Chapter 115
Chapter 115
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 115
Chapter Title: Old Hand (2)
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Yuri's greedy eyes turned toward Peter.
"Ah, just one more question."
"What is it."
"If there's a tie, how do you handle the rankings?"
"According to internal regulations."
"...Internal regulations."
Peter yawned and waved his hand dismissively as he watched Yuri mutter his own words back to himself.
"Yawn... No more questions? Then get lost if we're done. I need my alone time."
Peter's face had grown even more vacant than before.
He shuffled back to his chair and plopped his butt down.
Then he immediately drifted off into a deep sleep, snoring away.
Yuri and Theresia left the makeshift building without a word.
Now far from the temporary structure—also known as the ranking tally station—the two of them stood apart.
Yuri jerked his chin toward the building and asked.
"Who the hell is that guy?"
"Peter Lehman. He manages this mechanism breakthrough quest site."
"Is he one of the Black Sword troops?"
"Probably? But he's been the caretaker here ever since I arrived—and even before that."
"No way... He didn't get kicked out of the Black Sword troops for sleeping on the job all the time, did he?"
"There've been rumors like that."
"Yeah, figures..."
Every Black Sword trooper Yuri had seen so far lived up to their name with a fierce, imposing presence.
Peter, on the other hand, was utterly dim-witted.
But...
'That reaction to just the words "battle stations" was pure Black Sword trooper.'
Yuri recalled how Peter had exuded a fierce aura right after waking from sleep.
How much training and real combat must he have gone through to react like that even in his dreams?
Thinking about it, Yuri was convinced that this dim-looking Peter was definitely Black Sword material.
And as Yuri pondered Peter...
"Looks like there's nothing more I can help you with now."
Such words reached his ears.
Yuri looked at Theresia, who gave a faint smile and said.
"You're not going to ask me about the Seven Star Cave, are you?"
"As if."
"I could give you some info on it."
"Honestly, it's tempting... but nah."
Yuri chuckled and waved her off.
No matter how badly he wanted first place, he didn't want to ask Theresia for Seven Star Cave intel.
Sure, it'd make things way easier.
But...
'It'd bruise my pride a bit.'
Even someone as spineless as Yuri drew the line there.
He refused to believe he couldn't do what Kunter Rider had done.
Or what Theresia had done.
For the satisfaction and self-respect he'd feel later, Yuri rejected the info this time.
Then his eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at Theresia.
"By the way."
"...?"
"Why are you being so nice to me?"
"...What do you mean?"
"From what I see, Tessa-senpai, you don't have any real reason to come to this quest site."
Theresia already held records of second place in both Two Star and up to Seven Star.
Even without first place, that was enough reason never to return here.
'Yet she brings me all the way here and explains everything so kindly.'
She was being excessively nice, really.
Look at her even now.
She'd said she had business here too so let's go together, but now she was turning back.
"What's with the sudden kindness today?"
As Yuri eyed her suspiciously, Theresia gave a curt reply.
"Just because."
With that, she immediately stepped back.
Just as she was about to leave.
"Ah, right. Tessa-senpai."
Yuri grabbed her attention again.
"Forgot to ask earlier."
"What now?"
Theresia's brow furrowed slightly in annoyance.
But it smoothed out right away at Yuri's next words.
"You said Kunter Rider is eighteen, and you're two years younger, right?"
"......"
"So you're sixteen?"
"......"
"Wow, Tessa-senpai... You got into the dorms quick, huh? I'm sixteen too."
Theresia whipped around at Yuri's grinning face.
Then she bolted from the spot as if fleeing, with quick steps.
Yuri cackled as he watched her retreating figure.
But his face quickly turned expressionless.
'Alright, infinite challenges until I break the record!'
Yuri dashed toward the cliffs like the wind.
* * *
Click!
Yuri burst out of the cave and pressed the stopwatch button.
Screech.
Sliding to a stop on the ground, Yuri looked up to check the time.
"18 seconds."
This was already his third attempt.
His initial record of 19 seconds had improved to 18.
And at that moment.
Rustle—click!
The score sheet emerged.
Yuri's expression hardened as he checked it.
"188 points?"
It was weird.
Too weird.
'Same score as the first try?'
On his second attempt, Yuri had scored 189 points.
That time, the record was also 18 seconds.
So why was the score lower when the time was the same?
Yuri stroked his chin with a serious face.
'I need to figure out the scoring system.'
That was the only way to pave the path to his ultimate goal.
Yuri recalled Peter's words.
'Ties are handled per internal regulations.'
Not joint rankings—he'd specifically said "handled according to internal regulations."
Looking at the leaderboard, some same scores were joint-ranked, while others had clear distinctions.
That meant Peter's internal regulations had precise tiebreaker criteria.
Yuri suspected it might be 'time.'
And his ultimate goal wasn't just any first place.
First, nail a perfect 200.
Even if another perfect scorer came after him, no one would top his record.
Achieving an overwhelming time record—that was Yuri's current endgame.
'Well, perfect score first.'
Crack, crack.
Yuri rolled his shoulders lightly.
'Plenty of time anyway. Keep going until I crack it.'
With that, he pressed the stopwatch's start button.
Click.
It went in smoothly without a hitch.
But the stopwatch didn't activate.
Yuri frowned slightly.
"It's doing it again? It did this earlier too."
He'd wanted to chain attempts without a break, but with the stopwatch busted, no choice.
