Chapter 116. Survival Exam (9)
"I'm hungry…."
"I'm hungry too, so don't talk. It's a waste of energy."
Wednesday. Morning of Day 3 dawned, and the cadets were starting to reach their limits.
While the uninhabited island had plenty of edible plants and animals, there were just as many competitors.
Numerous carnivorous animals, monsters, and even fellow cadets were hunting for food.
"Hey, isn't that a wild boar?"
"Shh. Let's go check it out."
A feeding opportunity presented itself to two hungry cadets searching the forest.
After two days of only eating fruit, it made sense that they'd go crazy for a wild boar.
"Hey, what the hell? That's ours, you know?"
"Ugh… I'm so hungry I don't even have the strength to fight…"
But they weren't the only ones targeting the wild boar.
The two cadets clashed with other cadets they encountered in the bushes.
"Hey, we're too hungry to fight. Can't you just let us have it?"
"Still, I'm not giving up the boar. I'm sick of fruit already."
"Wait a second. Do we really have to fight?"
Day 3. About half the cadets had been eliminated. That meant most had already experienced one or two battles.
And they'd learned something.
Even if you beat the enemy in front of you, it doesn't fill your stomach.
The food from supply crates was laughably inadequate, and killing monsters didn't yield food.
In other words, fighting only consumed more energy.
And of course, this was all exactly what the Academy had intended.
In a situation with high demand and low supply, cadets were meant to compete, sometimes cooperate, and survive by securing food.
It was the perfect match for the "survival" theme of the Survival Exam.
But now, unlike the original story, the cadets were starting to think of alternative solutions.
"Let's just team up and find Lee Hoyeon. I heard he brought a ton of food."
"Yeah, I heard he has loads of smoked duck."
"Fighting among ourselves is only gonna wear us out."
"Let's gather others too."
The cadets began searching for the golden goblin somewhere on the island.
*
Wednesday morning.
"Hnnngh…"
I massaged Elise's shoulder while injecting mana.
"Are you not meeting with Lumi anymore?"
After spending a few days together, Elise seemed a little more comfortable, occasionally starting conversations herself.
Today, she suddenly asked about Lumi.
"Yeah. Lumi said she wanted to team up with Lucy."
"Mhm…"
'Why's she asking about Lumi?'
I still couldn't quite figure Elise out.
After injecting mana into Elise, I checked the number of remaining cadets on my smartwatch.
"130 people…"
"It's dropping slower than I thought."
"…Yeah."
Elise was right.
This was seriously weird. 130 people were still alive.
By Day 3, the number should've dropped below 100… What changed?
The most important issue in the Survival Exam was food.
There were so many monsters that there weren't many wild animals, and the fish weren't big enough to eat.
In the end, cadets had to survive on fruit and wait for supply crates.
With fewer crates than cadets, they should've been fighting like hell over them… yet the number of cadets wasn't dropping.
What was the issue?
"Up ahead. Four people."
Elise's voice snapped me out of my thoughts.
"Ah, okay. I was distracted. Sorry."
I'd been walking for hours, lost in thoughts about the number of survivors, and my detection was delayed.
"It's fine."
Elise had a slight smile on her face, seemingly happy she'd spotted them before me.
"Let's each take two."
"Okay."
"You take the two in front. I'll handle the ones in the back."
After dividing the roles, we approached the enemies.
Familiar faces. A team made up of A-Class and B-Class cadets.
You'd think they'd be nervous facing the two of us, but strangely, they looked like they were itching for a fight.
"It's Lee Hoyeon! Kill him!"
"Give us your food, asshole!"
"Look at that healthy glow. Just how well have you been eating?!"
"Even teaming up with Elise here? I'm dropping a negative review bomb later, for real."
So I was the problem.
Well, I figured this would happen eventually.
Word got out from the start that I had food...
'Wait a sec—are the other cadets not fighting because of me?'
Nah, no way.
"Guys. You should've prepped better yourselves. Don't blame me."
I drew on my mana.
Elise and I exchanged a glance and rushed the enemies at the same time.
While I took on the two mages in the back, Elise went after the two sword users.
It was a 2-on-1 disadvantage, but the gap between top-tier cadets and high-ranking ones was huge.
As I ran in, I twisted my upper body to dodge an incoming ice arrow, burning away the vines wrapping around my feet.
'Their coordination's not bad.'
Felt like they were a pre-existing team, like Lucy and Lumi.
As I pondered the cleanest way to win, the tree behind me suddenly scattered its leaves at me.
"The hell is this?"
I dodged and looked ahead to see one cadet with his hand on the ground, controlling the tree, while the ice mage beside him summoned blocks of ice around me.
'Man, I just wanna burn everything.'
Fire mages are a pain in forests. One wrong move and you start a wildfire.
I wanted to just summon lightning and zap everything, but I wasn't ready to reveal my other elements yet.
"…Whatever. Just die already."
It was annoying enough that these nobodies were picking a fight.
'Acceleration'
I accelerated my internal mana circuits and burst mana into my feet as I charged at the enemies.
My sudden shift to melee startled them, but they must've prepared for close combat too—one stopped manipulating the trees and wrapped vines around himself for protection.
"Too late, bastard."
One defends while the other charges a big spell? That plan's way too simple.
'Fire Wave'
A skill that spreads flame like a shallow wave.
