Chapter 244
Chapter 244
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 244
Chapter Title: Imprint (4)
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Splash-!
Ice-cold water was mercilessly poured over the face of the sleeping figure.
It was already freezing weather below zero.
On top of that, water as cold as an ice block was dumped on them, so no matter how unconscious the person was, they had no choice but to snap awake.
“Gah!”
Startled by the sudden dousing, Koban spat out the water that had flowed into his mouth and nose as he bolted upright.
“W-What?!”
He shook his face to fling off the water and looked around.
The first thing that entered his vision was the beast-eared cadets bustling about everywhere.
Those with rabbit and deer ears.
It was as if all the rabbits and deer from the animal forest had gathered here—the open clearing was teeming with them.
They were diligently splashing water on the faces of the fainted 51st Batch members to wake them up.
“Hey, you bastards, get up already!”
“If they won’t wake up, smack ‘em till they do!”
“If Yuri doesn’t have everyone up in ten minutes, we’re all getting drilled too! Everyone, stay sharp!”
The scene carried an undercurrent of urgency and anxiety.
As Koban stared at it blankly, he recalled what had happened to him just before he passed out, and his face paled.
[That’s four so far, and now you make five. See that?]
With just four swings of the sword, eighty people had all collapsed, leaving only Koban.
It wasn’t because Koban was skilled or lucky.
Yuri had simply left him for last.
To confirm the outcome of the bet.
And the moment that confirmation was done, Koban had ended up in the exact same state as his fellow batchmates.
‘Just five… no, four swings to take us all down…’
And that was without even trying hard, casually overpowering them—what level was Senior Yuri’s skill, exactly?
‘And probably… that wasn’t even his full power.’
Right before passing out, he’d vaguely heard a voice.
[Damn, it’s a pain holding back so I don’t kill ‘em.]
If that irritated voice was true?
‘If he’d gone for the kill instead of just subduing us, it wouldn’t have even taken four exchanges…’
That was beyond what an ordinary Rank 4 License holder could do.
With that line of thought, Koban reached a conclusion.
‘Senior Yuri might be Rank 5 License level!’
A chill ran down his spine.
‘My god… a second-year at Rank 5 License?’
Did that even make sense?
If his guess was right, it defied all common sense.
That would mean Yuri Holland possessed talent beyond mere genius.
The only word to describe him was…
“…Monster.”
Monster—that was it.
While Koban was coming to grips with reality, night fell, and the entire 51st Batch regained consciousness.
At that moment, a booming voice echoed across the night sky.
“Fall in!”
The familiar curt command sent shivers down the spines of the 51st Batch.
Before their minds could catch up, their bodies were already moving, rushing toward the source of the voice.
It took less than ten seconds for the 51st Batch to form up in perfect order.
Before them was Muchi, prone on the ground doing push-ups, with Yuri standing atop his back.
Muchi twitched slightly, and Yuri growled.
“Oh? Shaking already?”
“I-I apologize!”
Muchi, who had fainted first and thus woken first, had been punished for the rebellion.
Yuri, standing tall on him like a platform, swept his gaze over the 51st Batch before him.
Their shoulders naturally hunched under his stare.
Koban spoke up on behalf of the group.
“We… lost. We accept the result.”
A flat tone, laced with resignation.
The other 51st Batch members nodded slightly in agreement.
They were prepared for Yuri to mock them, sneer, or whatever—he had every right as the superior.
But Yuri’s response far exceeded their expectations.
“What kinda bullshit is that?”
His grumpy voice stabbed sharply into their ears.
Followed by a casual tone.
“Training isn’t about winning or losing.”
“Pardon?”
Yuri hopped down from Muchi’s back as the 51st Batch stared at him with wide eyes, uncomprehending.
“We just started night training, and you’re already whining and flopping over. Hey, you too—get in line.”
Yuri tapped Muchi’s butt with his foot, and the guy scrambled up to join the 51st Batch group.
With Muchi sent back, Yuri flashed a grin at the still-clueless 51st Batch.
“We started, so we see it through. Let’s see… six hours till quest end?”
Click.
Yuri gauged the time and rested his hand on his sword hilt.
“Same rules as before. If I use ten exchanges or more, training ends, and the tiger pelts are yours.”
“T-That means?!”
Only then did the 51st Batch realize what Yuri had been saying, their faces stiffening.
‘The training isn’t over yet?!’
‘W-Why not?!’
They sensed something was wrong, but they had already walked into the tiger’s den of their own accord.
Yuri smirked as the 51st Batch hesitated and took a few steps back.
“Oh, and don’t think about running.”
Snap.
Yuri snapped his fingers, and countless dark shadows appeared at the boundaries of the tiger zone.
They were the wolf-role cadets and the bear-role Black Sword Troopers.
Wearing faintly gleeful smiles, they surrounded the tiger zone, and only then did the 51st Batch realize they were completely trapped in the clearing.
