Chapter 255
Chapter 255
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 255
Chapter Title: The Demon's 9th Floor (2)
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Yuri let out a hollow laugh.
"A domain, huh..."
When he'd just forged his holy sword and reached the Certified 6th Stage, Johan had warned him.
Don't try opening a domain before you're ready.
That's why Yuri had steadily built up his fundamentals to fill in his weaknesses.
Tempering his body.
Mastering his techniques.
Amplifying his mana.
Johan had nodded approvingly before leaving, seeing Yuri's solid progress.
[You little punk, looks like you're ready enough now.]
Permission to move on.
With Johan's approval, Yuri had recently started attempting to open his domain.
But...
The results weren't great.
'When I was told not to go for it, it felt like it was right around the corner, but now that I'm wide open and inviting it, not even a shadow shows up...'
That's why he was laughing hollowly now.
What an utterly frustrating situation.
Before, he'd been on pins and needles, worried the moment of breakthrough might sneak up on him unready.
Now, when he actually needed it, it wouldn't come.
Yuri let out a small sigh.
"Sigh, anyway, I need to open a domain within 96 days to clear this quest."
He crossed his arms, mumbling in a deflated tone unlike him.
"...Think it'll work?"
Yuri didn't think he couldn't open one.
No, he was absolutely certain he could.
The problem was doing it within the 96-day limit.
'Not gonna be easy.'
Having reached the Certified 6th Stage, Yuri realized just how lucky he'd been.
The lucky encounter with enlightenment.
Insights far beyond what he'd prepared for.
Johan's timely help.
Reflecting on it all, he had to admit luck had played a huge role alongside his talent.
The issue was whether that luck would follow him to the next stage...
"Hmm..."
Sitting cross-legged with arms crossed and eyes shut, Yuri.
He suddenly shot to his feet.
The worry had vanished from his face.
"Aw, screw it. It'll happen if I keep at it."
When had he ever started something banking on good luck turning the tide?
Things just sort of worked out along the way.
'I just gotta do what I always do.'
Keep grinding away until he opened the domain in 96 days.
As he resolved himself, Johan's parting words echoed in his ears.
[Every stage is like this, but the higher you climb, the bigger and tougher the walls get. Especially after Certified 6th—breaking through can take ages. A single moment of insight or luck there can make or break years, even decades.]
Followed by a chuckling voice.
[Hope that enlightenment and luck you've had so far hasn't borrowed from your future. Heh heh.]
Johan's teasing that if he'd used up future luck, he might never break 7th Stage.
It had irked him a bit back then, but he'd brushed it off as the old man being grumpy...
'Thinking back now... that was some bullshit.'
Struggling like this to open a domain made Johan's words feel like a curse.
No, chewing it over, it was a curse.
Stung, fire flared in Yuri's eyes.
"You bastard! Fine! This time, I'll bust through to Certified 7th on pure skill, no luck!"
And within 96 days!
Yuri bellowed into the air, brimming with resolve.
"Come out, Coco granny! Let's go right now!"
A taunt aimed at Coco.
And.
"...Did you just call me granny?"
As payback, Yuri got a massive lump on his forehead.
* * *
A ridge in the Frostwall Mountains.
A deep valley blanketed in snow.
Crack-!
Thud-!
A massive tree snapped with a heavy crash, toppling over.
At that moment, beyond the broken stump.
A giant of a man, back turned, collapsed with a splat and yelled.
"Just a short break!"
The response came instantly.
"What? Already tired?"
Crackle-.
A shadow dropped from the sky amid blue lightning.
"Tsk tsk, huffing and puffing after how little?"
Johan appeared, clicking his tongue in disapproval.
Across from him.
The one who'd shattered the giant tree barehanded was none other than Ralph Schnell.
He scowled at Johan approaching with hands behind his back.
"How little? It's been four days already!"
"Four days and you're whining."
"You think we're in our prime? Back in the day, we could go a week straight without rest and be fine, but at our age, stamina's not what it used to be!"
"You little shit, with that body of yours? Who'd believe you? You could go a month and still be spry."
Ralph snapped at Johan's tongue-lashing.
"Keep nagging and I'll just leave."
Johan shut his mouth at that.
He was the one who needed this right now.
"Fine, short break."
"I'm hungry. Feed me."
"You think I'm your maid?"
"I'll go then?"
"...You little shit."
Grumbling, Johan was already moving.
Crackle-.
Unleashing his lightning steps, he zipped off somewhere and back in a flash.
He tossed Ralph a bottle of booze and some snacks from who-knows-where.
Ralph caught them easily and grumbled.
"Asked for food, got booze?"
"Don't want it? Give it back."
"Who said I don't? I love it."
Fearing Johan might snatch it, Ralph quickly put the bottle to his lips.
Glug glug glug-.
The bottle emptied in seconds.
Seeing Ralph's throat bob, Johan quietly wet his own.
Ralph drained the bottle in one go.
"Ahh."
He gazed at Johan wordlessly, refreshed.
'This grind's been going two months already...'
