The timing of Simon's arrival at the central island was impeccable.
As the sun shone brightly and the students resumed their activities, the four bridges leading to Keras Island transformed into a fierce battlefield.
Students with their own ways of crossing the river could avoid the conflict, but for others, crossing the bridges was the only option.
"For just 50 points, you can pass!"
Especially on the western island, a faction led by the special admission student 'Elisa' from Class E had taken control of the bridge.
They used the point transfer feature of the Tumpad to charge a toll for passage.
Because of this, students who started from the western island found themselves stuck on the island for a while.
Ultimately, a large-scale alliance was formed to overthrow Elisa's faction, and Elisa quickly retreated from the bridge.
As the battles across the island unfolded rapidly without a moment's pause, Simon, who had arrived early at Keras Island, was leisurely focused on searching for the Big Room.
In Simon's view, finding and contracting the Big Room was more important than entering the upper ranks of the island survival competition.
"Ha, but it's hard to find any traces," Simon said while pushing through the bushes.
[It can't be helped.
The creature doesn’t usually leave traces.]
The clone of Pier, hanging from Simon's school uniform, responded. [However, once the Kizen students start fighting on the central island, the chances of the Big Room appearing will naturally increase!]
"I'll have to look forward to that."
According to Pier's information, the Big Room usually appeared small, resembling a mushroom growing on the ground.
However, the more threatened or angry it became, the larger it grew, eventually exceeding 20 meters in length.
When that happened, it would surely be noticeable, so it seemed better to wait in the conflict area for the Big Room to appear rather than aimlessly searching for traces.
As Simon walked toward the center, he spotted a distant, deep gorge.
Looking down from above Keras Island, the central area rose like a towering mountain, gradually increasing in steepness until it shot up sharply from here.
'It really is high.' To reach the final destination of this survival island, the 'Indestructible Mansion,' crossing this gorge was essential.
Climbing the gorge directly would be difficult without the relevant abilities.
It was also highly visible, making it vulnerable to long-range attacks from the ground.
Of course, there were ordinary routes to climb, but as Simon continued along the gorge, he found a terrain formed like steps, reminiscent of terraced farming in highlands, with shabby tents and huts clustered together.
Small, dwarf-like creatures were swarming around those huts.
'...
Wow, there are a lot of them.'
The Kera tribe, a level 2 monster.
This was why the island was called Keras Island.
The Kera tribe resembled 'goblins' found anywhere on the continent, but they were smaller and skinnier than goblins.
Even when fully grown, they were said to be at the level of a 6 to 9-year-old human.
Still, as monsters, they had incredible reproductive abilities and could wield weapons, making them the dominant beings on this island.
It was precisely this colony of Kera monsters that occupied the best path to ascend the gorge.
'What if the others had already cleared this place? I intentionally came late...' Signs of burnt and damaged huts were evident everywhere.
However, considering the scale of this massive colony, it was merely a drop in the bucket.
Ultimately, Simon had to break through on his own.
Rustle.
As Simon's attention was momentarily diverted by the colony, he heard a presence from the bushes behind him.
He quickly turned around and summoned the darkness.
The skeletons also made clattering sounds, on guard.
"Wait! I don't intend to attack."
A male student wearing Kizen's uniform emerged from the bushes, raising both hands.
He had gray hair that was neatly styled.
"... Who are you?"
"I'm Vincent Weller from Class C."
Vincent smiled gently and continued, "You're also planning to cross that Kera tribe's stronghold, right?"
"... Yeah, that's true."
"Then let's team up! Honestly, with that scale, I think it's impossible to break through alone."
"We?"
Vincent slyly pointed behind him.
"I didn't bring them because I thought you might be on guard, but there are eight more behind me."
Eight more? Simon thought it impressive that he had gathered that many people.
"I'm planning to go alone."
"... Are you serious? This is clearly a course designed to test team play! Going alone is madness."
That wasn't wrong.
