Chapter 175
Chapter 175
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 175
Chapter Title: Mutual Prosperity (5)
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Yuri emerged from the rift and freaked out.
The devastated surroundings greeted him.
“W-What the hell is this?!”
Wooden walls riddled with holes everywhere, debris scattered about.
Before he’d lost his memory, there had only been a single hole in the wall. Now there were at least ten.
Flustered, Yuri scanned around for someone to explain.
Not far from the rift, he spotted the four workers gathered around a bonfire they’d made from broken wood scraps.
The quartet huddled together, whispering among themselves.
Yuri hurried toward them.
“…You sure?”
“...Hungry?”
“Really?”
“I-I’ve told you a dozen times already…”
Nos. 1 through 3 grilling Gunter like an interrogation.
They turned at the approaching shadow, brightened upon seeing it was Yuri.
“Yuri! You okay?”
“You’re just in time!”
“...Hungry!”
Everyone welcoming him at once.
Caught off guard by the sudden warmth, Yuri looked bewildered.
Teresa, Arin, and Poppi rushed over, surrounding him.
Questions came pouring in.
“That guy… no, that lord… he really Johann Redner?”
“You were Swordmaster Unbreakable’s disciple?! For real?”
“...Hungry!”
Yuri sighed inwardly at the barrage.
‘Looks like everything’s out in the open.’
He’d been caught mid-bet with Segyung by Donoe, and Johann had shown up to help—that must’ve been in front of everyone.
Yuri had half-expected this.
‘Still not a great situation.’
Having an outsider come and go from the cradle wouldn’t end well if discovered.
Especially one connected to him—it could become a weakness anytime.
So he felt a twinge of unease that his long-hidden secrets had all spilled out.
At least the ones who knew were now somewhat trustworthy.
Yuri’s gaze shifted to Gunter, watching from a distance.
‘Three of them, fine. But the goody-two-shoes…’
Gunter subtly avoiding his eyes.
He’d known about Yuri and Johann from the start and hadn’t blabbed to the others so far.
No reason he’d go blabbing now.
As Yuri thought that.
“How the heck did Swordmaster Unbreakable even get in here?”
“Even for him, outsiders just waltzing into the cradle? Wait… maybe it’s fine if it’s Swordmaster Unbreakable?”
“...Hungry!”
Nos. 1 through 3 kept firing off questions.
Yuri answered curtly.
“No clue how that old coot sneaks in and out. But probably…”
Everyone’s eyes locked on him.
Even Gunter, feigning disinterest, waited.
“...flies in and out?”
“……”
A chilly silence fell.
Murmurs of discontent followed.
“Liar. Just say you don’t wanna tell.”
“Bullshitter.”
“...Hungry!”
Yuri looked awkward amid the clamor.
‘Even if I tell the truth…’
Reality could be stranger than fiction sometimes.
With a sigh, Yuri waved it off and asked his own question.
“Anyway, why’s everything trashed? Why’s it all smashed up?”
The group’s faces fell.
Arin spoke for them.
“That bomb-crazy old man did this…”
Teresa picked up.
“Dunno what beef those two elders have, but the ogre elder went berserk, hurling bombs at Swordmaster Unbreakable.”
“...Hungry.”
Yuri sighed softly, nodding knowingly at Poppi’s affirmation.
‘Of course. Those two meeting? Bound to wreck something.’
The issue was why their mess had wrecked the fortress they’d slaved over.
‘Wonder if we’ll finish by year’s end at this rate.’
Keep breaking like this, and they’d run out of trees first.
Sighing, Yuri looked around.
“So where’s the ogre elder?”
“He was over there till just now.”
Teresa pointed.
A still-smoldering furnace stood there.
Yuri headed over without a word.
Arin whispered in surprise at his back.
“He didn’t deny it… so yeah, that’s Swordmaster Unbreakable.”
“Looks like it.”
“...Hungry.”
The trio’s eyes swiveled to Gunter.
Their ‘For real?!’ stares drew a heavy sigh from him.
“I’ve told you guys a million times already…!”
* * *
Yuri walked through the darkness.
Crunch crunch.
Past the furnace, bathed in orange glow, he found Segyung Walker sitting.
“What’re you doing here?”
Yuri raised his voice deliberately, but Segyung kept staring into the flames.
As if entranced, fixated solely on the fire.
