Chapter 265
Chapter 265
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 265
Chapter Title: Boredom (2)
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"Long time no see."
Yuri, who had left a massive shock and terror among his 50th Cohort classmates before vanishing.
He lit up at the sight of Yulia greeting him so calmly.
"You're not surprised?"
"Should I be?"
"Don't people usually freak out when someone who's supposed to be dead shows up alive?"
"If it were someone truly back from the dead, sure, I'd be shocked. But you're not, right? You were just holed up somewhere."
"So you know what I've been up to?"
"Of course. I'm Yulia Sing."
Yulia shrugged lightly.
Yuri couldn't help but smirk at the strong confidence radiating from her.
"Then what does the great Yulia Sing think brought me here at this hour?"
"Obvious. You want to know something."
"As expected from the pretty, smart all-purpose dictionary!"
"Hey, I was gonna tell you anyway—no need to butter me up."
She replied curtly, but she seemed a bit embarrassed by the nickname he'd coined, clearly pleased.
She haughtily lifted her chin.
Her eyes said: Ask away.
"So..."
Yuri started tentatively, then listed off what he wanted to know, one by one.
Yulia listened quietly, tapping the desk with her fingertips.
"Hmm... One thing I want to ask."
"What?"
"If you're digging for info... that means you have them, right?"
"Yeah, pretty much."
He had no intention of hiding it, so Yuri nodded readily.
Yulia's eyes gleamed.
"Then... how about a trade?"
"A trade? We can talk about that later. Info first."
"Fair enough. Right now, I can tell you about three. The other two will take a bit."
"Go ahead."
"First, mana crystal. It's one of the rare ingredients in various potions, and the most famous one using it is... the elixir."
"Elixir? For real?"
"The elixir actually maximizes the effects of the mana crystal."
"So you're saying it purifies mana?"
"Spot on. You could eat the mana crystal raw and it'd work, but turning it into elixir is better. Of course, only the Goll tribe can make it."
"This thing must be... pretty pricey, huh?"
Yulia smirked at Yuri's eyes sparkling like stars had fallen into them.
"Pricey? Obviously. Force crystals are somewhat obtainable, but mana crystals? You need insane luck. Even a pinky-nail-sized one costs a fortune."
"Th-that much?"
"Pretty much the only ways to purify mana are elixirs or straight-up mana crystals."
Yuri's eyes flashed the moment Yulia finished.
'A pinky-nail size is that valuable...?'
What Yuri had was thumbnail-sized.
Way more valuable than she'd described.
'Jackpot!'
Yoram had promised an elixir soon anyway, so no need to waste the mana crystal.
He could just stockpile it for the future.
"Heh heh."
Yuri grinned in satisfaction.
He asked next, eyes full of anticipation.
"What's next?"
"Next up, crystal armor... Even rarer. Nice find from Yoram."
Yuri's eyes widened.
Rarer meant pricier.
Yulia continued, meeting his eager gaze.
"If elixir is the Goll tribe's secret, the Lin tribe has crystal silk."
"Crystal silk?"
"Yeah. It's a fiber they produce in secret, in tiny quantities. Stronger than white steel, softer than silk, more elastic than rubber. Crystal armor's woven from that."
"Oho?"
"Crystal silk's so scarce it takes ages to make one suit. But the effects make it worth the wait."
"Like what?"
"Super lightweight for great comfort, excellent ventilation, doesn't hold odors—self-cleaning, no washing needed. But the real star is its defense. Crystal armor... can't be cut by holy energy."
"Holy energy? You mean even a holy sword can't slice it?"
"Right. The impact still hits the wearer full force, but it blocks the cut. Plus, it auto-repairs over time if torn or slashed."
"...Insane."
He couldn't help but gasp in admiration.
Per Yulia, this wasn't just armor.
A second life, no exaggeration.
Especially coveted by corrupt powerhouses laden with sins.
'Yoram won't cough up a fake as compensation...'
Of course, Yuri had no plans to sell it.
No amount of money would make him trade a spare life.
Yulia smirked at his excited flush.
"Congrats. Crystal armor's rarer than Goll elixir. Hard to produce, and the Lin tribe's even more insular—they don't let their stuff leak out. You got that from the Hundred Day Tower quest too?"
"Wanna challenge it?"
"As if."
"...?"
"Even Yoram would demand your life for something like crystal armor as a quest reward... Not interested."
"Then why ask?"
"Info's info. Plenty of clients want to know quest reward tiers."
"Ah, so... you're gathering intel too."
"Heh heh."
The items Yuri asked about.
From context, it was clear they came from the Hundred Day Tower's hell difficulty.
By sharing info, Yulia was also gathering quest reward data.
Yuri eyed her slyly, then shrugged.
"Fine, call it the cost of info. What's the last one?"
"Wind blade crystal's new to me—needs digging. White Night's a guess, but I have a lead. I'll look into those two more."
"Suit yourself."
"And finally, Elion... That's what I want to trade for."
"What's with it?"
"Elion is..."
Yuri sensed thick desire in Yulia's trailing voice—his eyes sharpened.
'Elion's that valuable?'
Mana crystal and crystal armor alone were huge.
Yet she'd shown no greed for them.
Like she had none.
But for Elion, her avarice was blatant.
He couldn't help but get excited.
What could make even Yulia this greedy?
As he watched with keen interest, Yulia finally spoke.
"An anti-aging potion."
"..."
Yuri blinked at the unexpected answer.
