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The comprehensive evaluation at Demia Empire Academy didn’t have a fixed assessment method. Sometimes, they conducted mock battles like the Entrance Mock Battle, and other times, they held tournament-style duels among cadets.

The evaluation method changed each time based on the professors’ consensus after assessing the current level and shortcomings of each grade. The gaps in opinions among professors were narrowed through meetings, but it wasn’t an easy task.

Each professor had their own area of expertise, and since they were renowned figures in their fields, it was rare for everyone to agree on a single opinion. In fact, it was almost unheard of for opinions to converge even after meetings. Therefore, they usually selected a few representative evaluation methods and decided on the final approach through voting.

The first comprehensive evaluation for the new students, decided this way, was a survival test.

Demia Empire Academy, being a military education institution, had a majority of noble cadets. Graduating from Demia was a must to prove one’s noble lineage, so it was inevitable that many cadets were of noble status.

However, most noble cadets, having grown up in privileged environments, lacked the essential grit required for war. It wasn’t that they were bad, but such a mindset wasn’t what Demia Academy sought in its students.

Of course, commoner cadets were no different. Although they might have more grit than noble cadets, it still wasn’t enough to meet Demia’s standards.

Thus, the first comprehensive evaluation for new students was often a survival test. It was intended to fill the gap in their grit while naturally teaching them how to survive when left alone on the battlefield.

The professors also adhered to the theme of survival for the first comprehensive evaluation, only varying the assessment methods within that framework.

Gilbert recalled the first comprehensive evaluation, commonly referred to as Chapter 1 of the main story. The survival test under the name of the comprehensive evaluation was akin to a graveyard for newbies.

Although Professor Ian acted as the gatekeeper, it was nothing compared to the first comprehensive evaluation. Many cadets were eliminated by rear ambushes in the blink of an eye.

The survival test usually took place on a large uninhabited island owned by Demia Academy. The extreme hardcore rule applied here: survive for a week without being eliminated in the dense forest.

Moreover, this time, Professor Alexander’s suggestion was adopted, and colossal mechs and magic weapons were hidden in secret locations. Cadets could either fight or cooperate using these two elements.

Ultimately, the theme of this evaluation was to survive until the end in the midst of an intense battlefield.

“Gilbert, what do you plan to do?”

Hans, who was watching the large magic circle leading to the uninhabited island, asked Gilbert, who was deep in thought.

Gilbert, lost in deep contemplation, only then noticed Angelina and Hans beside him.

“Focus on surviving as much as possible.”

“That’s not what I’m asking! I’m asking if you’re going to be the commander again this time!”

Hans, who used to tremble when he first saw Gilbert, was no longer like that. As he got to know Gilbert better, he realized that Gilbert was different from the rumors and now comfortably interacted with him within acceptable boundaries.

“Hans, be quiet. You’re being too loud, and it’s making you look uncultured.”

“Angelina, you came here to ask Gilbert the same thing, didn’t you?”

“Even so, being as loud as you are is uncultured behavior.”

Gilbert chuckled at the odd combination of Angelina and Hans. Despite the stark difference in their social statuses—noble and commoner—they had become close due to their common connection with Gilbert.

Of course, Hans, being a commoner, addressed Angelina respectfully, but Angelina didn’t treat him rudely despite his status, which allowed their relationship to flourish.

It was surprisingly harmonious, and for Gilbert, who planned to keep them as companions until the end, it was a boon. Having teammates who didn’t get along would be a headache.

“Forming a team would be good, but it’s different from the Entrance Mock Battle.”

“I thought so. But I feel like it’ll be fine if I’m with you, Gilbert.”

Seeing Hans clench his fists, Angelina shook her head and sighed deeply.

“Sigh. Gilbert, can we form a team without this fool? He seems like he’ll be a headache.”

“Huh? Angelina! Isn’t that too harsh?”

“That’s why you should act more cultured.”

After watching their banter for a while, Gilbert called them over as he felt the comprehensive evaluation was about to start.

“Angelina, Hans, the first priority once the evaluation starts is to regroup. You both know that, right?”

“The problem is where to meet. If we’re dropped on the uninhabited island, pinpointing a location will be impossible. You know that, Gilbert.”

“Hmm… Moving in one direction would be tough too.”

“Exactly. It might be impossible to determine a direction. The information about the island is too limited to set a clear plan.”

While most would think like them, Gilbert was different. He had already been to the island countless times while playing Tactical Combat. He had all the key terrain points memorized.

