events, art, history—I’ve lived in this world for less than a year. I don't know a thing.
"We'll start with Team 1, who arrived first. Please choose a category."
"Since I am a hero who protects people, I will choose 'Heroes'."
You bitch, you should’ve protected your body owner then.
Im Jin-ah, who spoke so boldly even with me standing right there, stepped forward as the representative and got every single question right.
"A perfect score! Incredible, you got all ten questions right."
"As a hero, these are things I should naturally know."
Ugh, so annoying.
I really wanted to smack the back of her head while she stood there smiling and acting cool.
"Who wants to go as our representative?"
"Yeon-woo... Yeon-woo, do you want to go?"
No, absolutely not. If I go, I won't get a single question right.
The only category I might have stood a chance in, 'Heroes,' is gone. If I go out there, I’ll just be a total troll.
"I don't really know much about the world... Could one of you two do it?"
When I spoke with an apologetic look, the two of them exchanged glances.
"Then I'll go."
"Oh... yes, Soo-hyun seems smart, so I feel relieved."
Where exactly does she look smart?
Perhaps feeling pressured by the thought of being the representative, Anna Gyeom stepped back while complimenting Eom Soo-hyun.
When our turn came, Eom Soo-hyun chose 'Proverbs' as the category.
Looking at her expression, she seemed quite confident.
"In Germany, there is a proverb that says you must do 'this' before striking the iron. This means..."
However, as the MC continued, Eom Soo-hyun’s face went blank.
I’d have the same expression.
Logically, if you pick proverbs as a category, shouldn't the questions be about Korean proverbs?
I could understand if it were a world-famous proverb or one from a neighboring country, but this was completely out of left field.
It didn't look like anyone here knew the answer.
"To... pour water on it?"
"No, that is incorrect. The answer is..."
Eom Soo-hyun blurted out a random guess with a dazed look, but there was no way she’d get it right.
The questions that followed were the same.
How were we supposed to know an African proverb?
In the end, Eom Soo-hyun barely managed to get one right and returned with her shoulders slumped.
"I'm... sorry... I'm trash..."
"No, it's okay. the questions were way too hard. I didn't know a single one of them either."
As I comforted her, Anna Gyeom quickly chimed in.
"I think you might have picked a trap category. I heard that on Survival Hero, they throw in different difficulty levels just for the sake of entertainment."
I wonder if it was for the entertainment of the viewers, or for Han Byeong-sin and Im Jin-ah.
Regardless, we were dead last.
We quietly watched as the teams with the same number of correct answers competed fiercely.
Once the game ended, the rewards we received were one survival bracelet, three chocolate bars, and two 500ml bottles of water.
We stared silently at the pathetic rewards laid out between us.
"It's not bad."
"I'm... sorry. I've committed a mortal sin."
Eom Soo-hyun was completely devastated, unable to lift her head.
I picked up the survival bracelet, which had a compass attached, and checked it out.
Yeah, this is fine.
Having any kind of modern tool makes things significantly easier.
Of course, an entrenching tool or a knife would have been better, but a survival bracelet is a pretty good tool too.
"No, really, it's not bad at all. We don't have to worry about managing the fire anymore."
I unfastened the bracelet and showed them the fire steel inside.
When I scraped it with the tiny blade—about the size of a fingernail clipper—on the other side to throw sparks, the two of them stared.
"With this, we don't have to hurt our hands trying to start a fire. It's easy to light, so we don't have to worry about keeping it from going out."
As I pointed out the benefits, their faces brightened.
They’d struggled so much to start the fire, so it made sense.
"And we have snacks now, which is great. We can grill the fish and have chocolate bars for dessert. I love these."
When I spoke with a bright smile, the two of them stared blankly for a moment before turning their heads away.
"Y-yeah... that's good."
"Right, it's good. Very good."
Without specifying what was good, both of them blushed.
I guess a cheerful boy who knows how to be grateful for the little things works anywhere.
