Chapter 118
Chapter 118
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 118
Chapter Title: New Record (2)
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Around noon on February 27th.
The end-of-month evaluation for February was right around the corner.
By now, most cadets had already registered their points.
Arin and Ppoppi had done the same and were heading back to their nest.
Their so-called nest was just two shabby huts plopped down in a wide-open space surrounded by tall wooden pillars.
But to Arin and Ppoppi, who had spent long stretches camping out, even this was a precious haven.
Arin arrived at the nest and stretched her arms out long.
“Ugh, going out is such a hassle… Home is still the best!”
Arin had been exploited by Yuri, forced to swing a pickaxe nonstop.
During this hard-won free time, she’d practically fused with her hut, living like a sloth.
She holed up inside, too lazy for anything, and got by on dry rations for meals.
If she hadn’t needed to register points today, she probably would’ve lounged around for a few more days.
Even so, after over ten days of seclusion, Arin had regained her energy. She glanced toward the rift and called out to Ppoppi.
“Ppoppi.”
“Hungry?”
“That guy still hasn’t come back today?”
*Nod nod.*
Ppoppi, who knew exactly who she meant, nodded.
Arin’s delicate brows furrowed.
“…Where the hell is he, and what’s he doing?”
Ever since getting time off, Arin hadn’t seen much of Yuri.
Sure, part of it was her holing up, but the root cause was that Yuri hadn’t returned to their place.
“The first few days, he at least came back to sleep….”
But at some point, Yuri stopped coming back altogether.
That was already several days ago.
No wonder Arin’s lips pursed in a pout.
“He says he’ll build us a house, then runs off and doesn’t come home?”
Of course, she didn’t hate the huts they had now, but what she’d wanted from Yuri in the first place was a house up high.
He’d lured her in with promises—or rather, let’s build it together—worked her to the bone, and now ditched her without a care.
That was the primary reason for Arin’s foul mood.
The secondary one was….
“What about our food?!”
With Yuri gone, they were stuck eating tasteless dry rations every day.
“At first, it was nice not having that nag around….”
But that only lasted a few days.
After days of nothing but rations, the taste buds Yuri’s cooking had revived were protesting for something delicious.
Look at her now.
Just recalling the flavors of Yuri’s dishes made saliva pool in her mouth.
“…I’m hungry.”
Ppoppi felt the same; he wiped a bit of drool from his mouth.
Seeing this, Arin broached the subject carefully.
“Hey… wanna go look for that guy?”
“Hungry?”
“Not just to beg for food, but… y’know, check if he registered his points? I mean, who knows? He might’ve forgotten.”
“Hungry!”
Maybe embarrassed about admitting it was for food, Arin tried to dress it up, and Ppoppi nodded.
But there was one problem with heading out right away.
“Where do we even find Yuri…?”
“…Hungry.”
They had no clue where he was.
But just then, someone appeared who could give them answers.
*Thud!*
Theresa, emerald hair whipping as she emerged from the rift.
Arin and Ppoppi scurried over at the sight of her.
“Theresa seniorrrr!”
“Hungry!”
Theresa’s eyes flashed with slight surprise at the two charging toward her out of nowhere.
Still, after nearly a month building some rapport, she didn’t push them away.
“…What?”
“Do you know where Yuri is? He went out with you last time and hasn’t come back.”
Theresa nodded faintly at the question.
“Yeah.”
“Then can you take us there?!”
“There?”
Theresa had originally left her place to register points.
But at Arin’s request, she hesitated a bit.
‘Is Yuri doing okay?’
The moment she heard the request, Yuri’s face popped into her mind.
She hadn’t checked on him since dropping him off at the quest hall, so she didn’t know his progress yet.
‘Has he beaten my record?’
But Theresa quickly shook her head.
‘The mechanism breakthrough quest isn’t just about speed for high scores.’
Of course, she was certain Yuri would surpass her someday.
But even he couldn’t leapfrog her this quickly.
‘It took me five months to hit 198 points, but that’s because of my constitution that keeps hitting walls.’
If she started over now with her current skills, knowing nothing, it’d take two or three months to reach 198.
So she figured an exceptional Yuri, compared to her current self, might take about a month to exceed it.
‘He got 188 on his first try… He might be in the top five by now.’
That thought made her even more curious about Yuri’s real rank.
She checked the sun’s position.
‘Plenty of time left. I can swing by and still make it.’
Points just needed registering before midnight anyway.
At least ten hours of leeway.
Theresa beckoned lightly.
“Follow me.”
Arin and Ppoppi’s faces lit up at her approval.
* * *
Theresa, once the top dog of the mechanism breakthrough quest before Yuri.
As they walked the forest path, she explained to the newbie pair just as she had to Yuri.
Arin and Ppoppi listened with eyes wide in wonder.
“There’s a place like that?”
“Hungry?”
“So Yuri’s been clearing quests there nonstop?”
“Hungry?”
Theresa nodded silently to their barrage of questions.
They’d arrive soon enough; answers could wait.
