NOVEL NEXT Chapter 9
Do you know what’s the most important thing when trying to find food on a deserted island?
Bloop.
Is it not drinking seawater?
Splash.
Is it butchering the hunted animals?
Chomp chomp.
Is it knowing how to distinguish edible bugs?
Oops!
Nope.
The most important thing is not to eat mushrooms.
Gulp.
No matter how hungry you feel like dying, don’t eat the mushrooms. Instead, dig the ground and eat worms.
Dig dig.
You’re not a mushroom expert, and for an ordinary person, distinguishing edible mushrooms is nearly impossible.
Gasp!
Even if it looks like a plain mushroom, it could be poisonous, and even if it looks like an enoki mushroom, it could still be poisonous. Just because it looks exactly like the ones we know, that doesn’t mean you should touch it!
Bam!
It could be a poisonous mushroom looking just like it!
Shudder.
In a place where there are only monsters like these, what do you think those mushrooms have been eating to grow?
Eww!
Thinking back to when I first started living on the deserted island and carelessly ate what I thought was a familiar mushroom, and then spent a week on the brink of death? Just the thought of it makes my teeth shatter, and now I feel like harvesting every mushroom I see and extracting their toxins for revenge.
Bam bam!
“Just mushrooms, poisonous mushrooms I ate…”
But what the heck is this guy? Why is he eating all the mushrooms? Is there really someone who makes poisonous mushrooms their staple food? Whatever it is, one thing is for sure—he’s definitely out of his mind. In this forest, mushrooms can’t be counted on two hands, and among them, there are mushrooms that can kill bears if eaten wrong, plus mushrooms that can give hallucinatory experiences like drugs. I don’t think someone who ate those would be able to function normally.
Woah!
…Of course, it’s possible he might not be eating them at all and is instead extracting only the toxins, but… the chances are almost zero. Even bears, which have stronger detoxifying abilities than humans, avoid poisonous mushrooms.
Hazah!
Eventually, the thought that it could be a person suddenly popped into my mind. It’s entirely plausible. Whether this person is a monster or a bear that shakes the entire forest with a roar, if it’s someone like Renny, it could very well be true.
Hmm…
“…If it’s really Renny, can’t we resolve this through conversation?”
As long as we’re not on the betrayal route, there’s a chance this guy could end up being an ally. If it really is Renny, it would simplify things. The only problem is that he’s wiped out all the mushrooms, so I should check his condition from a distance for now.
Thud.
A character who would die after eating mushrooms wouldn’t be normal, so…
I arrived at the bottom of the hill where I had set my ultimate destination. It was a complete mess down there. Pieces of corpses scattered everywhere. It looked like a meteor had crashed, leaving a massive crater of about 20 meters in diameter. It was a blatant scene of violence and destruction.
Boom!
At the far end of my field of vision, I could see the remains of the trap I made, but it looked completely smashed—almost everything was gone except for the tip of a bone spear. Did this guy create this crater trying to escape from the trap? It seems the trap worked exceptionally well. Unless one was seriously pissed off, they wouldn’t create a crater like this.
Wow!
“…Enough sightseeing, I need to get up there.”
If I dawdle here and stumble upon him, my deserted island life could end that very day. I’ve survived for ten long years, and I can’t end it with a bad ending like that. At the very least, even if I have to die, I want to smell the scent of civilization before I go… So I moved cautiously, keeping my surroundings in check. My goal was the top of the hill.
Ding ding!
Fortunately, there were no interruptions.
Phew!
That was to be expected. With a creature capable of creating such a crater nearby, what animal would dare approach here? If there are any, it’s only morons looking for a place to die. Those guys seem to have already become corpses…
When I reached the top of the hill, I crouched down and slowly surveyed the area beyond the hill. Likewise, the forest was ravaged in places, revealing a tragic sight, with some tree roots dug up. It looked like they were pulling up mushrooms by the roots.
Crack crack.
I lay flat on the ground covered in thick grass and held my breath. I was ready to wait for that thing to show up. It might be a boring time, but that’s what survival is all about. You need to be more cowardly than anyone and braver than anyone to survive.
Tick tock!
I lay there flat for a full three hours.
Ugh!
My body feels like it’s getting sore.
Stretch!
But I mustn’t move.
Shh!
A careless action for the sake of a moment’s comfort could take my life.
“Did it really run away far…?”