Still, I comforted Eom Soo-hyun, who was still blaming herself for not doing better, as we headed back to our shelter.
Today felt like an observational camera show, focusing on our struggles, but from tomorrow, the real show would begin with games every three or four hours.
Judging by the game we just played, I could see exactly how things would go.
I’m looking forward to seeing what kind of bullshit they throw at us next.
Back at the shelter, I demonstrated how to start a fire with the survival bracelet and had the two of them practice.
As expected of people experienced with blades, they were able to create sparks quite well.
By the time we finished grilling the fish on sticks and setting up our sleeping area and a makeshift water purifier, the sun had already set, and darkness had fallen.
Since the firewood wasn't fully dried, it produced quite a bit of smoke, but the campfire lit up the surroundings and brought a sense of peace.
Under the spell of the campfire, the two of them stared blankly into the flames.
"Is it done cooking yet?"
Ah, never mind. They weren't under a spell; they were just staring at the grilled fish because they were hungry.
When I told them it was done, they each took one and began eating heartily.
The fish had a natural saltiness from the seawater, so it tasted quite good even without seasoning.
Eom Soo-hyun seemed satisfied as well, nibbling away even as she got soot on the tip of her nose.
"Shall we bring out the main dish now?"
I brushed away the embers I had set aside next to the campfire and pulled out a large fish wrapped in big leaves.
The bigger the meat, the more it stirs the appetite when you bring it out.
The large fish I caught last was steamed using residual heat.
Normally, you’d steam it with spices and such, but even this would be quite a feast.
Carefully opening it to avoid the heat, the large leaves naturally became a plate, revealing a delicious, fatty fish.
"Whoa..."
As I sliced into the flesh with a stone knife, white steam rose up. Visually satisfied, the two of them gasped in admiration.
I cut it into pieces and placed them on the leaves they were holding, and they ate with gusto.
"This is amazing... I never expected to eat something like this here."
"It's really delicious. How does it taste like this without any spices?"
"Should we show off to the camera?"
At my suggestion, we huddled near the fish and showed off our food to the drone filming us.
The people watching the live broadcast would probably love this.
Im Yu-jin, you thought wrong.
You think showing off a camping trip with first-place rewards while others struggle makes you look superior and cool?
But what people expect is survival, not camping.
Will they like your barbecue feast, or my fish feast?
I didn't even need to check the comments to know.
After the three of us ate our fill, I decided to smoke the leftovers.
The smoke from the green wood was harsh, so it probably wouldn't taste great, but I had to prepare breakfast.
"But are you sure just one is okay?"
Anna Gyeom asked, looking at the shelter with concern.
"As long as there's room for the three of us to lie down, it's fine. No need to waste energy unnecessarily."
"But you're a boy..."
"Eh? It's fine. It's not like we're going to do anything weird."
"Of course not! I'm really just going to sleep. But it might be uncomfortable..."
"Don't worry. Once I fall asleep, you could carry me away and I wouldn't know."
When I gave a bright smile, Anna Gyeom nodded and changed the subject.
They said they wouldn't do anything weird—what gentlemen.
Too bad I'm not a gentleman.
Eom Soo-hyun couldn't fall asleep.
Living with her mana sealed was harder than she thought. While the others seemed to be in a deep sleep, she remained wide awake.
Her body was exhausted and she wanted to sleep, but her mind was clearer than ever.
"... ..."
Lying between Yeon-woo and Anna Gyeom, Eom Soo-hyun quietly swallowed hard at the warmth of the man she felt right beside her.
Get a grip. I'm a lady, a lady. And this is Yeon-woo. If Master finds out I felt flustered by him later, she'll kill me.
Just as she squeezed her eyes shut and tried to practice mind control, Yeon-woo pulled her into an embrace.
Hiek!
Eom Soo-hyun, who almost screamed, curled her body inward.
His hand, which had been tossing and turning in his sleep, landed on her chest.
