Chapter 2
Pale yellow sunlight seeped through the gaps between the gray rubble and landed on Arin’s eyes. Reeling from last night’s system chaos, she groaned and tossed around as the light assaulted her.
“Ugh… It’s too bright…”
When she fully opened her eyes, she could vaguely make out her surroundings—thanks to the light coming through the cracks.
Arin realized that the things surrounding her were far too strange to be debris from an apartment building.
The stones enclosing her weren’t red bricks or cement, but basalt. She noticed she was leaning against something hard, with half her lower body and her left hand buried in coarse sand, prompting her to let out a sigh.
“Haa…”
Still unsure if she was dreaming, she clenched the sand with her left hand. The gritty texture told her this was real. The sand in her palm was damp, like that of a beach.
“Am I going crazy?”
Screech-screech— screech-screech—
She must be crazy, because she could even hear seagulls crying somewhere. And with the salty scent of the sea in the air, Arin felt like she was about to lose it.
“What kind of messed-up plot is this?”
She was chuckling blankly at the absurdity when—
“Water?”
Cold water with white foam began seeping through the stones.
“W-what?”
The water quickly rose up to her hips, causing Arin to shiver in terror.
“This can’t be happening! Why is the water rising?!”
What should I do? What can I do? The space was so tight that any abrupt movement could collapse the unstable rubble surrounding her.
And then—she saw a patch of clear sky through a gap in the stones in front of her.
A thought struck her: maybe she wouldn’t be drowned after all.
With great effort, she freed one leg buried in the sand and tried pushing the basalt. Despite applying all her strength, the stone didn’t budge easily, plunging her into despair.
To make more room, she hunched up and pulled out her other leg from the sand. Then, like a madwoman, she started kicking the basalt with both feet, alternating rapidly.
Bang, bang, bang, bang!
Black stone dust scattered everywhere, and the basalt slowly began to shift backward under her relentless kicks. But the water had already reached her chest.
The resistance from the water made her kicks sluggish. Some splashed water entered her mouth—and absurdly, it tasted like seawater.
“Just a little more!”
Bang!
“More!!”
BANG!!
With her final, desperate kick, the stone toppled. Beyond the now-cleared view, she saw the blue sky, fluffy clouds, and a vast beach.
Screech—
A seagull crying while taking a dump flew past as a bonus.
Arin lay sprawled on the beach, staring up at the night sky. She sneezed from the chill brushing her bare arms in a short-sleeved shirt.
“Achoo!”
That morning, she had barely escaped the rising tide, and after briefly sobbing over the unbelievable reality, she had gone looking for help. But after wandering around, she discovered only one thing.
“This is an uninhabited island…”
Sniffling, Arin gazed wistfully at the moon in the sky.
“Three moons, even.”
She had to accept that she was stranded on a deserted island in another world.
What gave her a sliver of comfort was a survival backpack that seemed to operate on a game system. She reached out and clutched it. As soon as her hand touched the pack, a system window floated in the air.
「System: Survival Backpack」
Status: Most items damaged by seawater.
Time remaining for backpack recovery: 30 minutes
When she first crawled out of the sea, the time required for restoration had been 12 hours. Now only 30 minutes remained—soon she’d be able to use the restored items.
She thought only of pulling out a blanket to fend off the encroaching cold. The nights here felt like late autumn—freezing.
She reopened the system window, but she still had to wait 10 more minutes to access the backpack.
Afraid something might appear, she stayed half-asleep, clinging to consciousness. Then, a rustling sound reached her ears.
It was getting closer and closer, little by little. She didn’t know what it was, but Arin swallowed hard, trying to calm herself.
It’s nothing. Don’t panic, Arin. Count to three and turn around. Even trying to reassure herself, she could feel the unmistakable presence of a living creature behind her.
She braced herself.
One.
Two.
“Three!”
Her eyes met a pair of glowing, inhumanly red eyes.
“KYAAAH!”
“Screeech!”
Whether in response to her scream or not, the creature in front of her let out a screeching cry. Scaly skin like a reptile, crimson eyes, and barely a meter tall—this was a creature commonly known as a goblin.
