Multiple updates today.

This is chapter two.

"Mashiro, could you go check if everyone's back?"

"Sure!"

Just as Mashiro turned toward the genkan, someone came out from inside.

It was Chiyu, my childhood friend with silver hair and blue eyes. "Welcome home.

First-Rank Healing."

White light enveloped us.

The fatigue faded away, which was a great relief.

However, thanks to this, my stamina had clearly recovered as well.

"I'm home, Chiyu-chan. Thanks for the 'First-Rank Healing.'"

"I'm home. Looks like you guys got back faster than us."

"Mm. Since you two are back, could Shio-chan start grilling some steaks? Is that okay?"

"Yatta!"

"I'll head over as soon as I finish making Mashi-ro's house."

Chiyu nodded and went back inside the house.

"Ah, since I met Chiyu-chan, can I just watch here?"

"Yeah."

Since Fenrir's den offered a better view from Shouko's room, they moved it slightly.

They generated the house and placed it down.

Suddenly, a structure of stone with a wooden roof appeared before their eyes.

The entrance was wide open, fitting for a doghouse, but at first glance, the edifice looked more like a sturdy warehouse.

"Oh~. It's different from our house, isn't it?"

"It is built without using a foundation, just like ours. But if we had made it using our house's method, Masiro's weight might have caused the floor to collapse, right?"

"That's true!"

The stone walls stood on their own, and the wooden roof was simply placed on top of them.

"I hope Masiro likes it..."

"Masirou! The house is ready~!"

Called by Shouko, Masiro came over.

The blinding white fur of the illusory giant wolf glinted in the light.

He walked straight into Fenril's den and dropped down with a thud, barking contentedly.

"I like it!"

"That's great."

As they laughed together— a delicious scent drifted through the air.

"Sniff, sniff. This is—the scent of meat!"

I had left the meat in the prep area before we set off this morning, so they must have cooked it without waiting for me to step in.

"Smells great."

Shoubi and I head inside the house.

When we got to the living room, dinner was already laid out on the dining table.

"Oh, welcome back! Lunch is steak, just as promised~"

Shion, her hair tied up, greeted us while carrying plates.

By the way, I had gifted them an apron made of amabush cloth, and she was wearing it over her uniform.

Chiyu and Fupou were also helping with serving.

"Welcome home. Has Mashiro's house been completed?"

Fupou greeted us as she set the table.

It seemed Chiyu had let them know about Mashiro's house situation.

"Yeah, he was really happy with it."

"I'm glad to hear that."

"I'm starving! It looks delicious~! Let's eat, let's eat!"

Everyone took their seats, said "itadakimasu," and began eating.

For lunch, I served a wild boar steak accompanied by mushroom and herb soup.

We ate using stone knives and forks.

"How delicious..."

The satisfying chewiness of the thick meat paired with its bursting juices was exquisite. "So good! Tastes amazing!"

"Heh, thank you. However, to make anything more complex than this, we'd need other ingredients, wouldn't we?"

It tasted great with just salt, but I could certainly see wanting to eat it with some kind of sauce.

"Hmm. We need seasonings. For now, let's focus on the rest of the Sashi-Su-So-So."

Sashi-Su-So-So... umm, that would be sugar, salt, vinegar, soy sauce, and miso.

Hmm, now that you mention it, I'd like those too.

"After that, we need vegetables and staple foods. We explored the surrounding area as well, but we couldn't find any of the vegetables typically used in Japanese cooking. It would be nice if we could find rice or wheat, but..."

"Myousuko and I talked a bit, but don't you think that items we frequently use in daily life, or things everyone knows about, aren't placed on the island by design?"

In response to my words, Fukan nodded.

"In the dreams, we were forced to choose between two options, and one of them would be added as an 'Update.' So, just as Kono-kun says, things we know well and can easily utilize—essentially things we'd want on this desert island—were likely excluded from the initial placement to serve as the second option in those choices."

"It feels like they're constantly testing us. Like that question about what to bring to a desert island—even though there were Ability-type options available, they didn't tell us about them."

"Mm. Even regarding the items on this island, while there's a decent amount of edible food, without someone with knowledge or an ability like So-kun's, we wouldn't even have been able to make the judgment call in the first place."

"Man, honestly, if I hadn't been able to meet Sōsuke, this whole thing would've turned into a hell of a survival nightmare."

We traded that sort of talk while working our way through dinner.

Eventually, the conversation drifted to last night's dream.

That said, Chiyu, Shion, and Fukuhō had apparently already discussed it during their exploration earlier.

"This is likely meant to suppress conflicts among players," Fukuhō stated.

I nodded in agreement with her words.

Setting aside the need to watch out for the 'Death Penalty,' the penalty incurred for killing someone or taking one's own life was a deduction of 1,825 points.

If you were forced to evacuate from the island while sitting at zero points, that number would be subtracted—resulting in a five-year coma upon your return.

The shock of having the rest of your youth wiped out is considerable. That alone serves as a significant deterrent.

"Furthermore, there's surely an intention here to keep us positive about this life on the desert island."

