Cheat Million Love

The next morning, all survival camp participants gathered at the main location. They were given simple maps to help locate a strategic place for their group. Each participant also received a GPS wristband to prevent them from getting lost.

Nic and his team—Zen, Kiyan, Dinna, Hima, and Fin—got ready to begin their journey. Kiyan, a senior from Class 12-D, took charge, while Zen kept bragging about his experience as a third-year student.

"Listen up, we need to find the best spot to survive. If anyone slows us down, that's your own problem," Zen said, throwing a smug look at the younger members.

Nic raised his hand to offer a suggestion. "I think we should find somewhere near a river. Water is essential."

Zen instantly cut him off with a mocking tone. "A suggestion from an 11th grader? Seriously? Probably just thinking at the surface level."

But Kiyan nodded in agreement. "Good idea. Let's look for a river."

---

After a long walk, they finally found a river—but it had already been claimed by Sylvia's team.

Kiyan greeted them politely, "Whoa, you guys got here fast."

Sylvia, who was organizing her group, smiled lightly. "We just arrived too. Maybe you can find another spot that's just as good."

Zen, frustrated, pointed fingers. "This is all because of the tenth and eleventh graders! If you weren't so slow, we would've gotten here first!"

Nic stayed quiet, choosing not to engage. Sylvia glanced at them briefly and said calmly, "Good luck. I'm sure you'll find a great place."

Reluctantly, Nic's team continued on to find another river, farther out. After a long search, they finally came across a decently strategic location. They began setting up tents and building a firewood area.

Each team had been given just one meal's worth of food and water—the rest, they'd have to find on their own. While everyone got busy with their own tasks, Nic noticed Zen bossing Fin around, ordering him to do meaningless things like stacking rocks for no reason.

It reminded Nic of how he used to be treated in the past. He walked over to them.

"Zen, stop pushing people around," Nic said firmly.

Zen turned with an irritated expression. "What's your problem?! Don't play hero here!" he snapped, giving Nic a shove before walking off.

Fin lowered his head and whispered, "Thanks, Senior Nic."

Nic smiled and patted his shoulder. "If anything's wrong, just say so. I've got your back."

---

When it was time to plan dinner, Hima suggested, "Why don't we look for mushrooms or maybe fish? This forest should have plenty of edible ones."

Zen rejected the idea instantly. "Mushrooms?! Are you trying to poison us?! Every mushroom here is probably toxic!"

Dinna replied calmly, "Not all mushrooms are poisonous, Zen. If you know what to look for, we can find safe ones."

Kiyan made a decision. "Alright, we'll search for mushrooms and maybe catch fish from the river. Girls, prepare the cooking area. Guys, come with me. Dinna, explain what to look for."

After Dinna gave them a quick explanation, they started foraging. The sky, once clear, suddenly turned dark. Thunder boomed loudly, and rain poured down, sending everyone running back to camp.

Nic tried to return to the tent, but a tree fell right in front of him, blocking the way. Startled, he jumped back—then lost his footing and slipped into a deep ravine.

---

He woke up covered in mud. His clothes were soaking wet, his face scratched by branches, and his GPS bracelet broken. Letting out a heavy sigh, he muttered, "Today's seriously the worst…"

He stood up and began walking, trying to find a way out. After a while, he hit a dead end—nothing but a steep hill in front of him. He looked up and muttered, "Climbing this in this weather would be suicide…"

As he wandered further, he found an old, crumbling structure—barely standing, with only a few beams and part of the roof left. He decided to take shelter there.

Approaching the ruins, he saw someone inside, shivering and wrapped in a jacket.

"Sylvia?!" Nic said in shock.

Sylvia, equally surprised, turned and replied, "Eh? You're here too?!"

Nic walked in and sat beside her. "What happened? How'd you end up here?"

Speaking softly, Sylvia explained, "I fell. I get dizzy in the rain… I had a bad feeling it would pour, but I didn't want to just sit around, so I helped look for supplies. Then… I fell into this ravine."

Nic nodded. "Sounds like we're both having terrible luck. Are you still dizzy?"

She shook her head weakly. "No… just cold. I've been here a while."

They sat in silence for a bit. Nic looked around for something useful, but found nothing. Suddenly, Sylvia asked, "Why were you staring at me from outside the bus that day?"

Nic blinked. "Huh?! How'd you know?"

Sylvia gave a small smile. "Just a guess. I felt someone watching. Looks like I was right."

Nic scratched his head, smiling awkwardly. "Sorry… You just stood out, and everyone seemed to trust you."

Sylvia answered softly, "I just do what I can."

The heavy rain kept pouring outside, making the cold worse. They had no choice but to wait, hoping someone would find them soon.

---

The golden-orange of dusk colored the sky. Deep in the dense forest, things turned eerie as Sylvia and Nic heard a loud roar echo through the air. It was close enough to send chills down their spines.

