Chapter 66
Chapter 66
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 66
Chapter Title: Neighbor (2)
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Clearly, there was no human presence to be felt.
Yet an attack suddenly flew in from the darkness.
Sheeek-!
If Yuri hadn't thought, "What if this pervert bastard has some ulterior motive?"
If he hadn't been on guard with the notion, "That guy might just pull something!"
It was a perfect ambush—good enough that he might've taken it head-on.
"Hot damn!"
I knew it, you cursed pervert bastard!
Yuri, hit by the initial attack, cursed the pervert.
As in, he really did have other intentions after all.
But soon he sensed something off.
"...A spear?"
That pervert's weapon was definitely a thin sword.
But what was gunning for him right now was a spearhead.
"Huh?"
It even felt strangely familiar.
And then.
"Huh?"
Swish-.
This attack zeroing in relentlessly on his legs alone.
Feeling a powerful sense of déjà vu, Yuri spun full circle in midair and touched down on the ground.
By then, the spearhead from the far end of the cave had retracted into the darkness and vanished.
Yuri cocked his head toward the shadows.
"...Tessha-senpai?"
"……?!"
That mutter stirred faint ripples in the darkness.
Soon came the sound of flint on steel.
Chik- chizzik-!
Fwoosh-.
Light bloomed inside the cave.
And right there, just as Yuri had figured, stood Theresia.
Yuri, thrown off by her entrance with spear and torch in hand, asked.
"What brings Tessha-senpai here?"
Theresia, equally startled by Yuri's presence, blinked wide-eyed and shot back.
"Doesn't seem like the right question for an uninvited guest to ask the homeowner."
"Huh?"
Her answer left Yuri baffled.
"Homeowner? You're saying you're the owner here, Tessha-senpai?"
"Quit with the Tessha... sigh, fine. Yeah, this is my place."
"Since when?"
"Why do you wanna know?"
"Uh... well... depending on the timing... it could make things a little... no, pretty damn weird."
"……?"
"Word is, some creepy pervert lives here."
"...Goetz Roetern?"
"Don't know the name, but purple hair, 48th Cohort, total sleaze..."
"Purple hair, 48th Cohort, human scum pervert trash—yep, that's Goetz Roetern."
…I didn't quite go that far with it.
Yuri stuck out his tongue, watching Theresia's dead-certain reaction.
"Looks like that jerk was spot on after all."
He'd only dropped the word "pervert," and boom—the name right out of her mouth. Must be the one-of-a-kind top pervert everyone in the Cradle knew about.
By then, Theresia was shooting him a look like, *Why drag that pervert into this?*
Yuri shrugged his shoulders and explained.
"That's who was squatting here when I swung by a while back."
"No chance. I've been here since the start of the year. And your story doesn't even add up. A while back? No clue when, but since the 50th Cohort enrolled, I haven't set foot outside once."
"January 1st."
"……?"
"That's when I came here."
"...What?"
"Believe me or not, up to you—I won't push it. But yeah, I was definitely here that day."
Theresia's brow creased at Yuri's account.
Her face turned conflicted.
Like she had a hunch, she sighed faintly and probed.
"By any chance, that day you came... anyone else there besides you and the pervert?"
"Oh? So you buy it?"
"...Went out dragon vein beast hunting, came back to my hideout trashed. Fight marks all over, and the wooden door I'd built smashed to bits."
Flinch-.
Yuri twitched at the door-smashing bit but played it cool and nodded.
"Yeah, one more person."
"Girl, maybe?"
"...How'd you guess?"
Theresia's brow furrowed deep at Yuri's oh-so-helpful confirmation.
Her spear whipped toward a corner of the cave.
Out tumbled a freakish scrap of fabric.
"Dragging a woman into someone else's home... filthy."
Grumbling, she flung the cloth rag off her spear tip out of the cave.
"Huh?"
Yuri watched the garment whirl past him and got it—all of it.
How Theresia knew there'd been a female intruder.
And the secret behind her lightning-fast wardrobe change as she bolted while he and Goetz crossed blades that day!
*How'd she scoop up clothes and dress that quick... no underwear!*
While Yuri blanked out, Theresia turned dead serious.
"Up front: I have zero ties to that pervert trash senior. Whatever weird setup you're picturing... we're not shacking up or anything."
"Didn't say a word."
"Someone was crashing here till last year—probably Goetz Roetern."
"I didn't—"
"That creep just helped himself while I was out."
"...You hearing me at all?"
"Pervert trash. Human scum bastard!"
"……."
Yuri blinked at Theresia rambling her non-excuse excuses, ignoring him flat-out.
"This one's got it in for Goetz bad, huh?"
In that instant, a thought sparked in Yuri's head.
*Huh? Play this smooth...*
A glint lit Yuri's eyes.
He jumped in with sleazy agreement.
"Yeah, exactly! What kinda brain thinks, 'House empty, time for girls'? Right?"
"No normal brain in that skull."
"Vile, dirty bastard!"
"Vile? Jury's out. Dirty? Spot on."
"Ha... rolling in a pigsty where that filth humped some girl... kinda nasty, yeah?"
"Doesn't faze me."
Yuri blinked, caught off-guard by the no-hesitation shutdown.
*Huh? Not the comeback I banked on.*
Keeping his cool, Yuri pressed on quick.
"Still, that pervert could bust in uninvited again, like today."
"Bring it."
"...Come again?"
