Chapter 55: Deserted Island Survival Training (2)

The Training Grounds of the academy were bustling with students preparing for their departure to Avalon Island, raising clouds of dry dust.

“Haa.”

I let out a massive yawn and leaned lazily against a random wall.

‘…I’m tired.’

Over the past two days, I had spent hours after class buried in books about myths and legends at the library. Before I knew it, Wednesday had arrived.

Even though I promised myself not to overdo it, my body seemed to act instinctively. If you keep your body busy for too long, your mind starts to feel overwhelmed.

As I absentmindedly stared at the sky, the instructors began gathering students from their respective classes.

Just as I was about to push myself off the wall to join the others, a firm, slightly raspy voice stopped me in my tracks.

“Kang Geom-Ma, student.”

“Ah, Master Siegfried.”

Master Siegfried was dressed in practical green sportswear. Despite his serious face and dignified demeanor, several fishing rods protruded from his backpack. Was fishing his hobby?

“Recently, you haven’t been neglecting your training.”

“Ah, yes well…”

I replied, scratching my cheek awkwardly.

Siegfried often observed me from a distance when I trained alone.

While it made sense for an instructor to take an interest in their students, it sometimes felt… uncomfortable. Especially since his eyes always seemed to light up with curiosity whenever I practiced.

After a long, scrutinizing look, Siegfried finally broke into a wide smile.

“When talent combines with effort, the result isn’t just an addition; it’s a multiplication. But remember, proper rest is also essential for the body to endure. So, during this training, take time to have fun and relax.”

“…Thank you, Master Siegfried. I hope you catch something big.”

“Oh, we’ll see. Thank you for your wishes. Well, I’ll be off now. Hmm, hmm.”

Siegfried cleared his throat, visibly embarrassed, and hurried away.

As he left, I felt a sharp gaze fixed on my back.

Turning my head, I caught Abel glaring at me with a visibly annoyed expression.

It seemed she wasn’t too fond of the obvious attention her grandfather gave me.

When our eyes met, Abel sharply turned her face away, feigning indifference. I chuckled lightly and muttered to myself,

“Don’t worry. You’ll have a boyfriend soon.”

With a faint smile, I glanced around.

The students, lined up by class, were ready to depart. Some seemed excited, while others barely concealed their distaste for outdoor activities.

Everyone was armed with practice weapons strapped to their waists and backpacks filled with essential supplies slung over their shoulders.

Although Avalon Island wasn’t known to harbor magical beasts, the Headmistress had insisted we bring practice weapons to avoid complacency.

While Murasame rested safely in my dormitory, I’d packed several cheap kitchen knives from Daiso to stay prepared.

The night before, Headmistress Media had bombarded me with messages: *Did you pack medicine? Clothes? Don’t forget at least three pairs of underwear, preferably black, so they don’t stain easily!*

Her meticulousness reminded me of my mother before a trip.

Though, to be fair, the Headmistress was far older than my mother, despite her youthful, twenty-something appearance.

‘…But was it really necessary to decide the color of my underwear?’

Shaking my head slightly to dispel the thought, I turned my attention back to the crowd.

Amidst the sea of students, the instructors were busily checking names and faces against their lists.

I seized the chance to discreetly study them.

It wasn’t often that all the instructors assigned to each class gathered in one place, making it the perfect opportunity to search for the mysterious woman described by the barrier attendant.

If she truly was after me, the Deserted Island Survival Training would be the ideal moment to strike.

Avalon’s ever-changing terrain made it easier to cover up actions. Of course, this worked to my advantage too.

If she appeared, I could deal with her and dispose of the body without any trouble.

While I still felt uneasy about using a blade on someone, survival situations didn’t leave much room for hesitation.

‘Purple hair, tall… good figure.’

By Earth standards, she’d stand out like a sore thumb, even in a bustling place like Gangnam Station. But here, at least half a dozen women had purple hair, and every female instructor seemed to have an incredibly well-developed figure.

