Transcendence Due To A System Error

< Chapter 83: Survival (2) >

5 hours had passed since the start of the survival test. The sun had completely set, and it had become a total night.

Ha Si-yeon was walking alone in the dark forest.

“It’s really tough without a sword.”

Although she was empty-handed, which would have typically been terrifying, not a hint of fear could be seen on Ha Si-yeon’s face.

“Oh! A supply box.”

Ha Si-yeon’s pupils expanded with joy. She had spotted a supply box filled with items that would aid in survival from a distance.

Ha Si-yeon ran towards it with excited steps.

“Hehe.”

It would be nice if there were weapons in the supply box. She needed food as well, but finding a means to protect herself was the priority. Her magic was not infinite, after all.

That’s when Ha Si-yeon opened the supply box.

“…It’s empty?”

The supply box was completely empty.

Had someone already taken what was inside?

“Tsk.”

As she pouted in disappointment, it happened.

“!”

From behind, she sensed a strange presence along with the rustling of leaves. Not murderous, but something akin to hostility.

‘Ambush!’

Ha Si-yeon immediately summoned her magic.

Ching!

The sound of ice shattering against metal rang out.

“Ice… Ha Si-yeon!?”

The attacker was taken aback.

“Of all people!”

Attacking the figure that approached the supply box in the darkness, never did the attacker expect it to be Ha Si-yeon out of so many people!

As Ha Si-yeon prepared to counterattack, someone rushed from the opposite side.

“Agh! Talk about bad luck!”

A second attacker reached for Ha Si-yeon’s brooch.

“Watch out! It’s Ha Si-yeon!”

“I have eyes, you know!”

Ha Si-yeon quickly blocked the punch with a chunk of ice and backflipped away.

At the same time, she created a disc of ice in mid-air and stood on it.

“That was a surprise.”

She touched her chest, feeling her heart race from the unexpected assault.

The clouds parted, and the bright moonlight shone down. Under the gentle moonlight, Ha Si-yeon looked down at the two attackers.

“Are you two villains?”

They were trainees she had never seen before.

“…We’re really unlucky.”

“Agh. Of all the people to run into, the second place?”

The two sighed, looking at Ha Si-yeon’s face.

A sigh filled with regret.

“Huh?”

Ha Si-yeon’s eyes widened as she scanned the two.

“You. That sword you’ve got, you found it here?”

Her eyes were fixed on the training sword held by attacker A.

And a moment later.

Two individuals were eliminated.

Watching the two trainees walk away, shoulders slumped and brooches destroyed, Ha Si-yeon tilted her head.

“…Neither of them were villains?”

Whether they were villains or not, everyone was caught up in ‘plundering.’

Ambushes like this were happening simultaneously all over the field.

* * *

“It’s a mess.”

The survival test could only be described as a mess.

“Already 160 people have been eliminated?”

The current time is midnight.

And at midnight, the current situation is announced to the cadets through the devices distributed to all of them.

The test has only been going on for 9 hours.

I haven’t met a single person yet, but already 1/3 have been eliminated. I thought at most 100 would be eliminated. Quite a lot have been eliminated.

“…So everyone’s focused on plundering.”

This survival is being forced into competition.

You have to fight to acquire the supplies scattered around.

You have to fight to seize the relics.

You have to fight to take the opponent’s brooch.

And the existence of villains is accelerating the fights.

“…They all don’t know. This is a game where you just have to stay still to at least pass the mid-level.”

This survival test is like a game of Mafia.

And in games like Mafia where you have to watch out for others, the ones who act up die first.

“Are the lower-ranking kids just going all in?”

Or maybe they’re just planning to get eliminated, go back to their accommodations, and sleep comfortably.

Surviving for 5 nights and 6 days with just your bare body is a pretty harsh thing.

I didn’t even expect them to send us without sleeping bags.

“What to do? The tempo is too fast.”

The situation is progressing at a much faster pace than expected.

Staying still in such a situation will only lead to extinction.

“There’s no choice. I’ll have to act from tomorrow onwards.”

To climb to the upper ranks, there’s a need to act actively.

Crackle, crackle.

The sound of burning firewood is comforting.

Above it, a horned wild boar caught during the day is being roasted whole.

The smell of the meat browning stimulates the appetite.

“Thank goodness it’s a horned wild boar.”

Horned wild boar is a famous yet convenient edible monster.

The taste falls short, but it’s a peculiar monster that you can eat just by roasting the whole hide on the fire.

“…Kang Seo-yul?”

Then a familiar male voice was heard from behind.

“Choi Ji-hoon?”

It was Choi Ji-hoon, holding a branch.

