< Chapter 82: Survival (1) >
“…This is a headache.”
I was lost in thought as I looked at an ancient relic in front of me.
“Goldie, what do you think we should do?”
Goldie stops grooming his fur and looks up at me in response to my call.
His face seemed to say ‘Do whatever you want, brother!’
“Oh, you’re cute.”
His appearance was so adorable that I instinctively patted his head.
Watching Goldie purr at my touch, I turned my attention back to the problematic ancient relic.
“A relic of the demon race.”
To be precise, I was reading the ‘Ancient Relic Performance Record’ that had been enclosed with the carrier.
“Lucifer’s spear.”
A spear that the archdemon Lucifer favored, it’s an ancient relic that will be wielded by a demon named Lucifer who will appear later.
In terms of grade, it’s the best of the best. One could call it an [Ancient Relic/S Rank].
In this world, there’s a huge difference between A rank and S rank, just as much as the difference between heaven and earth.
This spear of Lucifer is in a different dimension in terms of performance compared to other ancient relics that were really used until the end.
Among Lucifer’s traits is also the ability to summon this spear from a distance.
“…It somewhat reminds me of Thor and Mjölnir.”
The day Lucifer first appeared.
A vivid image arises of the moment Lucifer’s spear flew into my outstretched hand, emitting tremendous energy.
“Ah, this is driving me crazy.”
Normally, obtaining such a high-quality ancient relic would be a cause for celebration.
“Why does it have to be Lucifer’s spear?”
There’s a significant problem with this relic of the demon race.
The ‘unique effect’ attached to the spear itself is a very big issue.
This effect, which activates the moment you hold the weapon, is a ‘constant activation type unique effect’ called ‘Murderous Impulse’.
It’s more like a penalty than an effect. A cursed-type unique effect that consumes the wielder’s mind.
Holding it for even a minute is terrifying.
“…That lunatic Lucifer.”
Considering the birth of the archdemon Lucifer, it couldn’t be anything but horrifying.
The cause of Lucifer’s fall from grace, originally an angel, was the ‘Murderous Impulse’ of an object that became the origin of ‘Lucifer’s Spear’.
“If I hold this, won’t I go mad too?”
My body shivered for no reason.
Of course, I might be fine.
It’s only for a minute.
But the chances are fifty-fifty.
There’s no need to take an unnecessary risk.
“I’ll pass on anything with a high risk for now….”
Lucifer’s spear was a curse.
…Ah, it’s a shame. If only this were ‘Gabriel’s Holy Spear’.
With such thoughts, I checked the next carrier.
“One is a dwarf.”
It’s one of the most common hammer-type relics among the dwarf race artifacts. With a sleek appearance, as you would expect from a hammer made by a dwarf.
“And the other one is….”
I checked another relic.
“The necklace of the Mongma race.”
The official race name is Mongma, or Succubus in English. Fittingly for the original novel that is suitable for all ages, it has transformed into a rather wholesome race.
Derived from demons, it’s a race that sustains life by absorbing men’s ‘magical energy’.
In other words, there’s no hesitation in acquiring its traits. Moreover, it’s one of the races that can solve my lack of magical power, so it’s something to be happy about.
“Neither can be used as weapons.”
Neither of them are ancient relics for battle. Thus, acquiring their traits right now would be beneficial.
“…Alright.”
I took a small deep breath.
“They say you pull the iron horns out all at once; I’ll go right ahead.”
And I touched the dwarf’s hammer. Feeling the comfortable grip of the hammer’s handle and focusing on the ancient relic’s usage instructions that flowed into my mind, a minute quickly passed.
Sizzle-
[Error!]
The moment I saw the error, I let go of my hand.
Standing in front of a full-length mirror, I checked my body.
I wondered where a tattoo would appear this time.
“…That’s not bad.”
It appeared on my side.
A tattoo in such a place.
I really felt like I had become a tattooed person.
But fortunately, it’s in a spot that can be covered with clothing.
Now, it’s time to check the most important traits.
“Please let something good come out.”
I prayed lightly, reading the dwarf trait section written in the ‘Encyclopedia.’
