A Game, That's All

Before long, the meat was cooked. A sprinkle of cumin and chili powder made it smell delicious.

"Shouldn't we invite the others to eat with us?" Sakura took the bird meat Xia Mu handed her, fighting the urge to take a bite right away as she asked in a low voice.

"There's barely enough for the two of us as it is." Xia Mu shook his head. "Besides, I'm not that generous."

Sakura opened her mouth, then closed it without saying anything. She had to admit Xia Mu had a point.

Once they'd eaten their fill, the two returned to camp.

It was the first day of survival on the deserted island, and everyone was still full of energy and enthusiasm.

After all, they'd never get an experience like this at an ordinary school.

When Xia Mu and Sakura returned from deep in the jungle, one student approached them with a suspicious look. "You two... Weren't you sneaking a bite to eat? I can smell roasted meat on you."

Sakura panicked at the question. Her pretty little face was openly flustered. "N-no... We didn't..."

But her voice grew quieter and quieter. She simply couldn't lie.

"Oh, really?" The student flared up as soon as he heard her. "We're stuck eating wild fruit and dry bread, and you two were sneaking food!" He raised his voice, drawing over the students working nearby. "What? You were sneaking food?!" Sakura grew even more frightened.

"What's it to you?" Xia Mu stepped forward, a hint of coldness in his eyes. "Get lost!"

Frightened by Xia Mu's tone, the student stumbled backward, trembling with anger but too afraid to say anything.

He'd seen Xia Mu effortlessly defeat a third-year student with his own eyes.

The onlookers scattered too. No one wanted to upset Xia Mu.

Still, most of them felt some resentment. If they had food at a time like this, they ought to share it. What was the point of sneaking off to eat alone?

Xia Mu sat down as if nothing had happened and glued the feathers they'd collected that day to the ends of his arrows. They would increase the arrows' speed and force, making them effective against small animals.

"Xia Mu, here." Hirata walked up and offered him some fruit.

Xia Mu looked up but didn't take it.

With a helpless sigh, Hirata set the fruit on the ground in front of him. "You have the ability to find other food, so that's yours. This, though, is the food being distributed equally to the class. You're entitled to your share." Then he turned and went to take care of something else.

Xia Mu picked up a fig from the ground and held it in his hand, staring at it as if lost in thought.

After finishing the arrows, he made a spear as well. There were still several days ahead; they couldn't eat bird meat every day. He had a more daring idea in mind.

Once everything was ready, Xia Mu began making a round of the camp.

He noticed Ibuki. He knew exactly what she was after. But as long as he was around, she wouldn't get her way.

And then there was Long Yuan. This time, Xia Mu would make sure he lost badly. He wouldn't let him get so much as a single advantage.

Xia Mu had planned it all out. Once the time was right, he would put his plans into action.

That afternoon, Xia Mu took Sakura out with him again.

He headed for the shore, where the sea breeze brushed his cheeks, carrying the scent of the ocean.

Walking across the sand, Sakura felt a little uneasy. She gripped Xia Mu's sleeve tightly. "Xia Mu, is it really okay for us to sneak down to the beach?"

There were no explicit rules forbidding them from playing in the water or going swimming, but either activity was undeniably risky.

She'd thought Xia Mu was reckless enough just hunting a few birds, but now he wanted to dive for fish too, claiming it was all about eating a balanced diet.

She couldn't stop him, so all she could do was try to talk him out of it.

"Don't worry." Xia Mu gently patted the back of Sakura's hand, his voice firm. "It'll be fine."

He had complete confidence in his maxed-out Diving skill. Catching a few little fish and shrimp would be a piece of cake.

Before she could say another word, he ignored Sakura's attempts to stop him, quickly stripped down to his underwear, and plunged headfirst into the sea like a fish.

Sakura stood on the beach, staring at the spot where Xia Mu had disappeared beneath the waves, frantic with worry. She couldn't decide whether to tell a teacher. If Xia Mu doesn't come back up in ten minutes, I'll have to tell one... She paced back and forth like an ant on a hot pan, at a complete loss.

Beneath the surface, Xia Mu moved with the grace of a mermaid. He swayed his body nimbly, gliding through the water at ease.

He'd made himself a simple pair of goggles. With his spear in hand, he looked like a brave hunter.

Schools of fish streaked past him like meteors. Sardines shimmered silver, while a sea turtle swam leisurely by.

But none of them were Xia Mu's target.

Sardines were hard to catch and so tiny they weren't even worth the trouble. The sea turtle, meanwhile, was so large it would be difficult to cook through.

Xia Mu swam down to the seabed and carefully searched among the coral and rocks. At last, he found his main target: sea cucumbers. They looked like giant caterpillars and were highly nutritious.

He searched the surrounding area for several more and stuffed them into the bag hanging from his waist. Then, spear in hand, he continued searching the seabed for prey.

At last, he spotted a white pomfret swimming slowly along. Perhaps a long stretch of peaceful living had made it careless; it didn't sense the danger closing in at all. Pop! Xia Mu shot forward like an arrow, his spear striking the pomfret dead on.

The muscles on Xia Mu's body were clearly defined and slightly raised, giving him the lithe strength of a leopard.

Once he had his target in sight, he thrust his spear with all his might, sending it flying like an arrow loosed from a bow.

Even underwater, his tremendous strength seemed to cut through every obstacle.

In the blink of an eye, the pomfret's blood bloomed across the seabed like scarlet lotuses.

Then Xia Mu darted toward shore like a fish.

The scent of blood spread through the water. He had to leave quickly. If it attracted any large predators from the deep, he could be in for trouble.

It wasn't that Xia Mu was afraid. It was just that those large predators were protected animals, and he couldn't go around hurting them.

On the beach, Sakura was beside herself with worry. When Xia Mu finally surfaced, the weight lifted from her heart.

The two crouched together by the shore, cleaned their catch, then brushed oil over the seafood and set it over the campfire to roast.

If they'd had the right conditions, there would've been better ways to cook it. But on this desolate Yellow Island, this was already pretty good.

Sakura gazed at the burning campfire, looking a little dazed. She couldn't help wondering if Xia Mu had come here for a vacation instead of an exam.

"Xia Mu..." Sakura watched him peel a coconut and asked curiously, "Why did you come to this school?"

She herself had been drawn by the school's promise of a one-hundred-percent employment rate. After all, she was extremely socially anxious and found it hard to get a job on her own...

Xia Mu's hands suddenly stilled as he peeled the coconut. He didn't know how to answer. He couldn't exactly say that the system had activated and he'd come to earn Skill Points, could he? After thinking for a moment, he lifted the coconut in his hand and flashed a bright smile. "For fun."

"For fun?" His unexpected answer left Sakura's mind completely blank. Had Xia Mu really been treating everything at this school like a game?!