Chapter 29

Chapter 10. Isolation

1.

A cave enveloped in silence.

Suddenly, the sound of waves echoed through the previously soundless space. Soon, a raging torrent swept through the cave.

Swooshhhh!

The waves surged through every corner of the cave.

Moments later, three figures emerged: Ulan, Ivella, and a girl with ash-colored hair.

Ivella and the girl were motionless.

It seemed they had lost consciousness due to the sudden torrent. Meanwhile, Ulan stood up as if nothing had happened.

Of course, that was to be expected.

Ulan hadn’t lost consciousness.

From the moment he was swept away by the waves until now, he had held his breath and endured. Thus, he remembered everything that had happened.

‘The moment we entered the cave, the entrance closed.’

To be precise, it had collapsed. Massive boulders had blocked the entrance.

Then, with a thunderous roar, the cave began to move.

As if sinking beneath a lake.

At this moment, a memory flashed through Ulan’s mind.

‘This feels similar to the Trial of the Hero.’

The Trial of the Hero he had undergone on the prairie.

Back then, the situation had been similar. Right after stepping into the ruins where the trial took place, all entrances had been sealed.

‘Then, could this place also be…’

Another Trial of the Hero?

The thought crossed his mind, but he quickly realized it wasn’t the case. Because in his past life, he had heard from his comrades where each of them had undertaken their Trial of the Hero.

‘No one from Arsen Academy ever took the Trial of the Hero there.’

Even Delia Arpen, a renowned top graduate of Arsen Academy, had said she underwent her trial elsewhere.

‘Then what is this place?’

Frowning as he returned to square one, Ulan snapped out of his thoughts. He had no choice.

Suddenly, the girl began to shiver. Ivella too. It was likely due to their lowered body temperature from being submerged in water.

Moreover, the cave’s temperature was lower than outside, making it inevitable. Noticing this, Ulan glanced around the cave.

Then, he spotted something in the corner.

‘Shipwreck?’

As he guessed, it was the wreckage of a small boat.

Though soaked, it wasn’t a problem.

By infusing spirit into the wooden fragments and rapidly circulating it, he could generate heat, quickly drying the moisture.

Plus, there was this effect.

Whoosh! Crackle!

The wooden fragments caught fire instantly.

Ulan gathered all the wreckage and dried it out. He intended to use it as firewood.

‘Next…’

It was time to remove their wet clothes.

Leaving them in soaked clothes would cause their body temperature to drop rapidly. So, without hesitation, he undressed them.

After moving them near the campfire, he spread out their wet clothes to dry properly.

‘A blanket would be nice.’

But there was no such thing here.

Just then, something caught Ulan’s eye. A large backpack. The one Noa had been struggling to carry.

‘Perhaps…’

Could there be something useful inside?

The thought crossed his mind. She had the Mysterious Foresight, after all. Upon opening the backpack, his guess turned into certainty.

A towel rolled up in thick paper.

There was even emergency rations and water.

‘She must have foreseen this future.’

Typical of Noa.

Ulan briefly admired her before covering the two with the towel. Shortly after, he listened to the crackling firewood and thought of Noa.

‘She’ll be fine.’

He had seen Professor Miel catch her.

Truthfully, Ulan had saved Noa for no particular reason. She was just the closest, making her easy to throw.

Next, he had tried to throw Ivella, but the waves swept her away.

‘First, we need to find a way out.’

If Ulan were alone, he would have immediately searched the cave for an exit.

But he couldn’t do that now.

He couldn’t leave the two unconscious, and more importantly, something Noa had said lingered in his mind.

Ulan glanced at his axe.

‘She said it would come in handy.’

Meaning, a battle might break out. Even Ulan, thick-headed as he was, could guess that much.

So, he couldn’t leave.

If a monster appeared while he was gone, the two would be done for.

As he silently passed the time.

“…Ugh, ugh.”

A low groan suddenly echoed.

It was Ivella. Her eyelids fluttered before she finally opened her eyes. Then, she looked around with a dazed expression.

“Wh-where is this…?”

“A cave.”

Ulan answered briefly.

Her gaze turned to him. Seeing she still hadn’t grasped the situation, he added an explanation.

“We were swept here by the waves.”

As the explanation ended.

Ivella barely regained her composure. Then, her eyes widened like lanterns.

“…!?”

Realizing she wasn’t wearing any clothes.

All her clothes, except her undergarments, were gone. As if someone had stripped her.

“I undressed you.”

A blunt reply followed.

Ulan’s straightforward confession left Ivella’s eyes filled with confusion. She crawled closer and asked in a small voice.

“D-did you see anything?”

“What?”

“My undergarments or…”

“I did.”

Ulan’s eyesight was excellent.

He saw her smooth skin and curvaceous figure.

Meanwhile, Ivella was speechless at his unabashed honesty.

“But don’t worry. Nothing you’d be concerned about happened.”

“R-really?”

“Even barbarians know time and place. Taking advantage of an unconscious woman is cowardly. Not something a warrior would do.”