Its gaping mouth revealed sharp teeth, a terrifying sight to Arin. Sensing mortal danger, she scrambled up and ran with the backpack.
“Ugh… Ugh…”
A suppressed moan circled in her mouth. After that initial scream, no sound came out.
She heard footsteps thudding closer and dared a glance back. The goblin was right behind her, wielding a dull-bladed axe.
Gripping the end of the handle, the goblin swung the axe widely, trying to close the distance. Arin felt the axe blade graze between her knees—it made her want to vomit from fear.
“Screech, screech.”
“Please. Please…!”
She prayed someone would help her—or at least give her a weapon to deal with that monster! Then, it happened.
Ding!
「System: Survival Backpack」
Backpack restoration complete
Would you like to use: Gourmet Jerky that attracts carnivores?
“Huff, huff. What’s that?”
「System: Survival Backpack」
Gourmet Jerky that Attracts Carnivores
Even slightly tearing the package releases a scent irresistible to carnivores.
Once lured by the scent and consuming the jerky, the target becomes immobile for 10 minutes.
“Is a goblin considered a carnivore? Ugh…”
She was too out of breath to even finish her thought.
Do I just take it out of the bag? she wondered, and at that moment, the system provided detailed instructions. It told her that if she just put her hand into any pocket, the needed item would automatically appear. Arin slipped her hand into the side pouch.
With a faint green glow barely visible, her hand grasped a palm-sized plastic package. It was the exact same jerky she had stocked before the earthquake.
「System: Survival Backpack」
Using 1 Gourmet Jerky that Attracts Carnivores
Remaining: 2
“Got it—ARGH!”
A searing pain split through the back of her knee as she fell forward.
Before she could even cry out, she blocked the oncoming axe blade with the backpack.
“Hehehe.”
The goblin stuck out a 10 cm tongue and gave a grotesque grin. It yanked out the axe embedded in the backpack and licked its lips. Just as it raised the axe again with both hands, Arin tore open the jerky package without hesitation.
From where she lay on the sand, she saw the goblin’s nostrils flare, visibly enlarging. She threw the jerky far away, and the dazed goblin, drawn by the scent, staggered toward it.
「System: Survival Backpack」
Carnivore (Goblin) has consumed the jerky and will be immobile for 10 minutes.
Seizing the moment, Arin stood up, wobbling. Her face was a mess of tears from the pain in her knee, but if she wanted to live, she had to endure it and flee. She figured it was best to hide somewhere safe.
Step by step, she hobbled toward the forest in the center of the island.
Thus began day two on the deserted island.
“I’m dying. Seriously.”
Arin couldn’t forget the early morning chaos. Just thinking about it made her injured knee throb. At dawn, when she had checked the depth of the wound, she feared she might lose the ability to walk. But thanks to special bandages and ointments with unique abilities, it healed surprisingly well.
Strangely, the backpack regenerated new items after each cooldown period. Each item had its own power and was incredibly useful for survival. Arin shuddered at the thought of how things might’ve turned out without it. She shook her head furiously and nearly toppled over. Steadying herself, she sighed.
“Haa… I’ve come deep into the forest, but there’s still no good place to shelter.”
Arin was looking for a safe spot to spend the night. It might seem silly, but she clutched a single piece of jerky like a weapon. She didn’t forget to stock more jerky in her pocket in case of emergencies.
“Oh, this spot looks good.”
She found a suitable place to hide. A massive five-meter boulder stood behind her, offering cover, and the front was relatively open—ideal for a quick escape.
Best of all, an ancient tree stood close against the boulder, forming a hollow space just big enough for Arin to lie down in.
“It’s like someone made this just for me. It’s perfect.”
On day two of island life, her only growing skill was talking to herself. Humming, she casually unpacked her gear, not realizing in her wildest dreams that something larger than herself had already claimed that spot as its own.
An hour or two passed. Arin felt time crawl. She had enough food, water, and a sleeping bag, so she didn’t need to hunt or gather. With no physical tasks, her mind wandered.
Just as she flopped down onto her sleeping bag, something black dropped from the large boulder behind her.
Black pupils with bright yellow eyes. Glossy black fur.
“…You’ve got to be kidding me.”
A leopard.