However, since only the professors knew about the island, he couldn’t share that information. So, he came up with a somewhat irresponsible method.

“The island is probably large, but since it’s uninhabited, there’s likely a coastline.”

“So, you’re suggesting we walk along one side of the coastline?”

“Move to the southern coastline and then follow it westward.”

“Have you considered how absurd that sounds?”

“There’s no better alternative.”

Angelina pursed her lips. As Gilbert said, without a map of the area, setting a precise meeting point was challenging.

“Walking along the coastline might be a problem too. The terrain is too open, making us easy targets…”

When Hans cautiously voiced his opinion, both Gilbert and Angelina nodded.

“Move along the coastline but prioritize hiding.”

“Since there’s no better plan, let’s follow that. But we should set a time limit. Focusing solely on regrouping would make surviving the week difficult.”

The three coordinated their differing opinions and set a plan. The regrouping window was from the second to the fourth day after arriving on the island. If they couldn’t regroup by then, they would survive alone. Given the unknown size of the island, they allowed three days for regrouping.

“First-year cadets, attention!”

As the three finalized their plan, Professor Briana appeared in front of the large teleportation magic circle. She gathered the murmuring first-year cadets and began a brief explanation.

“You’ve all heard the explanations from your respective professors. For the next week, you must survive on the uninhabited island as best as you can. Of course, the bracelets distributed to you have a magic circle that will automatically teleport you back here if your life is in danger. So, don’t worry and focus on the evaluation. If any of you wish to withdraw, simply remove your bracelet. Any questions?”

No cadet raised a question. Professor Briana scanned the cadets and briefly locked eyes with her disciple.

Although he wasn’t her disciple before, he was now undoubtedly Professor Briana’s exclusive disciple. She couldn’t allow any rumors of incompetence about him, especially since he had shown promise even before becoming her disciple.

Of course, she had no worries about his performance in this evaluation. In fact, she was somewhat looking forward to his exploits. She shouted to the first-year cadets.

“Then, let the first comprehensive evaluation begin! First-class cadets, step onto the magic circle!”

Gilbert watched as the cadets, including Ian, the protagonist of Tactical Combat, and Lily, who glared at him as if she wanted to kill him, stepped onto the magic circle.

He steeled his resolve and followed Angelina and Hans onto the magic circle.

Soon, a surge of blue mana enveloped them, and their vision darkened.

***

When Gilbert’s vision returned, he was greeted by a dense forest. The uninhabited island for the comprehensive evaluation was covered with towering trees that blocked the sky, with endless ocean visible from the coastline.

To figure out his location, Gilbert climbed the tallest tree in sight.

Thanks to the growth speed boost from the medal he received in the Entrance Mock Battle, he had increased his Physical Ability Stat by 1 through daily training.

Having already possessed a monstrous stat of 90 before entering the academy, even a single point increase had a significantly higher efficiency compared to others.

Considering the stat cap was 100, a stat of 90 was almost at its peak. A single point increase meant he had transcended ordinary humans, becoming a superhuman.

With such a superhuman body, he reached the treetop in an instant. From there, he quickly realized he was near the center of the island.

‘The regrouping starts tomorrow, so I need to gather survival necessities first.’

Gilbert prioritized his tasks.

Drawing from his military survival training and countless hours of survival programs and Tactical Combat, he quickly made decisions.

The priorities for uninhabited island survival were always shelter, a device for rescue signals, and water and food.

Since he could create a shelter using mana, he pushed that to a lower priority.

The rescue signal device wasn’t urgent either, as they would be summoned back to the academy after a week. The most immediate need was fresh water.

If he were a mage, it would have been easier, but unfortunately, Gilbert lacked such magical abilities.

Climbing down the tree, Gilbert cautiously headed south, exploring the forest.

He didn’t forget to check for water collected in leaves. Although there were occasional puddles, he ignored them to avoid potential illness.

Despite his efforts, there were no broad-leaved trees around to collect water. Giving up on finding collected water, he instead focused on listening for the sound of a flowing river.

How long had it been since he first arrived on the island?

About an hour later, Gilbert’s sharp hearing caught the sound of flowing water. Assuming there was a river nearby, he quickly moved towards the source.

After roughly ten minutes, he found a small stream.

Finally finding drinkable water, Gilbert’s expression brightened. Even though a knight could survive without water using mana, mana wasn’t infinite.

