Why Is Everyone in This Dating Sim Trying to Kill Me?!

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Translator: Vine

Chapter Title: Midterm Evaluation (4)

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Eyes so bulging they looked like they'd roll out with a tap to the back of the head, large ears splayed wide, and purplish skin.

A Gremlin.

It was a monster that looked like a small, hairless monkey.

At first glance, it didn't seem like much.

And in truth, it wasn't much.

In terms of combat power, it was perhaps a bit stronger than a goblin.

That is, only when encountered during the day.

At night, its danger level skyrocketed so much that goblins couldn't even compare.

Ears that were useless during the day due to the cacophony of sounds,

at night, they became sensitive ears that could pick up even the slightest rustle of prey turning in their sleep, as if they had enhanced perception.

Eyes that struggled to open properly during the day due to light glare could see clearly even in the dark forest at night.

And an intuition that told it to bolt immediately if it sensed an opponent was out of its league.

'I'm getting a bad feeling about this…'

As I recalled its characteristics internally, I somehow felt uneasy.

'It's a sensitive one, so it might run away as soon as it notices me.'

This was the forest, its familiar territory.

Even if I was faster, if it used the terrain to escape, there was a good chance I'd lose it.

*Whoosh—*

I held my breath and quietly moved behind it.

*Kerrr—*

The creature rolled its large, bulging eyes, searching for prey.

But it didn't seem to be wary of the path it had just taken; its head only moved from side to side.

One step.

Another step.

As I strode forward using Shadow Walk, I finally reached a distance where I could extend my hand and touch it.

'Now!'

*Thump!*

I pushed off the ground with all my might and reached out.

*CRUNCH!!!*

The brutal sound of bones shattering.

'…Huh?'

It was quite an anticlimactic end for the effort I put in.

The Gremlin hadn't even noticed my presence, even though I had pushed off the ground and charged without hiding my momentum.

It didn't even manage a scream as its neck snapped, dying instantly. It probably died without even knowing what hit it.

'…Is Shadow Walk just that overpowered?'

I scratched my head, looking down at its lifeless eyes, its head twisted grotesquely.

"Well, at least I got a weapon."

I nodded and picked up the worn-out dagger clutched in its hand.

*Swish—*

*Swish-swish—*

The dagger spun and danced in my fingertips as if it had a will of its own.

However, I frowned deeply at the sensation in my hand.

"Seriously, the downgrade from using Moonlight to this is insane."

Unlike Moonlight, which kept its edge no matter how much it was used and could handle any amount of mana without issue,

this dagger's blade was so chipped it seemed incapable of cutting anything properly,

and its durability was so terrible it looked like it would shatter if I poured in more than a certain amount of mana.

"Still, beggars can't be choosers."

I let out a small chuckle.

No matter how shoddy the dagger, a sword was a sword.

Just having a bladed weapon in my hand expanded my senses, and the world sharpened.

"Alright, now that I've got a weapon. Shall I go find a leisurely spot to settle down?"

I adjusted my grip on the dagger, pulled out a compass from my backpack, and walked toward the N, North, that the red needle pointed to.

* * *

After dawn,

and some time after the sun had risen.

Lee Yuri had settled down not far from where she first landed.

'You shouldn't underestimate nature. I need to move cautiously, bit by bit.'

She was busy making a shelter.

"Ugh!"

*CRACK—!*

With a squeeze of her hand, forearm-thick tree branches snapped like chopsticks.

*SWISH! SWISH!*

*TIGHTEN—!*

Lee Yuri untied the vines draped over her shoulder and firmly secured the structural poles so they would support each other.

A square pyramid-shaped frame was erected.

And over it, she draped large leaves to create a space to shield herself from rain and wind.

*Phew—!*

She wiped the sweat from her brow and looked at the hideout she had made.

"This is excellent!"

Lee Yuri nodded, patting herself on the back for the makeshift shelter she had created.

The day before, when she was suddenly abducted by an airship and the midterm evaluation began, she had been just as flustered as the other cadets.

But soon, upon landing at the test site, she realized this test was a stage prepared just for her.

Survival on a deserted island!

Wasn't this her specialty?

She was confident.

She was confident she could excel at making various things and sourcing resources on-site to live in such a remote area, better than anyone!

Unlike other Hunters who packed excessively when entering dungeons,

Lee Yuri, due to her financial situation, always had to pack minimally or insufficiently, which had fostered her adaptability.

"It's the first time being poor has actually helped."

*Chuckle—*

Lee Yuri let out a wry laugh, finding her own words amusing.

"Alright, the shelter's done. Now, fire and water? Hmm, no. First, I need to deal with insect control."

Even strong Hunters could get into serious trouble if they underestimated nature.

The most dangerous thing in a forest like this was poison.

There were often cases where barely visible insects carried highly potent toxins that could threaten one's life.

"…Even so, this is a bit much."

With a slightly troubled expression, she pulled out a few leaves from her pocket.

Leaves she had plucked on her way to gather tree branches and vines.

They were yellowish and had a winged shape on both sides.

Ophelia leaves.

If she crushed them to extract the juice and applied it to her body, most insects wouldn't even come near her.

