Chapter 100
Chapter 100
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 100
Chapter Title: Small Snowball (4)
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The sun hung high in the midday sky.
Thud, thud.
Yuri looked up at the heavens after stepping out of the North Gate Clock Tower.
The brilliantly shining sun was so dazzling it hurt his eyes.
He covered it with his palm, and the corner of Yuri's mouth curved up slightly.
"What a... beautiful day."
The world reflected in his eyes was utterly stunning.
What should he call this feeling?
After pondering for a while, Yuri found the words to describe his current mood.
*Ah, so this is it... the feeling of being reborn.*
No phrase could suit his present self better.
Yuri closed his eyes, spread his arms wide, and basked in the sunlight pouring down.
*Yesterday's me and today's me are on a whole different level!*
And this wasn't just Yuri's imagination.
He had truly changed on a fundamental level.
First, his mana core.
What had been the size of an egg yesterday was now two or three times larger.
Yuri marveled at it.
*The elixir distributed to squad leaders isn't overflowing with mana, but... damn, the purity is top-notch.*
The black elixir he'd consumed this time was on another level compared to the low-grade one from before.
Yuri didn't know it, but crafting an elixir with such high purity was dozens of times harder than one with just a lot of mana.
The production cost reflected that difference as well.
*Still, the Black Sword Corps is the Black Sword Corps. Handing this stuff out to squad leaders left and right—that's why they're called the strongest.*
Unaware that the elixir he'd taken was Grade 1, Yuri misunderstood.
And the second difference between yesterday's Yuri and today's.
It was confidence.
Today, Yuri had come to a clear realization.
*A man's confidence comes from a fat bank balance.*
The points left after giving Poppi and Arin their shares here and there.
The total came to a whopping 32,734,000.
All of it sat in Yuri's bank account.
He could withdraw it anytime by presenting his Black Dragon Token, safely stored in a secure location retrievable within 24 hours.
So right now, Yuri was brimming with confidence.
He hadn't noticed when living like a beggar, but with his account stuffed with points, a sense of leisure naturally overflowed.
*Feels good, real good!*
Ssssp!
Yuri took a long, refreshing breath of air.
Just as he was savoring this reborn sensation.
A voice shattered the moment from right behind him.
"You promised. You're gonna build us a house. Don't forget!"
"I'm hungry!"
Hearing the same complaint for the hundredth time, Yuri whipped around.
There stood Arin with her arms crossed and Poppi beside her.
Yuri waved his hand dismissively, a hint of irritation in his voice.
"Hey, I got it! You don't trust me?"
"Trust you? Based on what?"
"I'm hungry?"
...Should I just ditch 'em!
He'd already gotten all the points anyway—why not bolt?
But a shred of conscience held back the impulse.
Besides, today was a good day, wasn't it?
He could put up with this much.
Yuri let out a soft sigh and said,
"Sigh, meet me here on the 2nd of next month. I'll sort it out then."
"Here? The North Gate Clock Tower?"
"Yeah."
"But why the 2nd? Not today?"
"You think house problems get fixed like that? I gotta start looking into it today too. And tomorrow and the day after are end-of-month evaluations, so no dice."
"What about the 1st?"
"That's absolutely out."
"Why?"
"It's a very important day in my life."
"Important day? Like your birthday?"
"Nope."
"Then?"
"The day I achieve my dream."
"......?"
Arin floated question marks over her head, but Yuri just wore a subtle smile and didn't give a straight answer.
Instead, he waved quickly and took off.
"See ya!"
Arin watched Yuri's retreating figure shrink into the distance and asked Poppi,
"...You think he'll keep the promise?"
"......"
Even Poppi couldn't answer easily.
* * *
Yuri raced through the forest.
Soon, he reached the rift.
"Ha... home sweet home."
Expressing his delight, his figure vanished into it as if sucked away.
Tap, tap.
Back in the rift after ten days.
Ten days in name only—given everything that had happened, it felt like nearly a year.
Anyone would expect Yuri to head straight to his dwelling after so long.
But the first place he went wasn't his home—it was the communal training ground.
And sure enough, there was already someone there.
Shick—shick.
The leather-gathering quest had just ended, and the wolf quest shouldn't be far behind.
Yet Theresia was already at the training ground, thrusting her spear.
Seeing the familiar sight strangely put Yuri at ease.
He raised his hand in a cheerful greeting.
"Tetsya-senpai, long time no see!"
Shick—shick.
Theresia's thrusts didn't stop even for Yuri's greeting.
At first, Yuri thought she was too focused on training to hear him.
But spotting her slightly puffed cheeks, he took a chance and tossed out a line.
"You mad?"
Shick!
Flinch!
Theresia kept thrusting, but her momentary hesitation didn't escape Yuri.
*Oh? What's this?*
A reaction meant she was hearing everything he said.
In other words, she was pretending not to hear.
Yuri's eyes narrowed slyly.
"You really mad?"
Shick! Flinch!
"No way you're sulking 'cause I took two hides from you, right?"
