Chapter 108
Chapter 108
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 108
Chapter Title: Floating Island: The Eve of the Storm
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⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Pounding Simulation Activated! ???? ???? ???? ???? ?????????????????????? ??????????????? female ???????? ???????? latest ???????????? ??????? originally ??????????? ????????????? System. This bastard...?
Does it want to get smacked once for every question mark? Where does it get off messing around like this?
Is it glitching out or something?
The bottom of the Pounding Simulation results list had updated with a fresh set of ????s, so it didn't look like an error.
So what the hell do all these question marks mean?
Actually, forget that—there's something way more important to check right now.
This simulation result... is it Grandpa or fish?
Either way, it's shit, but if it's the latter, what do you even call that?
Bestiality? Nah, fishiality?
Of course, it looks like a fish overall, but up close, it has this insanely holy vibe.
Way better than Grandpa...
...Just in case anyone's getting the wrong idea, both are shit.
I have zero taste for either.
Slither.
"Whoa.."
Suddenly, the fish dude shoved its face right up in mine.
That massive mug closing in felt intimidating as hell.
Its beady eyes had this sparkling, crystal-clear gaze that didn't match at all, staring straight at me.
"What?"
Talking to a fish. What am I even doing...?
"It looks like it wants you to pet it."
"...?"
Rena?
My cute, pretty seed stared holes into the fish and said that.
Uh... for real?
I figured she was just inspecting this ugly thing up close, wondering what the hell it was.
Trusting Rena's words, I hesitantly reached out, and the fish pressed its brow against my hand, slowly closing its eyes.
.....
.....
Looking at it like this... kinda cute?
I stroked its brow in silence, and I could feel its tail swishing.
Huh...
Taking in the whole picture... it actually seems pretty damn cute?
.....
I don't have that kind of hobby.
It's just pet vibes.
"Hoo?"
Geojieo Vice-Principal's eyes lit up as he glided over smooth as silk.
Impressive.
Not even breaking a sweat to fly freely was one thing, but no detectable mana flow or presence at all—that was a realm worth genuine awe.
What stood out was how his posture didn't shift a bit while riding the fish.
Like a custom case fitted perfectly around a doll, some kind of transparent barrier enveloped him, carrying him along inside it.
A feat that took insane focus to maintain.
...But if he's gonna go that far, wouldn't it be easier to just fly with mana?
What's the point of such a roundabout method?
"Remarkable."
"Remarkable, you say?"
"For a Holy Fish to follow a mid-realm human."
Holy Fish, huh...?
The name screams lazy naming.
That "Deep Sea Fish" thing earlier must've been the species or race name, not the individual.
"What do they usually do?"
Eat 'em?
"They usually don't let anyone approach, and anyone with ill intent gets incinerated. Their bar for 'ill intent' is so low that even thinking 'I wanna get a closer look' or 'I wanna touch it' from nearby gets you attacked."
"......"
So what's the difference from a monster?
If this fish flips out, it toasts me too, right?
Right then, Rena tentatively reached out with her delicate little hand.
I wanted to stop her, but she showed no signs of backing down.
Then the fish and Rena's hand touched...
Whoosh. Whirl.
No need to sense it actively—the Holy Fish's fins were waving clear as day.
Its massive body wriggling kicked up a gentle breeze, scattering light specks like fireflies.
Why's it happier when she pets it than when I did?
You bastard. You're male, aren't you?
It's just a damn fish, but I felt oddly slighted.
...But if it's male, thinking back to that Pounding Simulation gives me chills...
No way it's into fish, right...?
Anyway, like Geojieo said, it didn't seem dangerous.
I looked at him and said,
"For something so prickly, it sure takes to people."
"Holy water takes to people in two cases. One is someone born with innate affinity."
"Hm?"
"The other is..."
"......"
"......"
"......"
This old man, cutting off mid-sentence?
Nothing pisses people off more than getting interrupted.
And the best way to piss him off is to not ask for the rest.
Beat it.
"Then we'll be going."
"Mm. Weren't you planning to tour the academy?"
Geojieo's eyes turned to Rena.
That gaze was filled with inexplicable fondness.
Not just liking kids—there was something unsettling about it...
Not dangerous, though.
If it were lecherous, I wouldn't be this polite.
"I'll guide you personally. I have stories I want to share."
"Stories?"
"About stopping the Demon King's descent, for instance."
"......"
This old guy's full of secrets.
Fine, I'll play along for a bit.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Time passed, lunch came and went.
True to his word, Geojieo Vice-Principal gave a solid tour of the school.
Honestly, for a new instructor like me who only vaguely knows the layout and has limited access, it was way more helpful for Rena.
She was thrilled, barely hiding her excitement at all the buildings and research displays.
Aaah... Rena being chummy with that old geezer!
This dogshit line felt half-sincere for once.
She was beaming at him right now.
Geojieo had stuck with us the whole time.
"So, the remote control of mana and the correlation between mana and the body that you've researched... it's an unfinished theory?"