The moment the trio left the forest path—
*Boom!*
A sudden explosion halted their steps.
Arin winced at the echo still ringing in her ears.
“Is that mechanism breakthrough quest… always this noisy?”
“…No way.”
Theresa shook her head slightly.
Her pace quickened.
Reaching sight of the cliff, Theresa tilted her head faintly.
‘Doesn’t look off…?’
Then what was that blast?
Pushing aside the question, she led Arin and Ppoppi to the simple building.
“Here’s the place that tallies the rankings I mentioned. That leaderboard over there….”
Theresa was mid-friendly explanation when her words cut off.
“Theresa senior?”
“Hungry?”
At Arin and Ppoppi’s concerned looks, a stunned murmur escaped Theresa.
“N-No way….”
Her eyes bulged.
Reflected in her pupils: the No. 1 record.
【1st Place / 50th Cohort / Yuri Holland / 200 Points (4 Seconds)】
The top entry’s details hadn’t changed since Ivan, Nelly, and Pana checked before.
Only the time after 200 points was new.
Theresa’s voice leaked out, denying reality.
“Perfect score? And… 4 seconds? N-No way….”
She’d brought Yuri here exactly 17 days ago.
No—even less, since the day wasn’t over.
‘A perfect score already?!’
Theresa’s wide eyes refused to shrink.
She took a small deep breath to calm her pounding heart.
‘Okay, fine. Perfect in 17 days… possible. But….’
200 points, somehow.
But how the hell does 4 seconds happen?
Is that even physically possible?
Theresa’s thoughts tangled.
Ignoring Arin and Ppoppi’s weird stares, she urgently rapped the desk.
*Tap tap.*
“Peter! Peter Lehmann, combat—”
“…I’m awake, so cut it out.”
Before Theresa finished, Peter cracked his eyes open wearily.
She leaned in close over the desk.
“Peter, that score… it’s real, right?”
Peter, fully grasping what stunned her, nodded.
“Real as it gets. No rule violations—a legit score.”
“H-How… how do you even get 4 seconds?”
Peter shrugged at her question.
“Dunno. Got me curious too.”
The prior 9-second record was shocking enough, but this new 4-second one was absurd even to him.
Seeing Theresa’s round eyes, Peter smirked slyly.
“Wanna see something even better?”
“Huh?”
At her echo, Peter touched the wall.
*Whirr*—it rotated.
Revealing the 7-star mechanism leaderboard.
Theresa’s eyes widened again.
The shock came from the top name and record once more.
【1st Place / 50th Cohort / Yuri Holland / 200 Points (4 Seconds)】
【2nd Place / 48th Cohort / Gunter Rider / 188 Points】
【3rd Place / 49th Cohort / Theresa Winchester / 165 Points】
It went beyond overwhelming—straight-up bizarre.
“Oh my god….”
She’d dropped to third, but Theresa was a survivor of the 7-star mechanism too.
That’s why she knew better than anyone: Yuri’s record was near impossible… no, impossible.
‘How?’
How do you clear even 7-star in 4 seconds?
How?
The moment that burning curiosity hit—
*Boom!*
The blast rang out again.
Arin turned toward the sound, blinking.
“Huh? That’s… Yuri, right? Yeah?”
“Hungry.”
Ppoppi nodded too, agreeing.
The source: the green cave.
Yuri burst out from it.
Seeing the familiar black-haired back, Theresa murmured, entranced.
“…What the hell have you been up to?”
With that, she moved.
To see what Yuri was doing.
And how he’d set such an insane record.
* * *
*Thud thud.*
Ignoring the vibrations from behind, Yuri crouched by the slot spitting out score sheets.
*Slide—thunk!*
‘Got it!’
He snatched and unfolded the sheet. Disappointment flicked across his eyes.
“Wow, playing dumb even after all this?”
Just a 【0】 on the sheet.
No message he wanted.
“You’ll hold out on this? Tough nut.”
From his view, anyway.
From theirs, the guy smashing every one of 100 traps while visiting caves demanding a chat was the tough one.
“Hmm… nothing left to smash today.”
As Yuri scratched his cheek—
“What’re you doing?”
He turned at the voice behind him.
Arin, Ppoppi, and Theresa.
Seeing the odd trio, Yuri cocked his head.
“What’s up? What brings you here? All three together?”
“Wondering if you’re dead or alive, and what you’ve been up to. So, what?”
Yuri smirked bitterly at Arin’s question.
“Something terrifying.”
“……?”
“Tormenting the guy who badmouthed me. Terrifying stuff.”
Arin kept tilting her head, but Yuri didn’t elaborate.
Theresa cut in during their exchange.
“Yuri, you….”
“Yeah?”
“That time… how?”
“What?”
“What the hell did you do to get 4 seconds….”
Theresa trailed off, but Yuri got it crystal clear.
He snickered.
“Oh, that?”
Yuri had thought 9 seconds was the limit, hard to shave more.
But as always, rethinking opened paths.
“Tried a change of perspective.”
And realized the dead end he’d thought was final… wasn’t.