“Can’t we eat this Hornbird?”
Rohan picked up the decapitated Hornbird and began plucking its tough feathers one by one, fiddling with it as he did.
At the sight, Ichinose’s golden eyes which were filled with bewilderment darted around before she asked him again.
“…You’re saying you want to eat a Kakjo (Hornbird)?”
“It’s not poisonous, and it’s one of the monsters that are considered edible. I saw online that people eat it quite often.”
His tone carried a nuance as if he didn’t see any problem with it.
Faced with Rohan’s confidence, Ichinose’s voice wavered slightly.
“Th-That may be true, but…”
“In fact, encountering a Hornbird here might actually be a stroke of luck. There could be nothing but inedible monsters deeper inside.”
A perfectly logical argument, leaving no room for refutation.
The girl’s gaze shifted to the hunk of meat in Rohan’s hand.
The lifeless Hornbird dripping blood was classified not as a mere animal but as a monster.
Though it belonged to the category of monsters that instinctively triggered revulsion, it wasn’t entirely inedible.
A prime example was those who filmed themselves eating such creatures to gain views.
Some people even tried it out of simple curiosity.
And recently, another case had been added to the list.
If one were to be drawn into a dungeon by a Monolith, they might have no choice but to face such a situation.
This aligned perfectly with what Orion Academy aimed to teach through this exam.
Could they have considered even that?
Ichinose speculated.
Orion Academy had most likely taken that aspect into account when selecting this uninhabited island.
I’m sure of it.
Whether it was true or not, believing it that way was the more beneficial choice for the girl.
Thanks to that, Ichinose was finally able to nod with difficulty.
“…Y-You’re right! We don’t know how strong this sticker’s effect will be, so it’s best to keep it just in case.”
“Good, good. I’ll handle the preparation.”
“Preparation… Don’t tell me you’ve eaten a Kakjo before?”
Startled by Rohan’s confidence, Ichinose raised her voice in surprise.
Seeing her react to this rather than a battle was nothing but amusing to Rohan.
“It’s just bigger, but wouldn’t it be similar to a chicken?”
“Do you cook often?”
“Living alone and traveling here and there, I naturally picked up the basics.”
“Ah…”
When she remembered Rohan’s background, Ichinose fell silent.
Meanwhile, Rohan took the lead, muttering that it would be nice to find a nearby water source.
Rustle! Slash! Rustle!
They took turns swinging their swords as they made their way forward.
How far had they ventured?
The sound of waves was no longer audible. Only the natural noises of the dense forest surrounded them.
Looking back, the dark ocean was barely within sight. If they hadn’t taken an uphill path, it would have completely disappeared from view.
“I thought the smell of blood might attract beasts or monsters, but it’s still quiet.”
Rohan glanced at the plump Hornbird in his hand.
He had only managed to remove the entrails, but without proper cleaning, its condition was far from ideal. They needed water.
“If we find a suitable spot, we should settle there. As long as it provides some wind cover, it’ll be enough.”
“Then we keep going? If we go any farther, we won’t even be able to see the ocean anymore.”
“Let’s go.”
Ichinose voiced her agreement, then smoothly drew her blade.
With swift, precise swings, she cleanly cut through the overgrown vegetation.
…
…
…How much time has passed?
Ichinose closed her eyes and silently pondered.
Though their pace was slow since they couldn’t afford to recklessly speed up, it was clear that a considerable amount of time had passed.
Unfortunately, they had yet to find a suitable resting spot along the way.
However, the variety of monsters they encountered had been diverse.
They hadn’t seen another Hornbird since the beginning, but they had each taken down more than ten Geroeyes and Mud Slimes.
The occasional cries echoing through the forest and the traces left on the trees suggested the presence of Honey Bears or Iron Turtles as well.
“If we assume we’ve been moving in a straight line, wouldn’t heading in the opposite direction make it more likely for us to run into students from a different class rather than our own?”
“Judging by the route the transport ship took, I’d say so.”
“Even if we do run into them, I doubt the atmosphere will be particularly friendly.”
They exchanged a few idle remarks to keep their minds distracted, but Ichinose couldn’t shake her unease.
The sticker was proving to be highly effective.
She knew how much mental energy it took to sharpen her senses and maintain a state of heightened alertness.
Even taking that into account, her current condition was undeniably strange.
It felt as if her metabolism had gone haywire, making everything speed up unnaturally.
Enduring this for five days…?
Was this how Noah felt every day when she grew weak and constantly complained about hunger?
Her stomach felt hollow as if there was a gaping hole inside her. Her throat was parched, and she was craving water.
She had always made sure to eat well to support her growth.
For someone who had never truly experienced hunger, this sudden deprivation hit her hard.
Rohan…
She cracked her eyes open slightly and glanced at her partner.
From the side, he looked perfectly fine. There was no visible sign of how he was holding up.
