I Realized It Was an Academy Game After 10 Years

“This is a total mess.”

My Zombie Coaster Tycoon operation was way more effective than I thought.

Zombies and skeletons keep pouring out.

The poor snakes are left suffering trying to fend them off.

Eventually, the seven-headed hydra stepped in and started using acid, but the pond was already packed with zombies. If it really wanted to block them, it should have acted when I was building walls toward the pond.

The color of the once blue and transparent pond started to change to a shade that looked like food waste dissolved in water.

Now that pond water is going to become a hellish pond where drinking it means death.

The baby snakes will soon realize what it means not to be able to drink.

From my perspective, it’s quite a fantastic spectacle. But with so few entertainment options here, even this has its thrills. I munched on jerky, scouting the area for the snakes’ movements from the newly built watchtower.

It’s a little disappointing that the hydra’s interference didn’t allow me to strike directly at the snakes… but keeping them preoccupied for a while was a great victory.

Renny needed time to recover, and at least now those snakes wouldn’t have the resources to poison the well or engage in any sabotage.

“I can focus on nursing for a while now…”

Since I wasn’t doing any actual nursing, I thought about just going about my business while keeping an eye on the snakes.

In about a week, Renny would be fit enough to fight again. Before that, I planned to make a weapon for her. It’s just a sword made from the bones of the bear leader, but crafting it is surprisingly tedious and tough.

I slowly made my way down the watchtower and walked home. The grass tickled my ankles as I walked. I figured making a pair of sandals for Renny and Karina wouldn’t be a bad idea either. Karina had no other shoes and was wearing inappropriate high heels for this deserted island. I heard they were fancy leather shoes made by a craftsman, so they might be nice, but…

A few days ago, I saw her feet. They looked like they would be as smooth as baby skin to the touch, with blisters to boot. I hadn’t paid attention to that in the fast-changing circumstances of the deserted island, but now that I had some free time, it suddenly crossed my mind. I figured I should try to get closer to Karina since I need to become friends with her eventually.

“The materials should be at home, and I should check the traps before I go…”

While caterpillars are the best nutrition on this island, I can’t survive on them alone. So today I planned to catch a rabbit and roast it. It might not taste better than pork or beef, but at least it was meat. It’s one of the few sources of meat I can find here.

Okay, did I catch a rabbit in the traps today or not…

I walked to the area where I had laid out traps in the western part of my territory. Originally, rabbits scattered throughout the island had realized my territory was safe and moved in. Like wild animals, they are incredibly perceptive when it comes to their survival.

Due to their insane breeding rate, no matter how many I caught, it never seemed to decrease, making them a fantastic source of food for me.

Other meats had their own issues, making this even more the case.

Fish are easy to catch but taste like some horrid mackerel, making them inedible. Bear meat is just bland, and snake meat is decent enough, but handling it is a pain because of the poison. Naturally, rabbits became the primary source of protein on this island.

Bears eat rabbits. Snakes eat rabbits. Humans eat rabbits.

How on earth do they breed so much?

I know rabbits are reputed to breed like mice, but the idea that they could supply enough food for these three factions is absurd. What on earth are they living off? There’s plenty of grass, but can that really sustain them?

As I walked, pondering this pointless question, I began to see the place where I had set the traps.

Hmm. Looks like two traps have been set off. One is too young, so I’ll release it…

I scanned the area and quickly picked up the rabbit caught in the trap. This one was quite hefty.

Of course, the rabbit struggled madly to escape. But there was no way it could slip from my grasp. I figured it’d be easier to carry if I killed it first.

Crack.

The rabbit’s neck snapped and it hung limply. Now, it’s easy to carry.

In Korea, doing this would likely get me labeled a potential murderer, but this is a deserted island. If you want to live, you have to learn how to snap a rabbit’s neck with your own hands. If you can’t do this, you’ll starve to death. I hummed a tune, carrying the limp rabbit home.

What tune was that again? It’s blurry now. It might be one song or maybe a mix of many. Either way, it doesn’t really matter. As long as it feels good, that’s what counts. It’s a little sad that I can’t even remember the title anymore.

Soon, I might forget this chaotic tune altogether.

No matter how intense a memory is, it can fade with time.

It’s been 10 years, and my parents’ faces are getting hazy.

…Let’s not think about that anymore. It’ll just make me sad.