He parroted back blankly.
"...What?"
"Anti-aging potion!"
"Anti-aging? You take it and... don't age?"
"Not immortal like legendary elixirs of eternal youth, but it supposedly halves aging."
"Just... that?"
"Just that?! It's an anti-aging potion! Take it young, and normals look twenty in their fifties, mana users twenty in their seventies!"
"..."
"Oh my god, Elion at Yoram?! I thought only about a hundred were made fifty years ago."
"...Any other effects besides anti-aging?"
"A bit of mana boost...? Nope!"
"..."
"So... sell it to me?"
Yuri turned away from her sparkling eyes.
"Thanks for the info today. Contact me on the other two."
He waved dismissively and left without looking back, despite her outstretched hand.
"Wait! The trade?! If not all, half at least!"
He ignored her desperate plea.
'Hmm, anti-aging, huh...'
Who'd want to age?
Yuri was no exception.
A faint smile played on his lips as he hurried away from Yulia.
A few hours later.
The last day of June.
50th Cohort rankings posted.
1st. Yuri Holland
The top spot on the board still bore the same name.
Word of Yuri's survival spread through Yoram like wildfire.
* * *
Yoram's northern forest.
A vast clearing big enough for hundreds to lie down.
It was a scene of utter devastation.
"Ugh..."
"Urk..."
Over a hundred people sprawled everywhere.
Weapons scattered like their owners.
Dozens crawled, groaning; the rest could only twitch feebly.
In this warzone-like clearing, one figure seemed relatively unscathed.
Emerald hair tousled with sweat.
Torn clothes everywhere.
A spear gripped tight.
Teresa, barely standing, swaying.
"Huff, huff—"
She'd lasted till the end, but even she was spent.
"Urk!"
With a short cry, she toppled sideways.
Her fall revealed the front.
Top fifteen of the 50th Cohort, jumbled in chaos.
Twitching Gunter, motionless Arin.
Muci and Poppi crossed in an X.
Traces of the fiercest fight anywhere.
And in the center, standing tall alone.
Yuri Holland, naturally.
"Yawn."
Yuri yawned lightly, scanned the carnage he'd wrought, then plopped down on Muci and Poppi.
Legs crossed, chin propped, he stared blankly at by the 50th Cohort.
They couldn't move, but conscious—they despaired.
'That bastard...'
'How much...'
'Stronger did he get?!'
The guy rumored dead appeared fine.
Stronger than before, like he'd trained somewhere.
But that wasn't the issue.
The real problem: he tested his new power on them.
'We got stronger from the quest too...'
'Why's the gap this wide?'
The 50th Cohort had grown notably via Hundred Day Tower.
Enough to boost their confidence.
But that shattered fast.
The full cohort assembled after ages.
Even with mystery additions Teresa and Muci, they couldn't touch a hair on Yuri's head.
They used to gang up and resist somewhat.
Now? Thoroughly toyed with.
'We had the same time... why the insane difference?'
Last year, it wasn't this bad.
But as time passed, Yuri accelerated—like gaining speed.
'Damn! Slow... the hell down!'
Gunter gritted his teeth, groaning as he forced his upper body up.
Yuri watched, voice flat.
"Losers' trait: they gang up, then pant and play victim."
"..."
"More exhausted than the solo fighter."
Pop.
Veins bulged on foreheads amid the grating voice.
Yuri noticed, grinning.
"Losers' trait: hate getting called out for sucking, always flare up."
"You little..."
"Losers' trait: can't talk back worth shit."
"Cough!"
The downed losers trembled under Yuri's mental barrage.
One even flushed red and spat blood.
Meanwhile, Yuri yawned blankly after his verbal second strike.
He wiped a tear, muttering hollowly with droopy eyes.
"...Boring."
Boredom laced his voice, scattering into the air.
'Ah, no fun.'
Sparring the 50th Cohort.
Near-real combat, yet utterly dull for Yuri.
He glanced at his shaking classmates.
'These guys... too weak.'
They'd grown since before, sure.
But he'd grown steeper.
Not even winded against them all.
The gap was overwhelmingly vast.
'It wasn't this boring before...'
Pre-Hundred Day Tower, it was decent.
No big threats, but things to learn, good practice.
Post-tower? Totally changed.
'Too much intense stuff lately... this tastes bland now.'
Sparring Coco was walking a tightrope with life on the line every instant.
Four months of constant tension—now this felt tame.
Especially with his bloomed domain predicting every move. No tension possible.
"Yawn..."
Yuri stood abruptly, clapping.
Clap clap.
"Come on, rise and shine! What're you doing? Get up! Gonna lie there forever?"
"Ugh..."
"Think trash like you deserves a break? Up, now!"
Not content yelling, he roamed, nudging classmates with his foot.
Clarice, kicked in the tailbone and flopping, finally snapped.
"You bastard, you call yourself human?!"
"What'd I do?"
"Why always pick on us?!"
Her scream echoed like a death throe.
Icy silence blanketed the clearing.
The 50th Cohort inwardly prayed for her.
'Clarice... hats off to your courage.'
'Sacrificing yourself to speak for us... true hero!'
They braced for her skull-cracking scream.
No, it was guaranteed.
But a shocking twist upended it.
"...Yeah, why do I always pick on you guys?"
"...?"
"Clarice, you... a genius?"
"...Huh?"
Sudden self-reflection.
And out-of-nowhere praise left rebel Clarice—and everyone—sprouting question marks over their heads.