"Shouko, could you go check if the others are back?"

"Okey-dokey!"

Just as Shouko was about to head toward the entrance, someone stepped out from inside. It was my childhood friend with silver hair and blue eyes, Chiyu.

"Welcome back 'Basic Heal'."

A white light enveloped us. The feeling of fatigue melted away—a truly grateful sensation. Though, this also meant my vitality had likely been fully restored again.

"I'm back, Chiyu-chi. Thanks for the Basic Heal."

"We're home. You guys got back earlier than I thought."

"Mm. Since you two are back, I’ll have Shion start grilling the steaks. Is that okay?"

"Yay!"

"I'll be there as soon as I finish making Mashiro's house."

Chiyu nodded and went back inside.

"Ah, since I've already seen Chiyu-chi, can I stay here and watch?"

"Sure."

We moved a short distance away, as Shouko wanted the Fenrir Hut to be visible from her room. I generated the building and initiated Placement. Suddenly, a structure made of stone with a wooden roof appeared before our eyes. The entrance was wide open like a doghouse, but its sheer presence made it look almost like a storehouse at first glance.

"Ooh~. It looks different from our house, doesn't it?"

"It’s the same in that it’s built without a foundation. But if I used the same method as our house, the floor might collapse under Mashiro's weight, right?"

"True!"

The stone walls stood independently, with the wooden roof resting on top.

"I hope Mashiro likes it..."

"Mashiro! Your house is ready!"

Called by Shouko, Mashiro trotted over. A phantasmal giant wolf with dazzling, fluffy white fur. He stepped into the Fenrir Hut, plopped down, and let out a satisfied howl.

"He says he loves it!"

"Glad to hear it."

As the two of us laughed together—a delicious aroma wafted toward us.

"Sniff, sniff. This is... the smell of meat!"

I had left the meat in the kitchen before leaving this morning, so they were able to cook it without me having to retrieve it from Inventory.

"Smells great."

Shouko and I headed inside. When we reached the living room, the food was just being laid out on the table.

"Ah, welcome back, you two. Lunch is steak, just like I promised~."

Shion, her hair tied back, greeted us while carrying plates. I had given her a linen apron, which she was wearing over her school uniform. Chiyu and Minori were also helping with the serving.

"Welcome back. Is Mashiro-san's house finished?"

Minori greeted us while setting the table. It seemed Chiyu had already filled her in about the hut.

"Yeah, he was really happy with it."

"That’s good to hear."

"I'm starving! It looks so good! Let's eat, let's eat!"

We all took our seats, said our thanks, and began the meal. The lunch menu consisted of boar steaks and a soup made of mushrooms and herbs. We ate using stone knives and forks.

"This is delicious...!"

The thick meat had a wonderful chewiness, and the juices were bursting with flavor.

"Yum-yum!"

"Hehe, thank you. But if we want anything better than this, we’ll probably need more ingredients."

It was good with just salt, but I certainly felt like eating it with a sauce.

"Mm. I want seasonings. For starters, the 'Sugar, Salt, Vinegar, Soy Sauce, and Miso' basics."

The five basics, huh... I see, now that she mentioned it, I wanted those too.

"Also, vegetables and a staple food. We explored the surrounding area as well, but we couldn't find any vegetables like the ones normally used for cooking in Japan. I'd be happy if we could find some kind of rice or wheat too."

"Shouko and I talked about this a bit, but I think things we used frequently in our daily lives—things everyone knows—tend not to be placed here by default."

Minori nodded at my words.

"In the dreams, we're forced to choose between two options, and one of them is added as an 'Update.' So, just as Sousuke-kun says, it's likely that things we know well and can use easily—things we would obviously want on this deserted island—were omitted from the initial placement to be used as choices later."

"It feels like it’s constantly testing us. Even with the question of what to bring to a deserted island, it allowed ability-types but didn't tell us that beforehand."

"Mm. There are quite a few edible things on this island, but without someone with knowledge or [N O V E L I G H T] an ability like So-kun's, it would be impossible to tell in the first place."

"Seriously, if I hadn't met Sousuke, this would have been a brutally painful survival experience."

We talked about such things as we ate. Eventually, the topic moved to last night’s dream. It seemed Chiyu, Shion, and Minori had already discussed it during their exploration.

"This is likely intended to deter conflict between players."

I nodded at Minori’s words. Setting aside the 'Death Penalty' we had to be careful of, the penalty for killing someone or committing suicide was '-1825' points. If someone were to escape the island with zero points, that number would be subtracted—resulting in a five-year coma after returning. The impact of losing the rest of one’s youth was significant. It would serve as a powerful deterrent.

"It also seems intended to make us feel more positive about living on this deserted island."

You could see it not just in the fact that we could return to our original time, but also in the rewards being prepared. Not just the extra lifespan from the 'Survival Bonus,' but also the bonuses based on earned points: the ability to carry memories of this island back to Earth, and even carrying our abilities back to Earth.

"Yeah. I got really motivated when I heard I could take Mashiro back with me. I mean, I was already motivated, but you know?"

"That part is still hard to believe... If a phantasmal beast appeared in modern Japan, it would cause an incredible panic..."

Minori’s concern was valid.

"Hmm... In stories where mysterious powers exist in modern society, there's usually a spell or a device that manipulates people's perception."

"A classic trope, isn't it? If we could rewrite the perceptions of those around us so they see Fenrir as a 'dog' or So-kun’s Crafting as 'DIY,' would it be possible to keep our abilities?"

Shion's Discernment could be passed off as 'excellent observation skills,' and Chiyu’s magic as 'medical expertise.' Minori’s magic might be difficult, but... in essence, a 'consistency function' would be added to the abilities. If it's the Mystery Blackboard, it seems like it could manage something like that, but I wondered how it would actually turn out...

"I-I see. Considering the teleportation to this island and our special abilities, I wouldn't be surprised if something like that happened."

"Personally, I’m more happy about being able to keep my memories of this island. I actually got scared thinking I might lose them if I escaped normally..."

Shion spoke with an air of anxiety. It was true—even if we forgot what happened here, Chiyu and I were childhood friends, and Shouko was already a friend. But I had only become close to Shion because of this situation. I didn't want to forget that either.

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

"Also, if possible, I want all of us to escape together."

At Shouko's words, everyone nodded simultaneously.

"Then our immediate goal is for 'everyone to escape together.' And we’ll also aim for 'Memory Retention' and 'Ability Retention.'"

It felt a bit frustrating that we were heading exactly where the Mystery Blackboard wanted us to, but it couldn't be helped. If we were simply thrown onto a deserted island, our anger at the unfairness would win out. But knowing that our lives could be extended and other rewards could be earned, those things functioned as 'compensation' for our 'hardship,' and the anger would fade. Even someone who wanted to go home immediately might think about working a bit harder if they knew they could take an ability back to Earth.

"Whew~. Thanks for the meal, Shion-chan."

Everyone finished eating and gave their thanks to the chef, Shion.

"Hehe, yes, you're very welcome."

Cleaning up the dishes was easy; I just had to store them in Inventory to clean them and then Replace them in the kitchen later. Honestly, even if I could only take this one ability back to Earth, it would be incredibly convenient...

"Minori. We have magic practice scheduled for the afternoon, but before that, why don't we show each other what our teams found during exploration?"

"Yes, let's do that."