NOVEL NEXT Chapter 42
“Wow, is this a ship? It’s incredibly huge!”
“Is this your first time seeing one?”
“Yeah! It’s my first time!”
Millia exclaimed with an energetic voice, curiously moving around to admire the ship. She looked quite excited about boarding a vessel she had never set foot on before. What a cute girl.
Seeing her so happy makes me feel relieved.
I stared at Millia’s back intently. I’ve thought this many times before, but her being alive is close to a miracle. If it weren’t for that skeleton ladle that was handed to me at the end, Millia wouldn’t have survived. Honestly, I never expected to see her here.
Kalon’s mercy.
If my memory serves me correctly, it was an item that could be obtained a maximum of twice per round at the Survival Academy. Sure, you could use bugs to get more, but generally, you could only get one per run and one if you chose a specific route, making for a total of two items. Its effect is to revive dead NPCs.
Originally, I never thought I would end up using an item given to fix a messed-up quest line like this… That skeleton ladle, maybe it’s not so bad after all. It’s a weird feeling, though.
…Well, that’s in the past, so let’s bury it. I probably won’t encounter that skeleton ladle again.
Now is the time to focus on completing the ship needed for our escape, so I should get to building. I resumed hammering the boards I’d prepared with my skill. If I couldn’t finish my quota today, it would take much longer before we could set sail. I had to keep working steadily if we were to launch the ship in a reasonable timeframe. Just because the whirlpool has disappeared doesn’t mean that the crazy weather has gone away.
“I wonder if Renny is doing okay.”
…I’m worried she’s too into brewing, but she should be fine.
Just like last time, if she drinks too much and gets drunk, she’ll just have to endure a few of Karina’s precious back smashes to regain her senses. The sight of a saint using magic while delivering a back smash is a rare spectacle, and it’s always amusing to witness.
Not that I’m the one getting hit.
As my thoughts drifted, I began constructing a ship to escape the deserted island.
—————-
“Welcome! How is the work progressing?”
“I think we’ll be able to set sail in a week.”
“That’s a relief! I really want to leave this island!”
“Finally, out into the world. Once we return, it’s going to be super busy.”
Karina, with an immensely joyful face, set the food on the table she’d created for the four of us to eat together. It may only be rabbit stew and fruit cut to suitable sizes that Renny had filtered from edible mushrooms, but this was more than a feast on a deserted island.
“Thank you for the meal.”
Barely finishing my words, I spooned up the broth from the pot that had two rabbits tossed in. The unique light flavor of the rabbit meat broth flowed down my throat, filling me with satisfaction. A quick glance around, and it seemed the others were also content with their hearty lunches.
Karina must have improved a lot in her cooking skills.
She used to mess up the seasoning or temperature, making things taste a bit off.
“Johann, is it to your taste?”
“It’s delicious.”
“Karina, it’s really good!”
As always, the atmosphere was pleasant. Naturally, it wouldn’t be anything less.
After all, there were no monsters threatening our survival on this island anymore, the dungeon had lost its function, so no more zombies were popping out, and all the fruits and resources from this island now belonged to us. Soon we would set sail toward the continent, and in time, this island would only have rabbits running around. In ten years, it would truly become a deserted island.
I, along with everyone, hoped for this to happen.
After all, everything would occur on the continent, not this island.
Ah, is it already over?
Lost in thought while eating, I suddenly realized I had polished off everything. I hesitated for a moment about whether to eat more, but I decided against it since too much might give me a stomach ache. Also, I needed some time to think while taking a stroll.
“I’ll go for a short walk.”
“Do you want me to come along?”
“Oh, then I’ll join too—”
“I’d like to think alone for a bit.”
Politely rejecting the offer, Karina accepted it with a slightly disappointed look. Renny gave me a suspicious glance, but it’s not what you think, so don’t look at me like that. That previous comment still makes things awkward.
“Take care!”
As Millia cheerfully saw me off, I quietly walked toward the beach.
My steps stopped as I reached near the boundary line of my territory alongside the beach. Surveying my surroundings, I quietly recited the word that felt awkward in front of others.
“Status Window.”
[Johann Quartz]
Age: 19
Gender: Male
Race: Human
-Traits-
Insight: B
Digging: A+
Woodworking: A
Crafting: A
Pharmacology: C+
Dexterity: B
Anatomy: B
Survival: S
-Skills-
Crafting: A
Repair: B
Dismantle: B
Automatic Translation: A
-Mission-
Return to the Mainland. [Reward: ???]
Distance: 910 km
“Why does it say I’m 19…”
Every time I see it, it makes me dizzy. Is life on a deserted island not counted? I mean, I must have been around the same age when I first drifted, but 19? Well, if I shave, the face value isn’t much different than ten years ago… Karina did mention I looked young.
So what about my ten years?
Are they really going to give me a mission to enroll at the academy?
That would seriously be the worst.
…Let’s just move on for now. After all, I won’t find out the next part unless I return to the mainland.
The more troubling part is my traits.
