Chapter 54
Chapter 54
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 54
Chapter Title: The Playboy (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
*Gulp.*
Yuri snapped out of his daze, staring blankly at the Golgok clan's secret, when a loud swallow echoed in his ears.
He shook his head vigorously.
Only then did his half-mad eyes return to normal.
*Are you seriously about to drink that without knowing what it is? Snap out of it!*
Was this green liquid poison or medicine?
If it was medicine, what kind?
Right now, he had zero information.
"Normally, the tasty stuff should be eaten first..."
But tasty to him didn't mean tasty to everyone.
That's why you always eat the good stuff first.
What if someone else snatches it?
*'In pro terms, it's "hoard it and end up with shit."*
*Expensive, good, tasty—put it in your mouth right away, anywhere, anytime.*
That was how Yuri had survived until now, the street rat's golden rule.
But.
"...Putting this one on hold."
There were exceptions, like this time.
You never knew what might happen if you just shoved it in blindly.
*Clink.*
*Smack.*
Yuri licked his lips lightly and tucked the pendant into his clothes.
At the same time, he spun north and broke into a run.
His eyes, fixed straight ahead, sparkled with excitement.
*Feels too refreshing to sleep anyway, and since this is where I'll be living from now on, might as well stake out a spot early.*
He'd shed his trainee rider tag and become a real rider, but his situation wouldn't change much from the Forest of Beginnings.
Day after day of self-sufficiency.
So he set out now to find a hideout, a home base.
*Gotta be a place I can hole up in for at least a year, maybe more—needs to be solid.*
But the northern sector was shared living space for first- and second-years.
All the good spots were probably already claimed by second-years.
To grab one of the better leftovers, he had to move before the other 50th Cohort riders arrived.
Plus, with second-years off on dragon patrol duty, the north was empty—no interruptions while scouting every corner.
"Hmm~."
Yuri's steps as he ran were light and full of energy.
He'd gotten what he wanted, no more racing the clock.
Body light, mind clear.
No need to watch his back like in the west or east—nothing to weigh down his stride.
*Gonna search around here first.*
He raced along, mentally listing conditions for his ideal hideout.
First: Easy to defend against intruders.
*'The top priority for any hideout.'*
Second: Not too far from the central zone with the round arena.
*'Gotta use the shops and facilities—better if it's close to central.'*
Third: A secluded training space cut off from the outside.
*'The old man's gonna drop by sometimes; need a spot low-risk for prying eyes.'*
No good showing off their demonic arts research to outsiders.
*'A hideout hitting all that... tall order. Let's check out some burrows first.'*
And so Yuri headed north, poking around the northern sector.
It was vast, but traces of 49th Cohort riders were surprisingly easy to spot.
Specifically, those who'd set up near the central zone.
*'People think alike, so yeah, 49th Cohort probably grabbed spots near central too.'*
And those traces of life he found?
Yuri summed up 49th Cohort living in one word.
"Refugees?"
His head shook in disbelief.
"Whoa... how the hell do these people even live?"
The 49th Cohort had been in the north for a year.
If Yuri had that much time, he'd have at least the basics of civilized living.
But what he found was straight-up primitive.
"Tch."
He clicked his tongue softly, then jolted as something hit him.
*'Wait, considering the shitshow 50th Cohort pulled in the Forest of Beginnings... this might actually be impressive?'*
It made a weird kind of sense, so he nodded slightly.
After that, Yuri sped past unpromising spots, widening his search.
About ten minutes later.
"Oh?"
He finally found a place that somewhat matched his criteria.
A cave hidden behind a small waterfall.
*Roar of water.*
He scoped it out and shook his head.
*'Distance to central's good, well-hidden. Spacious inside too... but...'*
One problem: the waterfall noise.
*'That'll drown out intruder sounds—too slow to react.'*
So he turned away without regret.
He checked many more spots after.
But each had some flaw.
Good for defense? Cramped inside.
Spacious? Too exposed.
Perfect match? Already claimed.
Lots of legwork, zero gains.
But Yuri kept at it.
He hadn't expected a quick score anyway.
About an hour later.
Pushing through tall grass, something odd caught Yuri's eye.
"Huh?"
A crack in the ground.
About a meter wide.
But the depth? Pitch black, impossible to gauge.
At first, Yuri planned to breeze past.
Until.
