Episode 114. Survival Exam (7)

[Treasure no. 19. 100% Stamina Recovery Ticket]

‘This treasure wasn’t in the original work.’

It seems like a treasure that was newly added when Baek Ahyoung came to the Academy.

“It feels like a spare life.”

‘… Hmm. I wonder if it’ll really be used like that.’

Alice is looking at me with suspicious eyes.

Actually, I don’t think I’d use it as a spare life either. Maybe I’d use it tonight or tomorrow night in a cave like this.

“Let’s get out of here for now. I don’t think there’s anything else to get.”

“Okay.”

We came back outside.

Around noon, large helicopters started flying in the sky.

“That looks like the supply helicopter.”

Now it’s the real start. Treasures and boss monsters require you to find their location first to claim them, but supply boxes drop directly from the sky.

That’s why fights break out often.

“Huh? That looks reachable?”

A supply box dropped nearby our current location.

Although we have enough food, supply boxes contain not only food but also various items helpful for survival.

There are many useful items like sleeping gear to avoid sleeping outdoors, cooking utensils for meals, and training artifacts usable only during the survival exam.

And the most important thing is that every time you scan the code inside the supply box with your smartwatch, the survival exam app gets updated.

You can check the locations of people nearby, and you can also find the locations of monsters or treasures.

“Alice. Let’s go get that.”

“Are you sure? Many cadets will flock to it.”

“What are you worried about when we’re together?”

Alice and I quickly moved our feet.

It dropped quite close, so it should be visible soon…

“Ah, I see it there.”

I hope it’s sleeping gear if possible. It’s still a bit awkward to share a tent with Alice.

Alice, who was leading the way, opened the supply box.

“… There’s nothing here?”

“What? Someone already took it…”

Thump.

As my [Combat Sense] alerted me to danger, I instinctively created a cotton guard on my right.

Clang-!

“No, fuck, you blocked that? Isn’t that a total lie about hiding mana?”

“Look at who you’re up against. It’s just that they’re weird.”

“Alice and Lee Hoyeon teamed up? That’s too much of a balance breaker.”

“This isn’t right~.”

Four cadets burst out from the bushes on the right.

Seeing as I couldn’t sense their mana, they must have gotten an artifact from the supply box that hides their presence.

My [Mana Sense] can usually penetrate most artifacts, but training artifacts usable only during the survival exam have limitations, yet their performance is so good that it can’t be helped.

Maybe they even linked it with my smartwatch somehow.

Still, it’s fortunate I noticed at the last moment.

“You surprised me.”

“… Are you really surprised? How did you even know?”

“Just intuition.”

Alice seemed a little embarrassed that she hadn’t sensed the ambush. I prepared for battle.

“Ah, seriously, what bad luck.”

“Still, it’s 4 against 2, so it should be manageable, right?”

The cadets who ambushed us were A-class cadets I often saw. Of course, I didn’t know their names exactly since we weren’t close.

They probably felt quite confident, being four A-class cadets grouped together… Too bad for them.

“Hey guys. I’ll be taking those artifacts.”

I fixed my gaze on the green wooden staff held by the female cadet in the rear.

*

“Hmm, not bad.”

Naturally, the four were crushed by us and left the island forlornly.

So who told them to attack us.

I checked the spoils of war obtained after dealing with our classmates.

It was an artifact called [Verdant Veil], an item that erases one’s presence.

It’ll be useful somewhere if I keep it.

I shoved the artifact into my pocket and approached the boss monster before me.

It was the only boss monster whose location I knew.

Unlike treasures, many monsters keep moving, making them hard to find.

Only the Giant Tarantula remained stationary inside this cave.

“Alright, let’s go~.”

I tried to raise the team’s morale, but Alice put the brakes on.

“Um… I’m… lacking.”

“Ah, okay. I’ll give you some.”

I grabbed Alice’s shoulder and infused her with mana. It was bothersome to do this several times a day, but farming is inherently tedious. If I keep at this grind, it’ll pay off eventually.

“There, good? Let’s go.”

“Okay. I’ll go first.”