Vincent's suggestion to join forces seemed reasonable.
However, "I have another method in mind. Sorry."
Simon couldn't trust Vincent yet.
He had a way to break through alone, and there was no urgency to take on the risk of a team.
Leaving those words behind, Simon turned and entered the forest.
In the end, Vincent trudged back to his companions alone.
They were sitting in a suitable spot, chatting and joking around.
"What did he say?" a teammate asked, and Vincent shrugged.
"He said he wants to go up alone."
"Pfft!"
"Look at him acting tough. He hasn't even gotten his head smashed in yet."
Vincent's team was in a lively mood.
Moreover, since they had entered Keras Island on the second day, it was safe to say that each of them had decent skills.
"Should we go after him?" one team member suggested.
Vincent shook his head.
"Forget it. It's a waste of time. Let's just focus on our own tasks."
"We'll just have to beg him to let us in later and grab some points."
"Hahaha!"
Vincent's team moved in a cheerful atmosphere.
It didn't take long to reach the front of the Kera tribe's stronghold.
They could see the dwarf-like Kera tribe wandering around on the stepped hill.
"Alright, this is a race against time," Vincent said, drawing the attention of his teammates.
"It's more important to climb higher than to defeat the monsters. As Kizen students, we won't be defeated by the Kera tribe, but if we get tired and slow down, we might have to face all the monsters in the stronghold."
Everyone nodded seriously.
"Then let's align with the positions we talked about earlier and set off right away."
"Okay!"
"Yeah."
They immediately took their formation.
Two aspiring martial artists stood at the front, followed by students specializing in dark physics, curse studies, and blood flow studies.
The leader, Vincent, stood right in the middle of the formation.
"Let's go!"
The eight team members began to ascend the hill in unison.
-Kerrek!-
-Kerrek!-
The surrounding Kera tribe noticed them and charged.
Perhaps because the emergency alert hadn't been triggered yet, only a few were starting to rush out of their huts.
"The Kera tribe is nothing."
The leading martial arts students gathered darkness in their fists and swung.
With a light punch, Kera tribe members flew dozens of meters with their heads twisted.
The firepower from the students in the back poured in, and the surroundings were thoroughly devastated.
"This way! This is the fastest route up!" Vincent led his teammates, and they charged forward with terrifying momentum.
The monsters began to swarm in more actively, and the group struggled to reach the halfway point.
"We're halfway there! Just a bit more!" Vincent clapped and encouraged his teammates.
The students, drenched in sweat, began to realize that something was off.
'W-Wait, we’ve only come halfway?'
Climbing the hill while fighting was much more exhausting than it appeared.
Moreover, hunting quick monsters that were only about the size of their lower bodies was not easy.
But with monsters constantly swarming from behind, there was no other choice.
Everyone gritted their teeth and ran.
"Ahhh!"
While desperately trying to break through, a problem finally arose.
One of the team members, rushing too hastily, seemed to have twisted his ankle and was rolling on the ground, clutching his leg.
Everyone turned in surprise.
"What’s wrong?"
"Ugh! My ankle!"
Vincent was the first to rush over and supported his shoulder.
"We can't leave you behind! Hang in there!"
"... Thank you."
With an injury occurring, their already slow speed was reduced by nearly half.
The leading martial arts student felt uneasy while knocking down the monsters. 'Am I trash? If I insist on bringing an injured person along, the rest will be wiped out because of one person.'
After all, they wouldn't truly die; if the barrier gauge reached 0%, the emergency shield would activate, and they would be teleported to a safe location.
Even if everyone was fine now, they couldn't guarantee they could break through the stronghold.
It seemed unnecessary to carry an injured person with them.
Other students felt similarly; the team atmosphere was good, so they couldn't voice their thoughts, but they shared the same feelings.
"Ten more ahead!"
"They keep coming!"
As their breakthrough speed slowed, the number of monsters they had to face increased.
Now, both their stamina and darkness were reaching their limits.
