Chapter 92
Whoosh!
The first to react to my ability reveal was the blonde-haired Olena.
She drew out the long staff strapped to her back.
‘Nice craftsmanship.’
Maybe it was my occupational hazard, but I instinctively focused on the staff.
Polished hardwood, a blue gem embedded in the center, and a refined design that looked carefully crafted.
It was clearly an expensive item.
‘I wonder if Dmir’s business is still doing well.’
I clicked my tongue as I examined the staff.
Swoosh!
Then Olena swung it.
“My ability is magic. Water element.”
Bubble, bubble.
Water droplets formed in the air, then gathered and poured down as streams onto the ground.
“You’re lucky to have me. I think I can supply drinking water easily.”
Oh.
Not bad.
Her ability was better than expected.
One of the most important things for survival was water.
Especially in tropical regions like this, even if you found a river, you couldn’t drink from it—muddy, unsafe water everywhere.
Now we didn’t have to rely on catching rainwater every time it stormed.
I nodded.
“Good. That’ll be a big help.”
“And it’s not just that. I’m pretty strong too. I was the top entrant at the Oxford Magic Tower this year.”
“Huh?”
Capu let out a sound of surprise.
“Oxford—that’s where Silverstone is, right? I heard it’s extremely hard to get in.”
“Haha, yes, kind of.”
“Impressive.”
For Capu, who was normally reserved, to give such praise—it truly was impressive.
Sophia Silverstone was ranked fourth in the world.
Almost godlike.
For hunters like us, just being near her would be an honor.
“……”
James’ brow twitched.
The woman he argued with earlier turned out to be far more accomplished than he’d thought—it must’ve stung.
Still, he too was a ranker candidate recommended by five rankers.
Thud!
He dropped his bag onto the ground.
Then clenched his fist and launched a jab and a straight punch into the air.
Whoosh, whoosh!
The air cracked, waves of pressure following.
He twisted his hips as his rear leg pivoted.
Swish!
His heel snapped around cleanly right after his punch landed.
A spinning kick so sharp it made me whistle.
“Wow.”
I stepped back and admired it.
Regardless of his strength, his form was flawless—art in motion.
Then James spoke.
“My ability’s martial arts. I can’t use weapons, but I can land precise critical hits. If you get caught by my fists, you’re done.”
Not bad at all.
‘So, a straightforward combat type.’
The hallmark of combat classes—they scale by the person.
If James is strong, his power grows with him. If he’s weak, so is his combat power.
Berserkers are the same kind of combat class—just absurdly strong.
“……”
Capu glanced at James, hesitated, then stepped forward.
“……I’m not combat-oriented. More of a support type.”
Support?
All eyes turned to him.
“Yes. My unique ability is Explorer. I can grasp the geography of a dungeon, scout uncharted zones, and detect hidden traps or secret conditions.”
Oh?
That sounded familiar.
‘Ah.’
Right—just like Kang Sunwook, the A-rank hunter and guide from the Parang Guild.
That guy was quite something back then.
Hard to believe that someone like me, now an A-rank myself, once looked up to him like a mountain.
“Well now…”
Olena smiled brightly.
“This is a pretty balanced team, isn’t it?”
She was right.
It wasn’t a bad combination at all.
A necromancer was inherently overpowered.
Add a combat type, a magic type, and a support type—perfect balance.
‘Not bad.’
Things weren’t as dire as I thought.
If all four of us were combat types, that would’ve been worse.
“So, let’s split roles according to our abilities.”
Clap clap!
I clapped my hands.
For some reason, I’d naturally become the leader of this group.
Might as well play the part properly.
“Olena, dig out a small spot on that ridge. Clear the foliage for visibility, and make some cooking tools while you’re at it. Should be easy for a mage, right?”
“Are we setting up camp?”
“Yes. Just something temporary for now.”
“That much is nothing. Leave it to me.”
Olena cheerfully climbed the ridge.
She was aiming for the highest spot.
Normally, you’d stay near water for survival—but since she could provide it, high ground was fine.
“Next, Capu.”
“What do I do?”
“Scout the nearby area for information. Check for other teams’ locations or any hidden clues.”
“That’s my specialty.”
Capu tightened his shoelaces.
“And James.”
“Yeah?”
“You’re combat-oriented, so guard Capu. You’ll operate as a pair.”
“So, protect him so he can focus on support?”
“Yes.”
I nodded.
Pairing them was the right call.
Originally, I’d planned to assign him to watch duty—but in any mission, the most important thing is vigilance.
You know the famous quote by General MacArthur.
You can forgive a commander who fails the mission, but not one who fails the watch.
‘Honestly.’
I trusted my skeletons more than James.
“I’ll handle watch on the ridge and look for edible supplies. Be back before sunset.”
“Okay, got it.”
Capu and James nodded and left.
No complaints, no questions.
After my earlier talk, they’d both started thinking clearly again.
“Alright, time for me to move too.”
I turned around.
My skeletons stood ready, weapons in hand.
Sunny and Eldrin awaited my command.
I smiled softly at them.
—
About two hours later.
“Master, here’s what you requested.”