"If he hauls in another girl... I'll ventilate his ass this time. Cripple that dirty tool first."
Red murder-lust flared from Theresia's eyes as she spoke.
*What dirty tool...?*
Yuri shivered under the icy killing intent.
Too spooked to talk, but goal in sight, he forced an awkward opener.
"W-Well, say that pervert barges in outta nowhere and tries something sleazy on Tessha-senpai..."
"No shot."
"Huh?"
"Goetz Roetern-senior's a hopeless skirt-chaser, sure, but not scum enough to pin a no-means-no girl. Real gentleman with women, actually."
"……."
"His deal's taking every willing girl who knocks—no rejections. Minus that, not a bad dude."
"...Hate him or not? Pick a lane."
Yuri griped, and Theresia sighed.
"I get why you're buttering me up."
"……?"
"You want me gone from here. Sorry, not budging an inch."
Flinch-.
Yuri's shoulder jerked micro, and Theresia clocked it.
"No digs yet, huh."
"...Sharper than expected?"
Yuri scratched his cheek.
No point conniving now—she'd sniffed it all out.
Drop it clean, scout other spots with time left.
He pivoted to leave.
"Follow."
"Huh?"
Theresia bolted caveward torch-first, words hanging.
Yuri froze a beat, then hustled after.
Thud-!
She rebounded off the dark fissure walls on the fly.
Pro moves—not her first rodeo.
Fissure guts steeper than they looked; newbies would've struggled.
But terrain rat? Her flow stayed flawless.
Yuri eyed her footholds sharp and stuck on.
Mid-chase, poof—her shape winked out ahead.
He clocked why quick.
"Cave?"
Gone 'cause cave-bound.
Yuri ducked in after, mildly impressed.
"Nice."
Understatement.
Second cave, short hop from Theresia's.
Bit smaller, bonus mini-cave for storage.
Theresia closed in as he scoped it.
"No spot yet? Crash here."
"Here? Why skip it yourself, Tessha-senpai?"
"Surface-close vibes suit me better. Not lugging enough junk for dual pads."
"Hmm..."
Yuri folded arms.
Eyes slitted at Theresia.
Narrowed stare screaming *Sudden nice mode why?*
Theresia locked eyes—no dodging that.
"...Follow."
Same line-drop, cave-exit.
Yuri trailed sans stutter this round.
Theresia led to cave three.
Outpost remotest.
But grandest yet.
Double Theresia's pad size.
That cave sealed Yuri's hunch.
*Yup... manmade.*
Theresia's pad onward.
Caves she toured him through.
All dug deliberate.
Paths linking 'em? Stepping stones etched clear, long-haul traffic.
Forest trails from stomps galore.
Greenhorns blind; OGs glide easy.
Yuri surveyed as Theresia yanked cave-wall cord.
Click-.
Machinery whirred; cave blazed bright in a flash.
Yuri snorted at the glowstone grid.
"You plant these glowstones, senpai?"
"Yeah right. Pre-installed."
"...Glowstones underfoot everywhere, huh."
Arena? Sure. But glowstone-plastered dives too?
*'Cradle didn't chisel these custom, here pre-Tessha arrival...*
Prior squatters' stash.
Prime glowstone haul hack?
*Arena peel-and-stick, duh.*
Eyes everywhere.
Yuri's prime play: yoink.
*Unknown seniors, hats off to your graft!*
Dozen glowstones courtesy mystery vets.
Cave lit like noon.
Yuri nosed around.
Plain big empty—nothing fancy.
Had to ask.
"So, uh, why here?"
Theresia eyed him steady.
"...Got a favor."
Bet that's her nice-guy fuel today.
"Favor? Shoot."
"……."
She stonewalled forever.
Theresia squirming.
Worlds from her prior proud poise.
Finally cracked.
"Wanna... spar."
Fidget-fest payoff.
Yuri head-tilt.
"Spar? Clash? Me?"
Arms crossed.
*'Knew there was a hook dragging me here.'*
Double-wide on priors.
Daylight vivid.
Spar paradise.
*Tessha duel.*
Truth? Solid.
Her chops, once-tested: beast mode.
Yuri spar-light too; she'd level him up.
Tack on today's save? One round squares it cheap.
*Eh, one go-round...*
Yuri was game for Theresia's ask.
Pre-next line.
"Next year, weekly once... spar me."
Yuri's mug soured instant.
"Broker fee steep for one pad hookup, no?"
"……."
Theresia clammed up at Yuri's jab.
Knew her ask pushed limits.
Hence the opener jitters.
"Sigh..."
Theresia's exhale weighed tons.
Locked in, spoke.
"Ten thousand points."
"……?"
"Ten grand per bout."
Theresia uneasy-ish.
Ten K?
Chunk change for Cradle greenhorn.
Her max bid.
Rejection? Fresh blanks on top-up bait.
Pointless angst.
Her words hung—Yuri 90-degree bowed.
Booming bellow synced.
"Here's to a great year ahead, senpai!"
"...Huh?"
Theresia gawked at the insta-flip.
Yuri beamed ear-to-ear, hand-rub frenzy.
"Jump in today, senpai?"
"Uh..."
"Weekly? Pfft. Seven—no, ten weekly! Your call!"
"……."
"Uh, upfront pay only! First bout wire... when?"
Theresia's noggin bobbed auto at Yuri's hype-train.
Kinda pegged his breed now.