Ulan was a robust man.

His sexual desires were equally strong.

But he was also a warrior.

A warrior who valued honor. He respected his own honor and thus respected others’. So, he continued with a serious face.

“I swear on my name as a warrior.”

“…”

Perhaps due to his confident demeanor.

Ivella felt her shame and embarrassment gradually fade. His unwavering voice and gaze showed no deceit.

Soon, Ivella nodded.

She decided to trust Ulan’s words.

Wrapped in the warm towel, she looked at Ulan again.

“You seem surprisingly calm…?”

“I’m used to it.”

Thinking back to his past life, this was nothing. Back then, he had faced all sorts of traps.

‘There was that time too.’

Not long after meeting his comrades in his past life. Ulan had been isolated in a maze with a saintess who had despised him at the time.

An extreme environment where they couldn’t even light a campfire.

Eventually, the saintess lost consciousness.

Her body growing colder. Unable to just watch, Ulan had no choice but to press his bare skin against hers…

“…I want to.”

As Ulan reminisced.

Ivella suddenly spoke up.

With a somewhat embarrassed expression. Meanwhile, Ulan, snapped out of his memories, looked puzzled. He hadn’t heard her earlier.

“What?”

“L-let’s introduce ourselves!”

Introductions? Was that necessary?

Then it hit him.

‘We haven’t exchanged greetings in this life.’

Their first meeting was just a glance.

And their second meeting, they had coincidentally crossed paths in the forest, where he gave her some swordsmanship advice.

They hadn’t formally introduced themselves.

Meaning, Ulan shouldn’t know Ivella’s name. So, he silently nodded. A sign of permission.

“Ulan Bator. Call me Ulan.”

“Ivella Elea’ad. I’m studying swordsmanship in the Military Department to become an imperial knight. Please call me Ivella too.”

After a brief handshake.

Ivella stared at Ulan’s hand.

Large and firm like a rock. Perhaps due to the warmth she felt from it, her body tingled strangely.

“Ah, right. Um, hey?”

“What?”

“C-can I drop the formalities…?”

“Of course. We’re the same age.”

Ulan nodded readily.

Meanwhile, Ivella looked surprised.

“Huh? You know my age?”

At that moment, Ulan realized his mistake.

He knew they were the same age from his past life. So, he quickly made an excuse.

“I guessed from your face.”

“…Do I look that old?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, your eyes seem so experienced… Ahem! Never mind.”

Ivella coughed and looked away.

Then, she shivered slightly. Probably because she had kept her distance from the campfire since regaining consciousness.

“If you’re cold, come closer.”

“I-I’d like to, but…”

Ivella hesitated.

Ulan quickly understood the reason.

“If it’s my gaze, I’ll look away.”

“No, it’s not that…”

After shaking her head vigorously.

She muttered softly, glancing at Ulan’s muscles reflected in the campfire.

“…It’s too stimulating.”

“Stimulating?”

“Yeah.”

Her heart pounded. Afraid Ulan would hear it if she got closer, Ivella maintained a safe distance.

Crackle! Snap!

The sound of burning firewood.

As the campfire’s warmth spread.

Suddenly, Ivella’s lips moved.

“Thank you.”

An unexpected expression of gratitude.

Ulan replied nonchalantly.

“If it’s about saving you from the water, don’t mention it.”

“No, not that.”

Ivella shook her head.

“It’s about the swordsmanship advice you gave me.”

“Ah, that time?”

“Yeah. Following your advice, the frustration I felt cleared up. So, I wanted to thank you if we ever met again.”

“That’s good.”

It seemed the lingering regret from Ivella’s past life had been resolved. Ulan smiled faintly. Meanwhile, Ivella, who had been quietly watching him, asked curiously.

“…That’s it?”

“What do you mean?”

“Aren’t you going to ask for something in return…?”

“Why would I?”

Ulan looked puzzled.

All he had done was relay a conversation from the future Ivella to the present one.

And he had received her thanks.

That was enough.

Meanwhile, Ivella looked at him with a slightly dazed expression.

It was natural. Because thanks to Ulan’s advice, she had overcome a wall, which was a great boon for a swordsman.

So, she expected some form of repayment.

But Ulan was different. Then, the reason for his indifferent response came.

“We’re friends. A thank you is enough.”

“Friends…”

Ivella murmured blankly.

The word ‘friend’ was unfamiliar, having never had one before. But soon, she suddenly smiled.

“…Hehe.”

A laugh escaped her lips.

If someone else had called her a friend, it wouldn’t have meant much.

But the word ‘friend’ from Ulan’s mouth felt strangely sweet.

Perhaps because of that, Ivella felt like continuing the conversation. So, she spoke up again.

“Hey, Ulan?”

“…?”

“Can I ask what major you’re thinking of choosing?”

“What major?”

“Huh? Didn’t you hear? Professor Miel said starting next week, we have to apply for a major and minor.”

