Chapter 47
Chapter 47
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 47
Chapter Title: Dragon Token Hunt (6)
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Jerry's mutter made Yury tilt his head quizzically.
"A weird rumor?"
"Uh... more like an urban legend?"
"What's it about?"
"The special sale items update on the first of every month. But there's one day out of the year, January 1st, from midnight for just ten minutes, when a super special sale pops up."
"Super special sale? What's that?"
"Special discount shop."
"...Stop using all these weird abbreviations?"
"That's what everyone calls it. Anyway, it seems like the super special sale on January 1st is real."
"So what's the urban legend part? Sounds like confirmed info."
"Special sales or super special sales, the items you can buy differ by year. But..."
"?"
"The super special sale on January 1st... supposedly has items exclusive to first-years. That's why I called it an urban legend."
"Why's that? Is it not allowed?"
"The Dragon Token Hunt ends exactly at midnight on January 1st! It has never ended even a second early in history. Plus, it takes a full day even riding the black ships from the Forest of Beginnings to the Yoram mainland?"
"So first-years can't set foot on the mainland before January 2nd at the earliest?"
"Exactly! Second-years sometimes skip the hunt to stay on the mainland and snipe the super special sale, so that makes sense... but first-year exclusive items? Weird, right? And get this... dirt cheap."
"It's a special discount sale, right? Of course it'd be cheap."
"No, not just cheap."
"Then?"
"They're selling items worth tens or hundreds of thousands of points... for just thousands or tens of thousands."
"That make any sense? Who said that?"
"...Can't say that far."
"Now you clam up?"
"Ah, anyway, it's info rated 'High' accuracy. Too solid to dismiss as just a rumor."
Yury's eyes flashed subtly at Jerry's evasive tone.
But he didn't show it and changed the subject.
"If that's true, Yoram's just straight-up trolling, right? They know you can't buy it anyway, so they're like, 'suck it up and watch.'"
"Yoram loves pranks, so yeah, pretty likely."
Yury nodded half-heartedly, playing along with Jerry's tale.
Jerry, excited, huffed and puffed on.
"No reserve cadet would have enough points to shop the super special sale anyway."
Nod.
"Even if one did, how would they get to the mainland?"
Nod nod.
"Not like they'd swim the whole way."
Nod—tilt.
Yury's perfunctory nods came to an abrupt stop, his head lolling sideways.
'Huh?'
He had plenty of points.
Someone who could swim to the Yoram mainland?
'That's...'
Me.
"Honestly, Yoram can be kinda malicious..."
Mumble mumble.
Jerry kept blabbering nonstop, but it fell on deaf ears as Yury sank into thought.
'Is it real?'
Jerry's tone suggested he believed it to some degree.
'He just said... [info rated High accuracy], right?'
From that offhand remark, Yury gained one certainty.
'Someone's classifying info by grade.'
In other words, cadets traded info among themselves, or there was some group in Yoram buying and selling it.
That made the 'super special sale legend' credible enough.
Even so, it didn't erase the worries.
'Special discount items for first-years who haven't even set foot on the mainland yet...'
First off, getting the info.
Then scraping together at least tens of thousands of points.
Finally, reaching the mainland by midnight January 1st.
Any normal reserve cadet couldn't pull off even one.
'Hell, I wouldn't have known about the super special sale if this chatty senior hadn't spilled.'
Was it wise to act rashly on this chance encounter?
Could he leave the Forest of Beginnings before the trial ended?
Any penalties?
Or just play it safe and wait out the trial?
Thoughts swirled in his head.
'But the bait's too tempting to ignore...'
A chance to snag rare items worth hundreds of thousands of points at bargain prices—items he'd never even glance at normally.
If the legend was true, it was a golden opportunity for Yury.
A stroke of fate only he could seize.
His internal debate dragged on.
Then, mid-thought.
'...Wait, what did that one-eyed guy say?'
He recalled the five conditions from the one-eyed man's speech on the first day of the survival trial.
[First, survive one month. Only those who cling on desperately will shed the 'reserve' label and become the 50th Cadets.]
[Second, murder among reserve cadets is forbidden, but everything else is allowed.]
[Third, your Dragon Token is your life. If it's broken, you're counted as dead.]
[Fourth, no second chances. Washed-up trash here will never even gaze at Yoram lands again.]
[Finally, fifth, quitters ring that bell over there. We'll send you safely home to mommy and daddy. Pffft.]
And his parting words.
[Remember, only those who survive until January 1st will set foot on true Yoram soil!]
The one-eyed man vanished after that.
Meaning those were the only rules Yoram imposed on this Forest of Beginnings.
'He never said leaving the forest means disqualification.'
Only two failure conditions.
Ring the bell, or break your Dragon Token.
That settled Yury's dilemma.
"Up we go."
Decision made, Yury grinned and stood.
"Ugh."
His thighs numb from squatting through the chat with Jerry—he slapped them briskly.
Loosening his legs and back, he drew the sword he'd left on the ground.
Shing.
The blade gleamed with soft white light.
Jerry, still yammering away, finally noticed and paled.