It wasn't just about being able to return to our original time; the fact that they had prepared benefits made the intent clear enough.

Beyond the lifespan extension granted by the 'Survival Bonus,' there were bonuses tied to points earned, the ability to retain memories of this island on Earth, and the capacity to transfer abilities gained here back to Earth—a hefty package indeed.

"Mm-hm. Yeah, knowing I could take Mashiro home actually got me hyped up. Not that I was down before, mind you?"

"It's hard to believe that story, too... If phantom beasts appeared in modern-day Japan, it would cause an utter pandemonium..."

Shinhō's concerns were well founded.

"Umm... In stories where mysterious powers exist within modern society, it's usually a technique or device that alters the perception of those around you."

"A staple trope. If Fenrir is perceived as a 'dog' or Sōkuno's crafting as 'DIY,' rewriting the surrounding people's perceptions—wouldn't that make maintaining abilities possible?"

Shion's insight might be brushed off as having "excellent observational skills," and Chiyu’s could be excused as having "knowledge of medicine."

Shinhō's magic seemed difficult, but... essentially, it was about adding a "rationalization function" to abilities.

It’s not unreasonable to think Go no Blackboard could do that much, but what would actually happen...?

"N-now I see. Given the teleportation to the island and these special abilities, it wouldn't be surprising if something like this happened."

"I'd rather keep my memories of this island, honestly. In fact, I became scared knowing that we lose them upon a normal escape..."

Shion said anxiously.

Admittedly, even if the events on this island were forgotten, the narrator and Chiyu were childhood friends, and Moeshi was originally a friend.

But it was because of this situation that he had become close with Shion.

He didn't want to forget that either.

"I feel the same way, Shion-san. I don't know what the 'specific conditions' are, but I want to escape only after fulfilling them."

"And by the way, it’d be nice if we could all escape together, right?”

At Shouko’s words, everyone nodded in unison.

“Then, our immediate goal is ‘a joint escape for everyone.’ And we’ll aim for ‘memory retention’ and ‘ability retention’ as well,” he stated.

It was annoying how this seemed to be playing into the hands of that enigmatic blackboard’s plan, but there was nothing I could do about it.

If we had simply been dumped on a desert island, anger at the absurdity of the situation would have taken precedence.

However, once they realized their lifespans might be extended or that they could aim for other benefits, those things functioned as ‘rewards’ for the ‘hardship,’ sometimes dulling the anger.

Even if someone initially wanted to go home immediately, learning that they could bring back their abilities to Earth with enough effort might make them think, “I’ll try a bit harder.”

“Phew~. Thanks for the meal, Shion-chan.”

Everyone finished eating and said “thank you for the meal” to the chef, Shion. “Hehe, you’re welcome.

I hope it was okay.”

Cleaning up the dishes is easy since I can simply store them away to tidy up, then reposition them in the kitchen later.

Honestly, if we could just bring this one ability back to Earth, it would be incredibly convenient...

“Shinpo. We’re scheduled to practice magic in the afternoon, but before that, wouldn’t you like to compare our exploration findings?”

“Oh, yes, let’s do that.”

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Here's the second update for today.

"Shouko, can you check to see if everyone's back?" "Okay!"

Just as Shouko was heading toward the front door, someone came out from inside.

It was my childhood friend, Chiyu, with her silver hair and blue eyes. "Welcome home, 'Basic Heal.'" A white light enveloped us.

The fatigue disappeared, which was very welcome.

But it also restored my energy, I suppose.

"Welcome home, Chiyu-chan. Thanks for the 'Basic Heal.'"

"Welcome. You two got back earlier than Chiyu and I did."

"Mm. Since the two of you are back, can I have Shio-chan start cooking the steak?" "Yay!"

"I'll come over as soon as I'm done with Mashiro's house."

Chiyu nodded and went back inside.

"Ah, I saw Chiyu-chan, so can I stay here and watch?" "Sure."

The Fenrir hut was moved to a spot visible from Shouko's room, and then generated and placed.

Suddenly, a stone and wooden-roofed structure appeared before them.

The entrance was wide open like a doghouse, but at first glance it looked like a warehouse.

"Oh~. It's different from our house, isn't it?"

"We didn't use the foundation, just like you did. But if we built it the way we did, your floor might collapse." "You're right!"

The stone walls stood on their own, and the wooden roof was placed on top of them.

"I hope Mashiro likes it..."

"Mashiro! Your house is done!"

Shouko called out, and Mashiro came over.

The white, fluffy phantom wolf was dazzling.

He went straight into the Fenrir hut, sat down, and purred contentedly. "I like it!" "I'm glad."

Just as they were laughing together, a pleasant smell wafted over.

「Mmm, mmm. This is―the smell of meat!」

I had left the meat in the kitchen before we left this morning, so it must have been cooked without me having to do anything. "Smells good." Me and Shouzi headed back inside.

When we got to the living room, the table was already set with food.

「Ah, welcome back. Lunch is steak, just like I promised.」

Shion, who had her hair tied up, welcomed us while carrying the plates.