Sunny returned to the ridge with his subordinates, dumping a pile of gathered goods onto the ground.
Thud, thud!
Guava roots, cassava, sugarcane, eggplants, various mushrooms—all edible.
“I’ve brought some too.”
Swoosh.
Eldrin descended gracefully from the trees.
He and his minions carried heaps of tropical fruit—bananas, mangoes, papayas, pomelos.
Enough to last a week.
“My goodness… what is all this?”
Olena, finishing the campsite, looked astonished.
“You gathered all this in just two hours?”
“For forestfolk, it’s an everyday task… though I hope it helps.”
“Wow.”
Olena’s jaw dropped.
She was openly amazed by the convenience of necromancy.
I gave Eldrin a thumbs up.
“What can I say, perfect.”
I’d told them to prioritize food that didn’t need cooking.
Lighting a fire in a survival scenario is basically broadcasting, [Here I am~].
“For now, this will get us through the night.”
“This looks like a hotel buffet.”
Rumble!
Olena used magic to dig a shallow pit.
As the skeletons transferred the gathered food, footsteps approached.
Step, step.
The scouts returned—James and Capu.
“Whew, Hun. We’re back.”
Capu’s expression was sour.
Looked like the results weren’t great.
“No clues anywhere. Just dense jungle. No monsters, no traps.”
He wiped sweat from his forehead.
“I even sneaked near the center, but it’s empty now. No hunters in sight.”
“Yeah. Thought maybe some supply drops would fall, but nothing. Damn.”
James shook his head.
“Supply drops?”
I asked.
“You know, in survival games, there are always supply items. They drop from the sky sometimes.”
“……”
This guy.
That’s a game mechanic, not real life.
Still, it wasn’t a bad idea.
We didn’t know the rules yet—every possibility had to stay open.
“Understood. You both did well. Let’s eat and rest for the night.”
“Oh? What’s all this?”
“Hun, you found all this?”
Both men widened their eyes.
“……Compared to me, the others really pulled their weight.”
Capu muttered apologetically.
He looked like a tough guy but was surprisingly soft-hearted.
I smiled.
“It’s only been a few hours since we became a team. Just keep doing your part.”
“Thanks, Hun.”
Capu nodded, and Olena grinned.
“Alright then, let’s eat.”
Eldrin handed over a bunch of bananas.
Olena grabbed one eagerly.
Chomp!
Then froze mid-bite.
“What?”
She chewed quickly, eyes widening.
What was up with that reaction?
“Why? Does it taste that good?”
I asked. She shook her head.
Not that.
Then what?
“……What the hell is this.”
Olena swore.
Huh?
Was it poisoned?
“Hun.”
She looked at me.
“Try it.”
“……?”
“It’s fine. Just hurry up and eat it!”
“Uh, okay?”
I tilted my head and bit into the banana.
Eldrin wouldn’t bring poisoned fruit, and I was starving anyway.
Crunch.
‘Hm? Tastes fine.’
Just as I wondered what she meant, my eyes widened too.
Because—
[Ding!]
[You have consumed ‘Banana’.]
[You have gained 10 Trial Points.]
What kind of nonsense…?
“Crazy?”
Killing a person only gives 100 points, but eating a banana gives 10?
And no announcement about it?
“What’s wrong?”
“Hun, why the serious face…?”
“Is it really safe to eat?”
James and Capu looked confused.
Chomp, chomp!
I swallowed fast and peeled another banana.
But—
The points didn’t go up again.
‘What?’
So the same food type doesn’t count twice?
I went to the pit and grabbed a mango spin.
Crack!
Split it open, scraped some pulp, and ate.
[Ding!]
[You have consumed ‘Mango Spin’.]
[You have gained 10 Trial Points.]
“As expected!”
I didn’t know what these points meant yet.
But one thing was clear.
Eating something from this place earned Trial Points.
“What the hell?”
James blinked as he chewed on a banana.
“Huh? Damn it, I’m getting points too!”
Everyone quickly realized it.
[Ding!]
[You have consumed ‘Papaya’.]
[You have gained 10 Trial Points.]
We all devoured the food.
[Ding!]
[You have consumed ‘Guava Root’.]
[You have gained 10 Trial Points.]
We couldn’t stop.
Every item, one by one.
[Ding!]
[You have consumed ‘Cassava’.]
[You have gained 10 Trial Points.]
[You have consumed ‘Sugarcane’.]
[You have gained 10 Trial Points.]
……
Over thirty types of edible plants.
“Wow.”
James finally spoke.
“So just by eating, each of us basically earned points equal to killing three people?”
Trial Points: 320.
That was our total.
“Insane.”
“This is all thanks to you, Hun.”
Capu gave me a respectful nod.
“We only got this far because you gathered such variety. Thank you.”
“No.”
I shook my head.
“Just luck. Nothing’s certain yet. We still don’t know what these Trial Points actually mean.”
No need to thank me.
We didn’t even know what awaited us next.
This was just the beginning.
Still—
A thought crossed my mind.
‘Do we have to eat only edible food?’
Could we earn points from other things?
Then I saw it.
A cluster of vividly colored mushrooms growing at the base of a tree trunk.
What would happen if I ate that?