Chapter 111
Chapter 111
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 111
Chapter Title: General Quest (1)
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Poof-.
The cork on the high-grade mana enhancement potion popped open with a cheerful sound.
Gulp-.
The thick liquid slid down Yuri's throat in one go.
The cold potion hit his stomach and soon turned into a blazing heat that spread throughout his body.
'Nice and toasty.'
This was the third time, following the low-grade potions and the Black Sword Legion leader-grade ones.
Even so, the foreign sensation blooming in his gut still felt utterly awkward.
But such thoughts were fleeting.
Yuri closed his eyes, meditating as he focused on the mana spreading through his body.
Sss-.
The heat starting from his abdomen shifted into a refreshing coolness, and soon a faint haze rose from his entire form.
Guiding the mana along the mana pathways he had cultivated, the scattered energy began gathering straight toward his core.
The mana core slowly grew larger.
And so two hours passed.
Hoo-.
A pale golden breath escaped Yuri's mouth and nose.
Opening his eyes, he gently rubbed his lower abdomen and tilted his head.
"Hmm, the potion boost feels kinda weaak……?"
What he had just taken was a high-grade potion.
It had indeed increased his mana by far more than the low-grade one from before.
Yet it fell short of the Black Sword Legion potion he had scored from Greta.
Not only was the quantity significantly less, but the purity itself was lacking too.
'They call it high-grade, but the purity's about low-grade level, just with a ton more mana?'
Did I take it wrong?
Puzzled, Yuri picked up a mid-grade potion and swallowed it down.
Another one or two hours passed.
"Hm?"
He tilted his head again upon waking and grabbed a low-grade potion to down it.
Time flowed on once more.
Hoo-.
"Aah."
Exhaling another golden breath, Yuri finally nodded as if in full understanding.
"Wasn't a dud after all."
There was nothing wrong with the high-, mid-, and low-grade potions he had consumed.
Each had performed exactly as its rank promised.
It was simply that the Black Sword Legion potion from before was on another level entirely.
Even combining all the other potions he had ever taken wouldn't match a single one of theirs.
'Maybe even top-grade potions have more mana but lower purity than the Black Sword Legion's.'
That was how incredible the purity of the Black Sword Legion's potions was.
Sticking out his tongue once more in admiration of the Black Sword Legion's elixirs, Yuri downed the last remaining low-grade potion.
And so Yuri indulged in the luxury of chugging four potions in a single day.
Urp-.
He forced out a burp that wasn't even there and flashed a satisfied smile.
"Filling."
Yuri patted his belly.
He had sat motionless for hours.
He had even fasted to better absorb the potions.
Yet now his stomach felt utterly full.
'Is it fist-sized now?'
Though the purity was much lower than a few hours ago, the size was a world apart from when it was just a couple of egg yolks.
Especially compared to when he first entered the Cradle.
Back then, his mana core had been no bigger than a walnut—a truly staggering growth by any measure.
And the most encouraging part? That was just a little over two months ago.
'I've been in the Cradle just over two months, and it's grown this much?'
Now he fully understood why Johan had pushed him to enter the Cradle.
Why he had said there was no better place for someone with talent to build their strength.
Nowhere else in the world would potions be this easy to obtain.
Yuri wondered just how large his mana core would be once his time in the Cradle ended.
A faint smile tugged at his lips as he rose from his seat and picked up his sword.
Yuri pointed it straight ahead, staring blankly at the tip.
His sword immediately began to change.
Wuuung-.
A clear vibration hummed from the blade, accompanied by a glossy sheen and rising lightning.
Pzzzt-crackle-.
The lightning coiling around the sword thickened, then suddenly discharged and vanished entirely, as if short-circuiting.
But that lasted only a moment.
Chijijijik-.
Far more lightning surged forth than before, turning the sword red.
At last, the blade was fully crimson.
Yuri swung the sword, now glowing like it had been thrust into a forge.
Slash-.
The sharp edge cleaved the air itself.
So keen was it that even a casual swing sliced through the air's very grain.
A quiet mutter escaped Yuri's lips.
"…It's done."
A faint smile played on his face as he gazed at the fluid sword technique he had mastered.
It had been less than a month since Theresia taught him the stages of rigid, fluid, flame, demonic, and sacred swords.
Yet Yuri had successfully manifested the fluid sword, the hallmark of Certified Rank 2.
'It eats up more mana than I thought? Can't hold it long…….'
Maybe a few minutes at most, but success was success.
'Next up, flame sword?'
Emboldened, Yuri attempted the flame sword as well.
But.
Tssst-.
The lightning flickered perilously, on the verge of extinguishing.
In the end, no blazing flames rose.
After a few more tries and giving up, Yuri scratched his cheek.
"This one's no good."
His resonance rate had hit 90% long ago, but lack of mana had kept him from manifesting the fluid sword until now.
The fluid sword had come surprisingly easily, but the flame sword was another story.
'It's not just the mana quantity—the resonance rate's an issue too.'
The 5% gap from fluid to flame sword wasn't something a mere number could capture.
No matter how he tried to align it, something kept slipping, like oil on water.
'Not easy.'
He would need more practice to manifest the flame sword.
'Or rather, I should master the fluid sword first.'
Even after failing the flame sword, Yuri's face was bright.
'Ten months left…….'
With the fluid sword complete, the remaining homework from Johan was the flame sword, demonic sword, and demonic-style capture perfected.
Plus his personal goal of the sacred sword.
Plenty left to achieve, but Yuri felt no rush.
'Plenty of time.'
He was growing steadily… and quickly.
And no one knew that better than Yuri himself.
* * *
Three days after Yuri mastered the fluid sword.