“How am I supposed to find her?”

The more I looked, the more my eyes ached from the colorful array of hair mixing in my view.

It felt like trying to decipher one of those optical illusion images, and I ended up closing my eyes with a sigh.

As I rubbed my forehead to ease the strain, I felt someone creeping up on me and poking my side with a finger.

I didn’t need to look to know who it was.

Without missing a beat, I grabbed the mischievous finger and gently flicked its owner on the forehead.

Tap!

“Agh!”

Saki Ryozo let out a small yelp, rubbing her forehead while glaring at me in mock indignation.

“Hey! What was that for? I was just trying to have a little fun because I’m bored!”

She grumbled to herself, clearly annoyed. When I let out a soft laugh, she stuck out her tongue in a childish gesture and stomped off.

“Saki Ryozo… I’ll never understand her personality.”

Out of all the people I’d met in this world, she probably had the most contradictory personality.

Gone was the carefree girl who would nap wherever she pleased. Now, she seemed unable to stop hovering around me.

If I ignored her antics, she’d puff out her cheeks and vanish, only to reappear later.

She was lively yet slightly irritating—a peculiar mix.

With her high-society appearance and street-cat behavior, reconciling the two was a challenge.

I had no idea what drew her attention to me, but as one of the main characters, I preferred not to grow too close to her.

“…I hope this time things stay peaceful.”

My plan was simple: locate the Divine Blessing I was searching for on Avalon Island and handle any problems solo if they arose.

When the instructors finished checking the students, an announcement rang out:

[The portal to Avalon Island is activating.]

[Please maintain safety and enjoy your time.]

A clear mechanical hum accompanied the message as a radiant purple dome formed beneath the azure sky.

[May the Hero’s Blessing be with you.]

***

“Wow.”

As soon as I arrived on Avalon Island, a sigh of awe escaped my lips.

The trees, with shapes I had never seen before, seemed to exhale the essence of early summer like an echo that lingered. The mist that settled low on the ground, dragged in from the ocean visible in every direction, added a mysterious air to the island.

“No wonder they call this place sacred.”

But above all, what truly captured the eye was the immense tree that stood like a colossal parasol at the center of the island.

The Apple Tree of Beginnings, Yggdrasil.

A towering tree of unimaginable age, planted by the gods in the mythical era. This sacred tree had been firmly rooted in the same spot for millennia, nourished by the “Lake of Mimir” located at the center of the island.

Its glowing leaves not only reflected sunlight but emitted a golden radiance so pure it seemed to be made of light itself.

It wasn’t that they appeared dyed or coated in gold; the leaves radiated their own light, like a beacon.

Even tilting my head back as far as it could go, I couldn’t see the top. Its height was comparable to the main building of Joaquin Academy.

I’d been in this world for over a year, and while I thought I had grown used to its fantastical elements, the overwhelming sight before me was unlike anything I’d ever encountered.

It was almost as if the tree’s brilliance could captivate and enchant me.

I swallowed hard and shook my head vigorously to clear my thoughts.

“First things first, let’s take care of the essentials before sightseeing.”

Quickly, I took off the backpack slung over my shoulders and began checking my belongings.

Inside were the makeshift maps I had drawn after spending two days in the library studying books about Avalon, a pack of cheap kitchen knives from Daiso just in case, and some clothes.

However, the standout item was something I had bought from the mountaineering section of the campus store the day before: a machete.

As part of the “survival” theme, this training required us to gather food directly from the island.

While there was an element of competition called the “Orb Hunt,” that was secondary for me.

“At the end of the day, you need food to survive.”

A single day without food could be endured, but since I planned to comb the entire island in search of the Divine Blessing during the three-day, two-night training period, securing food was a top priority.

Of course, the most effective way to obtain food in remote areas like this was through hunting and gathering.

Naturally, I couldn’t hunt barehanded or clear through dense vegetation without tools, so I decided to spend a bit of money on a machete.

