Chapter 124
Chapter 124
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 124
Chapter Title: Bug Hunt (1)
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Yuri froze stiff.
In stark contrast, Yuria was beaming nonstop, clearly delighted by something.
Seeing her smile, Yuri grew wary.
‘How did he know?’
He hadn’t told a soul about his connection to Johan.
Nor did he plan to in the future.
‘Yet someone I just met today knows about me and the old man?’
For a split second, Gunter’s face flashed through Yuri’s mind.
That guy who’d taken the aptitude test with him would know everything.
‘Did he blab?’
But Yuri shook his head inwardly.
‘He didn’t strike me as the loose-lipped type.’
So how the hell did he find out?
Yuria picked up on Yuri’s puzzled gaze.
With a soft smile, she stood on tiptoe and whispered into his ear.
“The eyes of the gods are always watching the world.”
“……?”
She’d meant it as some kind of hint, apparently.
But it only plunged Yuri deeper into confusion.
‘Gods? What kind of bullshit is this?’
Like she’d received some divine oracle or what?
As question marks floated above Yuri’s head,
Jerry approached the two.
“What’s this? You two know each other?”
Yuri shook his head at the question.
“Nah, first time meeting today.”
“Doesn’t look like it—you seem pretty chummy.”
Yuria flashed a wide grin at Jerry’s words.
Yuri spoke up.
“Aren’t you two the close ones?”
“Well, as you can see, we’re from the same cohort.”
Jerry shrugged.
Just like the yellow epaulet on his shoulder, Yuria had a matching yellow one.
Meaning she was 49th Cohort too.
Yuri stared at the yellow epaulet and her, then casually asked,
“By the way... how old are you?”
“Me?”
“Yeah.”
“Eighteen this year.”
“For real?”
“Yep.”
There were no age restrictions for joining the Dragon’s Cradle.
So a senior could be younger than a junior.
Or seniors and juniors could even be the same age.
Yuri had assumed Yuria was younger than him.
But she turned out to be two years older.
As Yuri gawked at her in surprise, Jerry nodded knowingly.
“She may not look it, but she’s an adult.”
“...What’s that ‘may not look it’ supposed to mean?”
Yuria narrowed her eyes at him, and Jerry’s neck shrank back as he hurriedly changed the subject.
“Anyway! This is the new client I brought in this time. Guarantor is...”
Jerry paused at the guarantor part, his face sour.
“...me.”
Yuria nodded at his sigh-tinged words.
“Got it. So, what’s the request? Who’s it from?”
Yuri blinked in slight surprise.
“That’s it for signup? No forms or anything?”
“Nope, none. No point keeping a member list—if it gets lost, it’s a hassle.”
“Then how do you know who’s a member?”
Yuria tapped her temple.
“I remember. It’s fine.”
Yuri sensed immense confidence in her voice.
‘The Sage of Silver Ring, huh?’
Remembering every member’s name without fail.
A certainty only the Sage’s bloodline could claim.
“So, who’s got the request? You?”
“Yes, me.”
Yuri raised his hand at the repeated question.
Yuria eyed Jerry steadily.
Her gaze said: the client’s here, so you can go.
Jerry’s face lit up.
“Right, then I’ll get out of the hair of those who don’t need to be here. Have a good meeting...”
As he started backing away, Jerry turned to Yuri.
“...Please don’t cause any trouble.”
“Come on, I won’t. Thanks for your hard work, Jerry-sunbae. See ya next time!”
Jerry scowled at “see ya next time” and bolted from the room without a word.
Now alone with Yuri, Yuria smiled and asked,
“So, what’s the business? Info trading? Or need something? Want me to find it?”
“Info trading.”
“What info do you want?”
“Personal details on one person. But...”
“But?”
“Is it okay if it’s not a lancer?”
“Tell me first—who?”
“The person managing the mechanisms in the Northern Mechanism Breakthrough Quest Zone from mid-February to the end. One detail: estimated to be from the Bone Tribe.”
“Bone Tribe?”
Yuria’s eyes widened slightly in surprise.
Yuri watched her steadily.
‘Can they pull it off?’
The Bluebird was an info network run by a single lancer inside the Cradle.