Near the forest where Yuri and Theresia's shelter stood.
Thud- thud-.
A wooden pickaxe dug savagely into the earth.
Thud- thud-.
Dozens of swings later, a large pit had formed.
Arin stared blankly at her handiwork, then irritably tossed the pickaxe aside.
Thwack!
"Argh! What the hell is this?!"
Yuri, watching from behind, scampered over and snatched up the pickaxe.
"Whoa there, you can't just chuck precious tools like that!"
Yuri shoved the pickaxe back into Arin's hands.
What did that accomplish?
Thwack!
Arin tossed it again.
"I hate this!"
"Whoa, that's no good. Be a good girl, Arin."
Like soothing a tantruming child, Yuri placed the pickaxe back in her hands and patted the back of her hand.
It worked this time—Arin didn't throw it.
Instead, she huffed and glared daggers at Yuri.
"Why do I have to do this crap?!"
Yuri replied flatly.
"You wanted a house, right?"
"I asked you to find me a house, not… not……."
Arin trembled as she bellowed.
"Build one!"
Yuri wagged his finger side to side.
"Tsk tsk, you just don't get it."
"……?"
"A house is always best when you build it with your own hands."
Arin's hand shook on the pickaxe at the shameless words.
She growled.
"Fine, say a house built by my own hands is the best. But……."
Arin pointed at the pit she had dug.
"Why do I have to dig holes? I wanted a house up high!"
"That's the foundation for where your house goes. Dig deeper. Unless you want to plummet to your death in your sleep when the house collapses."
"Uuugh……."
"And you agreed to build it yourself from the start."
"…Fine, I agreed. Yeah, I definitely agreed to build a house. But… but!"
Arin exploded again.
She jabbed her finger around them and shrieked.
"What kind of house is this? A castle… no, a village!"
Arin pointed at the area.
Centered on the rift, wooden stakes dotted the vast clearing.
They stood spaced out like boundary markers.
The problem was the boundary they marked off—an absurdly huge space that could hardly pass for a single house.
Yuri waved off her complaint.
"Psh, it's not that big. Better to build big from the start than expand later when it feels cramped. No point doing the work twice."
"Isn't it weirder to not feel cramped in this?!"
"Who knows? You'll see when it's done."
"Haa……."
Arin sighed and looked up at the sky.
No use complaining.
It fell on deaf ears.
'I was an idiot. Should never have trusted this guy!'
A few days ago.
Yuri had shown up on the second day as promised.
When he told them to follow, she had been thrilled, thinking he would keep his word.
But no.
He led them to an empty clearing and said…
[I'll help, so let's build a house together!]
…that was it.
At first, she figured building a house wouldn't take long, so she went along.
Exactly thirty minutes after he said it, Arin regretted everything.
When Yuri handed her the pickaxe and told her to dig.
'I should've run then.'
He had only said he would help.
In truth, he was just using them for labor.
As Arin's shoulders shook with rage.
Yuri's flat voice drifted over.
"Don't be so grumpy. Look over there and learn from the others. Think of it as training, not labor."
Yuri pointed to one side.
Theresia was there, diligently thrusting her spear at a tree.
Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh-.
Her spear pierced holes at regular intervals.
Dissatisfied, perhaps?
She frowned slightly, tilted her head, and moved to another tree.
She took a stance like facing a mortal enemy.
Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh-.
Her spear pierced the tree rapidly once more.
Beside Theresia.
Thud-.
Topless Poppy shouldered a log and lumbered along.
Dissatisfied as well, he frowned faintly, then slung another log from nearby onto his shoulder.
Now satisfied with the weight, Poppy's face lit up.
He squatted and stood a few times, then began carrying the logs to the designated spot.
Each time, his massive, furious muscles writhed.
Watching them, Arin was dumbfounded.
'How can they… adapt to this so casually?!'
Especially Theresia—Arin's gaze filled with disbelief.
'Poppy, fine, but why's that senior so chill?'
It was shocking enough that a 49th Cohort senior was even here with Yuri.
But she cooperated with him to an eerie degree.
Like he had some dirt on her.
Seeing Arin's pout, Yuri grinned.
"Come on, finish up quick so we can eat lunch! Lunch!"
Arin's ears perked at "lunch."
Her irritation visibly melted.
"…What's for lunch today?"
When Yuri brought Poppy and Arin, he promised them room and board.
For Poppy, too bulky for the rift, and Arin, who refused to live underground even on pain of death, he built simple lean-tos.
Arin wasn't thrilled, of course.
It wasn't what was promised.
Yet she held her temper.
She could have bolted anytime but stuck around, grumbling while doing as told.
All because of the food in Yuri's room and board.
Gulp-.
Arin swallowed as she asked about lunch. Yuri smiled.
"You'll like it. I put some real skill into today's lunch."
"R-Really? Better than yesterday?"
"Naturally."
"Yay!"
"So hurry and finish that. Wrap it up and lunch time."
"Got it!"
Arin nodded and swung the pickaxe vigorously again.
Her face beamed innocently, as if the tantrum never happened.
Yuri smiled warmly at the sight.
'Definitely from a good family.'
Theresia too.
Street rats might not care.
But kids from fine homes were spoiled by fancy flavors before entering the Cradle.
After months of bland, tasteless rations here, the craving built up.
Give them decently flavored food then?
'Their eyes roll back in bliss.'
That's how Yuri easily put high-class talents like Theresia and Arin to work on menial tasks.
"Heh heh heh."
His warm smile turned sly.
But lest Arin see, Yuri quickly schooled his face and gazed at the rising pillars.
In that moment, a faint madness glinted in his clear eyes.
'This is just the beginning.'