Chapter 93: Shower (1)

“This Honbird, isn’t this edible?”

Rohan asked as he picked up the headless Honbird and fiddled with it, plucking the tough feathers pok! pok!

Watching him, Ichinose rolled her gold-colored eyes tinged with bewilderment and asked Rohan back.

“…You’re going to eat a Hornbird?”

“It’s not poisonous, and it’s one of the edible monsters. I saw people eating it a lot online.”

A nuance as if asking what the problem was.

At Rohan’s confidence, Ichinose’s voice trembled slightly.

“Th, that’s true, but…”

“Maybe encountering a Honbird here is lucky. There might only be inedible monsters inside.”

An irrefutable and valid point.

The girl’s gaze turned to the piece of meat in Rohan’s hand.

The Honbird, whose life had been cut short and was dripping with blood, wasn’t classified as an animal, but a monster.

It’s a monster type that physiologically induced aversion, but as Rohan said, it’s not inedible.

A typical example is people attempting to gain views by filming videos of themselves eating them.

Some try it simply out of curiosity.

And one case has been added recently.

If you’re dragged into a Dungeon by a Monolith, you might have no choice but to face this situation.

It coincides with what Orion Academy is trying to teach through the current test.

Did they even consider that?

Here’s Ichinose’s guess.

Orion Academy likely chose this Uninhabited Island taking even that into account.

It’s certain.

Whether it was true or not, believing so benefited the girl.

Thanks to that, Ichinose managed to nod with difficulty.

“…Y-Yes! We don’t know how powerful these stickers are, so it’s right to keep them.”

“Good, good. I’ll try dressing it up.”

“Dressing… Have you, by any chance, eaten a Hornbird before?”

Ichinose was startled by Rohan’s confidence and raised her voice.

It was only interesting to Rohan that she reacted this way, not in battle.

“It’s just a bit bigger. Isn’t it similar to a chicken?”

“Do you cook often?”

“If you live alone and travel around, you’ll learn the basics.”

“Ah…”

Ichinose closed her mouth, recalling Rohan’s background.

Rohan, voicing that it would be nice if there was water flowing nearby, led the way.

Pasak! Pat! Pasak!

How far did they delve in, swinging their swords in turns?

The sound of waves couldn’t be heard anymore. Only the natural sounds of the dark, verdant forest filled the air.

Looking back, the night sea was barely within sight. If they hadn’t climbed uphill, it wouldn’t be visible.

“I thought animals or monsters might be drawn to the smell of blood. But it’s still quiet.”

Rohan glanced at the plump Honbird in his hand.

It was a pity that he couldn’t clean it properly, only removing the insides. He needed water.

“If we find a suitable place to stay, let’s settle there for now. Just enough to avoid the wind.”

“Then we’ll keep going deeper? We won’t see the sea anymore if we go further in.”

“Let’s go.”

Ichinose expressed her intent and smoothly revealed her blade.

She cleanly cut down the overgrown plants.

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…How much time has passed?

Ichinose, with her eyes closed, wondered inwardly.

They couldn’t increase their speed recklessly, so their pace was slow, but it was clear that a considerable amount of time had passed subjectively.

Unfortunately, they hadn’t found a suitable place to rest while traveling this far.

However, the monsters they faced were diverse.

They hadn’t encountered a Honbird since the entrance, but they had caught more than 10 Geroeyes and Mud Slimes each.

Judging by the occasional cries and the marks left on the trees, there were also Honey Bee Bears or Iron Turtles.

“Assuming we’re moving in a straight line, if we go in the completely opposite direction, wouldn’t the probability of encountering another class be higher than our own?”

“Looking at the Transport Ship’s flight path, I think so.”

“Even if we meet, it doesn’t feel like it’ll be a very welcoming atmosphere.”

They were distracting themselves by exchanging small talk, but Ichinose was bewildered by the state of her body, something she was experiencing for the first time.

The stickers were definitely effective.

She knew how much mental energy it took to sharpen her senses and maintain tension.

Even considering that, her current physical state was definitely strange.

It felt like her metabolism was malfunctioning, making her constantly feel cold.

I have to endure 5 days in this state…?

Was this the feeling Noa experienced when she became weak and complained of hunger every day?

Her stomach felt empty as if it had a hole in it. Her throat was parched, craving water.

She had always made sure to eat well for her growth.

This drop was a strong blow to the young lady who had no memory of starving.

Rohan is…

The girl slightly opened her eyes to look at her partner.