Standing beside him, Yuri said confidently.
“What’re you doing? Let’s finish the bet!”
Only then did Segyung speak.
“Isn’t it beautiful?”
Yuri tilted his head at the unexpected reply.
Ignoring him, Segyung continued solemnly.
“The furnace flames bloom even more beautifully at night. Decades of watching, and I’ve seen no flower to match.”
He turned to Yuri with wistful eyes.
“…What did you see in my Radiant Star Extreme Manifestation?”
Yuri answered honestly.
“The epitome of a technique born from sheer tenacity.”
“I see…”
Segyung gazed back at the fire.
After a moment, he nodded.
“Good you grasped it. So this bet… I lose. I’ll teach you metallurgy and alchemy as promised.”
“……?”
“That’s why I waited. Well… I’ll be off. See you.”
Dust off his rear, Segyung stood.
Yuri grumbled at his profile.
“Hey, calling it a win for you? I hate cheap wins like that. Let’s settle it proper. Wait, I’ll show you the Radiant Star Extreme Manifestation right now.”
“…No need. Just take the win…”
Repeated refusals narrowed Yuri’s eyes.
Then his lips twitched with a mocking lilt.
“Grumpy old fart… you scared?”
“……”
“Think you’re gonna lose this bet too, so pretending to be gracious?”
“……”
“Man, I thought you were all serious… but this lame trick? Pfft.”
Segyung’s shoulders trembled at the taunts.
‘You little shit, you noticed!’ he mouthed.
Grinding his teeth.
“…You’re lucky.”
“Huh?”
“If I hadn’t used all those bombs your damn master brought… I’d shove ‘em down your yap right now.”
“Yeah yeah, sure you would. Anyway, bet’s on? I’ll show you Yuri-style Radiant Star Extreme Manifestation!”
“Enough…”
“Why?”
“Argh, fine! You win!”
Segyung bellowed, cheeks puffing.
He glared, seething.
‘All geniuses can drop dead!’
That cocky smug face and his own nagging doubt screamed it.
Yuri might actually pull off the Radiant Star Extreme Manifestation.
No—odds were high.
That’s why he didn’t want to see it.
If that bastard nailed it after one look…
‘Decades of my agony to master it—what’s that worth?!’
Better to lose the bet than have his life’s work invalidated.
“Hey, I’ll show you! I can really do it proper! C’mon, watch!”
“……”
Yuri’s relentless prodding left Segyung shaking.
He looked up at the starry sky, pondering life’s greatest dilemma.
‘Should I… quit metallurgy?’
* * *
That day, Segyung left, muttering he’d return.
Very unenthusiastically.
The very next day.
Yuri gathered workers 1 through 4 and stood before them.
“Phew…”
Deep breath.
Solemn-faced, he drew his sword before them all.
Shing.
Like he was about to stake his life.
Eyes fierce on the blade tip.
His beloved Whitey began to change.
Rigid sword, soft sword, blazing sword.
Gunter let out a quiet gasp at the swift, fluid shifts.
Whitey, now effortlessly three-stage transformed, donned golden garb.
Coated like in translucent honey, a semi-transparent film.
A magic sword.
Crackle.
Blue lightning wrapped Yuri’s magic sword, holding steady.
1, 2, 3 seconds.
Surpassing past records, yet Yuri looked utterly relaxed.
A full minute passed.
Sching.
Yuri sheathed it.
‘Held the magic sword for a minute… and still has spare!’
No, this wasn’t just spare.
This amount, density, purity of mana could sustain a magic sword for over 30 minutes.
Yuri flushed with excitement.
‘This nipple… it’s insane!’
The tiny mana nub dangling on his empty watermelon mana core.
He’d dismissed it as a useless nipple.
But now, knowing its truth, he couldn’t.
‘This was just… the old coot’s 2% or so?’
And that 2% outstripped dozens of times the mana he’d painstakingly gathered in the cradle.
From this little lump.
So…
‘What if I fill the empty space and unleash the core’s full power?’
Yuri’s mind flashed to Johann obliterating a cliff.
A thrilled laugh escaped.
“Heh heh heh heh.”
Yuri tilted his chin at Poppi.
Eyes screaming, ‘See? No more quickshot!’
Poppi crossed her arms.
“...Hungry.”
“So what’s next? …she says.”
