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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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I didn’t prefer head-on confrontations.
It was only natural. Going head-to-head against monsters was no different than protesting to be killed. Bears that looked like they could tear a person apart with a single swipe of their front paw, and snakes that seemed capable of easily swallowing an adult man whole.
Fighting such creatures face-to-face was something only superhumans could do.
Not a mere castaway desperately trying to survive like me.
But that didn’t mean I had survived until now solely relying on traps and poisons. There was no way I could have survived on this deserted island devoid of any dreams or hopes with just traps and poisons alone. On an island where trickery and deceit ran rampant, you needed to have at least some means of self-defense.
So this time, it was my turn to use my body.
“…Not coming?”
Even though she had gone mad from eating drugged mushrooms, I guess a warrior is still a warrior. Renny, who had naturally stopped about ten paces away from me, slightly bent her body forward and raised her fists. Despite her appearance teetering on the verge of collapse at any moment, her spirit was that of a seasoned warrior.
Under the scorching sun, a tedious yet murderous standoff continued.
I had no intention of losing this endless battle of patience. But time was ultimately on my side. The poisoned dart coated with a potent anesthetic had already struck her neck. Given enough time, she would collapse on her own.
Maintaining this standoff was not a bad option for me.
In other words, I wouldn’t be the one to make the first move.
The ground trembled. Was it a beast or a human? Dust obscured my vision. I swung the shovel with all my might, as if hitting a home run. The sound of it slicing through the air struck the silhouette in the dust cloud.
A heavy impact reverberated through my palm. The clang of metal against metal. As the dust settled, Renny’s form was revealed.
My shovel was blocked by the back of Renny’s hand. No matter how much force I applied, the shovel wouldn’t budge. I retrieved the unyielding shovel and took two steps back.
Fortunately, Renny seemed to lack the strength to immediately close in on me, simply standing still and gasping for breath.
“…Lady Karina…where…”
A chill ran down my spine at the sight of her glaring at me with a haggard appearance that looked like she could collapse at any moment. How was she enduring in a state where her body was in shambles and anesthetic was circulating throughout her system?
Was this the strength of a person whose body was heavy, mind dizzy, and eyes blurry?
I readjusted my grip on my weapon. My hands were drenched in sweat. Realizing once again that this would be no easy fight, I tilted the shovel blade diagonally.
Should I thrust, strike, or slash?
My choice was-
I thrust the shovel towards Renny’s chest. Renny instinctively tried to catch the shovel by clasping her hands together, but I slightly twisted the shovel blade, making the sharp edge, not the back, collide with her palms. If it were an ordinary shovel, she would have crushed it with her monstrous strength.
But my shovel was no ordinary shovel.
It was made from bones, stronger than steel, which I had obtained by chance after going through countless broken shovels. A shovel that wouldn’t bend even if the bear leader’s body weighing several tons pressed down on it. No matter how much superhuman strength Renny possessed, this shovel wouldn’t bend.
As proof, Renny’s palms were stained with blood. It was the natural result of pressing her hands against a blade. I smashed Renny’s armor and struck her chest. Even in that moment, the monstrous knight displayed an inhuman movement, twisting her body to minimize the damage.
“…If she were in good condition, I would have definitely died.”
The remnant of the final boss, who was likely on the brink of death, sent chills down my spine. If she were in peak condition, forget landing a single blow, my upper and lower body would have been separated in the time it took to blink. Suppressing the creeping fear of death that slowly reared its head, I readjusted my grip on the retrieved shovel.
“Lady…Karina…”
Despite her torn and bleeding hands, Renny clenched her fists without concern. Was it because she couldn’t feel pain due to the anesthetic? Being a tough human befitting a Hollywood blockbuster, perhaps she didn’t care about such things.
Still, with this much, I had laid the groundwork for persuasion through words. She would realize that I was not to be trifled with.
After a moment of contemplation, I spoke.
“I have Karina with me. If you want to meet her, behave yourself-”
“You bastard…!”
An enraged voice directed at me. Why? Did I do something wrong? Before my confusion could be resolved, Renny charged at me. A leap like a tiger pouncing.
She lunged at me in an arc. It was a simple movement, but if we clashed head-on, I would be the one reduced to a pulp. Instinctively, I rolled my body to evade Renny’s charge and struck her ankle with the handle of the shovel held upside down.
As the handle collided with her ankle, a heavy impact was felt. Was her ankle broken?