I let out a bitter thought as I hummed to myself.

After 20 minutes of walking and humming, I finally spotted my house in the distance.

The house I struggled to build over the years. In the yard, Karina was looking down at the water tank of the purification device. Sometimes she would watch it drip-drip from the cylinder, fascinated by the spectacle. I imagine her goal was to gather water for meals.

“Karina.”

“Ah, you’re back? That’s…”

Her gaze turned toward the rabbit in my hand.

Hmm, thinking about it, today was the first time she had seen me bringing a rabbit.

I instinctively hid the rabbit behind my back. Women probably wouldn’t like this sort of thing. Even I could remember that much after 10 years without contact with the opposite sex. I hesitated for a moment and spoke.

“It’s lunch today.”

“I’m looking forward to it.”

“You don’t seem very surprised.”

“…I grew up in a rural village as a child. So I’m used to sights like this. Do you want me to help prepare it?”

“Ah, no.”

Was that part of her background? I couldn’t recall much since I just skimmed a wiki once. I remember becoming an orphan around 8 or 9 and being entrusted to a temple… but I’m not sure. I guess I’ll just prepare it myself.

“I’ll go skin it.”

After wincing and responding, I moved to the backyard of the house. This was where the tools for preparing meat were.

I placed the limp rabbit on the workbench and grabbed a knife.

First, I’ll need to skin it.

The knife aimed for the rabbit’s head, which was wide-eyed.

—————————-

Someone’s watching me.

The intense gaze stalking me while I was having my meal and working was unsettling, to say the least. Karina looked confused as she glanced back and forth between me and Renny.

Renny looked at Karina with soft eyes as if asking when that happened. Seeing a fierce beast’s face turn into that of a gentle puppy was just ridiculous.

Isn’t the temperature difference way too extreme?

But thinking of what I did, it’s understandable… I just wonder if she remembers. There’s no way to know if she does or doesn’t. If we were alone together, I could ask, but… Karina rarely left Renny’s side.

So, I hadn’t had the chance to ask yet. I guess I could always ask later when things settle down. I munched on a rabbit’s hind leg while recalling the information I knew about Renny.

Renny.

No last name.

Commoner by birth.

She’s an orphan who lived on the streets as a child until a mercenary captain noticed her talent and took her in. Known for her exceptional skills and aggressive personality, she earned the nickname “Rabid Dog.”

She thrived in the mercenary group that took her in until she fell into a trap and managed to survive alone, eventually being found by Karina and nursed back to health. After Karina was chosen as a saint, Renny became her knight following rigorous training.

What else did I know?

Depending on her affection level with Karina, she may join as an ally, and when used as an ally, she’s kind of a hassle, but in betrayal routes, she’s one of the toughest bosses in the game, garnering all sorts of hate… I remember once cursing her by calling her a “dead mother” or something like that.

It was infuriating to get 72 hits when I wasn’t even playing on hard or nightmare mode, which certainly made me curse.

Still, she had her fans, in a way.

What was it? The atmosphere was so different when she was an ally compared to when she was an enemy. Was that what made her appealing? I know some people root for a Renny route.

In summary, while she wasn’t a wildly popular character, she had a decent fanbase.

…How long is she going to glare at me?

Having a fierce-looking woman staring daggers at me was making me uneasy. I thought it would be a good idea to have a conversation soon. It seemed that the fiercely loyal rabid dog viewed me as a target.

There’s no way she could be staring at me like that unless she saw me as a threat.

Could it be that she’s fallen for me?

“Johann?”

“…What do you want?”

It felt awkward to say something I don’t usually. When will I be able to speak comfortably? Talking to Karina feels like being a fan standing before a celebrity.

Karina hesitated for a moment after calling my name and blushed slightly before speaking.

“Uh, I have something to do… Please take care of Renny for a bit. Just keep an eye on her.”

Something to do?

“Uh, I’ll be back!”

What could it be?

The door squeaked as it opened and shut. I glanced at Renny without lingering on the closed door. With that intense gaze, it was impossible not to look.

Just then, our eyes met, and we stared each other down like we were having a scouting match.

A pointless exchange of glares with no meaning or benefit.

Just an outstretched arm away, the fierce beast with flaming eyes finally opened her mouth.

“…Are you a pervert? Why don’t you wear a shirt?”

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