Yuri shouted excitedly at the visibly panicked 51st Batch.
“Come on, let’s all have a fun, productive time together!”
His booming cry echoed through the clearing, draining the color from the 51st Batch’s faces en masse.
* * *
“Gaaah! I-I’m sorry!”
“Urk! Enough already!”
“P-Please… just let us go home!”
Three hours into Yuri’s night hell special training.
The 51st Batch had fainted and woken multiple times by now.
But unfortunately, three more hours remained until midnight.
“Kyaaak!”
“N-No!”
Theresia wore a wry smile as she watched the pandemonium unfolding in the clearing.
“…Poor kids.”
Because there had been an unparalleled genius one batch above them: Kwonter Rider.
She knew all too well what kind of wall Kwonter had been for her and the 49th Batch.
So Theresia couldn’t just laugh at the current 51st Batch’s plight.
‘Those kids will never forget today…’
This experience wouldn’t just haunt them in the cradle—it would follow them into society.
For a long time, the massive wall named Yuri Holland would loom before them.
As someone who had already crashed into the Kwonter Rider wall once and was now diligently banging her head against the Yuri Holland one…
All Theresia could offer was a small cheer.
“Hang in there, kids.”
But her sincere encouragement…
“Ehehehehe! Where ya running?!”
“Gaaaaah! S-Stay back!”
…was drowned out entirely by maniacal laughter and screams.
* * *
“Water.”
A curt word.
At once, a massive shadow moved like a nimble leopard.
“Here you go, Senior!”
Muchi, proffering a wooden bowl full of water—somehow procured—politely.
Yuri snatched it and gulped it down refreshingly.
“Ahh!”
He let out a satisfied sigh and tossed the empty bowl; a large hand swiftly caught it.
Yuri smiled contentedly as Muchi scurried off to dispose of it, staring at the back of his head.
“Heh, finally acting like a person.”
Theresia, overhearing from the side, muttered in disbelief.
“…Even a stray mutt would start mimicking humans if you drilled it that hard just to stay alive.”
Arin picked up from there.
“Yeah, it’d at least walk on two legs like a person.”
Gunter chimed in.
“Might even talk if you’re lucky.”
Poppi nodded vigorously in agreement.
Yuri shrugged lightly at the reactions around him.
“So what? It worked out in the end, didn’t it?”
Theresia eyed him askance.
“…Only good for you, right?”
A week since the 51st Batch’s pelt-gathering quest ended.
And this quest had set several bizarre records.
First: On the final day’s roll call, every single participant was absent—an unprecedented event.
Because the entire 51st Batch had collectively passed out.
Second: No results or rankings were announced.
No one in the 51st Batch had succeeded in gathering pelts, so why bother?
Thus, the 51st Batch got zero points, while instructor Yuri pocketed a fortune in points all by himself.
Plus, he’d gained some insight into power control from beating on them diligently.
So overall, this quest had been a huge win for Yuri alone.
Theresia paused there.
‘Wait, no?’
On second thought, the 51st Batch had gained something too.
The mental trauma of convulsing at the mere mention of Yuri Holland.
They’d never challenge or defy him again.
‘That’s rough.’
As she stuck out her tongue at Yuri, who had thoroughly tamed his juniors, Muchi came panting up.
“Senior Yuri!”
Yuri replied with a sour face.
“What.”
“Uh… you might wanna check outside?”
“Why.”
His tone screamed annoyance—like, why should I?
Yuri’s sleepy eyes flew wide at Muchi’s next words.
“Um… well… someone’s building something next to our castle?”
“…Huh?”
Yuri blinked, wondering if he’d misheard.
The others reacted the same.
“Who?”
“Why would they?”
“There’s tons of better spots—why here?”
“I’m hungry.”
Totally baffled, the four of them.
But a completely different reaction burst out.
“Some ballsy bastard’s sticking a straw in my turf?!”
An angry voice.
Yet Yuri’s eyes sparkled.
“Let’s go see what kinda shameless mug this guy’s got!”
He jumped up and dashed off excitedly; everyone was convinced.
“He’s definitely planning to collect protection money, right?”
“Yeah, a pumpkin’s rolled right into his vine… he’s thrilled inside.”
“Tch, with all that space out there, why build here of all places…”
“I’m hungry.”
Shaking their heads, the quartet slowly followed Yuri.
They were curious too about this foolhardy soul moving next door to their demon king’s castle.
Meanwhile, Muchi trailed the senior quartet, eavesdropping on their chat.
‘Ah!’
His eyes lit up as realization dawned.
‘Senior Yuri loves money!’
From the gist, he seemed to love it a lot.
Very useful info.
‘Gotta remember that!’
It’d come in handy someday for sure.
Muchi hurried along, mentally repeating ‘Senior Yuri loves money’.
Thus, the pure, innocent Muchi began adapting bit by bit to the world’s harsh waves inside the demon king’s castle.