Yuri had run into Theresia three times during this quest.
The first time, he'd tipped her off and let her go.
But the next times, true to his resolve, he'd taken her hides without mercy.
No neighborly favors or anything.
Well, she probably wasn't mad about that, but she had to feel frustrated.
Yuri knew it well, but teasing her flinches was too fun to stop.
"Ehhh, no way, it's a quest—you're not sulking over that, are ya?"
Flinch!
"Not personal, but official business, snatching by skill, and you're sulking?"
Flinch!
Provoked relentlessly, Theresia irritably turned around.
Whoosh.
A sharp spear tip flew right to Yuri's nose.
Beyond it was Theresia's face, looking genuinely pissed.
She glared at him and said,
"...Spar with me."
"Right now? Immediately?"
"Yeah. But up the exchange limit to 200 bouts. Can you?"
Setting it to exactly 200 bouts meant matching the condition from their wolf forms.
What did that imply?
Yuri grinned.
"Oho? Out for revenge?"
"......"
Theresia didn't reply, but it was affirmation enough.
Yuri smiled faintly and nodded.
"Sure, let's do it."
He'd been itching for a fight anyway.
A spar? Music to his ears!
And from now on, Yuri had no intention of going easy on Theresia.
The brutal tiger fight had confirmed his pseudo-keenness framework was mostly complete.
Meaning no need to drag out spars with her just to borrow her keenness.
Yuri resolved himself.
*Today, I'll show you the reborn Yuri Holland!*
And so their spar began.
Clang.
Before even 50 bouts, Theresia's spear bounced away hard.
Yuri's sword slipped through the gaping opening and pointed at her throat.
"Over."
"......?! "
Theresia's pupils shook at the spar ending in just 50 bouts.
Seeing her incredulous look, Yuri magnanimously said,
"We've got plenty of the 200 left—wanna keep going?"
No reason to refuse.
Theresia gritted her teeth and nodded.
The rematch started, but the result stayed the same.
Clang!
Defeat again after another 50 bouts.
Clang.
The next round lasted to 100 bouts only because she unleashed her keenness and special techniques, but still, Yuri won.
Clink.
Facing Yuri's sword at her throat once more, Theresia asked in a deflated voice,
"Were you... hiding your strength all this time? Going easy on me?"
Honestly, yeah.
But seeing her so soul-drained, Yuri knew brutal honesty wouldn't fly.
He had that much tact.
So he shook his head.
"Nah, I made some progress in the Animal Forest. Ate some good stuff too."
Not exactly a lie.
The ten days in the Animal Forest.
His threefold arts proficiency rose, and the life-or-death tiger duel sharpened his read on moves.
Plus the elixir this time.
He'd staked his life and gained accordingly, growing just as much.
But Theresia, unaware of his circumstances, stayed stunned for a while.
Who wouldn't be?
Someone evenly matched ten days ago suddenly leaps ahead.
After standing dazed for a bit, Theresia exhaled deeply.
"Huuu......"
Only then did her shocked eyes return to normal.
No, they seemed clearer than before.
She'd clearly overcome the mental hurdle.
Yuri was impressed.
*Incredible mental recovery.*
A shock others would carry for ages, she shook off in moments.
Not content, she used it as fuel to ignite her drive.
As if this was all par for the course.
Her gaze, now tougher after rising from adversity once more, fixed on Yuri.
With burning eyes, she declared,
"Cut the spar fee."
"...Out of nowhere?"
Yuri, admiring her spirit, deflated instantly.
Ignoring him, Theresia poured out her argument.
"This is unfair. Sure, I asked for the spar, but you're the one benefiting more from it, right? I'm not backing out of requesting it, so at least discount the fee."
...Did overcoming hardship boost her silver tongue too?
Why's she suddenly so eloquent?
*Hmm......*
After a brief think, Yuri nodded agreeably to her negotiation.
"Sure, I'll cut it."
"...Really? Why?"
"...You've passionately begged for a discount like five times already—now you're asking why I'm doing it? What am I supposed to say?"
"I figured I'd need at least five more pleas. Didn't expect it on the first try. Why on earth......?"
At Theresia's baffled look, Yuri chuckled.
"Huhuhu. Why?"
"......?"
"Because I've been reborn."
A few thousand points?
He could spot her that.
Behold—he was a man with tens of millions in the bank!
"Huhuhuhuhu."
Theresia eyed Yuri strangely as he grinned benevolently with his weird laugh.
As the spar wrapped up, Yuri remembered something and said,
"Oh, heads up—some guests of mine will visit your place soon."
"Your guests? Why my place?"
"They're my guests, but ones you'll be thrilled to see too. So treat 'em well when they come."
"...Who are they?"
"You'll know when you see 'em. Like, 'Oh, gotta roll out the welcome for this one.'"
"......?"
Yuri flashed a wicked smile at the puzzled Theresia.
And that night.
[Kuaaaaaagh!]
A horrific scream echoed from the direction of Theresia's dwelling.