Looking at his profile, he seemed fine. His condition wasn’t outwardly visible.

She was almost suspicious that the sticker’s effect wasn’t working.

“Hmm… I don’t see any place to rest. Should I dig a hole in the ground or something?”

Just as Rohan finished his sentence with a tinge of regret,

Growl──.

A blatant sound of hunger echoed from Ichinose’s slender abdomen.

“!!!”

Ichinose blushed and covered her stomach with both hands.

A meaningless gesture born of flustered desperation. To Rohan’s eyes, his beloved character’s actions were simply cute.

“Th-That’s…!”

“What, it’s natural. I’ve been hungry too.”

“…”

Rohan smiled innocently and stretched out his legs again.

Perhaps if he had teased her playfully, it would have been less embarrassing. Ichinose wanted to hide in a mouse hole.

Her face felt hot. For a moment, her mind went blank, and she even forgot her hunger.

Step. Step. Step

After a few steps in silence,

Rohan and Ichinose stopped at the same time and looked up at the sky.

“This isn’t good.”

“Oh.”

Was it a message from the heavens telling the girl to calm down and cool off?

Suddenly, thick raindrops began to fall.

Without a moment to react, the clouds, having finished their preview, began to pour down rain in earnest.

Whoosh──!!!

A heavy downpour, almost like a squall.

Large raindrops began to soak Rohan and Ichinose, who had no shelter.

Hex’s laboratory, located at the headquarters of the Reverse Praise Society.

Hex, one of the two heads ruling the Reverse Praise Society along with himself, was with Omega.

This was also a regular time for Hex to modify Omega’s body using his Skills.

“As I said before, I’ll inject as many Fire-resistant factors as possible into your muscles and skin.”

“…”

Outwardly, they were complete opposites.

Unlike Hex, with his skinny frame, Omega was over 2 meters tall with tremendous muscles and bulk.

That wasn’t Omega’s only characteristic.

His eyebrows and hair were gone due to severe burns, and he wore a mechanical device developed by Hex over his lower face, which was damaged beyond repair.

At first glance, it looked like a black mask.

“Will you finally fix my face if we win this time?”

“I will.”

Other than that, all other parts of his body had received skin grafts thanks to Hex’s Skills.

However, the burn scars on his exposed face remained untouched at Omega’s insistence.

Simply put, it was a patient wait for revenge.

Hex found this attitude incomprehensible.

“Since the severity of a burn depends on how deeply the heat penetrates the cell layers, this time the graft material will be Lava Gargoyle, Magma Salamander, and-”

With a syringe in hand, Hex’s words grew faster and faster.

Omega, watching Hex’s eyes becoming glazed with excitement, interrupted him familiarly.

“As I say every time, I don’t understand anything even if you explain it. Just tell me how long it will take.”

“That’s what I say every time. I can’t give you a definite answer. I have to see how your body accepts it without any problems.”

“Tsk.”

Hex felt satisfaction at Omega’s attitude as he clenched his fist.

He liked the way things were going according to his plan.

“Haha! You seem awfully impatient.”

“…Because you brought me that news. I’ll let myself be used, even knowing that.”

The news that Juyeon, a former general of the Three Kingdoms Union, had left Academy City and was on an uninhabited island with the cadets.

Upon hearing the news that Hex had brought, Omega felt it was fate.

The timing was perfect.

The transplantation, which was practically major surgery, had finished just in time. And a deserted island teeming with monsters was the ideal place for Hex to sow chaos.

He could ensure a confrontation with Juyeon.

This is my chance to settle the score.

Poke! A thick needle pierced Omega’s skin.

After finishing the injection and taking out medical tools, Hex moved his hands quickly and leaked information.

“According to the news, not only are the other Instructors there, but the Paradise Knights from the Sepia Archipelago are providing support.”

“Paradise Knights? Does that mean Lancelot is there?”

“Fortunately, Lancelot is currently in the Sepia Archipelago. If two big shots were there, I wouldn’t have even brought it up.”

Omega didn’t like Hex’s defeatist attitude.

“Except for Lancelot, the rest are just flies. You take care of them.”

“I’d like to rest a bit, you know? It’ll take a lot of stacks to cause that much chaos, and I’ll be tired.”

Omega frowned as he received the treatment.

The intention behind Hex’s words and expression was obvious.

“Just tell me what you want.”

As expected, his friend was quick on the uptake in these matters.

At Omega’s question, the corners of Hex’s mouth turned up.