The Villain is Too Good at Sniping

62. Extreme Cold Survival Training (2)

– Save me! Hwang, Hwang! Behind me!

-…How did you get bitten by a demon? Brother.

-I don’t know! It suddenly appeared out of nowhere! I didn’t even hear a sound…….

This happened before I came to this Arsen.

As an assassin of Esperand, I had to undergo a survival training process that was almost like a real battle.

Many children were thrown into the snowy mountains. They wore only a thin coat, holding a small dagger in their hand.

It wasn’t that there were no harsh trainings like this before. -The children who made it this far were the elite of the elite.

But being thrown out with only a dagger and a thin coat was still incredibly harsh.

In fact, the cold wasn’t a big problem. If you were a child who belonged to Esperand, you would at least have taken the first step towards becoming a transcendent.

A transcendent’s body can withstand extreme environments like volcanic regions, swamps, deserts, or snowy mountains to some extent. It’s not that they’re invincible, but they can survive a bit longer than ordinary people.

Their natural recovery ability is also tremendous, so minor injuries heal quickly.

With the help of various medicines and potions, even serious injuries can be recovered from easily.

So, the wound that Camil, who was bitten by the snowy mountain demon, had was more severe than I thought.

-What is this?

-It’s a medicine that will help with the treatment. It’s going to hurt a bit, so don’t scream…….

-Ugh, ah! Ahh!

Camil, who was left alone, ran away with his leg bitten by the demon and barely escaped with his life in the cave where I was staying.

Looking back, it was from then on that Camil’s attitude towards me began to change.

If I hadn’t saved Camil back then, he would have been killed by the demon on the spot. Camil and I survived the snowy mountain demon and hid deep in the cave.

The place I’m walking now is exactly where we are.

“I never thought I’d come back here…….”

The cave I arrived at, searching through my memories, still had signs of human presence.

It wasn’t that someone had been stranded here and lived in seclusion, but rather the traces of life that Camil and I had temporarily left behind.

“…They say it becomes a memory after it passes.”

I reached out to touch the scratches on the cave wall. The rough texture felt familiar. It was intentionally left to mark the date.

Camil didn’t understand, but I knew what this character meant.

The half-written character was the word “right” (正).

Why was it only half-written? It was because we encountered a bear-like demon around the third day. In that situation, charging in with only a dagger was suicidal. Camil and I had no choice but to abandon the cave and go outside.

No matter how strong a transcendent’s body is, it’s impossible to withstand the cold of a snowy mountain night with only their bare body. Even a transcendent or a hunter could die from hypothermia.

At the time, it was frustrating, but looking back, it was a good thing. We left the cave and were able to create a safer hiding place.

“Just for a moment.”

I wonder if it’s still there.

Outside, he was a tyrant of the Nilvania Mountains, known as the Black Leopard of the Snowfield.

It was unfortunate, but not unfortunate enough. If he were a yak-like opponent, he would have been suppressed long ago. But unfortunately, the opponent he faced was a carnivorous beast.

He was a monster bigger than the Snowfield Tiger. When his thick, finger-sized fangs sparkled, his entire nervous system would involuntarily tense up.

In Arsen, they taught the art of dealing with carnivorous beasts.

There were three essential things to do first.

First, never show fear.

Even if you were scared, you shouldn’t let it show. The moment you let your guard down, you’d become prey.

Oooh—

Duuu—

The two students broke the first rule.

“Ah, ah, ah, he’s coming!”

“Wait, just—!”

And then they broke the second rule.

They didn’t secure a safe distance slowly and calmly, and they lost their composure. That was bad enough, but breaking the third rule was fatal.

“Hey! Where are you going?… Now’s not the time to go!”

Right when they tried to flee, they should never have shown their backs.

The two students who faced the Black Leopard fled like rabbits. Naturally, in the eyes of the Snowfield Black Leopard, they were just prey running away in fear.

The chase began. The Black Leopard’s speed was undoubtedly faster than the two students’.

The distance narrowed in an instant, and the Black Leopard pounced on the lagging student.

“Give up! Stop! Stop!”

Haa—

Just before the Black Leopard’s claws reached, the fallen student shouted a teleportation spell. As the light beam disappeared, the student’s figure vanished.

He must have returned to the Grand Saint Hall. It was better to take the penalty than to die.

“Ah…….”

The remaining student sat down, stunned and helpless.

There was no more will to fight. What could they do when their comrade had fled in front of them?

It was time to quietly watch and cast a teleportation spell.

Pabapak—!

A hailstone hurled from the sky hit the ground. The Snowfield Black Leopard quickly dodged out of range, but the hail continued to fall, chasing after the beast.

In the end, the Snowfield Black Leopard retreated first. It let out a warning roar and disappeared into the Snowfield in an instant.

The hail finally stopped.

The person approaching the fallen student was a blue-haired female wizard wearing a student uniform.

“Are you okay?”

“Uh… thanks.”

With elegant footsteps, she approached him, and a blue peacock sat on her shoulder.

Lara Stillhaiden.

Lara, who had just returned to class, was suddenly thrown into a real combat training, but she adapted faster than anyone else.

Lara didn’t receive gratitude or courtesy. She thought it was only natural to offer such kindness.

Before entering Arsen, she had received help from someone, after all.

It was only natural to return such light favors.

“Thanks anyway! You take care too!”

At first glance, she seemed like a carefree savior, but in reality, she was struggling to maintain her expression.

“…….”

After the student disappeared into the distance, Lara let out a sigh she had been holding in. With various buffs still active, she had less than half of her magic left.

If things continued like this, her magic would be depleted before the day was over. She needed to find a place to stay for the night before it was too late.

“It would be great if there was a cave or a tree to stay under…”

Lara closed her eyes and focused her mind.

Spirits were everywhere. They could adapt to any environment, whether it was a snowy field, a desert, or a volcano. They could also change their properties according to the region.

When she opened her eyes again, Lara looked back at the path she had returned from.

Small snow spirits, resembling snowmen, were waving at her. Following their guidance, Lara walked across the snowy field.

Nights in the highlands were short.

The first day of the survival training was already coming to an end.