Chapter 122: Survival Test (15)
Survival Test (15)
“Hmm…”
My fingers touched Alice’s back, which somehow looked tired. If we were inside the tent, she would have been more comfortable to lie down, but since we were doing it outside, she just showed her back quietly.
The more I massaged, the more my mana manipulation skill improved. Putting mana into someone else’s body not only required concentration but also control, and I was becoming more accustomed to it. Yet, it seemed that Alice had adapted to the gentle stimulation inside her body. Even when I subtly let mana flow into her uterus, she didn’t moan like last time or bury her face in her clothes.
“Ahm…” She only let out faint moans. So, it’s time to try something different.
I guided my mana to flow along the surface of her body. The target: Alice’s intimate area. Since there’s a high chance that she could sense the mana flow outside her body, I had to be careful. I deliberately intensified the stimulation on her mana circuits and redirected her attention to it.
“Ah, ah… it hurts.”
“Sorry. Was it too intense?”
Good.
In the meantime, my mana reached her private parts down there. While slowly moving the mana, I explored over the mound. Even without seeing it, I could feel it as if touching it with my hands. From the tightly closed labia as if she had never masturbated before, the smooth vaginal canal with no wrinkles, to the clitoris covered by the epidermis.Let’s try something gentle. I shouldn’t overstimulate from the beginning.
I lightly stimulated the clitoris with mana.
“Ahhh…?!”
“Alice, what’s wrong? Did it hurt?”
I pretended not to know anything.
“No, it doesn’t hurt…” She shrugged her shoulders, trembling slightly. Her reaction confirmed that the process of subtly stimulating the clitoris and expanding the mana circuits was ongoing; it prevented any suspicion.
“Hah… ahh…”
“Are you okay?”
“I, I’m fine… just finish it quickly…”
Alice, closing her eyes tightly to hide her pleasurable feelings, looked quite adorable.
***
The sun decided to show up on the 6th day. Naturally, I felt like a zombie because I only managed about 4 hours of sleep.
“Rise and shine, everyone! Morning’s here.”
Lucy, who pulled the last watch, was already wide awake and full of energy, while the rest of us were basically zombies.
“What’s wrong? You all look awful.”
“It’s fine… Just had a bit of a restless night.”
“Ah, I see. A guy sleeping together with ladies must’ve been tough. Well, I didn’t bother about that and had a great sleep! Haha!” Lucy laughed confidently with a smug expression.
Sometimes, I envy that carefree attitude… I need to shake off this sleepiness. Today’s a big deal.
I headed to the riverbank for a quick freshening up, with Alice and Lumi trailing behind for a speedy wash.
“Lucy, what time is it now?”
“It’s 7 o’clock.”
7 o’clock… 3 hours left.
The seemingly never-ending survival test wraps up tomorrow at 10 in the morning, and we can check the location of all participants through smartwatches in the Battle Royale. Luckily, we ventured pretty deep into the island’s center yesterday. Kim Younghan’s team is likely circling the outer edges where more monsters lurk. They’re scared of ‘it,’ the creature who lives in the island’s center.
“Hey, let’s grab some breakfast. I’m starving.”
“Oh, really?”
Lucy clung to me, bellyaching about hunger. It’s been two hours since we woke up, so fair enough. Alice and Lumi were slowly coming to their senses too.
I’m the one who got the least sleep, but why are they the ones who struggle so much?
We prepared breakfast. We ate the food I brought, and the girls took care of the preparation and cleaning.
It’s 8 o’clock now. Only two more hours until the Battle Royale begins.
“Should we venture further inside?”
“Further inside?” Lumi tilted her head in confusion.
“Yeah, I’m thinking there might be something there.”
“Do we really need to go further? It’s already pretty deep here.” Alice, preparing her sword, threw in a comment while getting ready.
“Alice’s got a point. There’s no riverbank even in the inner part of the island.” Lucy chimed in.
“Hmm… you’re right.”
With both Lucy and Lumi in agreement, there’s no need to convince further. Anyway, in two hours, the location info will be available. We can decide to go inside then—no rush. Being in the center of the island makes it easier to predict where ‘it’ might come from.
While Lucy and Lumi went to wash up, I observed Alice, who was finishing her training and planning to get cleaned up. After the morning massage, she looked lively. She should be fine until lunch.
“Ha… Hah!”
Watching Alice swing her sword and use mana, I suddenly remembered something and brought it up. “Wanna spar with me?”
“Spar?”
“Yeah, it won’t be too bad.”
To give Alice more reason to cling to the massage, I thought, ‘Maybe fixing her mana issue and increasing her combat power could be a good motivation.’ It’s a simple idea, but surprisingly, she seemed pleased.R/ê/Ad lat𝙚St ch/a/pters at nô(v)e(l)bin/.c/o//m Only
She looked straight at me and nodded. “Sure. Let’s give it a try.”
We assumed our stances and raised our mana. It’s not a real duel, just a light match to gauge each other’s abilities. Since there are no safety measures, we need to be more cautious.