Even monsters found the smell unpleasant and avoided it, so using it was naturally a good idea.

"But the smell isn't pleasant for me either. And it gets really itchy when I put it on… Though it doesn't have any negative effects on the skin…"

After looking at the leaves for a moment, Lee Yuri soon made up her mind and began vigorously crushing the leaves on a wide rock with another stone.

"Ugh… as expected, this smell is absolutely awful!"

She hadn't even applied it to her body yet, but a musty, pungent smell already assaulted her nose.

She gagged but continued to crush the leaves, smearing the extracted juice liberally over her body.

*Ugh—*

It was a smell truly difficult to bear while sober.

The brown color also made it look unappealing.

"…Still, the nose gets fatigued first."

In times like these, it was better to immediately move on to the next task.

Next was fire.

The most essential element for survival.

With her brow deeply furrowed from the stinging smell, she stuck a dry piece of wood into the ground.

Then she started rubbing a branch against it.

"Grrr!"

As she quickly moved her hands back and forth, smoke quickly began to rise between the two pieces of wood.

"Oh, right! Tinder! I need some fluff to start a fire here!?"

She frantically looked around, but as if tinder would just conveniently be lying around in a deserted island like this.

Then she looked down at her clothes.

"…Anyway, I probably won't be able to wear these clothes after this midterm evaluation, right?"

She would have to endure two weeks in this single outfit in such harsh terrain.

Though the clothes were sturdy and well-made, it was obvious what would happen to them after two weeks of rough use.

Her deliberation was short.

"Fine, whatever. It's just a bit of thread."

Lee Yuri slightly tore the hem of her top and pulled out some loose threads.

"I can use this to start a fire, and there's a river right next to me for water… I can dig a simple primary filter beside the stream, then boil the water to drink. Oh, then I'll need a container to boil water in, too?"

She mumbled to herself, vigorously rubbing the wood.

"Even I, who's used to this kind of thing, am struggling this much. I wonder how Jin Yuha is doing…"

Suddenly, Jin Yuha came to mind.

While he was a skilled dealer and a reliable party leader, he couldn't possibly possess this kind of survival knowledge.

She felt a pang of sympathy imagining him struggling, unable to do anything.

"Sigh, alright. If I don't take care of him, who will? I'll have to go pick up Jin Yuha soon."

If she brought him to the hideout she had made, wouldn't he be surprised?

A deep smile bloomed on Lee Yuri's lips as she imagined his expression.

* * *

I had diligently traveled all night and was setting up a base camp in a small cave near the shop.

Of course, it was quite far from the center of the island, but it wouldn't be too late to go there a week later, when the cadet battles begin.

Since this cave also appeared in the game, I knew the surrounding geography well.

At first, I was confused whether this was the place I knew, but I was certain when I found a sleeping bear inside.

This was *that* place.

I suppressed my presence, approached the sleeping creature, and plunged the dagger into its neck.

The creature thrashed wildly as it belatedly regained consciousness, but with a hole already in its throat, it posed no threat.

After securing the meat.

I was currently setting up my base camp.

*WHOOSH—!*

I merely tossed a bundle of fabric the size of a basketball, and the tent automatically unfurled, becoming a large tent.

"One-touch tents are godsends! Ouch!"

As I raised both arms in praise of the tent, a sudden stinging sensation pricked my forearm.

A mosquito had embedded its proboscis in my forearm and was sucking blood.

But this wasn't just any mosquito I knew. It was almost the size of an index finger.

"That's disgusting!"

*SWISH! SWISH!*

I shook my arm, and the mosquito buzzed away.

"Are there mosquitoes here? No, seriously…"

*BZZZZZZ—*

I looked up and saw a swarm of mosquitoes gathered above the cave.

Given their size, the sound of their wings was quite threatening.

"If those bastards had gnawed on me while I was sleeping, I'd have been drained of all my blood and turned into a mummy in no time."

With a grim expression, I pulled a spray can from my backpack.

*Hiss—*

*Hiss—*

I sprayed myself and the entire tent, enveloping them in the mist.

*BZZZ— BZZZ— BZZZ—!*

Immediately, the mosquitoes began to twitch and fly out of the cave like black smoke.

"Good thing I brought this bug repellent spray."

After easily fending off the mosquito threat.

I rummaged through my backpack, pulled out a sleeping bag, and tossed it into the tent.

And then I even set up a hammock next to it.

"…Hmm, but it's camping, so maybe I should still build a fire?"

The thought crossed my mind for a moment, but I shook my head.

Nah, why bother?

I could just light a fire when I needed to cook and then put it out. Since I had a fire steel.

"Still, I'm a bit thirsty."

I looked around and found a puddle of water in a corner of the cave.

Stagnant water whose origin or age was unknown.

"Normally, this water would poison you if you drank it."

Because there's a scene in the game where you get sick from drinking this water.

But in my case, it didn't matter.

I had a purification straw.

I stuck the long, tube-shaped straw into the puddle, took a slight sip, and *gurgle*, clean water gushed out.

"Ahhh."

"Super refreshing, super delicious."