Having been picking mushrooms, he might have gone somewhere with a bigger supply. That would be a pain. Mushrooms are spread across the entire island except for my territory, and I might accidentally step into the snake’s territory. It wouldn’t be a big deal if I entered snake territory, but you never know.
Slither.
…Running into a Hydra could complicate things even further.
Thunder!
It’s the kind that’ll charge at you at the right moment.
Gulp!
I wouldn’t stand a chance in a direct confrontation, and I’d be headed straight for a dead-end if caught.
Ding!
Just then, as I was mulling over whether to move or not, something rose between the fallen trees. It wore something shiny and silver. It looked in bad shape with bits of flesh showing through. In its hand was a broken sword. A knight? That shiny outfit seems like armor.
Whoosh!
He stood there with arms hanging limply, resembling a zombie, but he wasn’t a zombie.
Hmm…
If he were a zombie, his movements would be stiff, like a puppet.
Eek!
So this is most likely a person. He doesn’t seem intact from a distance, though.
Huh?
“…From this distance, I can’t tell who it is.”
Squint!
Is it Renny? Even if I want to confirm, I can’t approach since I’m not sure if he’ll be hostile to me or not. At least the hair color matches the Renny I saw in the game, so it’s 99% likely it’s her.
Huzzah!
Unless something else happened… well, I can’t help it.
Bam!
A huge tree, noticeable even from afar, couldn’t withstand Renny’s relentless hacking and toppled over, kicking up clouds of dust.
Woosh!
I expressed my condolences to the freshly fallen tree. Thanks to it, I could accurately ascertain Renny’s identity, and I had enough sense left to mourn that valuable sacrifice.
Sob!
Anyway, now that I’ve confirmed she’s causing a ruckus like that, it’s time to come up with a plan.
Think think.
I won’t dare approach a human suffering from hallucinations without a plan. There’s no way they’d be rational enough to communicate. I’d be lucky if I don’t wind up lying next to that tree.
Bump!
Talking is something to attempt only when someone is in their right mind.
Hmmm…
“Mushrooms, mushrooms…”
Gulp gulp!
I quietly stood up, recalling the mushrooms that were the cause of this incident. The opponent was absorbed in chopping down trees, so I could slip away safely.
Sneak sneak.
“I need to set a trap.”
Sketch sketch!
That was the conclusion reached after some deliberation. What kind of meaning would a trap hold against such a monstrous knight, yet having gathered all the necessary information, I now felt confident enough to capture her with a trap. If she were in her right mind, it would be impossible, but right now, Renny isn’t in her right mind.
Shh…
I moved through the forest without hesitation. I had already determined the location where I would execute the plan to set a trap and capture Renny. The geography I once painstakingly memorized on this island was now diligently working to provide answers in my mind.
Daze!
An open space on the outskirts of the forest. There were signs of the ground being turned over, likely from mushroom digging, but the state of the open space was still decent.
Shhhh.
Some mushrooms were left here, too, so this could be useful.
Woo!
“I need to wrap this up fast.”
Hurry hurry!
First, let’s sketch a plan.
Dip dip!
I started drawing lines in the open area with my shovel.
—————-
“Where are you, Lady Karina…?”
Whimper.
Where could she possibly be?
Sniff sniff.
I swear it’s only Lady Karina I care about.
Grrr!
These despicable bastards aren’t saying a word. I could use all the torture methods I remember, and they wouldn’t say a peep… Tough cookies, indeed.
Ha!
But don’t worry, Lady Karina.
Yay!
This Renny will find you and escape from this island, even if it costs my life.
Woohoo!
Because that’s what a knight’s duty is for.
Ha ha!
So…
“Cough, cough, I need… medicine…”
Ugh!
My head hurts.
Boo!
I need medicine.
Help!
Medicine, medicine, medicine… where is it?
Frill!
It’s so irritating.
Scratch scratch!
It’s so itchy!
Ugh!
It’s so itchy!
Agghhh!
My throat hurts.
Gag!
I need medicine.
Where?!
Medicine… medicine…
Hmm…
Yes, the mushrooms.
Ding!
The medicine is the mushrooms! Mushrooms… I need to eat mushrooms…
Huh huh!
Mushrooms. It’s mushrooms.
Bap!
The mushrooms are flying toward me. Look, these mushrooms have their wings. How fascinating.
Whoosh!
Mushrooms…
Crunch!
They taste bad, but they say good medicine is bitter, so that’s to be expected.
Slurp!
Mushrooms. More… more… give me more…