"Wh-what are you doing?!"
"..."
"You said you'd let me go after I talked!"
Did he pump me for all info and now plan to off me?!
Panic etched Jerry's face.
Yury said nothing, just swung the sword.
"Sh-shit!"
As the blade neared, Jerry squeezed his eyes shut.
And.
Slice.
No pain came.
Hearing the close sound, Jerry cracked his eyes open.
Yury smirked.
"Scaredy-cat."
"..."
"Don't move. Wouldn't want to nick you by accident."
Slice slice.
Yury's white steel sword dug into the earth whoosh whoosh.
Seeing the blade busily scooping dirt around him, Jerry looked sheepish.
"If you were just digging dirt, say so... you scared me."
Jerry grumbled or not, Yury kept at it.
When he reached Jerry's abdomen and exposed the wooden ropes binding him, Yury sliced a few strands and asked.
"But hey, Senior Jerry, what'll you do if I let you go?"
The sudden "senior" caught Jerry off guard.
"Let me go? Uh... well... gotta finish the Dragon Token Hunt, right? Earn points."
"Yeah?"
Yury's eyes glinted dangerously at the answer.
But he reined it in.
Then, innocently:
"Wanna hear some good info?"
"Info? What kind?"
"About reserve cadets with Yellow Dragon Tokens loaded with points."
"?"
"Bet most Yellow Dragon Token reserves roaming this forest are broke. Other 49th Cadets are probably striking out."
"How do you know?"
Yury paused digging, fetched his point pouch, and cracked it open.
A faint silver glow spilled from the mouth.
"Gasp?!"
Jerry's pupils dilated at the hefty pouch screaming serious wealth.
"That's... all points?"
"Yep."
"M-my god! How much?"
"Dunno, how much you think? Curious?"
Nod nod.
Jerry nodded eagerly, so Yury said generously:
"Let's say... most of the points handed out to Yellow Dragon Token reserves are in here?"
"Most points given to Yellow Dragon Token reserves...?"
Of the 500 new reserves, say 450 took Yellow Dragon Tokens—times 500?
Jerry muttered, roughly calculating.
A massive sum—no, enough to forget point worries for ages if he claimed it.
'With that...'
Greed flickered in Jerry's eyes.
'But can I take it from him?'
The greed vanished as quick as it came.
Flatly, he asked:
"How'd you get that?"
"Can't say that much. So, interested in my info?"
"Interested, sure, but..."
Who wouldn't be?
If true, wandering outside was a fool's errand.
Plus, reserves with points were Yellow Dragon Tokens.
'Not all reserves are like him... but Gold and White Dragon Tokens are too risky.'
His initial cockiness was gone after Yury thrashed him.
Better to target Yellow or Silver Dragon Token leaders than risk Gold or White, Jerry figured.
Yury's offer tempted him plenty.
The issue was...
"...Why? Giving it free? Why?"
The offer came from that psycho.
Jerry prided himself on reading people.
That guy? Not pure motives.
No way he'd spill for free.
Yury shrugged at the suspicious glare.
"Not free, obviously."
"...What do you want?"
"Nothing big. Just one simple favor later?"
"No thanks—"
Jerry was about to refuse without thinking.
Owing a shady psycho? Bad move.
Better short ties with crazies.
He'd reject flat-out.
If not for Yury's casual line.
"Three."
"?"
"Three Yellow Dragon Token reserves I'll tip you off about?"
"?!?"
"Their points combined? Probably four figures easy."
"!"
Jerry's eyes shook.
'Three? Four-figure points?'
Tempting.
'That's at least 1,000 points... snag them quick, then loot other reserves in the time left—decent haul.'
He'd wasted time grilled by Yury.
Even hustling now, who knew how much he'd scrape.
'Dilemma...'
Psycho's simple favor.
Or efficient shot at four figures.
As Jerry wavered, Yury's smooth voice cut in.
"Overthinking just fills other people's pouches."
"?!?"
"Hurry or other 49th Cadets beat you to it. Tick tock."
Few phrases clouded judgment like store closers yelling 'sale ending soon!'
Jerry panicked at Yury's sounds.
"Uwaaaagh!"
Snap crack.
Rustle.
Roaring, he strained—the slit ropes tore.
His buried arms yanked free.
Eyes gleaming, Jerry thrust a filthy hand at Yury.
"Deal! I accept your offer!"
Yury clasped the muddy hand, beaming.
"Wise choice, Senior!"
* * *
Clink.
The pouch settled in his palm from midair, ending Jerry's flashback.
He left the sprawled Eric behind and moved on.
"Two down."
Before Eric, he'd nabbed another—juicy points there too.
Total? Breezed past 2,000.
Jerry smiled, satisfied.
'Honestly wondered if that punk scammed me...'
Yury's tip on point-rich Yellow Dragon Token reserves? Spot on.
Unaware Yury headed south, Jerry glanced his hideout's way, half-apologetic.
"You're a psycho, but... pretty trustworthy, huh?"
* * *
"...Wonder if our naive Senior Jerry's hustling hard?"
Having ditched Teresa, Yury gazed skyward and muttered.