Swish! As Alice cast a spell, she dashed towards me, brandishing her sword. I used the Cotton Guard to fend off the vines sprouting from the ground and threw a fireball at her.
She skillfully evaded the fireball and, with a graceful hand movement, set the surrounding trees in motion. A shower of leaves descended upon me, prompting me to infuse mana into my body to ward them off.
Swosh! Making the most of the moment, Alice swiftly moved in. As she stepped onto the magic circle I set on the ground, the rising flame prison entrapped her. Despite promptly reversing the spell to free herself, my fireball was closing the distance.
“I lost…” Alice looked at me with a firm grip on her sword and lowered her arm as if admitting defeat.
“Too bad. With your amazing talents, fixing that mana deficiency could lead to a significant boost in your skills.”
“Yeah… Thanks…”
It was a pat on the back, but she didn’t seem to mind.
★ Heroine Status Window
[Alice]
[Affection: 41]
[Lust: 45]
[Appetite: 20]
[Fatigue: 51]
Current Status: If only I could cast my spell a bit faster… I might have won.
As anticipated, her determination to remedy her mana deficiency grew. I can’t help but ponder, if I continue encouraging her like this, could she become more attached to me? That thought crossed my mind. If it doesn’t work out, so be it. Planting a seed doesn’t hurt.
“If you want to spar again next time, let me know.”
“Sure.”
Alice’s movements had noticeably quickened. The speed at which she reversed a spell was impressive.
Strangely effective… If I knew my mana massage would be this effective, I should have tried it on myself.
I dispelled the Rune Barrier I had set up for the spar. Alice watched my actions attentively.
“What?”
“Nothing… Your barrier seems to be at an exceptionally high level.”
“Ah…”
She was analyzing my barrier. The Rune Barrier is considered the strongest among barrier magic. It probably won’t be easily penetrated, but given Alice’s expertise in barrier magic and reversal, a little caution might be necessary in this world’s setting. It might be pierced in the blink of an eye.
“Hey~ What’s going on here? Did you guys fight?”
“Hoyeon! Your clothes are dirty!”
“It’s okay, it’s okay. We just had a little spar.”
Lucy and Lumi returned, and the time’s approaching 10 o’clock.
***
Victoria Academy Student Council President’s Office. Moon Soorin was urgently making a call somewhere.
“Sigh, if you’re going to bring up the festival budget now… Alright, wait a moment.”
The festival at Victoria Academy was just around the corner next week. As a result, the student council executives had to work tirelessly, even on weekends. Especially for Moon Soorin, who had to deal with internal matters of the academy which only added an extra layer to her already hectic schedule.
Knock, knock.
“Come in.”
“President, I’ll leave the documents I mentioned earlier here.”
“Sure, I’ll take a look later.”
Without giving a second glance to the girl who brought the documents, Soorin continued tap-tap-tapping away at her keyboard.
“President, fancy some coffee while you’re grinding away? You look like you’re pushing yourself too hard.”
The girl plunked down a canned coffee on the table and cast a concerned look at Soorin.
“Thanks. Can’t help it. It’s what I have to do.” After a good stretch and a yawn, she grabbed the canned coffee.
“But hey, at least the first-year troublemakers aren’t here. They’re usually the ones stirring up the most ruckus.”
“Yeah, true.”
First-year students often brought both budding talents and a fair share of mischief. Dodging that drama during this hectic period was a silver lining.
“To have a festival right after the survival test, it’s both enviable and not.”
“For the first-year students, it might feel a bit unfair. They should at least get a day or two of rest, but it’s the festival period.”
“Come to think of it, aren’t the PR Department kids also taking the test? I should’ve given them some tasks! Why didn’t you give me a heads-up? I could’ve handed them some responsibilities!”
“The Mana Oath was in effect.” After polishing off the canned coffee, Soorin telekinetically squashed the can and tossed it into the trash.
“Alright, I’ll stop pestering you, President. Enjoy yourself!”
“Yeah, you too.”
The girl exited the student council office. Soorin let out a light sigh, like a storm had blown over. It might have been noisy, but having such a lively person around was a breath of fresh air for her somewhat stifling emotions.
“I wonder how Hoyeon is doing?”
The mention of the PR Department made her think of Lee Hoyeon.
“I should’ve given him some hints about the survival test… It’s regrettable even though his preparations have been thorough.”
Something suddenly clicked in her memory, and she rummaged through her desk to find a document.
[Student Council Vice President 3rd-year Shin Dongmin and Student Council Public Relations Department 1st-year Lee Hoyeon’s Duel]
“Hmm…” Moon Soorin remembered Lee Hoyeon’s movements during the one-on-one duel. It was above the level of the vice president, equivalent even when keeping the standards low. If there were any hindrances, it could be the condition disorder due to the survival test and the setting of the duel field.
“The field is set to random…”
Though the overview claimed it’s for the sake of spicing things up for the festival… Something smells fishy about opting for a random field instead of a regular duel arena.
“If it seems too weird, I might have to step in. And maybe we can grab a bite together at the festival?”
Moon Soorin relished the brief breather.