Zap-
I could quickly find the traits I had acquired.
“…Wow, are you kidding? Really?”
My pupils expanded in astonishment.
An astonishment of joy.
“Craftsman’s Simple Smithy….”
Among the dwarf traits I wanted, the second one I had wished for had come out.
“I must keep this momentum going.”
I swallowed my saliva with a gulp and immediately touched the ancient relic of the Succubus.
And a minute later.
“…Gasp!”
I opened my mouth again.
“Yeah! This is it!”
Back-to-back home runs.
Ah… Spring has come into my life.
* * *
Time flies quickly.
Today is Monday.
“I’ve never been to Australia before.”
“Ah. I’m worried. What about survival?”
“…It’s not really lethal, is it? I’ve heard rumors that people die every year.”
“Nah. That can’t be true.”
We arrived at Australia’s international airport. Now we’re on our way to board the limousine bus prepared by the Australian Military Academy.
“Jia couldn’t make it after all. It’s a shame.”
“Yeah.”
In the end, Jia couldn’t come. Her secretary and attending physician were strongly opposed, saying that it might leave lifelong sequelae if she overexerted herself now.
I visited her with Si-yeon yesterday, and she was crying.
― Si-yeon, congratulations. First place.
― Uh···? Oh.
Si-yeon’s hesitation under Jia’s fierce energy was quite funny. She must really hate having the first place taken from her.
“Since she’s out of the 5-night, 6-day hellish survival test, it might be a good thing.”
“Ah. Is that so?”
Personally, I’m envious.
After walking for about 3 minutes, we arrived at the parking lot.
“Then, you can board the limousines by class.”
“Yes!”
We rode in luxury limousines and drove for a while.
“Ah. There are kangaroos!”
“Oh. I’m seeing a wild kangaroo for the first time. I’ve heard their punching power is extraordinary. Ji-hoon, if you get hit, wouldn’t you be knocked out with one blow?”
“…Nonsense.”
Chatting with Ha Si-yeon, Kim Chul-jin, and Choi Ji-hoon, we suddenly arrived at our destination.
“We’ve arrived. Everyone, please disembark.”
“Oh. It looks just like the pictures.”
The school building of the Australian Superhuman Military Academy had a rather sophisticated exterior.
“Since we’re here, it looks like they’re going to start the test right away, doesn’t it?”
“…Evidently.”
I heard anxious murmurs around us. Hearing that sound, Instructor Pi Jin Ho grinned. I also became uneasy.
“Welcome.”
A group of about ten people approached us, led by a man. They were all in uniform, and they seemed to be teachers from the Australian side.
“You’ve come a long way. Thank you for your efforts.”
The instructor was quite proficient in Korean. The other nine seemed unable to speak Korean, looking confused at what was being said.
“Thank you for inviting us.”
Instructor Pi Jin Ho briefly bowed his head and extended his right hand.
“My name is Pi Jin Ho.”
“My name is Cain Roper.”
The instructor who introduced himself as Cain also extended his right hand, grasped it, and shook it slightly.
― Thank you all for coming to meet us.
He then greeted the instructors behind him in English.
― Haha. It’s only natural.
They all seemed to be welcoming us.
“Then let’s move inside the school right away. I’ll show you around the facilities.”
“Yes.”
We followed Instructor Cain.
“This is the main training ground.”
“Wow.”
Exclamations rang out from around us. Perhaps because of the vast land, the training ground was enormous.
“Normally, many cadets would be training hard at this time. But today is a temporary holiday, so no one is here.”
“A temporary holiday because of us…”
“No, not really. Even without that, we have a rest day once a month, giving students a whole day off. We just moved it up a bit.”
“That’s a good system.”
The relationship between the two representative instructors seemed not bad.
After all, an instructor who was so proficient in Korean would not likely harbor ill feelings toward Korea.
Initially, Australia is a multi-racial country founded by various races.
This, of course, includes the elf race. There’s no reason to dislike Korea, a country that venerates elves as ancestors.
“These are the general facilities.”
Instructor Cain finished all the explanations.
