Chapter 60 – 12. Cast Away? (One)
After the long two-day written exam, I went straight home.
Since the practical skills evaluation started right away the next day, there was no time to enjoy the leisure time after the exam while having a drink.
“Have you been…?”
When I open the front door and step inside, Seol-ah greets me warmly.
“You’ve come early. Senior, where are you going tomorrow?”
“They say we’re going to the forest of chaos. First graders probably go to the island traditionally…? It’s going to be really hard because you can’t wash up after going there.”
Yoo Seol-ah’s words seem emotionless at first glance, but they are full of worries about me.
It feels really reassuring to have someone by my side who cares about me like this.
But… Come to think of it, why is my senior still at my house?
On the day she was kidnapped, she returned to Korea and immediately retrieved her tentacle demon, and it seems that she even received a confirmation from Alice that there were no other demons.
Didn’t she tell her that I was safe to go back now?
I think I completely forgot about it because I was busy studying for the test.
First of all, it’s ambiguous to tell me to leave right now, so I’ll have to politely say it when I come back after my practical training.
If I stayed with Yoo Seol-ah any longer, I might die of a double-dealing boss with my semen squeezed out every night.
“I’m going to check my luggage one last time, so senpai, if you’re tired, go to sleep first.”
It was a bit earlier than usual to go to sleep, but I had to gather in front of the academy from dawn tomorrow, so it was good to go to bed as early as possible.
After hearing my words, Yu Seol-ah gave her a slight nod, then she waved her hand at me and went into the bedroom.
“Whoa… Let’s see. Emergency food, a lantern, a torch, a sleeping bag, and a simple tent… This should be enough.”
The amount of luggage an individual could carry was one bag of the standard set by the academy, so I packed it as tightly as possible.
Who is Jo Won, and in what environment will he fall on the island.
As if they were not going to give even one such information, nothing has been revealed yet, so I think it is the right decision to bring a product that is as versatile as possible.
“If I’m going to wake up at 5 tomorrow morning… I’ll have to go to bed soon.”
After thoroughly checking my bags and getting ready for departure, I looked at the clock and it was already approaching 9pm.
The hard days will continue from tomorrow, so I think I can survive at least if I sleep for at least 8 hours today.
I went into the bedroom and carefully lay down next to Yu Seol-ah, who was fast asleep.
In practical training, I slowly fell asleep, half worried and half expecting what would happen.
* * *
At 5 am, I was barely awake by the loud alarm.
It’s still not open properly, but I hurriedly washed my face, packed my things, and barely left the house.
I couldn’t stop yawning all the way to school and fell asleep, but somehow I was able to get to the academy.
“Uh… I’m tired. Why don’t I feel like I’ve slept for a long time?”
“That’s right, my life pattern, ha ha…! It’s because it’s changed.”
Who… It’s the name.
After shaking hands and saying hello to each other, we headed to the first stadium, a previously announced waiting area.
There was still a little time left until 7:00, the time to move, so I decided to bruise or hit.
“We’re going to the West Sea, right?”
“Hey, what if I forget it on the same day?”
A few students are chatting incessantly in the morning to see if they are not tired.
I thought slowly in my head as I skimmed through their conversation.
An island off the west coast…
It is probably the most different part of the world on the Korean Peninsula.
After the appearance of the mysterious [Sea Dragon], The coastline of the West Sea became more complicated.
Previously, the islands, which had reached a thousand if all large and small were combined, were split or newly created by the power of the sea dragon.
“But wouldn’t it be like a sea dragon attacking? I heard that the sea fog is getting worse these days.”
“Puha, it hasn’t been seen since the 2000s, so could it happen? Think about how you can last for three days.”
“Ah, but… You can worry.”
Thanks to the sea fog created by the sea dragon, the impact of the yellow dust from China has been drastically reduced, but there is no means to deal with the sea dragon, so the West Sea remains trapped in thick fog for nearly half of the day.
And we go into one of those archipelagos today.
It was the worst environment to survive, with poor terrain, hazy fog that made it impossible to see an inch ahead, and intentional sudden brakes.
Moreover, it takes too long to travel by car or boat from Heartless City, where Arbadelin is located, to the uninhabited island we are heading to.
It is somewhat difficult to use an airplane, and it is somewhat less close to the land, but it is very dangerous that the area facing the sea is not provided due to fog.