She began to wonder if the sticker’s effects had worn off.
“Hm… I don’t see any good spots to rest. Should we just dig into the ground or something?”
Just as Rohan finished speaking with a hint of disappointment—
Growl.
A loud, unmistakable sound of hunger echoed from Ichinose’s slender stomach.
“!!!”
Her face flushed red as she hurriedly covered her abdomen with both hands.
A meaningless reaction born out of sheer panic. To Rohan, however, her flustered gestures were nothing but cute.
“Th-This is…!”
“What’s the big deal? It’s natural. I’ve been hungry this whole time too.”
“….…”
Rohan stretched out his legs again and smiled without a hint of malice.
If he had teased her instead, maybe she wouldn’t feel this embarrassed. Now, all Ichinose wanted to do was crawl into a hole and disappear.
Her face burned with heat. For a brief moment, her mind went completely blank, making her forget even her hunger.
Step. Step. Step.
They walked a few more paces in silence.
Then, at the exact same moment, Rohan and Ichinose stopped in their tracks and looked up at the sky.
“This isn’t good.”
“Ah.”
Was this the heavens telling her to calm down and cool off?
Without warning, thick raindrops began to fall, one by one.
Before they could even react, the clouds, as if merely giving them a taste at first, suddenly unleashed a full downpour.
Swoooosh—!!!
A rainstorm strong enough to be called a squall.
The heavy droplets began drenching Rohan and Ichinose, who had yet to find shelter.
***
Hex’s laboratory that was located within the heart of the Reverse Reverence Society’s main base.
Hex was one of the two heads governing the Reverse Reverence Society alongside Omega.
They had convened for a meeting.
It was also the regular session where Hex modified Omega’s body using his skills.
“Like I mentioned before, I’ll be injecting your muscles and skin with as much fire-resistant genetic material as possible.”
“…….”
At a glance, the two couldn’t have been more different.
Unlike Hex’s thin and wiry frame, Omega stood over two meters tall. His body was packed with huge muscles and sheer bulk.
But that wasn’t the only thing that set Omega apart.
His eyebrows and hair had been completely burned away by severe burns, and his lower jaw which was damaged beyond repair had been replaced with a mechanical device of Hex’s own design.
At first glance, it resembled a black mask.
“If I win this time, will I finally get my face back?”
“You will.”
Every other damaged part of his body had already been reconstructed with Hex’s technology.
However, the burn scars on his exposed face remained untouched. It was left that way by Omega’s own stubborn choice.
A constant reminder of his long-held grudge.
To Hex, it was an incomprehensible decision.
“Since the severity of burns depends on how deeply the heat penetrates the cell layers, this time, I’ll be using transplant materials from lava gargoyles, magma salamanders, and—”
Hex’s speech quickened as he spoke while holding up a syringe.
Watching the excitement gradually seeping into Hex’s gaze, Omega who was already accustomed to this cut him off.
“I tell you every time. I don’t understand any of that. Just tell me how long it’ll take.”
“That’s what I always say too. I can’t give you a definite answer. I need to monitor how well your body accepts the modifications.”
“Tch.”
As Omega clenched his fists tightly, Hex felt a wave of satisfaction.
Everything was playing out exactly as he had envisioned.
“Haha! You seem pretty desperate.”
“…Since you’re the one bringing me this news, I’ll play along, even knowing I’m being used.”
A former grand general of the Three Nations Alliance.
The news that Joo-yeon had left Academy City and was now stationed on a deserted island with her students.
Upon hearing what Hex had uncovered, Omega felt it was fate.
The timing was perfect.
The transplant procedure, which was no different from extensive surgery, had been completed at just the right moment. And a monster-infested deserted island was an ideal place for Hex to stir up chaos.
He could ensure a direct confrontation with Joo-yeon.
This is my chance to settle this grudge.
Thud! A thick syringe needle plunged into Omega’s skin.
As the drug was administered, Hex swiftly moved his hands. He started preparing his medical tools while casually sharing more information.
“According to the reports, not just the other instructors, but the Paradise Knights of the Sepia Archipelago have also come as reinforcements.”
“Paradise Knights? Does that mean Lancelot is there?”
“Fortunately, Lancelot is still in the Sepia Archipelago. If both of them were there, I wouldn’t have even brought this up.”
Omega didn’t like Hex’s attitude, acting as if defeat was inevitable.
“Without Lancelot, the rest are just pests. You take care of them.”
“But I was hoping to get some rest. Stirring up that much chaos takes a lot of stacked energy, and it’s exhausting.”
Omega furrowed his brows fiercely while undergoing the procedure.
Hex’s words and expression made his intentions all too clear.
“Just say what you want already.”
As expected, this guy was quick to pick up on things like this.
When he heard Omega’s remark, the corner of Hex’s lips curled into a smirk.
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