It was impossible to tell due to her lack of reaction. Although she slightly staggered, it wasn’t enough evidence to prove her ankle was broken.
So, taking advantage of her momentary faltering, I hit her a few more times. Before Renny could attack again, I struck her ankle once more. Perhaps due to the drug gradually taking effect, Renny’s reactions were becoming slower.
“Give back…Lady Karina…”
Yet, despite that, Renny’s counterattacks were fierce. She swung her arms, trying to shatter my head, and extended her fists, attempting to crush my face. However, with her strength already diminished to less than 10% of her usual, I could sufficiently block Renny’s attacks.
Block with the shovel and strike.
When she tried to seize the shovel, I grabbed it, twisting her wrist. Just like that, Renny’s resistance crumbled futilely.
In the end, it turned into a one-sided beating, but the opponent was no ordinary human.
If you let your guard down, the beast could suddenly rise and sink its fangs into you, leading to your demise.
Although it was somewhat excessive, I was able to conclude the breathtaking battle by striking Renny’s head with the shovel, knocking her unconscious as she finally lost the strength to resist.
She wasn’t dead, just unconscious.
It wasn’t revenge for the appalling difficulty that made me retry 72 times in the game.
“…I’ll have to say I brought her back injured after fighting the bear leader.”
…I didn’t have the confidence to tell Karina the truth.
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And so, another patient was added to my deserted island life.
It was regrettable that there was no one in good health. Both Karina and Renny would surely pull their own weight once they recovered, but until then, I alone had to continue this wretched life on the deserted island.
…Should I take off all her armor and carry her? The armor is making her heavy.
The dented armor digging into my back was uncomfortable. By the time I reached home, would my back be injured too? It would be somewhat embarrassing to say I got hurt from being scratched by the armor while carrying her.
“Lady Karina…”
Tenacious, so tenacious. Even while on the verge of death, she was searching for Karina. Come to think of it, Renny had a backstory where Karina saved her life, and she pledged her loyalty to her. I remembered seeing such a story in a video summarizing the lore on XTube.
Whether for better or worse, Renny was a popular character.
She was also one of the few female bosses in Survival Academy. Notorious for her vicious difficulty.
As I walked, lost in idle thoughts with a somewhat lighter heart, my home gradually came into view.
For now, I planned to lay her on the bed at home and then go fetch Karina. The house would be better for nursing than the shelter where there was nowhere to lay her down.
“Looks like I’ll have to collect larvae again for a while… Huh?”
From the corner of my vision, focused ahead, an unfamiliar silhouette faintly caught my eye. I immediately turned my gaze to look at the strange figure.
A snake.
It was a snake.
And it had two heads.
Although it was around the size of a rattlesnake, its mix of brown and yellow colors made it stand out. The two-headed snake, upon making eye contact with me, swiftly turned its body and fled.
Was it scouting?
With the power dynamics on the island rapidly shifting, was it trying to assess the situation? That cunning bastard, what was it plotting again? I needed to buy at least half a month.
Even with Karina’s healing magic, it didn’t seem like Renny’s condition would improve quickly.
This was all the bears’ fault. Anyway, that’s how it was. They should have obediently offered themselves to be eaten by Renny. Can’t the creatures living in the wild even distinguish those stronger than them? No wonder they were annihilated.
Tsk, pathetic bastards.
Let’s hurry home.
I quickened my pace again and arrived home. Opening the door, I laid Renny on the bed.
Looking at her again, I felt a twinge of guilt.
Still, this was the best course of action, so I had my reasons too. Anyway, what mattered was that she was alive.
I immediately turned around and headed to the shelter. Opening the door, I looked down. The warm air greeted me. The sensation of air heated by the firewood passing through my body felt pleasant. It was like returning to my hometown.
“Karina! Come out!”
“Yes! Just a moment!”
At my words, Karina quickly came up, holding a few items. With a delighted face, Karina looked at me, then noticing the wounds scattered across my body, she gazed up at me with worried eyes and asked,
“You’re not seriously hurt, are you…?”
“I’m fine. And there’s a patient.”
“A patient?”
I nodded and pointed to the house visible in the distance. Following my finger, Karina turned her gaze towards the house, then looked back at me. Her face showed a professionalism filled with concern for the patient.
“Let’s go quickly.”
The two of us immediately headed towards the house. As soon as we arrived, Karina discovered Renny lying on the bed and exclaimed in surprise,
“Renny!”
Ah, a moving reunion.
I thought to myself, watching Karina’s back as she sobbed.
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