“You’re not going to use that branch as a substitute for a sword, are you?”

It looks like it’ll break with a single hit.

“Isn’t a fist better than using that?”

“If I cover it with magic armor, it can be used as a sword.”

“You can apply it that far already?”

I was genuinely surprised.

That’s fast.

Maybe our encounter has prompted rapid growth? After all, people need to experience defeat.

“This fire. Supplies… No, did you light it with your magic?”

Choi Ji-hoon asked, looking at the campfire and the horned wild boar above it.

Even if you want to make a fire, you need supplies. How would you light a fire without a lighter or anything?

“Right.”

Of course, for me, who has fire attribute magic, it’s a non-issue.

I didn’t find any supplies, either.

No, I didn’t even think about looking for them.

I just didn’t feel the need to.

“I see.”

“Yeah.”

In an inexplicable silence, the sound of the campfire burning seemed unusually loud.

That’s how quiet it was.

Gurgle.

In that quietness, the sound of Choi Ji-hoon’s stomach grumbled even louder.

“…Hungry?”

“…”

Choi Ji-hoon did not answer.

Seeing the bulging backpack on his back, it seems the food is still intact.

“Ah, you want to keep the distributed rations for emergency use?”

“I won’t deny it.”

Choi Ji-hoon answered confidently.

“Well, it’s a wise choice.”

I’m actually saving mine too.

Who knows what might happen, so it would be foolish to eat all the rations on the first day. That’s something only a novice would do.

“So, what do you say, want to eat together? I thought there would be too much left anyway.”

“…”

Choi Ji-hoon’s eyes became very slightly sharper.

“Ah, you don’t want to owe me anything, do you?”

“Yes.”

I smirked.

When it comes to competitiveness, he’s second to none.

“So what, you want to steal it?”

Choi Ji-hoon’s eyes shifted from my waist to his own stick.

“No.”

Training dagger and stick.

He seems to have judged that it would be too hard to fight and win against me right now.

“Good. Let’s do this.”

That’s perfect.

“There’s too much here for me to eat alone, and it’s not something I can preserve.”

“So?”

“How about cooperating? I’ll share this roast with you. Let’s take turns keeping watch.”

Sleeping is always the riskiest part of survival.

“That’s not a bad proposal.”

“Right?”

“But.”

Choi Ji-hoon twisted one corner of his mouth.

“What will you do if I betray you? I could be a villain.”

His eyes were fixed on my brooch.

“You’re not a villain, are you?”

I looked straight into Choi Ji-hoon’s eyes.

“How can you be sure?”

“I don’t think you would act this way if you were a villain, given your personality.”

If Choi Ji-hoon had been a villain, he would have ambushed me immediately, given his nature.

…Well, honestly, it doesn’t matter if he’s a villain.

“The risk is always there in the first place. Conversely, I could be a villain. Or even if not a villain, we could betray each other.”

“…I see.”

Choi Ji-hoon opened his eyes wide, as if pondering.

He must be troubled.

Even though there’s a risk of betrayal.

Considering the benefits of teaming up with me, it would be hard to flatly refuse.

“If you’re worried, think about it after eating. The meat might burn at this rate.”

“Alright.”

Choi Ji-hoon nodded reluctantly, pretending to be defeated.

Judging by the lively movement of his nose, he couldn’t resist the savory smell of the wild boar’s meat.

“Then sit down quickly.”

I pointed to a rock across from me.

“Understood.”

Choi Ji-hoon moved with a brusque expression.

He spat out words with a reluctant expression as he sat down.

“…I don’t like it, but thanks for now―”

That’s when it happened.

“―Ji···Eek!”

Choi Ji-hoon uttered a shocked cry and fell backward. The rock he was sitting on rolled back, causing him to lose his balance.

And that rock was deliberately set up by me.

Prepared for someone lured by the firelight and the smell of meat!

A glint of mischief passed through my eyes.

The timing is now!

My body, along with the dagger, moved like lightning.

I swung the dagger, reading the wind’s path.

Choi Ji-hoon reacted instantly, but in his completely unbalanced stance, he couldn’t avoid my attack.

“!”

Choi Ji-hoon gathered his magical power.

He must be planning to erect a magical shield.

But that too was slow.

Ching-

The sound of something being cut, followed by

Thump-

The sound of something falling to the ground, echoed twice in quick succession.

“···You, you!”

Halfway through casting his magical shield, Choi Ji-hoon stumbled to his feet, his eyes wide, stammering.

He then looked down at something on the ground, a ‘brooch’ cut in half.

I laughed exaggeratedly.

“Surprise! I am a Villain! HAHAHA!”

A tremor ran through Choi Ji-hoon’s pupils.