By the way, I had given her a linen apron, but she was wearing it over her uniform.

Chiyu and Shinpo were also helping to carry the dishes.

「Welcome back. Did your house get built?」

Shinpo also greeted us as she set the table.

It seems Chiyu had told her about the house. 「Yeah, she was really happy.」 「That's good.」

「I'm hungry! It looks so good! Let's eat!」

We all sat down and said "Itadakimasu" before starting to eat.

The lunch menu is a thick slice of boar steak with a mushroom and herb soup. We eat with stone knives and forks. "It's delicious!"

The thick meat has a great chewiness, and the bursting meat juices are wonderful. "Yummy!"

"Haha, thank you. But if we want more, we'll need other ingredients."

It's good with salt, but I do want to try it with sauce.

"Hmm. I want some condiments. For now, I'll need sugar, salt, vinegar, soy sauce, and miso."

Sugar, salt, vinegar, soy sauce, and miso...

Hmm, now that you mention it, I do want those.

"And we'll need some vegetables and grains. We've been exploring the area, but we haven't found any vegetables that we usually use in Japanese cooking. It would be nice to find some rice or wheat."

"I talked to Shouko a bit, and I think things that we use frequently in our daily lives or that everyone knows about tend not to be here."

"Right. In the dream, we're forced to choose between two options, and one of them is added as an 'update.' So it makes sense that things we know well and can easily use, which we'd want on this desert island, aren't initially placed here."

"It's like we're constantly being tested. Even the question of what to bring to the island doesn't give us information about ability-related items."

"Hmm. There are edible things on this island, but without knowledge or abilities like Sou's, we wouldn't even be able to tell what they are."

「Yeah, if I hadn't met Sōsuke, this would've been a really tough survival experience.」

We talked about it while eating.

Soon, the conversation turned to yesterday's dream.

That said, Senyuu, Shion, and Shinpo had already been talking about it during the exploration.

「This is probably to prevent players from fighting each other.」 I nodded at Shinpo's words.

While the 'Death Penalty' is something to be careful about, the negative points given for killing someone or committing suicide are '1825'.

If you manage to escape the island with zero points, that number will be deducted, and you'll end up in a coma for five years after returning.

The shock of losing your remaining youth is quite significant. This will definitely be a strong deterrent.

「And there's also the intention to make us more positive about living on this desert island.」

Not only can we go back to our original timeline, but the bonuses prepared also indicate this.

In addition to the extra lifespan from the 'Survival Bonus', there's also a bonus based on the points earned, the ability to carry over memories of this island to Earth, and the ability to carry over the skills gained on this island to Earth.

「Yeah. I got motivated to try my best if I can bring Mashiro back with me. Well, I was already motivated, right?」

"That story is unbelievable too... If a phantom beast appeared in modern-day Japan, it would cause a huge panic, wouldn't it..." Shinpo's concern is reasonable.

"Hmm... In stories where mysterious powers exist in modern society, it's often about techniques or devices that manipulate people's perceptions."

"That's a cliché. If we could rewrite people's perceptions, like calling Fenrir a 'dog' or So-kun's craft a 'DIY project,' would that make it possible to keep the ability?"

Shion's ability to discern things could be explained away as having 'good observational skills,' and Senyuu could be said to have 'medical knowledge.'

Shinpo's magic seems difficult, but in essence, it's about giving the ability a 'plausibility adjustment function.'

The mystery blackboard might be capable of that, but I wonder how it will turn out...

"N-Nice. Considering the transfer to the island and the special abilities, it's not surprising that something like that would happen."

"I'd rather like to inherit the memories of this island. In fact, I was scared thinking about losing them when I escape normally..." Shion says anxiously.

Indeed, even if we forget what happened on this island, Shion and I are childhood friends, and Shouji was originally a friend.

But I became close to Shion because of this situation.

I didn't want to forget that.

"I feel the same way as Shion-san. I want to escape only after fulfilling some 'specific conditions,' even if I don't know what they are."

「And also, if possible, we all want to escape together, right?」

Everyone nodded in agreement at Shouko's words.

「So our immediate goal is to escape together. And we'll also aim for keeping our memories and abilities.」

While it's annoying that things are going according to the mysterious blackboard's plan, there's nothing to be done about it.

If we were just dumped on an desert island, we'd be angry at the unfairness.

But once we realize that our lifespan can be extended and we can get other perks, that becomes a reward for the hardships we face, and the anger subsides.

Even those who initially wanted to go home right away would think of trying a bit harder if they knew they could bring their abilities back to Earth.

「Phew. Thanks for the meal, Shio-chan.」

After everyone finished eating, they thanked the chef, Shion. 「Hehe, you're welcome.」

Cleaning up the dishes is easy since I can store them neatly and put them back in the kitchen later.

Actually, just this ability alone would be incredibly useful if we could bring it back to Earth...

「Shinpo. We have a magic practice scheduled for the afternoon, but before that, shall we show each other the results of our exploration?」 「Yes, let's do that.」

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