Just as everyone was feeling the strain and considering giving up, a loud rumble shook the ground.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Everyone turned their gaze.
A monster was charging through the densely packed Kera tribe like a swarm of ants.
"Is that a golem? It has to be a golem, right?"
"Someone's riding on top!"
Simon, riding on a mud golem, smiled as he felt the refreshing wind against his face.
Below him, Pier's clone burst into a loud laugh. [Hahaha! Go! Keep going!]
To the small Kera tribe, the golem was a true giant.
There was no need for other means of attack.
Just the golem running over them caused countless Kera tribe members to be trampled and killed.
Was there any other way to break through a monster's camp so recklessly? But it was incredibly effective.
The aggressive Kera tribe was now busy fleeing.
The golem was like a wolf that had entered a flock of sheep.
"Isn't that the guy who said he would go up alone? That boy, right?"
"He's crazy! He’s really going to solo all the way up."
Vincent's teammates looked at Simon with a mix of admiration and envy.
Earlier, they had laughed at him, but now some students held onto the hope that he might save them.
However, Simon and the golem seemed to have not noticed them and simply passed by.
At that moment,
-Kerrek! (What’s happening?)
A decorated Kera tribe member emerged from the hut, having heard the commotion.
-Kerrek! Kerrekr! (Humans have invaded!)
-Kerrek! (Leave it to me!)
He was none other than the chief of the Kera tribe.
Just his appearance significantly boosted the morale of the Kera tribe.
The surrounding Kera tribe members raised their arms and began to cheer.
As the chief raised his staff, flames began to swirl and form rapidly.
He was the only Kera tribe member capable of using magic! Just as he aimed his staff to cast a spell, he was crushed under the foot of the running golem.
Simon, distracted by other sights, didn't notice at all.
'Huh? What was that? Did something bump into me?'
That was the extent of his reaction.
However, the impact of Simon eliminating the boss was immense.
The Kera tribe, having lost their leader and commander, fell into chaos and began to flail about.
"What’s going on? Why aren’t they charging?"
Vincent's teammates also noticed the change.
Vincent bit his lip, his face stiff, and stepped forward.
"I think something has changed! Everyone, take a breather...!"
-Kerrek!-
-Kerrek!-
Suddenly, several Kera tribe members began to kneel before Vincent.
As Vincent stepped back in surprise, a sword was suddenly pointed at his throat.
"Whoa! Wh-What are you doing?!"
"I thought something was strange," said the male student aiming a sword at Vincent with a cold voice.
"Isn't it just you with a 100% barrier gauge? Why aren’t you being attacked by the monsters?"
"...!"
"100%? Really?"
Other students finally realized something was off and began to murmur.
"You were deliberately leading us around in circles to drain our stamina, and you brought an injured person to slow us down. It all adds up. You’re not...?"
The male student grabbed the necklace around Vincent's neck.
Vincent gasped and reached out, but the male student pressed the sword closer, stopping him and carefully examining the necklace.
"This looks similar to what those Kera tribe members are wearing. Is this an artifact from the 'supply drop'?"
The supply drops from the sky contained not only food but also various artifacts that could help in this island survival.
This necklace likely had the effect of making the Kera tribe think of them as allies, preventing them from being attacked, or perhaps it commanded respect.
He tossed the necklace to a nearby female student.
The female student put it on and approached the Kera tribe.
The surrounding Kera tribe members flinched and then knelt before her.
The female student wore an expression of disbelief.
"You really deceived us well, Vincent."
"N-No! Everyone, calm down! Just listen to me!"
The atmosphere turned icy in an instant.
"You were planning to take the points after we all fell, weren’t you?"
"No wonder he had so many points."
"Are there more victims besides us?"
Once the suspicion arose, it grew uncontrollably.
The female student wearing the necklace gestured as if signaling.
"No need to say more. Goodbye."
The sword aimed at Vincent's neck slashed through.