“See you in 5 days. Eat the food you’ve saved when you get back.”

I didn’t expect Choi Ji-hoon to fall for such a flimsy trap.

It was something I did because I felt confident I would win in a fight, whether the plan succeeded or not.

“Thanks for the points… huh?”

I checked the score as I watched Choi Ji-hoon gritting his teeth.

“4 times?”

The score came in not double but four times.

“Pffft!”

If you dispose of a villain’s brooch and plunder it, the score is doubled.

And if a villain takes care of someone, the score is also doubled.

And if a villain takes care of another villain, the score comes in four times.

In other words,

“What’s this? You were a villain too?”

Choi Ji-hoon was also a villain.

“No wonder. I thought you trusted me too easily. You were planning to stab me in the back.”

It was unlike Choi Ji-hoon to be so meek.

I felt a bit sorry, but there was no need at all.

I grinned brightly as I watched Choi Ji-hoon gritting his teeth.

“Anyway, thanks for the score!”

“You scoundrel, Kang Seo-yul!”

I laughed, hearing Choi Ji-hoon’s furious shout.

* * *

The second day of the practical exam.

I began to seriously search for supply boxes.

I believed they were key to mastering this survival test.

In the meantime, I took care of all the cadets I encountered.

“Kang Seo-yul! Are you really going to do this?!”

“Sorry, I’m a villain.”

Become my score.

“You heartless bastard!”

It wasn’t as difficult as I thought.

While the others didn’t have proper equipment, I was thriving with various training equipment, including [Extreme of Weapons]. It was only natural that it was easy.

And so, 10 hours passed.

The current time was 4 p.m.

“This is really easy.”

That way, I succeeded in dealing with a total of 4 cadets.

Three more since Choi Ji-hoon.

It was very easy to use the path of the wind, just aiming at the brooch. Finding weaknesses was my specialty.

I was also lucky to find a supply box on the side.

It only contained a sleeping bag, but sleeping on the bare ground was somewhat difficult, and the high-quality softness was quite satisfying.

“I might even make it to the top at this rate?”

Although I was quite surprised to become a unique existence called a villain in this unknown test, not mentioned in the original work.

This is more doable than I thought.

No, it’s rather a piece of cake.

I can’t gain survival points.

I can’t get points for defeating monsters.

I can’t get points for acquiring relics.

Although there’s a penalty that I can’t get points except for plundering,

The double plundering score is enough to make up for all these penalties.

Of course, it would be meaningless if not backed by strength, but that doesn’t concern me.

The cadets, without proper equipment or even wearing auxiliary accessories, are no match for me.

At most, there might be three people who could beat me right now.

If I meet them, I will win them all.

“The lack of equipment is really snowballing.”

All thanks to the blacksmith’s makeshift forge.

The ‘Boiling Pure Blood’ also has enough advantage in accelerating fatigue recovery, so I only need 2 hours of sleep.

The problem is that it’s hard to meet cadets in this vast field.

I have to deal with at least 15 to be in the upper ranks.

“What should I do?”

It was then, as I was walking blankly.

“Oh?”

I saw a supply box 50 meters ahead. The second supply box.

I moved toward the supply box, fully on guard in case of an unexpected attack. Fortunately, there were no signs of anyone nearby.

“Nice.”

I put my palm on the supply box. With a mechanical sound, the supply box opened, revealing a very small chip and a message inside.

[Terminal Upgrade Chip.]

[You can activate additional functions when inserted into the terminal.]

“…They have something like this?”

Somehow.

If they only revealed the number of survivors at midnight, there would be no reason to provide something like a terminal.

I checked the terminal here and there.

There was a hole where the chip could be inserted. I quickly took the chip out of the box and inserted it into the terminal.

Then a new message appeared on the screen.

[Terminal Function Upgrade List]

[You can choose one of the following.]

[1. Check Villain List.]

[2. Check Monster Location.]

[3. Check Relic Location.]

[4. One-time Brooch Protection.]

“…Wow.”

Each one had an incredible effect.

It seemed that the supply box was indeed the key to survival.

But checking the villain list seemed a bit burdensome.

There wouldn’t be just one upgrade chip, meaning there was a high possibility someone had checked the villain list.

And then there’s the one-time brooch protection.

“Isn’t this too disadvantageous for the villains?”

As I was scratching my head, pondering.

“Huh?”

Suddenly, a new option appeared at the bottom.

[Check Villain Terminal.]

[A new function will be added.]

[5. Check Cadet Location.]

“Aha.”

So there was something like this.

Now, this changes the story.

“It’s the perfect weather for plundering.”

Without hesitation, I chose option number 5.