SDIV 04

Chapter 4

Although Arin had explored the deserted island on her first day, she had only circled part of the outer edge over several hours. So, she still believed it was possible that people could exist elsewhere on the island, and she began searching for any signs of human activity she might’ve missed.

“Grrr.”

“Don’t go that way? But the bowl floated down from upstream, so something must be up there.”

Yellow was on the verge of losing it over this foolish girl heading east—toward the territory of the island’s tyrant. The tyrant had settled there two years ago, radiating an ominous aura and known for a savage temper.

“Grrang, grraang! (Just listen, you idiot!)”

With no other choice, Arin turned her body the opposite way. If Yellow was this insistent, there had to be a reason.

“Is this direction okay then?”

Since there was no objection, she figured it was. Arin strode forward confidently, with Yellow tailing close behind.

After a sweaty and thorough search, Arin plopped herself down on the ground. She glanced at Yellow seated beside her and pulled out some food from her backpack.

She took out jerky, a pack of mixed nuts, and a heat-retaining meal. After her hearty meal, a system alert popped up.

[System: Survival Backpack]

• Jerky consumed: Permanent +1 to Physical Strength

• Daily nuts consumed: Permanent +1 to Intelligence

• Curry heat meal consumed: All daily nutritional needs met

“Am I going to become a superhuman at this rate? Can’t I check my stats or something through the system?”

No sooner had she said that than a familiar ding echoed.

[System: Survival Backpack]

Yang Arin (Human)

• Physical Strength: 26

• Intelligence: 20

• Mana: 50

• Ability: System

“Hard to tell if these stats are high or low without something to compare to. Can’t I check other creatures’ stats?”

[System: Survival Backpack]

To view stats of any lifeform or object besides yourself, 30 mana points are required.

“I’ve got 50 mana points, so it should be fine, right? Alright, let’s try it on Yellow. If anything happens, Yellow will protect me.”

Just then, a white butterfly landed on Yellow’s black nose.

“Pfft!”

Yellow sneezed loudly and chased after the tiny butterfly. In the midst of the commotion, the butterfly fluttered upward into the sky. Trying to catch it, Yellow reared up on his hind legs. With a body length of nearly 3 meters, standing upright made him look absolutely massive.

As he swatted at the butterfly with his front paws, he tripped over himself and crashed into some trees, breaking a couple before standing up again. His face, somehow… looked rather dumb.

“…Let’s check Yellow’s stats another time.”

“If I’m at the northwest edge, then the goblin horde is in the southwest…”

Arin reviewed the information she had gathered over the past few days. She nervously nibbled on her fingernail and stared east. She had refrained from going that way because Yellow always freaked out whenever she tried, but she was starting to think she had no choice.

“The wooden bowl came from upstream too…”

Although she had Yellow by her side, her body and mind were growing increasingly worn out. Sleeping arrangements were uncomfortable, and the eerie monster cries echoing day and night were terrifying.

If only she had someone to talk to, it wouldn’t have been so bad. But with no one to communicate with, she found herself talking to herself more and more. At night, loneliness would hit her like a wave, and she’d quietly cry herself to sleep.

What if there were no humans at all in this world?

What if the bowl belonged to a goblin-like monster and she ended up dying here after ten or twenty years without ever seeing another person?

The rising anxiety made her tremble uncontrollably. That’s when she discovered a jacket and a flag—items clearly crafted by human hands.

“Yellow, this has got to be made by a person, right?”

“…?”

“It’s really worn down, but the picture on the flag totally looks like a bird.”

She held up the jacket—probably once belonging to someone—and spread it open in front of Yellow’s face.

“Doesn’t the symbol on the jacket pocket look like an eagle?”

“Grrrr–!”

Every time she showed the jacket or the flag, Yellow freaked out and recoiled. Arin found his reactions hilarious and would tease him now and then for fun.

But the scent of the tyrant’s blood still lingering on the clothes made Yellow’s legs tremble.

“Grrrrrr…”

When Yellow growled in genuine anger, Arin quickly stopped, sweating nervously. She even offered some food from her backpack as an apology. After eating, both of their stats increased a bit.

[System: Survival Backpack]

Yang Arin (Human)

• Physical Strength: 89

• Intelligence: 46

• Mana: 50

• Ability: System

Now that her Physical Strength was above 80, Arin found she could run through the forest for an hour with barely a sweat.

She didn’t dare use mana again just yet, so she still hadn’t checked Yellow’s stats—but she had a hunch he far outclassed her. After all, he had once carried her and sprinted across the island for several hours.