How far their reach extended was anyone’s guess, so Yuri waited quietly for her answer.
“Bone Tribe... Bone Tribe...”
After muttering it a few times, Yuria nodded.
“Looks doable.”
Yuri’s eyes widened a bit.
“Really?”
“Yeah, the clues you gave are clear—should be easy to pinpoint. Just might take some time.”
“Not urgent, so I can wait.”
He’d half-doubted even coming to an info outfit.
A single lancer’s network digging up personal info on Cradle staff?
No small feat.
As Yuri marveled at the Bluebird’s capabilities,
“The fee...”
Yuri tensed at Yuria’s probing words.
‘Fee, right... gotta be pricey.’
If priced by acquisition difficulty,
This wasn’t pre-existing info—they’d have to hunt it down fresh, so it’d cost a bundle.
‘Not sure how well my silver tongue’ll work, but I’ll haggle like hell!’
Not just anyone—the Sage’s bloodline.
Doubtful how much his negotiation skills would sway her, or how deep a discount he’d get.
As Yuri steeled himself,
“Um, h-hey... by any chance... could you g-get me... h-his autograph?”
“...Huh?”
Yuri, wound tight, deflated at the out-of-left-field request.
Yuria fidgeted with her fingers and mumbled,
“Would it be tough?”
“...What? Autograph?”
“Yeah! I’ve always wanted her actual signed autograph!”
His pale cheeks flushed pink just thinking about it.
Yuri tilted his head.
“Her?”
“Yeah!”
“Who’s that?”
“Who else...!”
Yuria started boldly, then glanced around furtively, stood on tiptoe, and whispered in his ear.
“...The Unyielding Sword.”
“Who? Unyielding Sword? The one I know?”
“Yeah! Unyielding Sword Johan Redner!”
There was a “Unyielding Sword” in the world.
Holy shit, “Johan Redner” himself!
Yuri’s brain short-circuited as he asked in a daze.
“...Why? Why the hell would you want that?”
Yuria fidgeted again, eyes downcast.
“I’ve... admired and looked up to him since I was little.”
“......”
“S-so for this request’s fee... could I get his autograph? Tough?”
“......”
Yuri fell silent for a long stretch.
Misreading his heavy quiet, Yuria peeked nervously and pressed.
“If autograph’s too much, a handwritten note then.”
“......”
“I-I’ll take one with my name in it! Even if it takes years, please... get it for me!”
Watching her downgrade the fee to a “handwritten note from Johan with her name” on her own, Yuri thought,
‘The end times... the end times.’
His old sensible world must’ve ended for sure.
But no way he’d pass up this golden opportunity.
Yuri promised to get what he wanted, wrapping up the Bluebird request.
Days passed since Yuri’s first tie with the Bluebird.
Then one piece of news reached him.
Not from the Bluebird as he’d hoped.
“Yuri, everyone assemble!”
“What’s with the random bullshit? Assemble for what?”
“Second Integrated Quest!”
It was the Cradle’s muster order.
* * *
Nearly two months after the 50th Cohort’s first Integrated Quest in the Cradle.
The notice dropped for all 170 in the 50th Cohort: Second Integrated Quest.
Simple contents:
Assemble at the first quest site by March 10th, 09:00.
Thus, all 170 gathered at the Animal Forest entrance where they’d done the hide hunt.
Scattered about, murmuring softly.
Gone was their old disarray; now they carried a seasoned air.
Time ticked by, hitting exactly 9:00.
Glasses Guy led the black-armored soldiers in.
“Fall in.”
The scattered lancers formed neat ranks.
Glasses Guy scanned them approvingly and spoke.
“Commencing briefing for the Second Integrated Quest.”
His low voice clearly conveyed the details.
“As of now, Animal Forest is redesignated Forest Battlefield.”
A black-haired someone muttered, ‘Land’s big enough, why reuse the same spot?’ but Glasses Guy ignored it.
“This quest is called Armband Snatch. Form squads and engage in combat.”
His follow-up explanation:
Squads of 3 to 10 lancers, self-formed.
Squad wiped if all incapacitated or leader’s armband taken.
Continues until one squad remains.