"Haha. Glad you remember my humble book."
Watching them boils my blood.
Hey, it's lunchtime—shouldn't you scram? Read the room.
“Ahahaha! Really?”
This vice-principal's speech is weirdly un-grandpa-like.
Sometimes he talks like a young guy. On purpose?
Still, he answers every question kindly, so he seems decent enough.
Someone said to be careful, creepy vibes, but you gotta judge people yourself.
But having my long-awaited intimate date with Rena ruined left me salty no matter what.
Glared at him bitterly, and he turned to me.
"Haha. Don't glare like that. This old man's just bored being alone."
I asked without denying the glare.
"What about your assistants?"
"Hm? I don't have any. I work solo."
"Mm... Your students who attend your lectures...?"
"They hate hanging with me."
I accidentally thought 'yeah, figures,' but I stand by it.
"The festival's two days long. Stick around for one morning."
As Geojieo said, the festival runs two full days, not just one.
He's kinda my boss, so I vaguely agreed.
"Sure."
"Alright. Now, about stopping the Demon King's descent? I heard you're joining the op."
"For now."
He chuckled like my answer was hilarious.
"'For now,' huh. We'll call it that."
"......"
"Know about the Murderers?"
"Just that they're the bad Outsiders."
He nodded.
"Good grasp. To add: normal Outsiders chase quests to reach the pinnacle, but Murderers eliminate rivals or innocents to hit their goals."
Eliminate.
Fitting for Murderers—they make killing people their trade.
"Many have kill experience, but... in my view, the difference from normal Outsiders is just disposition."
"Disposition?"
"Normal Outsiders kill plenty unavoidably in incidents or quests, and rage-filled humans often don't bat an eye at killing."
Just disposition, huh.
As an Elryunar native, he's constrained by the World Tree, so his info on restrained Outsiders is spotty.
Take it with a grain of salt.
"I see."
"They usually hide themselves obsessively and move stealthily. So it's weird. The risk of Outsiders entering the Floating Island is huge, yet these paranoid types waltz in. Hard to imagine without some guarantee of safety."
So, the Murderers have something to rely on?
Why tell me this?
I eyed him puzzled, and he stared right back.
"Why do you think those types are invading the Floating Island to trigger the Demon King's descent this time?"
Rena had backed off, sensing it was grown-up talk.
I glanced at my cute seed and answered.
"Probably merits, right?"
Even Elryunars know about quests and merits.
Though they don't know gods or the system hand out rewards.
"That'd be the usual Outsider goal, but not this time."
"Their goal?"
"You already know."
He stared, demanding an answer.
That creepy gaze made me grimace.
"Almiraz."
"Right."
Geojieo nodded, satisfied.
I don't know why the Murderers want Almiraz, but he's the only anomaly worth that risk for stealthy types.
“Even when they hide so well, he tracks them like a bloodhound and slaughters them. Gotta be annoying...”
These over-cautious guys taking hits bad enough to risk it all...?
"That guy's that big a deal?"
"Huge. Outsiders get laughed off, but that's ignoring their privileges unless you're special. Privileges are just sour grapes from those dodging the power gap."
"......"
He's more pro-Outsider than expected.
"Killing a thousand Outsiders is impressive alone... but he's special for another reason."
"Special?"
"Fundamentally different from other Outsiders. Curious?"
"Nope."
I was curious, but this geezer pulled that stunt earlier when I didn't follow up, so now he's baiting me. Zipped it.
Geojieo chuckled again at my reaction.
"Simple reason the Murderers want him: they've lost it recently. Almiraz massacred a hundred Murderer-types."
"Hoo."
A hundred?
Total eleven hundred kills?
Damn, human butcher beyond Outsiders.
"That privilege seal he can use must be killer."
"Hmm... nah, for him, that's secondary."
"Huh?"
"What I respect is his effort."
"...?"
That enigmatic smile again.
"My conclusion's from documents alone, embarrassing to share. But Narnia’s hero plans to use Almiraz in this op, so you might meet him."
"Use him?"
He nodded.
"Murderers are definitely hiding on the island. We have prime bait to lure them out and know his position."
Know his position?
Almiraz's spot's already pinned?
"I see."
"Yep."
Silence fell briefly.
"Not curious about him?"
"Nah, not really."
"Alright."
Geojieo's calm voice drew my eyes—he was watching Rena, who faced the sky, ears plugged, eyes squeezed shut to block it out.
"Got a granddaughter?"
"Unmarried."
"Then..."
Before I could grill him on staring at Rena, he spoke first.
"Brilliant talent dazzles just to behold."
"Huh?"
"Not middling talent you envy—true brilliance always brings hope. Every era."
Geojieo turned to me.
His piercing eyes burned fierce.
"Know her talent?"
"...No."
The stable owner's words flashed back.
Childhood phenomenon: Ryunar's blessing on Rena.
She definitely has talent.
"Entrust her to me."
Silence.