'Plenty of empty caves anyway.'
Muttering to himself, Yuri headed to another cave.
Thus, Yuri's endless challenges continued.
Time flew by.
* * *
Mechanism Breakthrough Quest, Day 2.
Yuri had cleared all twenty Two Star caves, excluding the red Seven Star one.
He'd gotten a feel for where and how the traps triggered, bringing his average time into the high 17s.
In two days, he'd also pieced together the scoring system.
'Out of 200 points, 100 for time, 100 trap-related.'
Shorter times.
Fewer traps destroyed.
Higher scores.
'A few more runs and I'll know for sure.'
Click.
Yuri hit the stopwatch again.
* * *
Mechanism Breakthrough Quest, Day 3.
While probing trap scores, Yuri discovered that used mechanisms underwent maintenance for a set time.
'That's why the stopwatch wouldn't start.'
Peeking into a cave during downtime, he saw both pig-nose entrances sealed shut.
When the stopwatch worked again and he entered, the traps he'd smashed were fully repaired.
The more damaged the trap, the longer the maintenance.
'Someone's repairing these mechanisms?'
Peter stonewalled with "I don't know" when asked.
'Whatever, I'll figure it out eventually.'
Brushing it off, Yuri dove back in.
With each run, he honed in on the scoring system.
* * *
Mechanism Breakthrough Quest, Day 4.
Yuri's times dipped into the 16s.
His score that run: 194.
'Tessa got 198 in five months, right?'
Compared to what Peter had said about Theresia's progress, Yuri's pace was insanely fast.
Yet unsatisfied, his challenges pressed on day and night.
* * *
Mechanism Breakthrough Quest, Day 5.
Now Yuri had memorized every trap's location, type, and trigger.
He dodged them all without touching a single one and controlled his time at will.
He'd fully decoded the scoring.
'Over 110 seconds: 0 points. From 109 down to 11 seconds: 1 point per second, max 99.'
Traps totaled 100.
'-1 point per trap destroyed.'
Nodding at his analysis, Yuri concluded.
'With practice, you can clear without touching traps, so trap scores lack differentiation. Ties must come down to... time!'
Faster time wins ties.
His hunch solidified into conviction.
That day, clearing trap-free in 15 seconds netted 195.
But despite rising scores, his face stayed grim.
"To hit 200, I need to break into the demonic 10-second range?"
Yuri's instincts screamed it wouldn't be easy.
Even Kunter might've stalled at 199, unable to breach 10 seconds.
But.
'I can do it.'
He felt confident he could enter the 10s.
Thus, Yuri's challenges persisted.
The fresh challenger who'd entered the breakthrough quest site had become thick, stagnant water.
* * *
Mechanism Breakthrough Quest, Day 10.
Yuri burst from the green cave entrance.
Rustle—click!
Stopping the watch, he habitually checked the time.
"...11 seconds again."
Grimacing, the score sheet popped out right on cue.
Rustle—click!
Yuri glanced at it impassively.
【199.】
A whopping 199.
Tied with Kunter Rider for now.
It could snag first, but Yuri didn't look thrilled.
'I don't want some shared first.'
He craved overwhelming dominance.
Even after hitting 199 days ago, he hadn't submitted the score.
Screech.
Crumpling the sheet, Yuri sighed.
"Haa... The demonic tens."
As expected, sub-10 was brutal.
A straight 50m sprint? Under 3 seconds easy.
But every dodge ate time, and there were 100 traps.
Even knowing positions, it devoured seconds.
'Though dodging them's boosting my Evasion proficiency nicely.'
He'd leaned on Brain Wave and Magic Flow in crises, neglecting Evasion.
Constant trap evasion was sharpening his control.
Huge win for Yuri.
'Keep this up, proficiency rises, and I'll smash that 10-second wall.'
That conviction kept him from despair despite repeated fails.
What bugged him now wasn't failure, but boredom.
Not ordinary boredom, but that specific kind.
You know the feeling?
Body on autopilot from repetition.
Not bored consciously, but your idle brain nags you it is?
That was Yuri.
Today, his mouth voiced his brain's hint.
"Ah... So boring."
Gazing down the cliff, he wished for someone to chat with.
But.
'No people, not even an ant or bird.'
Unlike day one with crowds, now desolate.
He knew now.
That was a freak anomaly.
Over ten days here, he'd learned: this site didn't draw crowds.
49th Cohort? Barely any.
50th Cohort popped in sometimes, but quit after a few tries.
'Longest was two days?'
The 50th girl who'd stayed four days was the record...
Swoosh.
Yuri's gaze drifted to the cliff-top Seven Star Cave.
'Ah, she left for there...'
She'd hit 92nd after four days, challenged Seven Star.
Left her name on the board, then vanished forever.
Since then, three days with only Peter.
Who mostly slept anyway.
Now Yuri got why Peter called it a "do-nothing spot" and snoozed constantly.
"Boooored!"
Yuri writhed in ennui.
"Sigh, better hit 200 and bounce."
Sighing deeply, he reached habitually for the start button.
"Huh?"
Far off, three figures entered his view.
Eyes narrowing, he assessed.
'Red badge first: 50th Cohort?'
And.
'Emerald hair, blue hair, no bald head.'
Not Theresia, Arin, or Poppi.
'...Then those guys?'
Yuri pieced it together and whooped.
"Newbies!"
The old hand's eyes sparkled at the fresh meat.