Chapter 119
Chapter 119
Ch. 119 .｡.:✧ Who Are You? (1) ✧:.｡.
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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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“-Cut!”
Yerina declared powerfully.
A clean, simple, yet beautiful cut flew towards me, and then… the connection was severed.
At the same time, I sensed the Demonic Blood Oath, which had been linking me to Alicia, shatter.
“…Connection… severed… she won.”
“That’s some ridiculous power…”
She had found the formation’s core, cut it, and neutralized the entire formation. A formation with a destroyed core would collapse, its shape crumbling, unable to function any longer.
That’s why curse users usually concealed the core to protect the formation.
But since Yerina was practically insensitive to demonic energy, I hadn’t bothered to conceal it. I never imagined she would be able to see the core, let alone destroy it.
‘Is that the full power of Beast Mode?’
Up until now, I had only seen Yerina’s Beast Mode when she was consumed by rage, unleashing her magic power and physical strength in all directions.
But it seemed she could also focus it on a single target, granting her a vision that transcended human limitations.
Of course, there would be a backlash, leaving her unable to use her eyes for a while. But even so, it was a terrifying ability.
‘And the Art of Sensory Control will make her even stronger?’
The Art of Sensory Control, passed on to Yerina through Alicia…
If she mastered it, she wouldn’t lose Beast Mode. Instead, she would gain complete control over it.
In other words, Yerina would become even stronger…
I suddenly felt a chill.
Had I made a mistake giving her that technique?
‘It was something I had to do eventually.’
But I had no regrets.
This was the only way to ensure Alicia’s safe return and suppress Yerina’s madness.
Things had gotten a little complicated along the way, with Yerina now believing that I had been captured and exploited by some evil curse user…
But Alicia would clear up that misunderstanding.
Or maybe she would end up trapped in the ice cave.
Either way, I had to trust Alicia and leave it to her from now on.
“I guess I won’t be seeing Alicia for a while.”
“…That’s… good.”
She wouldn’t want to break her sister’s trust again, especially after just regaining it.
This was probably the end of my relationship with Alicia.
I hoped I wouldn’t find her crying and squatting in Clockwork City later, having been kicked out again.
No, that wouldn’t happen.
“Let’s clear a nearby Black Star dungeon and head back. The negative energy here is suffocating.”
“…Okay. Hungry.”
“Blood?”
“…Yes.”
We had stayed in the North for quite a while.
If we stayed any longer, we would be caught in Yerina’s radar.
We had to leave quickly.
I offered my neck to Undecided, letting her bite, and carried her out of the forest.
“It’s time to get a new sword.”
As we walked through the market, I noticed the well-sharpened swords on display.
My current sword wasn’t exactly impressive, but it was sturdy.
But I had used it so roughly, sharpening it so frequently, that the blade was visibly thinner now.
It was time to get a new one.
Then why was I hesitating? Why not just buy a new one?
Because of the various sword styles I had learned.
My current sword was a strange one, neither a two-handed sword nor a one-handed sword.
It was a custom-made sword, designed to accommodate all three styles, the Dakia Style, Merida Style, and Frost Style.
To use all three styles with a single sword, I needed a custom-made one.
But that took a lot of time.
For someone who had to move from place to place quickly, staying in one place for too long was a huge loss.
But if I bought any random sword, I would have to carry three separate swords for each style.
That would be extremely cumbersome.
“This is a headache.”
None of the options appealed to me.
I guess I would have to keep using this old sword and abuse it a little longer.
I stroked the sword, disguised as an umbrella, and left the market.
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Clank, clank!
The sounds of tools echoed through the spacious workshop.
Confident hands moved with precision.
Eyes focused with determination.
The copper-skinned girl, Tay, wearing goggles, worked tirelessly.
“Haa! Done!”
Clank!
The mana stone, held by tongs, was dipped into a tank of cold water.
The heated surface cooled, and the stone’s true color and light shone through the water.
Tay gazed at the mana stone with satisfaction, then lifted it out of the water, carefully dried it, wrapped it in a luxurious cloth, and placed it in a wooden box.
This was the tenth box she had filled.
Other master craftsmen, even with their utmost effort, could only process one or two top-grade mana stones a year.
But Tay was churning them out like a factory, processing mana stones of unparalleled quality at an astonishing speed.
‘Come to think of it, my life isn’t that different from when I was handling low-grade mana stones…’
Wake up, process mana stones all day, collapse from exhaustion, sleep, wake up, process mana stones again…
A life like a machine.
That was her daily routine these days.
Of course, it wasn’t boring.
One mistake could cost millions of gold, so it was always thrilling.
But…
Tay felt like she was in a slump.
When she first started handling top-grade mana stones, her skills had improved rapidly.
Especially after processing the black mana stone Yoo-jin had brought her, her skills had evolved to another level, so the rumors said.
But that was the limit of her growth.
Since then, she had been stuck.
She received new mana stones every day and processed them, but the difficulty remained the same.
There was no room for improvement.
‘I need the black mana stone…’
She had to process the black mana stone.
That desire grew stronger every day.
Uncontrollably.
-Tay-nim. You have a meeting request. In the VIP waiting room…
“Is it the investor?!”
-Yes, that’s right.
“Yes! Tell them to wait a moment!”
Tay cheered, tossing aside her tools.
The investor was here!
Hearing those words, her fatigue vanished, and her body felt lighter.
She was about to rush towards the elevator when she suddenly stopped.
“Ah. Am I too dirty…?”