“I will activate the quantum transmitter. Students, please come forward when your name is called.”
Therefore, we came to use the ‘quantum transmitter’, a means of transportation strictly controlled by the state.
The name is grandiose, but to put it simply, it’s like a teleport.
It was possible to save a lot of time by placing one quantum transmitter on each uninhabited island in advance and transmitting only by changing the coordinates for each group through the quantum transmitter in Arbadelin.
Of course, since I only have the amount of magic power to transmit once, I can prevent the students from taking shortcuts.
“Jihoo-kun, please do well. I’ll be watching you, so if you feel it’s too much at any time, ask for help.”
I was nervously waiting for my name to be called, when Professor Siana came up to me and greeted me.
“Thank you for your concern… I’ll come back and find you in my room.”
“Yes, yes… Be careful.”
“Team 12, Jihoo Lee. Enter the portal.”
Her face turned red at my words, and she left her stuttering Syana behind her and headed for the huge portal in front of her.
Seeing the strangely shimmering blue light gave me a slight fear, but I closed her eyes and threw her into the portal.
* * *
I slowly opened my eyes, receiving a feeling that was subtly different from Alice’s space movement.
The first thing I saw was a thick fog that made it impossible to see an inch ahead.
The fishy smell of the sea, fragrant grass, and the smell of blood that seemed to belong to monsters mixed together, and a strange stench rushed into my nose.
As soon as I left the portal, which had become inactive and the shimmering light had disappeared, I saw a small book lying on the floor that seemed to have been prepared in advance.
“Let’s see. Survival rules…?”
Even if I tried to read a few words, it was difficult to make out the words because of the fog that covered my vision, but somehow I held the book close to my eyes and read the book little by little.
[Rules of Survival: Article 12]
Groups were created based on the results of the previous sparring and performance evaluation, and the 12 groups consist of a total of three members, Goryushin, Lee Jihu, and Pirahyun.
Depending on the size of the island, 3 to 4 groups randomly assigned to one island compete in the practical evaluation.
At this time, members of other groups entering the island cannot be known until direct contact, and cooperation or battle with other groups can be determined according to each individual’s autonomous judgment.
This task aims to survive on the island for 3 days, a total of 72 hours, and students may receive additional points by solving additional tasks.
A detailed explanation of the additional assignment is automatically added to the rules after a day for students to adapt, and it does not matter if they finish adapting in advance and find an additional assignment.
However, the additional risks that follow will be borne by the students, and there will be no intervention from the academy unless their lives are in danger.
“Even if I say so, Goryushin and Pirahyun are a team…?”
No matter how rationally the groups were arranged considering all the scores of Dalian and various evaluations, both Goryushin and Pirahyun would be on the fairly strong side.
However, there was nothing to lose in our group, so we decided to ride a comfortable bus with two people on our backs.
Come to think of it, being in the same group as Pirahyun was a pretty good situation for me.
No matter how much Pirahyun is said to have no interest in others, it seems like she has a goodwill towards me, so I think we can get close enough if there is some opportunity.
In the midst of thinking while holding the manual, another person’s figure began to emerge from the portal soon with a hum.
“Oh, Jihoo! You were in the same group as us.”
Maybe it’s because it’s basically a body type, so you can see well.
Instantly recognizing where I was standing, Goryushin came running straight to me.
“Well, that’s what happened. Let’s get along well for three days. I’ll leave the hard work up to you.”
“Haha, okay. But who is the other one?”
“Perhaps you don’t know much because I haven’t talked to you very much, but it’s Pirahyun…”
“Hello, Jihoo.”
At that time, I couldn’t even hear the sound of the portal operating, but I heard a woman’s voice quietly from the front.
It’s hard to see because of the fog, but judging from the black hair that is revealed at first glance, it’s probably Pirahyun.
“I came earlier and looked around. Wait a minute. I’ll clear the fog.”
As soon as Pirahyun muttered something, the thick fog began to slowly clear.
No, rather than being lifted… It feels like it’s being quickly sucked into her palm.
“Can you see it now? Anyway, it’s so frustrating.”
After the fog disappears, the scenery of the island comes into view little by little.
Dense forests, long-growing weeds, and various creatures that are not friendly to humans.
Now I could realize the reality that I had fallen on an uninhabited island.