“Next?”
“Yeah.”
“…Wait.”
Yuri lowered his chin at Arin’s translation.
He knew exactly what Poppi meant by ‘next’.
Yuri gripped his sword, face grim again.
‘With this much mana…’
Gritting teeth.
To show that smug baldhead, he squeezed the mana core.
Whitey flashed to magic sword.
Then to the next stage.
The blade, faintly visible through the translucent gold film, fully submerged in gold.
Soon, only perfect transparent golden crystal remained.
A gemstone sword.
Teresa and Gunter inwardly marveled.
‘Beautiful…’
‘A true… holy sword!’
Not unconsciously like before—Yuri had forged a holy sword by will.
Proof he’d reached certified rank 6.
As they admired.
1 second.
The holy sword’s brilliant blue lightning faded.
2 seconds.
Blue lightning vanished.
3 seconds.
Golden crystal dissolved; Whitey reverted.
Crackle crackle.
Faint sparks lingered, twitching.
Fizzle.
Then gone.
“Ah…?”
“Huh?”
“…Done?”
“...Hungry.”
The holy sword vanished after exactly 3 seconds; workers 1-4 blinked.
Yuri, most flustered, flushed beet red.
“T-This is… uh… I tired myself showing the magic sword earlier! Yeah, that’s it!”
“…How much effort was that?”
“Even that takes a toll! Wait, I’ll recharge mana and show you proper!”
His lame excuse only highlighted his all-out effort for the holy sword.
Poppi’s lip twitched.
“...Hungry.”
“Congrats on escaping magic sword quickshot, holy sword quickshot… she says?”
Yuri snapped at Arin’s translation, lunging at Poppi.
“Kyaa! No! I’m not a quickshot, you bald bitch!”
Denying truth, furious Yuri gnawed Poppi’s scalp.
Then.
“Tch. Mindlessly pumping mana into a holy sword? Deserve the quickshot label, you brute.”
The sudden voice turned all heads.
Clack clack.
Workers 1-4 froze at the approaching Johann.
‘…It’s him.’
‘Swordmaster Unbreakable!’
‘Johann… Redner.’
‘...Hungry!’
Unbreakable Sword—Johann’s title.
His feats a myth, eternal while Sword Lord endured.
Natural for sword path juniors to revere him.
But exceptions exist.
Yuri never once feared Johann, from first meeting to now.
Even now, chomping Poppi’s head despite his arrival—Johann’s brow furrowed.
“Stop screwing around and get down. I’ll teach you how to handle magic and holy swords.”
“…For real?”
Yuri bolted over before he finished.
Eyes sparkling with hope.
“Learn that trick, and I escape 3-second hell too?”
“Depends on you.”
“No problem then—I’m good at everything! But gramps… not leaving? You usually bounce in under a day.”
“Seeing your mess, looks like you need a few days of nagging. So…”
Johann eyed the four workers.
“Get ready. While I’m here, I’ll give you lot some pointers too.”
“……?!”
The quartet’s eyes bulged.
Panic set in.
Swordmaster Unbreakable offering guidance—not just anyone knew what a chance this was.
“W-We’ll be right back!”
“Me too!”
“...Hungry!”
“Prepping now!”
Scattering like startled birds, they grabbed weapons.
Meanwhile, Yuri eyed Johann slyly.
“What’s the scheme? Volunteering free lessons?”
“Tch, volunteering my ass—I’m doing this for my convenience.”
“……?”
“I’ll visit your ass often from now on. At my age, sneaking like a thief, minding those kids forever?”
“Oh.”
“Might as well drop some ‘advice’ on them…”
“Making them accomplices?”
“Exactly. Heh heh heh.”
A few lessons from Johann, and they’d never blab about him.
Admitting outsiders in the cradle while covering for him.
Yuri’s eyes gleamed.
“Smarter than forcing silence—self-censoring’s easier to manage.”
“Brat, you get it. Heh heh.”
“You know it! I’m sharp on this stuff, heh heh heh.”
Old man and youth.
Uncannily alike, they shared sly grins.
Heh heh heh heh.
Heh heh heh.
Their mingled laughter echoed merrily across the clearing.
Thus ended the long bet with Segyung.
Yuri attaining holy sword realm, spring’s end.
Time flew swiftly from there…
And sweltering summer arrived.