“Students choose their own courses?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

Ivella smiled.

“I’m planning to take Professor Ethan’s Battlefield Survival, Intermediate Swordsmanship, and Weaponry. I was curious about what courses you’d choose.”

“Where’s the course list?”

“In the guidebook. Seems like you haven’t seen it yet. The course list starts from page 60.”

As soon as she finished.

Ulan confidently replied.

“I’m on page 11.”

“Huh?”

“49 days left.”

After successfully calculating the subtraction.

Ulan’s gaze darkened.

Sequentially, 49 days remained, but thinking about it, there was no need to read the guidebook in order.

‘I’ll start from page 60 when I get back.’

Since course registration was next week.

As he made that decision internally.

Ivella subtly moved closer.

“Want me to tell you the course list?”

“Do you have the guidebook?”

“No, but I remember some of it.”

“Then, please.”

Ulan slightly bowed his head.

Ivella then began listing the courses she remembered. Mostly the ones she intended to apply for.

Some time later.

Ulan looked indifferent.

‘Nothing really catches my eye.’

Honestly, he didn’t mind any course.

Ulan was a monster who had reached mastery without being taught by others.

‘But…’

If he had to choose, there were some that piqued his interest. So, Ulan muttered his answer.

“Practical Hunting and Weaponry sound good.”

He chose hunting because Stella came to mind. The exam proctor for Monster Hunting. Her confident attitude had left an impression.

As for Weaponry, the reason was simpler. The professor teaching it seemed like someone who knew a lot about various weapons in the world.

‘Maybe I can get a clue about a powerful weapon.’

A weapon strong enough to withstand a fight with the Giant King. That was also one of Ulan’s goals.

Meanwhile, Ivella’s face lit up at Ulan’s words.

“You’re taking Weaponry? Really?!”

“If there’s nothing else to learn, then yes.”

“Wow, then we can take it together.”

“That’s possible.”

Ulan nodded again. As Ivella’s eyes sparkled with anticipation.

“Ugh, ugh.”

A low groan was heard.

The ash-haired girl, who had been unconscious until now.

Seeing signs of her waking, Ivella’s expression turned blank, as if she had put on a mask.

‘This is similar to her past life.’

Ivella removed her mask when talking to Ulan and the other heroes. But with strangers, she always wore it.

Knowing this habit, Ulan didn’t mind. And at that moment, the ash-haired girl finally opened her eyes.

“Gasp! Wh-where is this…?!”

Her eyes wide with shock.

The two explained what had happened.

However, Ivella took the blame for undressing the girl, likely to avoid unnecessary trouble.

After explaining everything.

The girl began to cry.

“Sniff! Sob! Mommy…”

A natural reaction.

Being swept away by waves and isolated in an unknown cave. After a while, the girl calmed down.

Then, she introduced herself.

“I-I’m Silfi.”

Silfi Rudina.

A student aiming to major in Ancient History and Archaeological Excavation at the Academy.

She was sixteen.

A year younger than Ulan and Ivella.

Meanwhile, clinging to Ivella, she kept glancing at Ulan. Perhaps the repeated glances bothered him, so Ulan asked.

“Do you have something to say?”

“Ah, yes! I-I have a question.”

A curious one at that.

Ulan nodded, signaling her to ask. Silfi, with a trembling voice, asked.

“…Why did you shout in the auditorium?”

She must have been curious about the entrance ceremony.

Ivella also looked at Ulan with curiosity. Facing their gazes, Ulan answered without hesitation.

“To convey my sincerity.”

“S-sincerity?”

“Yes. I wanted to get along with everyone, so I shouted with all my heart.”

His unwavering, honest eyes.

No lies there.

Silfi looked dazed, while Ivella struggled to hold back a laugh.

“So, let’s get along.”

“Y-yes! O-okay.”

“And drop the formalities.”

“Th-that’s a bit… scary…”

Silfi awkwardly smiled.

As the atmosphere eased a bit.

Ivella, who had been silent, spoke up.

“So, what do we do now?”

“Common sense says we should wait here for rescue.”

Silfi answered the question.

Professor Miel had said that if anyone crossed the boundary of Zone 1, the guardians would move.

And the cave was in Zone 2.

Enough reason for the guardians to act.

But Ulan shook his head.

“That might be difficult.”

“Huh? Why…”

As she asked with a puzzled expression.

A chilling coldness was felt.

Reflexively turning their gaze, they saw water rising up to their ankles. It seemed water was continuously flowing in from outside.

Silfi panicked.

“Wh-what do we do?!”

“We move.”

Ulan had briefly scanned the area earlier and spotted a passage-like space at the back.

He lit a large piece of wood as a torch and stood up.

“First, we find a safe place. Then, we wait for the guardians to rescue us there.”

“Sounds good. I agree.”

“M-me too!”

Ivella and Silfi nodded.

A unanimous decision.

After putting on their still-damp clothes, the three moved. To escape the rising water and find a safe zone.

Chapter 10. Isolation

---