I'd used it during a practical exam to break through the Rust Giant's defenses.
Normally, this weak firepower wouldn't do much through those vines.
But with my Mana Sensitivity, it was more than enough.
"It's useless! Our duo is invincible!"
The cadet using plant magic was hiding behind vines, guarding the cadet who was preparing an advanced ice spell.
He seemed pretty confident in the durability of his barrier.
But when the flames slipped through the vines and converged right in front of him, he was left speechless.
"W-Wait a minute. How are you controlling a spell after casting it— Aagh!"
The flames engulfed the cadet and spread to the other cadet casting the spell behind him.
"Urgh!"
"Aaagh!"
The two cadets, unprepared for the attack, were overwhelmed and began teleporting away with warning sounds from their smartwatches.
"See you. Bring more food next time."
I waved them off as they vanished.
"You demon bastard! Enemy of men!"
"I can't forgive you for going after Elise too!"
Tsk tsk. Pathetic bastards.
In the end, they were just jealous because I was with a girl.
The fight had taken longer than expected.
Elise must've finished already.
"Huh?"
When I turned around, I saw Elise being pushed back by two swordsmen, struggling to keep up.
"Am I seeing this right?"
I rubbed my eyes and looked again. It was the same.
Elise couldn't withstand the attacks from the two and retreated every time their swords clashed.
'Clairvoyance.'
I activated Clairvoyance and scanned Elise's internal status.
"Ah, she's out of mana."
Well, it had been a while since I last recharged her. Makes sense.
Elise realized my fight was over but hadn't asked for help.
Her pride probably wouldn't allow it.
I sat leisurely on a flat rock nearby.
Elise had barely a handful of mana left.
She might last ten more minutes. I'd step in just before she got hurt.
*
About 30 minutes later.
Elise finally dropped her sword. Just before the enemy's blade came down on her, I intervened.
"Sorry. Any more and you'd have gotten hurt."
"..."
I stepped between her and the swordsman, blocking the strike with Cotton Guard.
Elise bowed her head, her pride clearly wounded by my unavoidable interference.
"W-What the hell! Why is Lee Hoyeon here?!"
"Where are our teammates?!"
The two swordsmen had been too focused on their fight to notice I'd been watching for 30 minutes.
"You'll see them soon."
Dealing with two exhausted swordsmen was easier than blowing my nose.
After they teleported away, an awkward silence hung in the air.
Elise was radiating negative energy.
"Ahem. Elise? It's okay. Let me recharge your mana."
"..."
"Still, your mana control was amazing. You lasted 30 minutes with barely a sliver."
"...How did you know."
"Huh?"
"How did you know I had no mana left."
Elise looked up at me with a piercing glare.
Why is she getting mad...
"I just have a bit of talent when it comes to sensing mana."
"...I see."
It was technically leaking information, but also a subtle way to show I'm the only one capable of such massage.
"Anyway, come here. Let me fill you back up."
I moved behind Elise and placed my hand on her shoulder.
But her next words stopped me.
"It's more effective... when done on bare skin, right?"
*
"...The cadets are starting to band together. Targeting Lee Hoyeon."
"So frustrating. Can this even be called an exam anymore?"
"It might not be so bad. Situations like this are rare. It'll be a unique experience for them."
In the professor's conference room, they were monitoring the Survival Exam and grading it in real time.
Of course, once someone is eliminated, their score is finalized, but if a student had accumulated high points, they could rank higher than someone who lasted longer.
Among the professors, Im Sol silently watched Lee Hoyeon.
'I've never seen mana control like that before... Impressive.'
It was her first time seeing someone who genuinely helped her improve her own magic.
Im Sol was considering revealing herself as Lee Hoyeon's sponsor. Or even accepting him as her disciple.
That would be a huge advantage for a 20-year-old like him.
'Let's just watch a little longer.'
Bzzzt—
Her smartwatch, on vibrate mode, buzzed.
Normally, they were supposed to turn it off during grading, but Im Sol was an invited professor brought directly by the dean and the chairman, and the others didn't complain.
"Hello. Why are you calling."
Im Sol stepped outside to answer.
Solaaang! How's the grading going?
The familiar voice belonged to Min Yeji.
Im Sol sighed at her overly excited friend.
"It's normal. Why?"
I mean~ You could've told me it was the Survival Exam! I was planning to approach Lee Hoyeon this week!
"Don't say dumb stuff when you know it's not allowed."
She knew about the Mana Oath, so she was just being annoying.
Fine then. At least tell me what he likes. I need to offer a bribe when I negotiate.
"A bribe..."
Im Sol remembered the delighted look on his face every time she sucked his dick.
"Hoyeon likes..."
But she couldn't bring herself to say, "Just seduce him with your body."
It was her usual teasing tone, and Min Yeji wouldn't take it seriously.
Even so, she didn't want to say it.
Hoyeon?
"...I don't know. He likes magic."
Well duh, I know that too!
"I said I don't know, you damn brat. I'm busy, bye."
-Sola! Solaaa!
Beep— Beep—
"...Maybe I should take a break."
Watching Lee Hoyeon too much had probably messed with her head.
She was starting to feel reluctant to let someone else have what wasn't even hers.
"Sigh... Let's just go back to magic research."
For Im Sol, relaxation meant studying magic.
But while she researched, thoughts of her extraordinary pupil continued to occupy her mind.