*'Huh?'*
He spotted a tiny flicker of light, far down in the depths.
*'Did I imagine that?'*
But he shook his head.
It was gone now, but definitely light from deep down.
And.
"......?!'
It flickered again.
That hooked his curiosity.
*'Light underground?'*
His instincts tingled.
*Something fun's waiting down there.*
Grinning, Yuri leaped into the fissure without hesitation.
Like diving off a cliff.
Not that he jumped unprepared.
*Scrape.*
His falling legs caught the split dirt walls.
He used the friction to slow his drop.
*Scraaaape.*
Dust flew.
The deeper he went, the more his eyes lit up.
*'Well, well?'*
Entrance was barely a meter—tight for one person.
But it widened the lower he went.
Like a bottle gourd, flaring out below.
When it got too wide to brace both walls with his legs, Yuri alternated kicks.
*Thud—thud—thud.*
Left, right.
Each kick sent him dropping steadily.
When the gap hit over two meters.
He reached the spot with the first light.
And there it was.
A fist-sized hole leaking faint light.
Yuri kicked off to stop and investigate.
As he reached out to probe it.
*Crunch—thud.*
Something collapsed, pitching him forward.
*'Gah?!'*
No time to react—his torso lurched ahead.
Suddenly brighter surroundings.
A flat floor rushing up fast.
Slightly startled, Yuri stayed calm and recovered.
*'Stay cool, roll with it...!'*
He used the forward momentum for a perfect forward roll.
*Tumble tumble.*
Textbook perfect—worthy of a manual.
Yuri spread his arms triumphantly as he stood, basking in his composure and reflexes.
"Ta-da!"
...
And froze in place.
"......?!"
Yuri, who'd bragged to himself about seeing it all—battles, oceans, even aerial fights with Johan at his young age.
Even he couldn't move at the sight before him.
Just blinking.
*Blink blink.*
*'...What? So... what the hell is this... development out of nowhere?'*
Yuri, who'd rolled dramatically and stood all cool.
Greeted by.
"...."
"...."
...a naked man and woman.
Locked in an embrace, like one body. One man, one woman.
Anybody could see: *that* situation.
Right on the verge of the big event.
"...."
"...."
"...."
Yuri was shocked, but they had to be more so.
Naked couple freezes as intruder crashes their historic night.
"...."
"...."
"...."
Heavy silence stretched.
Yuri rolled his eyes around.
Finally grasping the scene.
A cave deep in the fissure.
The couple sought it for their special night.
North sector empty of first- and second-years, deep hole hard to spot from outside—they let their guard down.
Just in case, they shut the wooden plank door and lit a fire for the deed.
But oops!
Hole in the wooden front door?
*'And that leaking light... caught my eye.'*
He'd climbed down the fissure wall, smashed through the plank on entry.
With a stylish roll.
Right in front of the couple, moments from climax.
Yelling "Ta-da!"
"...."
"...."
"...."
The awkward quiet dragged on.
Finally, Yuri broke it.
"Uh... um... so..."
He flashed a grin and raised a hand.
"Carry on with your business!"
Then bolted backward like a shot.
Their send-off?
*Whoosh.*
A murderous blade aimed at his neck.
But Yuri wasn't one to offer his head on a platter.
*Clang.*
Sparks flew; two swords clashed and rebounded.
A thin double-edged sword with ornate rose guards.
And a pristine single-edged dao.
The rose sword lunged again.
Yuri parried and yelled.
"I'm backing off, so finish up!"
"Where you going!"
The man roared, swinging again.
Yuri's face twisted.
*'I didn't commit a capital crime! Is this worth getting this pissed...?'*
It scrunched—then paused, smoothing out.
*'...Actually, yeah.'*
*Nod nod.*
They say swords converse.
Yuri used to scoff—what kinda talk with swords?
But now he got it.
*'Damn, you can pack this much emotion into every swing?'*
The razor-sharp strikes brimmed with the purple-haired man's irritation and rage at the interrupted moment...
*'Huh?'*
Yuri blinked.
Too hectic before to notice.
He saw it now.
...
*'Purple head?'*
The naked sword-swinging man's bruised-purple hair was awfully familiar.
*Clang—clang.*
A few more exchanges.
*'This bastard—he's that guy?!'*
Certainty hit; Yuri shouted.
"You playboy bastard!"