Thump-thump-thump—
Having been turned away from him, she was now being held in Yeon-woo's arms.
"Mmm..."
As her eyes darted around in shock, Yeon-woo let out a small breath and hugged her even tighter.
As their bodies pressed together, Eom Soo-hyun took a sharp breath.
Come to think of it, he wasn't wearing a shirt...
Since he had used his top as a basket, Eom Soo-hyun could feel his bare skin against the back of her neck.
Whether it was a habit of hugging a doll in his sleep, he kept applying pressure, making Eom Soo-hyun panic.
Ugh, ugh, ugh, ugh...
Her Master had always told her that a mage must remain calm, but she had never taught her how to handle a situation like this.
Every time Yeon-woo’s hand, which had a bad habit of wandering, fidgeted on her chest, she struggled to hold back a moan.
And something hard kept poking her in the butt, making her uncomfortable.
Ugh... why did he bring a stick to bed?
Eom Soo-hyun reached back and grabbed the stick.
"... ... Huh?"
The words slipped out before she could stop them.
It was hard, but the heat radiating through the fabric of his pants was not that of a stick.
Then what could this be?
"Mmm..."
At Yeon-woo's groan, Eom Soo-hyun hurriedly let go.
Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, oh my god.
Realizing that what had been poking her butt all this time was Yeon-woo's cock, Eom Soo-hyun’s cheeks turned bright red.
And she had just squeezed it to her heart's content.
Because he was wearing thin, comfortable shorts suited for the warm weather, she could feel its shape perfectly through the fabric.
Yeon-woo’s body shifted again, and his cock poked right between her thighs.
Hnnngh!
At the tingling sensation of pleasure, Eom Soo-hyun covered her mouth and stifled a moan.
It was an intensity that felt like it could pierce right through her clothes.
Perhaps uncomfortable in his sleep, Yeon-woo continued to toss and turn.
Though it hadn't gone inside, his cock, positioned perfectly against her crotch, kept poking and rubbing against her.
Trembling while covering her mouth, she let out a small, pent-up breath once Yeon-woo stopped moving.
Is this... a lucky pervert moment?
She was incredibly aroused by the unexpected situation, but it wasn't like she could do anything.
The drones had withdrawn, and the cameras installed nearby weren't filming the sleeping area, but there were people on either side of her.
What if Anna Gyeom woke up and saw this? What if Yeon-woo woke up and looked at her, even though he was the one who hugged her?
Eom Soo-hyun didn't even want to imagine it.
She wanted to stay like this forever, but fearing the aftermath, she reached her hand back.
She intended to push the cock away from between her thighs and move away from him.
"... ..."
She gripped a hot iron pipe.
"... ...?"
It wasn't the texture of fabric. It was human skin sticking to her hand.
No, could human skin really be this hot?
For some reason, realizing she was touching Yeon-woo's bare cock, Eom Soo-hyun couldn't think straight.
Unconsciously, her hand moved slowly, tracing the outline of his cock.
As if the stroking hand felt good, a heavy breath escaped from Yeon-woo’s mouth near the crown of her head.
Hearing the sound of a man’s arousal in her ear, Eom Soo-hyun’s own excitement soared boundlessly.
Even while thinking she shouldn't, she didn't stop her hand, diligently stroking the cock she wanted to keep touching.
After some time had passed, Yeon-woo’s cock gave a sudden shudder.
Just as Eom Soo-hyun was thinking that because the cock was so big, even the vibration was on another level, something struck her crotch.
Phut—! Splurt-splurt-splurt!
"... ..."
Eom Soo-hyun froze as she was hit dead-on by a powerful stream.
Though her crotch was already as wet as could be, she felt something thick and sticky clinging to her clothes.
After being frozen for a moment, she snapped out of it, tucked Yeon-woo’s cock back into his pants, and stood up.
After checking to make sure no one else was awake, Eom Soo-hyun headed toward the Private Zone to shower.
With her crotch continuing to throb and ache, she might end up doing more than just showering.