I answered.
"Rena's call."
"Kuhuhuhu. Yes. Of course."
The shaking old man averted his fiery gaze.
Then said,
"You're not fit to raise her."
"Maybe."
"See? Brushing it off even now."
"...?"
"To me, you know it all but look away."
"......"
"You know priorities but drag your feet, testing reactions. Yet detached, distracted by something."
What the hell.
Spouting nonsense.
"See? Rationalizing now? Or is it banter? Kuhuhu..."
Fed up with the vagueness.
"Vice-Principal. Can we go?"
"Ah. Did I offend? Sorry. No, no apology."
......?
Why correct that...?
"Since I'm sorry, chat a bit more—you're no fool. You ignore despite knowing, enjoy the contradiction."
"I'm not that deep."
"Ah. Not omniscient, sure. You're pretty dense on relationships. But otherwise? You know Almiraz is a threat, my holy water's special, but don't ask. Why?"
Geojieo continued.
"Too bothersome."
"......"
"Anything outside your current goal is a hassle. This old man's curious what that goal is, kuhuhuhu..."
"We're going."
"Ah. One more thing."
Geojieo's words had a certain edge.
"Know the Demon King's forces—what the demon faction's weak to?"
He explained:
Demons fear holy power and Ryunar-fused spirits.
Specifically, contractors using Ryunar and their contracted spirits.
Spirits strengthen or weaken based on fusion.
"Why tell me?"
"You'll see soon."
"......"
Getting pissed now?
"Ah. No funny business. Your strength scares me. Honest."
"Flattery."
"Honestly: be lenient on what happens next. No victims."
"...?"
What the actual fuck.
I stared, but he gave nothing.
I had no plans to continue anyway.
"Rena."
"Yes, teacher."
I gently gripped her wrist as she unplugged her ears, leaving Geojieo behind.
He wasn't looking, but his gaze bored into my back.
Nah, probably was.
He'd been scrutinizing me.
Otherwise, he couldn't read me like that.
Then.
That day.
In the blood, rage, ecstasy—unfinished business.
Never faded except avenging Yulis.
Sudden heat surged.
I turned, covered Rena's ears myself.
Geojieo watched puzzled from afar.
Something lets him see and hear.
Frustrating it evaded detection, but whatever.
Watch you squirm.
I grinned, voiced my 'deduction'—his face finally twisted in shock.
Or closer to horror?
Felt good seeing that.
This time, I ditched him for real, heading to the festival with Rena, joyful.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Festival.
I wondered if the Floating Island fest was special.
Nope, standard fare: street stalls galore, parades of dressed-up folks, decorations everywhere.
Sweet, nutty scents overflowed, ones you never smell daily.
...Or so I thought back then.
Rumble-crash!
"Oh."
"Waaah...!"
Everyone jumped, staring skyward.
Makes sense—bolt from blue sky.
Not just that.
A massive ice block formed, shattering into sparkling crystals.
Then the crystals spun into a vivid typhoon, bursting into brilliant flames!
Fire! Fireee!!
Flames birthed light and shadow exploding everywhere, blending into cosmic vistas.
They merged into an ocean, dried to meteors zipping about...
Wild.
Sky kept shifting nonstop.
Lifelong spectacle.
FYI, most amazing: hale adults screaming at the thunderbolt, but Rena calmly admired alone.
Big things await her.
Thus, nagging thought:
If it'd help her, and I'm stunting her growth, no reason to keep her by me.
"Teacher. Time to meet Gold and Mayal's almost here."
"Got it."
Mature kid.
First-time wonders, yet prioritizes schedule.
...Her future later.
Festival now.
As Rena said, Gold first, then Mayal.
Gold hyped showing fun stuff days ago—hard to ignore.
Moving with Rena, overheard a couple.
"See, Clarit. Isn't it beautiful?"
"Instructor Blurt prepped that sky painting for days. But we see it in class often, no?"
"Y-yeah, but everyday's different."
"Really? Sorry, wasn't nagging..."
The girl talking to the guy met my eyes.
Hearing Clarit, I looked; awkwardly blinked, she smiled first.
"Oh my. On a date?"
"......"
"Oops. Instructor mode? Or student?"
"Normal mode."
She blinked sharp-yet-lovely eyes, then burst out laughing.
Who told this bitch about Instructor Drel?
Right, the cool girl. Clarit.
Then the handsome guy beside...?
"C-Clarit. Who's this guy?"
Guy eyed me and her anxiously, alternating.
Mad glint in his eyes.
"...You saw him too, Hamart. At the instructor exam..."
"Wh-who is he!!"
He shrieked, fragile-faced; Clarit looked pained.
Rena startled too.
This punk's sudden throttle.
Clarit annoyed, but help a bit.
"And you are?"
"I-I... no, I'm..."
Mumbling weakly, voice rose.
Then yelled,
"Clarit's boyfriend and fiancé!!"
Hmm. So that's it.
Clarit's much-heard fiancé appears.