Though machetes often appear in movies as weapons, their real purpose is clearing undergrowth and chopping wood.

Of course, the same thing had happened with sashimi knives—they had once transitioned from being kitchen tools to common weapons among thugs. But ultimately, it’s people who turn tools into weapons.

“…Except me.”

Additionally, the machete wasn’t influenced by the Blessing of the Sword God, meaning I could wield it without worrying about pain.

“The sashimi knife is for emergencies only.”

With the Blessing of the Sword God, my immunity to pain now lasted for 50 seconds, but I couldn’t predict what unexpected situations might arise. Careless use of the sashimi knife wasn’t an option.

“Hmmm.”

I pulled the machete out and held it at an angle, running my fingers along its blade.

After being accustomed to sharp sashimi knives, the machete, with its broader blade and duller tip, felt entirely different. It was sturdy, designed to cut through brush, almost like a mini axe.

It was also practical for splitting firewood, which I would definitely need to do.

As I swung it lightly through the air, it produced a rough, heavy sound as it cut through.

Whoosh, whoosh.

Having used only a sashimi knife until now, wielding a machete felt like wearing coarse clothing for the first time—uncomfortable, as though my instincts were resisting.

But there weren’t many alternatives. I repacked the rest of my things into my bag and stood up.

“First, let’s hunt.”

Recalling the advice from the book Survival Methods by Bear Galics that I had read in the library, I stepped into the dense forest before me.

With luck, I’d find a small prey within the hour.

***

After an hour of cutting through the brush…

Rustle, rustle, rustle—

A bush rustled, and suddenly, a rabbit sprang out into the open.

Except it wasn’t an ordinary rabbit. It was enormous, nearly the size of a wild boar.

The animal, seemingly curious, tilted its head and began to sniff around me.

It looked magical in nature but wasn’t aggressive. Just a well-fed rabbit, round and brimming with meat. This would be my lunch.

If I managed to catch it, I wouldn’t need to worry about food for the entirety of the training.

I could use its hide as a blanket and turn the leftover meat into jerky for storage.

My survival plan rapidly reorganized in my mind. For once, things seemed to be going well.

“Phew…”

I let out a long exhale and gripped the machete tightly.

Although I was wielding a weapon, I didn’t feel the sharp sting characteristic of the sashimi knife. It was a strange sensation.

A faint smile crossed my lips as determination flickered in my eyes like the fire of a warrior about to enter battle.

As I took a stealthy step toward the rabbit, it tilted its head even further, observing me with its bright red eyes.

For some reason, those eyes reminded me of Chloe, which made me grip the machete even tighter.

“Bawk?”

Then, as if sensing the glint of the blade, the rabbit let out a strange noise and bolted like lightning.

“…!”

The animal darted away at an incredible speed, covering fifty meters in mere seconds. I immediately dashed after it in long strides.

For the next ten minutes, I sprinted at full speed after the creature. My heart pounded, and the uneven rhythm of my breathing echoed in my ears.

“Haah… haah…”

Even though I had trained my endurance, it was nowhere near enough to chase a four-legged animal.

The rabbit, as if mocking me, occasionally glanced back to check on my progress.

Finally, I had to stop and brace my hands on my knees, panting heavily.

“Wow… I defeated the Bull King and a demon, but I can’t catch a rabbit…”

Without the Blessing of the Sword God, this was my limit. No matter how much I had improved, I was still just human.

When I looked up, the rabbit stood a short distance away, watching me with its red eyes, unmoving.

I let out an ironic laugh.

“Fine, I’ll let you live. Get lost.”

The rabbit, seemingly understanding, turned around and showed me its backside.

“Bawk, bawk, bawk.”

It began wagging its fluffy tail as if mocking me.

Although it couldn’t speak, it was obvious that it was mocking me.

“…”

Watching this, I felt a faint twitch in my temple.