Alice coated her sword with mana and charged at the tarantula.

The Giant Tarantula, despite being a spider, doesn’t use webs; it attacks with its massive body and legs.

I used fire spears to keep its legs in check while attacking its large eyes.

Grrr-!

The Giant Tarantula put up a decent fight, swinging its legs, but there was no way it could hold on when I joined forces with Alice, who could handle it alone.

“We got it… Ah, fuck…?!”

As I walked forward to collect the loot from the fallen Giant Tarantula, a small baby tarantula suddenly latched onto my arm and started biting my flesh.

I quickly shook my arm off and stomped on the spider with my foot.

“Are you okay?”

Alice approached me, shaking off her sword.

“It stings a bit. My arm feels a little numb too. Looks like poison got in.”

“Call Teacher Baek Ahyoung. It’s perfect timing.”

“Really? Tarantula venom is just a weak paralyzing agent, so it’ll wear off soon anyway.”

It’ll be fine in a bit, isn’t it a waste to use it here?

“You never know. Just call her.”

Alice’s expression, as she firmly insisted on calling Baek Ahyoung, was something like… she looked like she’d get angry if I didn’t.

★ Heroine Status Window

[Alice]

• [ Affection: 33 ]

• [ Lust: 57 ]

• [ Appetite: 40 ]

• [ Fatigue: 79 ]

Current Status: Should I use the Verdant Veil? Yeah. As long as I don’t attack, they won’t know.

What is this nonsense.

“… Okay. Let’s check the reward first.”

Well, I wanted to see Baek Ahyoung anyway. Let’s not overthink it.

I detached the device stuck to the Giant Tarantula’s back and scanned it with my smartwatch.

[Giant Tarantula Defeated! You have earned 100 points.]

“I’ll send you 50 points.”

“Okay.”

We decided to split the points exactly in half, no exceptions.

I could have taken more, but Alice’s goal is to rank high, so I just conceded to a 50/50 split.

• Boss Monster Defeat Reward.

• You will be given one opportunity to contact the outside.

• This opportunity is transferable.

“… What?”

An opportunity to contact the outside? Why would they give something like this?

“Alice, do you want to use it?”

“Hmm… I’ll use it if you give it to me.”

“Then you use it. I don’t need it.”

The people outside are probably just Professor Im Sol, Moon Surin, or Liliana, so what’s the point of contacting them.

Ah, Baek Ahyoung is out there too.

But I can see Baek Ahyoung right now anyway, so it’s fine.

“Shall we use it right away then?”

I brought my hand to the button labeled [Treasure no. 19. 100% Stamina Recovery Ticket].

“Okay. Since we’re in a cave, you can use it comfortably.”

“Got it then.”

As I pressed the button, a portal appeared before me with a ‘pyong’ sound effect.

“Are you okay? Take slow breaths first… Huh?”

And then, Baek Ahyoung popped out of the portal.

“Hello. Teacher Baek Ahyoung.”

“Oh… Hello, Cadet Lee Hoyeon.”

Baek Ahyoung seemed slightly puzzled that I, looking perfectly fine, had summoned her.

I subtly gestured with my eyes towards the drone watching us.

“Ah, Cadet Lee Hoyeon. Please take off your top.”

Baek Ahyoung understood my signal perfectly and sent the drone outside under the pretext of starting the treatment.

“Thank you. Ahyoung-ssi. You’re quick-witted as always.”

I had never called her Ahyoung-ssi in front of others, but since Alice already knew everything, I decided to speak casually.

“Yeah, Hoyeon… Huh?”

Baek Ahyoung tilted her head, seeing me speak so casually even with Alice standing right beside me.

“It’s okay. Alice found out about our relationship.”

“Huh? What?!”

She looked genuinely surprised.

Her eyes widened to a size I’d never seen before.

Before she could imagine anything weirder, I quickly added,

“Don’t worry. She’s not the type to gossip. Right?”

“Yes. I’ll guard the entrance outside, so you two have a good time. Oh, could you give me the Verdant Veil? I’ll be guarding the entrance.”

“Oh, thanks.”