It started when Johan showed up out of nowhere and said a few words.
[Hey, I need your help.]
Words Ralph never dreamed he'd hear from Johan.
Stunned by the request, Ralph agreed before even asking what for.
'Johan asking for help? Never imagined it.'
Anyone who knew Johan would react the same.
It was that shocking.
Anyway, two months into their aimless mountain life.
Ralph chewed on jerky and tossed out a question.
"So."
"...?"
"What's this all about anyway?"
"Now you ask?"
"I'm curious."
"If you were gonna wonder after two months, why not just pretend you didn't know?"
"Well... at first, you said just beat on you, so I was hyped, no questions... "
"Now that it's the same thing for two months, you're bored? Having second thoughts?"
"Urk... can't deny it. So why are we doing this?"
"What do you think I'm up to?"
"Technique training?"
"You know damn well."
"No, I mean, it looks complete already. How long you gonna keep this up?"
Johan snorted at Ralph's question.
"Complete my ass. Haven't even properly started."
"...Say what?"
Ralph stared in shock.
Johan hadn't dodged a single attack so far.
He'd parried them all.
With that supreme art called "Demonic Flow."
And Johan's Demonic Flow boasted a completion far beyond what that kid Yuri had shown.
At least to Ralph's eyes.
But Johan scoffed again.
"Still miles off. Not even close to finished, let alone that kid's level."
"That kid? Who's that?"
"What, you need to ask? The punk you know. Who else uses this besides him and me?"
"Your... disciple?"
"Bullshit, disciple. Now I'm the one learning."
"...?!"
Ralph's eyes widened like saucers again.
Johan learning from someone?
First time he'd heard such a thing.
"Th-that true? Wait, wasn't Demonic Flow your creation? How could... ?!"
Johan chuckled at Ralph's stunned question.
"Shocked?"
"More like... I can't believe it."
"Heh heh, I get it. Oh yeah, I do."
"...?"
"...I was the same."
His tone turned oddly downcast.
"...I made it, but snapped to and it wasn't mine anymore. Tsk, like handing a land deed to a damn bandit con artist..."
And finding a fancy house built on what used to be his land? Outrageous.
He looked up with a wistful expression, like something precious stolen.
Dark clouds filled his view.
And then.
"Hm?"
Snow began falling from the sky.
One by one, countless pure white flakes drifting down.
Plop-.
They settled softly on the old, dirt-streaked snow from last night.
Watching quietly, Johan murmured.
"...Old things get buried under the new, as it should be."
Forgotten beneath.
But.
'Even so, the old snow doesn't vanish.'
Buried and forgotten, but not gone from the world.
Come spring, the deepest old snow would be the last to melt.
'With me still wide awake, I can't let that kid get ahead.'
The problem was that monster kid chasing him at an insane pace.
One step for him, ten for the kid.
Bounding forward relentlessly.
Sure, the gap was still huge.
'...But someday, it'll close.'
It was inevitable.
Just a matter of time.
And not much time at that.
How long until the kid caught up?
30 years? 20?
'No, that monster won't take that long.'
10 years, max—and that's generous.
Johan steeled himself.
"...To keep from getting passed, gotta step it up. Tsk, what am I doing at my age."
Ralph flinched at the mutter.
Then he caught the meaning, eyes bulging.
"...Senior, you serious?"
"About what?"
"Huh...?"
Seeing Johan's eyes on him, Ralph knew for sure.
'Senior...'
He truly...
'Sees that kid as a rival!'
The Yuri he'd taught—as a rival!
Johan Redner, who'd spent his life pitting himself only against Sword Lord!
Shocked, Ralph blurted like entranced.
"What... happened with that kid?"
"Him?"
Johan smirked at the question.
"Got bit. My bad judgment."
"...What do you mean?"
"Heh heh, thought I could handle it at first. Thought I was feeding the monster. But no."
His smile faded, eyes sharpening.
"Then it grew too big to handle... and now that monster's eyeing my prey too."
"...."
A strange mix of resentment, joy, resignation, excitement.
Heavy silence fell between them.
Then Johan softened his gaze, lightening the mood.
"So I just left it there."
"What's that mean?"
"That area's got nosy old geezers. Think they'll ignore a monster like that?"
"...?"
"They'll poke at it out of curiosity..."
Johan cackled.
"And get properly bitten. Fuhuhu."
Ralph blinked, baffled at Johan's evident glee.
Johan drained the rest of the booze and stood.
Time was short now.
No wasting it.
"Break's over. Let's go again?"
"Ugh... yeah."
Ralph griped but never backed down.
Soon, a massive explosion rocked their valley.
BOOM-!
A fierce gale followed, flattening forest for acres.
Not far, on a nearby peak.
Two months of their clashes had turned a mountain bald.
Boom-! Boom-!
Explosions echoed endlessly through Frostwall Mountains, carving away at peaks.
Time flew by in proportion.
* * *
Day 20 since the Hundred Days Tower quest began.
Coco looked down at the fainted Yuri, puzzlement in her eyes.
"Hm... what is it?"