"What was that?" Sylvia asked, grabbing Nic's arm, trembling.

Nic tilted his head, listening closely. "Sounds like… a tiger."

Sylvia stared at him wide-eyed. "A tiger?! No way! This forest was supposed to be safe!"

Nic swallowed hard. "Maybe the upper area is safe, but we're down here—where people rarely go."

Sylvia tried to steady her breathing. "If that's true, we need to be sure. If a tiger comes here, we're done for. This place is a dead end!"

Nic nodded slowly. "Alright. Let's check it out—but carefully."

They crept toward the source of the sound, sneaking through thick bushes. When they reached an open area, they spotted a large tiger pacing restlessly.

Sylvia covered her mouth to stop herself from gasping. Her face turned pale. "We need to find another spot. There's no way we can stay here if it comes closer," she whispered.

Nic shook his head. "The only way out is past that thing. We can't go back."

Sylvia stared at him in disbelief. "Past it?! That's crazy, Nic!"

He looked at her calmly. "Trust me. We'll wait for it to turn its back, then move slowly. Once we find thick cover, we run."

Sylvia took a deep breath to calm herself. "Okay… I'll follow your lead."

---

They waited patiently. When the tiger finally turned away, Nic gave the signal. They moved quietly, footsteps barely making a sound.

Once they reached the cover, Nic whispered, "Now—run!"

They sprinted with everything they had, hearts pounding. Thankfully, the tiger didn't notice them.

---

Minutes later, they stopped at a safer area. Sylvia was still shaking, but relieved they made it out.

Nic pointed to a small cave nearby. "That should be safe enough for shelter."

Sylvia looked at it doubtfully. "Seriously? It's so dark in there…"

Nic checked the inside. After confirming it was safe, he called out, "It's just a small cave. Not too deep. Come on."

They entered. Sylvia tried to start a fire using whatever she could find. Despite the damp materials, she managed to light a small flame, warming their tired bodies.

Nic took off his wet jacket and laid it near the fire to dry. But their peace was broken by Sylvia's stomach growling.

Embarrassed, she covered her belly. "Ah… I'm starving…"

Nic chuckled. "We need to find food. But it's dangerous out there."

"You're right… but we can't starve either," she replied.

"I'll go find something. Wait here," Nic said, getting up.

---

A few minutes later, Nic spotted a rabbit foraging nearby. At first, he felt guilty—but this was about survival. With his Skill god of lust, hunting animals, he moved swiftly and caught the rabbit.

He snapped its neck with his eyes closed, then carried it back to the cave. Just as he arrived at the entrance, Sylvia shouted, "Nic! Don't come in!"

"Huh? Why?" Nic asked.

"I'm… I'm in my underwear! I'm drying my clothes!" she yelled, panicked.

Nic immediately turned around, his face red. "O-okay! I'll wait outside!"

Sitting outside, Nic tried to clear his head. He slapped his cheeks. "Focus, Nic. Don't be weird…"

---

After Sylvia finished changing, she called him back in—and was stunned to see the rabbit.

"You caught a rabbit?! They're super fast!" she said in amazement.

Nic chuckled. "Fast, yeah—but I'm faster."

They started cleaning the rabbit, but were interrupted by another loud roar—closer this time.

They froze. Sylvia's eyes widened in fear. Looking outside, they saw the tiger standing at the cave entrance.

It sniffed the air, eyes locked on them. Sylvia couldn't speak, trembling uncontrollably.

The tiger suddenly roared and lunged at her. Without thinking, Nic shielded her, taking the claw swipe to his back.

"Nic!" Sylvia screamed.

Nic pushed the tiger out of the cave and fought back. He dodged its bites, but its claws slashed into him again and again.

Grabbing a large rock, he swung it at the tiger's head after dodging another charge—but the beast stood back up.

"Sylvia, stay inside! Don't come out!" Nic yelled.

Sylvia wept inside, unsure of what to do.

Desperate, Nic activated his hunting instinct again. He created an illusion—the tiger now saw him as a massive gorilla.

Confused, the tiger paused. Nic took the chance, ran at it, grabbed its tail, and hurled it into a tree.

The tiger collapsed—but Nic didn't stop. Fueled by rage, he pounded its head repeatedly until it finally stopped moving.

Standing there, covered in wounds, Nic beat his chest like a gorilla. Then, exhausted, he dragged the tiger's body back to the cave.

When Sylvia saw him, drenched in blood and dragging the beast, she screamed, "Nic! You beat a tiger?! You're seriously hurt!"

Nic gave a weak smile. "Looks like help won't be coming any time soon…"

Without hesitation, Sylvia ripped her own shirt to wrap his wounds. All Nic could do was smile faintly as the pain spread through his whole body.

To be continued...