Two more days passed, and after even more jerky meals, Arin’s Physical Strength finally passed 100.

Yellow, having joined her in these eating sprees, also felt several times stronger. He finally allowed Arin to head east—though he still planned to yank her back by the hair if she tried to enter the tyrant’s core domain.

Arin was now climbing a rocky hill in the island’s eastern region, having cut through the central area. She wiped the sweat from her brow and glanced back to see Yellow following leisurely, tail swaying.

“You wouldn’t even let me glance this way before. Now look at you, acting like we’re on a sightseeing tour.”

“Grugh?”

Yellow tilted his head at her muttering. He looked so cute that Arin clutched her chest.

“Damn, you’re adorable.”

When she reached out to pet him, Yellow smacked her hand away with a firm paw.

“Grrr. (Don’t get cocky, you fool.)”

Unaware of what he was thinking, Arin just smiled goofily.

“Yeah, yeah. What a cutie.”

A snow-white butterfly fluttered down and landed on her forearm.

A sudden, stabbing pain made her shake her arm. Any normal insect should’ve flown away—but this butterfly didn’t budge. The spot where it sat grew hotter and hotter.

“Ugh… Uh…”

Not great with bugs, Arin finally grabbed its wings and yanked it off—pulling a small patch of flesh with it. Blood dripped from a round, sunken wound.

Yellow, who had quickly finished off the butterfly, began circling her worriedly.

He sniffed around her injury and bared his teeth. Something was off. Raising his head stiffly, he stared past Arin’s back. His ears stood tall, and his pupils had stretched vertically.

“Grrrrrr…”

A deep, steady growl. Arin had never seen Yellow this tense.

He bit the collar of her shirt and hurled her onto his back. With a grunt, she landed on him just as Yellow took off at a blazing speed.

Then she saw it—a white smog racing toward them.

No, it was a swarm of white butterflies.

They moved so fast that a dozen or more were already clinging to Yellow’s tail.

Knowing how painful that was, Arin wanted to help—but she remembered that a cheetah or leopard’s tail helped with balance during sprints, so she hesitated to touch it.

Blood dripped from the tip of his black tail. There was no telling how long the butterflies would chase them.

“Insect spray!”

With great effort, she reached into the side pocket of her backpack. Maintaining balance on Yellow’s springing back was no easy task.

As she imagined the spray in her mind, a cylindrical object formed in her hand.

[System: Survival Backpack]

• Insect Spray: Can kill all insects in existence

• Cooldown: 1 hour

The cooldown was disappointingly long.

“Ugh.”

The butterflies had now latched onto Yellow’s backside and her own thighs, their clawed mouths digging into flesh like vampires.

She sprayed the insecticide onto Yellow’s body. The butterflies hit by the mist dropped off, lifeless.

“Gotcha… That should do it…”

Just when she thought they were safe, Yellow suddenly turned, and Arin was flung into the air. Her blurry vision caught his golden irises watching her fall.

Thud!

Her body rolled across the dirt. The spray can landed ten meters away. Hundreds of bright white butterflies charged toward her through the dust cloud.

‘I’m dead.’

She closed her eyes, resigned. But then something soft and warm blanketed her.

A familiar black figure.

“No. Yellow.”

“Grr…”

Yellow shielded her with his body.

“Run, damn it!”

The beautiful black fur was covered in white. Wherever blood dripped, butterflies gathered.

His dazed expression, cooling skin, and weakening heartbeat filled her with dread.

The thought of Yellow dying made tears pour down her cheeks.

“It’s my fault… I said we should come here…”

As soon as she slipped out from under him, the butterflies attacked her too. Through tear-filled eyes, she saw only the insecticide. She lunged for it, butterflies swarming her until her body looked entirely white.

Blood and tears rained to the ground with every step she took. Her head spun from the blood loss, but she forced herself forward—for Yellow.

His trembling eyes slowly closed.

“No!!”

She fired the insecticide again. The butterflies on Yellow scattered. Arin ignored her own injuries and focused solely on saving him. With bloody fingers, she peeled off the final butterfly stuck to him. Then she gently stroked his snout.

“Pheh-choo!”

Yellow sneezed, nostrils flaring, and Arin blinked in disbelief.

“Grrr. (How dare this ugly thing touch my face…)”

She broke into a smile, seeing the familiar spark in his eyes.

‘Just this once, I’ll allow it.’

For some reason, Arin felt like she could hear Yellow’s voice in her head.