“Now that the brief introduction is over, let’s get straight to the main point.”
Cain’s smile overlapped with Pi Jin Ho’s smile. A very unsettling smile.
“We will now move to the survival training ground, the pride of our Australian Military Academy.”
“You don’t mean…”
“Are we really starting right away?”
Looking at the cadets, Instructor Pi Jin Ho gave a devilish smile.
“We will begin the practical exam now.”
“Ah.”
“Crazy.”
Sighs were heard from all around.
* * *
I looked around the designated location where I was placed.
“It just looks like the Amazon or something.”
The Australian survival training ground is called training, but it’s more akin to thorough actual combat.
Moreover, it’s an extreme real combat training that utilizes a wide area with a radius of 50km, taking advantage of Australia’s vast land.
First and foremost, the basis of this test is survival. Scores are given differentially according to survival time, so even if you survive without being eliminated until the last day, you can earn a fairly decent score.
Survive for 5 nights and 6 days.
It may sound very easy, but it is by no means simple.
First of all, except for the initial food supply, all participants in this survival test must be self-sufficient. Furthermore, all sorts of equipment, including accessories, are not provided.
“I never thought they wouldn’t even give us training weapons.”
In other words, one must endure 5 nights and 6 days with nothing but their bare body.
But that’s not all.
This survival test includes “plundering.”
Each cadet wears a brooch with their identification number on their chest, and if that brooch is stolen or lost, they are eliminated from the test.
And additional points are given to the cadet who “plunders” this brooch.
In other words, the cadets are enemies of each other.
Because of this, forming an alliance is impossible without substantial trust. To put it bluntly, you might be betrayed even after forming an alliance.
Why not just team up with close friends who have no possibility of betrayal?
Nope. That’s not it.
This test is not so easygoing.
In this survival test, there are cadets assigned the role of “villains.”
These villains cannot earn points through survival or any other additional factors, but can only obtain points through “plundering.”
And the points acquired are a whopping double!
So, the cadets assigned the role of these villains must hunt others if they want to survive themselves. It’s unavoidable.
Of course, the cadet who takes down a villain also receives double the points.
This existence known as the villain, creates suspicion and mistrust even among close friends.
Moreover, out of 498, a staggering 30 are villains.
The odds are such that it’s impossible to cooperate without reservation.
My score is precious, after all.
The fact that there’s no psychological hesitation to betray also contributes to this.
Since betrayal is the premise of this ‘game’, betraying is natural.
It’s natural for the mafia to deceive the citizens in a game of Mafia.
Few people would genuinely feel betrayed just because the mafia deceived them.
Of course, there may be lingering resentment as points are at stake.
“…A hellish test that even breaks human relationships.”
The more I think about it, the more vicious this test appears to be.
“Oh. I found a horned wild boar.”
While surveying the terrain, I happened upon a horned wild boar that would be perfect for food.
It was still quite a distance away and was unknowingly grazing on grass. I stifled my presence and sat down.
“Hmm.”
It was great that I found a horned wild boar, but the problem was that I was unarmed.
Without a dagger, I can’t use [Path of Wind].
The same goes for the bow.
The most serious issue is that I don’t have [Extreme of Weapons]. Without it, my weapon-handling skill is no different from an ordinary person’s.
For me, who values equipment above all, this is a real crisis! Or so it should have been.
“Nope.”
I chuckled.
I smiled and drew up my magic. A stinging pain was felt from the dwarf tattoo on my side.
I felt the pain and focused with my eyes closed.
The trait I gained from the dwarves this time is called ‘Artisan’s Portable Forge.’
A cheat-like trait that allows dwarves to craft anywhere and store all sorts of equipment.
In simple terms, it’s like a ‘small inventory.’
I had put everything into this artisan’s portable forge, including [Extreme of Weapons], [Grace of Mana], [Training Dagger], [Training Bow], and all the equipment used in actual combat.
So what should I use? To use the horned wild boar for food, it would be best to catch it without any injuries, right? Okay, let’s go with the bow.
The moment I made up my mind, the training bow was in my hand.
“Good.”
With a faint smile, I pulled the bowstring.