Rewards: 3 million points per squad, plus custom gear forge rights per member.
First-ever lancer-on-lancer combat quest—the 50th Cohort’s eyes burned hot.
To their fervor, Glasses Guy said,
“You have 10 minutes to form squads. Squad leaders, report to me after for armbands matching your numbers.”
Yuri stepped forward the instant he finished.
Glasses Guy furrowed his brow at Yuri arriving in under a second.
“Squad formed already?”
“Naturally.”
“How many?”
“Three.”
Glasses Guy handed over three white armbands at Yuri’s unflinching reply.
Black-stitched numbers: 1-1, 1-2, 1-3.
Yuri took them and asked,
“-1’s the leader’s, right?”
“Obviously.”
Yuri casually slipped the 1-1 onto his arm.
Then dangled the others at Arin and Poppi.
“Here, yours.”
Arin stared at him dumbfounded.
“No asking our opinion?”
“Don’t want it?”
“Heh, as if.”
Grinning wide like her sulk never happened, Arin took 1-2.
Poppi silently grabbed the last.
Yuri flashed his armband at them.
“I’m squad leader. Objections?”
“Nope.”
“Hungry.”
Thus, Yuri’s group formed the first squad in record time.
A massive stir rippled through the 50th Cohort watching.
They exchanged glances.
Some eyes gleamed especially bright.
Those few moved quietly, swiftly.
Ten minutes later.
Squad formation complete: 25 squads total.
Before the quest proper kicked off.
‘Hm?’
Yuri sensed the odd vibe around him.
‘Huh?’
At first, he thought it a misread.
But no.
Realizing it, Yuri’s lip curled.
‘Ha? Get a load of these guys?’
Glances flicking at him, Arin, and Poppi nonstop.
Wary glares, an atmosphere walling them off—it was obvious to sharp Yuri what it meant.
‘Gonna ice us out that blatantly?’
Every squad but Yuri’s traded subtle signals.
Mingling freely, yet none approached Yuri’s side.
And the kicker...
‘Not even bothering to hide their thoughts?’
Their hostile stares screamed it plain.
A quest where only one squad wins.
So they knew.
The biggest obstacle here.
Who was closest to victory.
Just three, but top 3 in month-end evals.
Plus, they’d walked six-plus steps in the White Tiger Rite.
Hence the alliance.
Take out Yuri’s squad first, sort winner later.
It shone in their eyes.
“Ha? Taking us out first?”
Yuri’s lip curled wider.
Once started, 167 would hunt them down.
‘Seeing us... as prey?’
Yuri hated that.
Their naive notion that ganging up would nab him—it was laughable.
Time to show them.
Who was hunter, who was hunted.
Step-.
Yuri strode toward the Forest Battlefield entrance.
Arin and Poppi shot him puzzled looks at the sudden move.
Step-.
Now with the entrance at his back, Yuri called out.
“Ahem. Attention, everyone.”
His small, mana-laced voice drew all eyes easily.
Hundreds locked on him, yet Yuri didn’t flinch.
He smirked coldly instead.
“You guys know what?”
Question marks popped over the 50th Cohort’s heads.
“Bugs—167 of ’em clumped together—are still just bugs...”
They clocked the “167 bugs” meant them; question marks flipped to exclamations.
“And trash bugs like that? Just step on ’em. Like this.”
Thud- Scrape screeech-!
His foot ground the dirt like squashing a bug; even the exclamations vanished.
Silence fell.
“So...”
Yuri savored the hush with a thick smile.
But it faded fast.
Cold eyes sweeping the crowd, he said,
“Come at me. I’ll crush every last one.”
Dead quiet followed his declaration.
The arena wrapped in eerie stillness.
Then killing intent bloomed here and there.
Shhh-
It swelled into a massive wave, dominating the air.
Whoooosh-.
167’s colossal killing intent poured at Yuri.
Seeing their resolve to kill him no matter what, Yuri smiled contentedly, like admiring his masterpiece.
Meanwhile, Arin and Poppi watched their ally’s AoE taunt hit home.
“...That lunatic?!”
“H-Hungry?!”
Snapping to, they paled—now lumped with the must-kill lunatic as must-kill comrades too.