She went back, wiped the soot off her face, and tried to tame her messy hair.
Of course, hair that hadn’t been washed in over a week wouldn’t be tamed by simply combing it. She had to wash it properly.
“S-Should I… dress up a little?”
After washing her hair and body, she noticed her work clothes.
It would be rude to meet the investor in such dirty clothes.
She looked around for something else to wear, but there was nothing in the workshop except pajamas and work clothes.
She lived here, but she didn’t really live here.
With a sigh, she reluctantly changed into a new set of work clothes.
Looking in the mirror, she noticed her unkempt fingernails, messy eyebrows, unruly bangs… Everything seemed to bother her.
She quickly averted her gaze from the mirror.
She didn’t have time for all that.
She had already kept the investor waiting…
“Ugh. My eyes feel blurry.”
She felt a sudden dizziness, her body swaying.
This often happened after long hours of work.
As if it was nothing, she popped a fatigue-relief pill into her mouth and stepped into the elevator.
“Ehehe! I’m excited!”
‘Excited? Can you see the black mana stone?’
“Yes! Maybe!”
She was excited.
As the elevator descended, its motor whirring, Tay couldn’t keep her feet still. She tapped them impatiently.
Finally, the elevator stopped with a ding.
The moment the doors opened, she couldn’t hold back her excitement any longer. She rushed forward.
“Investor-nim! Haah!”
“…Don’t… touch me… with your… dirty clothes.”
“They’re not dirty! I washed up and changed into new clothes! So move! Ugh! You’re so small, but so strong!”
“…Let me see… Sniff, sniff. You’re right.”
But it wasn’t the investor who greeted her at the door. It was the Blood Ghoul girl, Undecided.
Tay struggled for a while, trapped in Undecided’s grip, before finally breaking free.
Panting from the unexpected exertion, her gaze landed on the sofa.
And the moment she saw Yoo-jin, she couldn’t contain her smile.
She skipped towards him.
“Investor-nim! I missed you!”
“…Like… a dog.”
“What?!”
If Tay had been a canine beastman, her tail would be wagging furiously right now.
That’s what Undecided thought, watching Tay hug Yoo-jin with a blissful expression.
“You’ve grown a lot.”
“Really? Me?”
“Yes. When you hugged me before, you were about the same size as Undecided, so it felt light. But now, when you hug me, it’s like you’re crashing into my chest, taking my breath away. It’s a completely different feeling.”
“Hehehehehe!”
Tay giggled, delighted by Yoo-jin’s honest observation.
For a dwarf whose growth was stunted, getting bigger meant only one thing.
It meant her skills and achievements had improved significantly.
So, for a dwarf, being told she had grown a lot was like being praised for her skills.
The person who had rescued her from hell and made her the best craftsman she could be…
The person who had recognized her talent early on and believed in her…
His praise was the most precious thing to her.
“Now that you’re bigger, maybe you should… let go?”
“Huh? Why?”
“Well… it’s embarrassing?”
“Embarrassing? Why? There’s no one else here.”
“…I… am… a person… No, I mean… my words?”
“You’re not actually a person, you short little Blood Ghoul.”
“…Angry.”
“What are you going to do if you’re angry? This is my building, you know? Want to get kicked out?”
“Hey, hey. Stop fighting.”
Yoo-jin sighed, looking down at Tay, who was clinging to him even tighter.
In the past, this kind of skinship wouldn’t have mattered.
Their age difference was obvious, anyone could tell they were just a niece and her uncle.
But after her sudden growth spurt, it was awkward.
It would have been better if she had fully matured into an adult, but she hadn’t.
She looked like she was in that ambiguous, in-between stage, and if anyone saw them like this outside, he would be arrested immediately.
“Don’t worry. I know when to behave. I’ll give you special treatment outside.”
“O-Okay. Thank you. And here are the mana stones I brought today.”
“Let me see!”
Only then did Tay release her grip on his waist.
The innocent, playful dwarf girl had vanished.
In her place stood a serious, passionate craftsman.
Inside the box were colorful gemstones.
For a moment, Tay’s face lit up as she examined each one with delight.
But then, a sense of unease crept into her expression.
“Are these all top-grade mana stones?”
“Yes. I wouldn’t bring you anything less.”
“What about the black mana stone? Is there a black mana stone?”
“No. There isn’t.”
“Why not? Why haven’t you brought me any black mana stones lately? Are you giving them to another craftsman? Did I fail twice, and now you don’t trust me…?”
“Tay.”
Tay’s eyes wavered.
Her hands trembled, and her breath quickened.
She couldn’t speak properly.
It was as if she was possessed by something.
‘I need the black mana stone! I need the black mana stone! I need the black mana stone!!!’
Tay couldn’t think about anything else.
She had to get her hands on the black mana stone.
That was her only thought.
The voice in her head was telling her that she had to do whatever it took, no matter what, to get the black mana stone. She had to extract a large amount of demonic energy from the black mana stone and…
“Bring me the black mana stone! I need it to improve my skills… No, no, that doesn’t matter anymore! I just need the black mana stone! I don’t care about anything else, just give me the black mana stone! Just let me hold it once! Please! Quickly!!!”
“You…”
Tay’s speech accelerated.
Yoo-jin was momentarily taken aback, then his expression turned serious as he observed Tay’s bloodshot eyes, trembling body, and unusual speech pattern.
“Who are you?”
“Huh?”
This wasn’t Tay.
Yoo-jin reached that conclusion.
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