Survival Test (2)
Following Professor Kim Jinhyuk's directive to gather even the smallest of items, students reluctantly began inspecting the snacks and drinks they had brought for breakfast. Alice, on the other hand, had roughly ten manastones, likely a precaution for potential mana depletion. With those, she could likely survive for a week.
Yet, her sudden change in behavior baffled me. Even when I checked her status window, her thoughts seemed fixated on derogatory terms like "trash" and "garbage." But then, a thought struck me.
Could it be that she witnessed me and Lumi having sex in the club room?
Considering her status as the daughter of the Iris Guild's guildmaster, she might have ordered her guild members to investigate me. And due to my carelessness, this information could have reached her ears.
Is it even fair to label someone as "trash" for simply being intimate with their girlfriend in a clubroom? Besides, the investigator might assume Lumi is my girlfriend since she's the only one caught... But
I can't be certain. This is merely my speculation.
"One by one, step into the portal."
We were proceeding through the teleportation portal individually. Upon entering, I was greeted by a vast expanse of ocean, with dense Amazon-like trees behind me. I found myself on the shore of an island, surrounded by chattering students.
"Class A, assemble here." Professor Kim Jinhyuk, our homeroom teacher, emerged from the portal last and assembled us.
"This is a deserted island purchased by Victoria Academy. It shows no signs of prior human presence, and the natural ecosystem has been meticulously preserved. Your task is to survive here until Sunday."
He began briefing us on the special test. The densely grown trees around us looked like a tropical rainforest, and it seemed untouched by human hands.
"The island is inhabited by both venomous creatures and menacing monsters. While not all of them are poisonous, many pose a threat to your safety. If you ever consider quitting, reach out to me through your smartwatch. In the case of a life-threatening emergency, don't hesitate to use it."
Professor Kim Jinhyuk distributed stickers that could be affixed to the students' smartwatches.
"When you peel off that sticker, you will instantly be transported to a safe location. However, doing so will result in the lowest possible score for the test."
Unlike previous training exercises, there were no safety precautions in place. Nevertheless, a substantial number of drones and surveillance cameras should mitigate the danger.
"Isn't this risky?"
"I couldn't even contact my girlfriend..."
Professor Kim Jinhyuk nonchalantly observed the concerned students and continued with his explanation.
"Allow me to clarify how the test operates. You all start with a base of 10 points. There are opportunities to increase your score scattered throughout the island. For instance, eliminating monsters and having your smartwatch recognize them will earn you points. Of course, student-on-student battles are also permitted..."
His explanation was painfully lengthy. To put it simply, you earn points by defeating monsters and other students. Weaker monsters grant moderate points, while stronger ones offer higher scores. If you manage to defeat another student and your smartwatch registers it, you'll receive half of that student's points. Furthermore, there are supply crates dropping from the sky and hidden treasures scattered across the island that also contribute to your score.
"To claim points from other students, you can take their smartwatches. By reading another smartwatch with your own, you'll transfer half of their stored points to you, and the other student will be disqualified."
Kim Jinhyuk illustrated this by tapping his own smartwatch as he explained.
"I don't believe any of you are willing to risk your lives for this test, but just in case, let me be clear. This is all part of your training—a process that exposes you to handling unfamiliar crises. Please don't jeopardize your lives over mere pride."
"Professor... But won't emotions run high during battles?" A student raised a valid question, but if such concerns were relevant, they likely wouldn't have been brought here in the first place.
"You are students of Victoria Academy. Your talent, family background, or wealth holds no weight at this moment. Exposure to tough and perilous training is a natural aspect of being at this academy."
Victoria Academy is a globally recognized educational institution. Behind its reputation for producing exceptional hunters, there's a Spartan-style training. However, it's undeniable that more challenging ordeals help individuals grow.
"If you lack confidence, feel free to contact me and surrender. Even in life-threatening situations, tearing off the sticker will suffice. As long as you're still breathing, the medical team on standby will do whatever it takes to save you, so don't worry. However, we won't go out of our way to rescue those who insist on stubbornly risking their lives without realizing the mortal danger they're in."
Hearing this was quite unsettling. Of course, I'm not going to die, so it doesn't concern me.
"All the essential information has been conveyed. Lastly, you'll receive personal maps and emergency rations."
Each of us was handed a map and a pouch labeled "Emergency Rations," containing two chocolate bars and two eggs.
For Alice, who needed at least two or three manastones just to attend a practical class, having only ten seemed ridiculously insufficient. Nonetheless, giving up on the test was not an option, so she had to give it her all.
Alice decided to begin by searching for treasure. There might be treasures related to mana, after all. As she examined the map and scouted potential treasure locations, her initial plan was to head towards the center of the island. However, she remembered that Lee Hoyeon had gone in that direction.
"Let's go this way..."
While heading toward the center was appealing, the thought of Lee Hoyeon made her feel uncomfortable.
Alice looked at the map and started walking east. However, her natural sense of direction, or lack thereof, hindered her navigation, and she ended up in a completely different place from her initial plan.
"Where is this...?"
A wide river appeared in front of Alice. It was the primary stream of a river that traversed the uninhabited island. As she climbed onto a shaky wooden bridge to cross the river, she was so engrossed in her map that she failed to notice the other students hiding on the opposite side. But even from the other side, they didn't want Alice to approach.
"Hey... What the hell, it's not a zombie, it's Alice, you idiot!" As two male students concealed themselves in the tall grass, they began to panic upon seeing Alice crossing the bridge.
"This is messed up. We made a mistake. It's game over if we bump into her. We have to run."
"Wait, she probably hasn't noticed us yet. Should we... give it a try?" One of the students, equipped with a bow, nervously suggested.
"We won't stand a chance even if we ambush her, will we?"
The student with a spear tucked behind his back made a valid point, but the one with the bow nodded.
"We're after the bridge, not Alice. We only need to break the part connected to our side."
"Oh...? Is that so?"
The absurd plan to destroy the bridge Alice was crossing. It was a pathetic strategy that a fully prepared Alice would never fall for, but right now, she felt dirty and was focusing all her attention on finding her way.
"Sure, let's give it a shot. If it doesn't work, we can run away."
Alice was still frowning at the map, mumbling to herself, "No... It's all trees here, it's all trees there, it's a mountain here, and it's a mountain there. Where do I even go?"
Rustle...
An artificial sound of rustling leaves, accompanied by a sense of a presence. At the same time, something was flying in her direction.
"Too late!" Alice quickly gathered her mana to prepare for the incoming attack.
Klang!
However, there was no attack targeting her. The thrown spears and arrows were aimed at the wooden bridge, completely severing the ropes supporting it.
"What...?"
Alice turned to see two students on the other side high-fiving each other in celebration. As they made eye contact with her, she fell into the river.
Splash!
"I need to get my manastones out..."
In an attempt to defend against the ambush, Alice forcibly extracted mana, which led to a resurgence of mana deficiency. To escape the water immediately, she had to perform emergency treatment using manastones. As she fumbled inside her clothes pocket to retrieve the stones, the strong current caused her to lose her grip.
"..."
At that moment, several spare manastones, of which she had only ten, slipped away in the strong current, and Alice struggled to get out of the river. But the aftereffects of forcibly extracting mana made her body almost unresponsive.
"This is too dangerous... Aah!"
Alice contemplated removing her smartwatch's emergency sticker, but in that moment, her head, which had been swaying back and forth due to the swift currents, collided with a protruding rock. With inadequate breath, the aftermath of mana extraction, and the excruciating pain in her head, Alice eventually lost consciousness and drifted away in the water.