The status window of the Survival Academy I know would’ve been filled with numbers, but why is it written in English instead of grades? Moreover, the traits listed here are ones I’ve never seen in the Survival Academy, which is a bit off-putting. What on earth is this? All the skills are as expected, but couldn’t they throw in even one more skill that I don’t know about?
They didn’t mistakenly give me a status window from another game, did they?
“If you’re going to give me a status window, how about tossing in some overpowered traits or skills…”
To survive in the hellish Survival Academy, I’d like just one skill that would make everyone say, “This is just…,” a truly overpowered skill. Preferably something easy to use! Crafting is a bit unique but ultimately a production-type skill, which makes it hard to utilize.
Is there really a status window this bland in the whole world?
No, wait, they’ll probably toss in something tasty as a mission reward.
Like an EX trait or skill, or even a memory alloy, or gun recipes… I think a flintlock existed in the Survival Academy, but… didn’t it come from much earlier versions? Anyway. I hope for something good.
As I spun useless thoughts in my head, I turned my body.
I should hurry and finish my preparations.
Not much time left until we set sail.
—————-
“Are we really leaving…”
After nearly a month of preparations, today is the day we leave the deserted island for good.
I stopped in front of the house and gazed at it. The home I had built myself, which has been my shelter for a long time.
Once we leave, it’ll likely succumb to time and become a ruin. Perhaps the next person who drifts here will make good use of it. By then, rabbits might have taken over the entire island.
Well… that’s not my concern.
I turned my body. A ship floating far away on the beach. It was a ship made with reference to the time we built one to leave the island long ago. It might be roughly the size of a decent sailing ship. I don’t really know since I’ve never seen one.
“Johann! Hurry up!”
“Don’t run too fast! If you drop your head in the sea, we won’t find it!”
It’s great that I revived her, yet I always felt anxious seeing her hopping around like a Dullahan from a dungeon due to her head and body being separate. Honestly, one wrong step could cause her head to fall off and get swept away by the waves.
“I know, I know!”
Millia seemed genuinely excited about venturing outside the island for the first time. Having spent her whole life in a dark dungeon, perhaps she’s looking forward to the outside world. I hope it lives up to her expectations.
I climbed up the stairs I had prepared in advance to reach the deck. On the deck, Renny was bustling about preparing for departure. As she was trying to pull up the anchor, she saw me strolling leisurely across the deck and shouted.
“Johann! Hurry up and help me! It’s impossible for me to pull this up all by myself!”
“Got it!”
We combined our strength to lift the anchor and checked the condition of the sails. I don’t have any specialized knowledge, so it does feel a bit improvised, but it can’t be helped.
At least I should say it’s a relief that a powerful driving force exists before me. I glanced at Renny, who volunteered to be the powerhouse during the long journey. Perhaps because it’s hot, or maybe it’s due to her working up a sweat, her body was distinctly highlighted, giving off a sensual vibe.
Noticing my gaze, Renny looked at me with a puzzled expression and asked.
“Is there something on my face?”
“…Ahem, is your body okay? You’ll need to pedal hard from here on…”
“Oh, that’s fine. Don’t worry about it. If things get tight, Karina said she’d use magic. The bigger problem is the direction. No one knows where the mainland is, right?”
“…I have a rough idea.”
The drifting direction of the wrecked ship has always been similar, so there must be a new island or the mainland in that direction. Or I could just guess by watching the distance on the status window shrink. The real issue is whether the steering wheel, which was built after numerous trial and error, works properly. If it doesn’t function, we could easily become a ghost ship.
I did set up various devices to prepare for that, but I wouldn’t want to use them.
“Then I’ll head to the steering position.”
“Mm. I’ll get back to my preparations too…”
I turned my body, heading to the steering position. Climbing up to what looked like an antique steering wheel straight out of a movie featuring pirates, I found Karina leaning against the railing, gazing out at the sea.
As I approached, Karina turned her head and smiled sweetly.
It looked like a scene from a photo shoot.
“Welcome. Are you ready?”
“We’re about to set sail.”
“Will we reach safely?”
When I looked into Karina’s eyes at that remark, I noticed her trembling pupils.
Come to think of it, Karina had drifted to this deserted island due to a shipwreck. It makes sense that she would be terrified of sailing. I gently placed my hand on her shoulder and said.
“We will arrive safely. Don’t worry too much.”
“Will it really be alright?”
Karina managed a weak smile.
I forced a smile and turned my body away.
“I recommend resting in a safe area, as we’ll be sailing soon. The deck can be dangerous.”
“Yes, Johann. I’ll see you at mealtime.”
Karina disappeared beneath the steering deck. Are we really setting sail soon?
I leaned against the steering wheel, gazing at the undulating sea.
An endless ocean.
Will we truly make it to the mainland?
What will happen when we finally arrive at the mainland?
Unresolved questions stack upon one another, waiting for me.
“Johann! The preparations are done!”
“Raise the sails!”
Let’s put aside the questions for another time and focus on the present.
As always.
Thus, our first ship, Wilson, began its voyage.