Why did she suddenly become so agreeable?

I was grateful she offered to hide her presence and even stand guard.

Alice really went outside the cave, hid her presence, and concealed herself in the bushes.

Now that no one else is around, we can do this comfortably.

“Ahyoung-ssi. It’s been a while. Hasn’t it?”

“Nn… I haven’t seen you since Saturday.”

Technically, seeing each other after three days isn’t that long… but considering how often we used to meet.

“Why didn’t you tell me beforehand that it was a survival exam? Then I could have prepared comfortably.”

I pressed her, trying to tease Baek Ahyoung.

“S-sorry. I was bound by a Mana Oath…”

“Do you think that excuse will work? Come here.”

“Hnggg…”

★ Heroine Status Window

[Baek Ahyoung]

• [ Affection: 89 ] (+0.5)

• [ Lust: 80 ]

• [ Appetite: 30 ]

• [ Fatigue: 35 ]

Current Status: I thought I wouldn’t see you this week… Nnngh, I love it.

At first, I just wanted to take good care of Baek Ahyoung because she was the only heroine outside the Academy… but now she’s the person I meet most often.

It was hard to go along with my perverted acts at first, but now I feel like I’ve become a pervert too, which is a little scary.

I took out a chair from my subspace pocket, sat down, and spread my legs.

“Ahyoung-ssi. It’s been a while, so greet me.”

“… Hello, darling. Slurp.”

Baek Ahyoung knelt down, unzipped my pants, stared intently at my slightly erect penis, and licked her lips.

… I hope she’s not thinking of my penis as ‘darling’ instead of me, right?

*

Alice left Baek Ahyoung and Lee Hoyeon inside the cave and came back outside.

First, she turned on her smartwatch and used the contact opportunity she had just received from Lee Hoyeon.

[One person can be contacted. Duration is 5 minutes. The Academy will not eavesdrop or record. However, severe punishment may result if it is discovered that actions affecting the exam have occurred.]

A warning message appeared, followed by the contact list, and Alice tapped Sebastian.

“Sebastian. Can you hear me?”

• Young Lady?! Aren’t you in the middle of the survival exam?

Sebastian seemed flustered by the sudden contact.

“Yeah. An opportunity to contact the outside came up. Sorry for interrupting your vacation.”

Sebastian must have been happy about his week-long vacation, but I felt a little sorry, though it couldn’t be helped due to the urgency.

• No, it’s fine. What’s so important that you’re calling during the exam?

“By any chance, when you were investigating Lee Hoyeon’s relationships with women… did you save any materials like videos or photos?”

Alice lowered her voice and asked cautiously.

• Photos or videos…? I have pictures of you with Cadets Lucy and Lumi at a cafe, and a photo of you entering the orphanage with the Saintess Baek Ahyoung, but…

“No, I mean, more definitively… photos involving sexual intercourse or mucosal contact?”

Alice found Sebastian frustrating for the first time.

There’s no way I’d need that kind of photo. Why is he making me say it directly?

• There are none of those. Direct videos or photos are too risky…

“… I made contact with Lee Hoyeon, and I need something to hold over him. Could you possibly take such photos? Ah, videos would be even better. The more explicit and longer, the better.”

• Uh… that might be difficult. Firstly, Cadet Lee Hoyeon’s barrier magic is quite advanced… and to film a video, you’d need several minutes from the same position…

“Okay. If you can’t, I understand. I’ll find another way.”

• … I will find a way, no matter what.

Heh.

Alice knew well how to persuade someone with the pride of their former glory.

“Alright. But don’t push yourself too hard.”

• Not at all. I will ensure everything is perfectly prepared before you arrive, Young Lady.

“Thank you, Sebastian.”

Beep-

Time was up, and the call ended.

‘… Surely it’s not over yet?’

With her limited knowledge of sexual matters, it was difficult for her to estimate the duration of intimacy between a man and a woman.

Alice urgently activated the Verdant Veil to mask her presence and stealthily began moving along the cave wall, heading deeper inside.

Gulp.

Only the sound of a gulp echoed outside the cave.