Moreover, recklessly using mana in a battlefield designed for combat could be suicidal. That’s why he had worked hard to find water.

Fortunately, there were no cadets nearby who could pose a threat. Since the evaluation allowed cadets to bring items except for magical ones, he took out a prepared water bottle.

After quenching his thirst, he filled the bottle and climbed the tallest tree nearby.

With water secured, the next priority was food. If this was a water source, animals would come to drink.

Gilbert climbed the tree to hunt such animals, resting while waiting for them to approach.

The most important aspect of survival was the will and perseverance to live. Patience was essential, so Gilbert waited calmly. A few cadets came to drink from the stream, but none noticed his presence.

Not wanting to exert himself on the first day, he simply watched as the cadets drank and moved on. After a while, the animal he was waiting for finally appeared—a kelpie, resembling a small-horned deer.

Gilbert gripped the small dagger he had prepared. Drawing a longsword in such a dense forest would be cumbersome, so he had prepared the dagger in advance.

He patiently waited until the kelpie started drinking water.

Animals are most vulnerable when drinking. As the kelpie stretched its neck to drink, Gilbert leapt from the tree like lightning, plunging the dagger into its neck.

“Gasp!”

With a final gasp, the kelpie died. Having easily secured his meal, Gilbert quickly tied up the kelpie and moved away. After traveling a considerable distance, he set the kelpie down and sat.

Carrying the kelpie around was inefficient, and the blood scent could attract predators.

Gilbert skillfully skinned the kelpie and carved out the meat. He cut off the legs for easier carrying and tied them together with a rope.

Although it was a waste to discard the torso, Gilbert was satisfied with the four legs. He climbed a nearby tree to check his direction.

Realizing he had drifted eastward, he adjusted his course and headed south.

Even though the trees were tall enough to block the sky, the distinction between day and night was still clear. As it grew darker, Gilbert decided to stop moving.

Traveling at night was reckless, and it was time to eat.

Finding a suitable cave for camping, Gilbert set down the kelpie legs and started a fire. Although the light and smoke might attract other cadets, he didn’t want to eat the kelpie legs raw.

Skillfully lighting a fire with dry branches, he picked up a large kelpie leg. He found a sturdy branch, cut the Achilles tendon, and hung the leg over the fire.

As the kelpie leg roasted, the aroma was mouthwatering. The dripping fat and the sizzling meat were irresistible. Gilbert cut a piece and tasted it.

Delicious.

Satisfied with the juicy meat, Gilbert removed the leg from the branch and prepared to eat. Although it was a lot for one person, he could save some for breakfast the next day.

Just as he was about to enjoy his meal, Gilbert sensed something approaching. It wasn’t an animal—it was another cadet.

Gripping his longsword, he waited for the intruder to approach.

Rustle!

The sound of footsteps on grass reached him, and Gilbert pointed his sword at the intruder.

“Ugh!”

The unknown person, startled by the sudden sword, fell on their back. Gilbert recognized the intruder’s face in the firelight and inwardly cursed.

Pink hair and an overwhelming bust size.

It was Lily.

“You…”

Realizing it was Gilbert, Lily’s gaze turned fierce. Having shown such a pathetic state in front of her sworn enemy, Lily gritted her teeth.

“Lily.”

Gilbert was equally troubled. Given their strained relationship, encountering her was the last thing he wanted.

Although he hadn’t directly caused it, a single line he had carelessly written had left an indelible mark on her life.

That weighed on his conscience, but Gilbert couldn’t figure out how to handle Lily. An apology would only provoke her further.

“Eliminate me.”

Lily glared at Gilbert, demanding her elimination. Gilbert already had his longsword drawn, and she was defenseless on the ground. She preferred a clean exit over his pity.

‘This is a headache.’

Gilbert pondered how to handle Lily. If it were anyone else, he would have eliminated them without hesitation, but he felt indebted to her.

As he hesitated, time passed.

Growl!

“Ugh!”

Lily’s stomach growled loudly, having eaten nothing all day.

For Lily, this was the most mortifying moment of her life. To make such a sound in front of the despicable Gilbert was the ultimate humiliation.

Seeing Lily trembling, Gilbert realized how foolish his earlier hesitation was. With a lighter heart, he sheathed his sword and pointed behind him.

“I was about to eat. Let’s eat first and then continue.”

“…”

Lily wanted to refuse, but it would only make her seem more pitiful. Reluctantly, she nodded.

 

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