Chapter 23
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: Mine (2)
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……10 minutes ago.
Soliet Arkne was walking alone down the tunnel.
Sticky dust mixed with mana swirled through the dark passage. All sorts of filthy contaminants clung to her body. It was dirty and unpleasant enough to make anyone irritable, but her expression remained unchanged from the start.
She pressed on silently through the tunnel.
And so, just as her red hair was starting to turn black from the grime, she reached a dead end.
"……Hmm."
Soliet silently gripped her pickaxe. Red mana flared up in her hand and clung to the tool.
She swung it hard.
Thud-!
She embedded it in the wall and detonated it.
——KABOOM!
The mana she had deeply channeled into it devastated the area.
Rocks shattered everywhere, and amid the debris, mana stones rolled out. That was when she was picking them up.
—Hey, is someone there?
A voice came from the other side of the dead end.
"Yes, someone is."
—……Soliet?
He recognized her from just two words. Soliet furrowed her brow slightly.
"Who is this?"
—Sion Askal. Know me?
"Yes. I do."
Sion Askal. The subject of her swordsmanship studies report.
—No way, for real?
Thud! At that moment, a hole punched through the wall.
Soliet took a couple of steps back. An eyeball appeared in the small gap.
"……We meet again like this."
It was Sion Askal. He grinned and then completely broke through the wall.
Crack—!
Beyond the crumbling wall, he looked at her and said,
"Thanks."
"……."
Soliet tilted her head.
What was he thanking her for?
"I was trapped. The wall suddenly collapsed, and you broke through and saved me."
He pointed behind him. The path was buried under a pile of dirt.
"I see."
"Oh, and that time too."
Sion scratched the back of his neck and averted his gaze slightly. He seemed embarrassed for some reason.
"That time too. Thanks for showing me the way."
"……The way?"
"The girls' dorm wall. I accidentally climbed over it, remember?"
"Ah, that was you?"
So the pervert from that time was this guy.
Looking at the mana stones in his basket, Soliet said,
"You've mined quite a lot."
"This? Once you get the knack, it's easy."
"The knack?"
"Yeah. You just eyeball the core of the mana stone. Want me to show you?"
"No thanks."
Soliet declined.
"Nah, I'll show you. Let me see……."
Ignoring her refusal, Sion looked around.
"Mines have points too, you know. The core of the mana vein. Just stick your pickaxe in there, like this—!"
Then he jammed the pickaxe into the wall.
Clang-
It sounded like metal striking metal.
"……?"
That was it. No change, no trick. Sion looked flustered and rolled up his sleeves.
"Oh, this one's tough. Hold on."
He pulled out the pickaxe and struck again.
Clang—!
A slightly louder sound rang out.
That was it.
Sion wiped sweat from his temple and said,
"It's really tough. This must be a big one. Right?"
Soliet crossed her arms and eyed the wall with a slight frown.
"……Something feels off. You sure that's okay?"
"It's fine. One more hit."
Sion swung the pickaxe down again.
Thud——!
This time it sank in for sure. He grinned.
"Phew. Got it. Now……."
His words cut off. His smiling face hardened. He turned to Soliet with a creak in his neck.
"……Wait. What did you just say?"
"Pardon?"
"What did you say?"
"'You sure that's okay,' I said."
"No, before that."
Soliet answered obediently.
"'Something feels off.'"
Gulp— Sion swallowed. He licked his lower lip and asked again.
"You mean that for real?"
"I don't know if it's real or not yet."
"Your feeling. Your gut."
"My gut says yes. It feels off."
"Ah, shit—"
Sion hurriedly yanked out the pickaxe.
That was the moment.
—————!
Something exploded from inside the wall. Soliet immediately grabbed Sion's arm and deployed a spell. Mana wove into a fabric-like form, wrapping around them both.
It was the advanced mana spell, Defense Art: Guardian Veil.
I opened my eyes. My head hurt like hell first thing.
"Ugh……."
Clutching the back of my head, I sat up and looked around. Fortunately, Soliet was nearby too.
"……Huh."
She had the same dazed look, like she'd just woken up.
She looked at me and asked,
"What happened?"
"Sorry. My bad."
"What mistake?"
I should've stopped when she first said it felt off.
My pre-regression ghost-like Intuition was spot-on even now at level 10.
"Check this out."
I pointed to the halved mana stone fragment I'd split open. It gleamed with the color and texture of steel.
"Looks like it was a Rigid Mana Stone."
Not all mana stones are the same.
Rigid, aqueous, synthetic (illegal), igneous……and among them, rigid ones are especially dangerous. Their cores are so tightly bound that forcing a hit makes them explode like that.
Soliet shook her head.
"Impossible."
"What is?"
"Don't you know why they're called rigid? You can't crack them without infusing your pickaxe with aura."
"……."
She's right mana-wise.
If I hadn't reinforced the pickaxe with Perion and struck the core precisely without a millimeter's error using the SZX-9500.
"……Yeah. Guess it just blew up on its own."
It's my fault, but no need to correct her when she's letting me off the hook.
Soliet leaned back against the wall and closed her eyes.
"Rest. Rescue team will come soon."
"Not mining these? Looks like mana stones everywhere."
We seemed to have fallen to the bottom of the tunnel—something like a dead end—and blue dots glowed vividly all around. It wasn't dark at all despite no light.
Mana stones galore.
"Yes. Not mining."
Soliet pulled a cigarette from her inner pocket and lit it. She snapped her fingers, and it caught fire.
Indifferent to grades and such.
I looked up at the gaping hole in the ceiling and muttered,
"Makes sense. You're not that into college anyway."
It's high up. About 30 meters drop, but no major injuries. Thanks to Soliet's mana spell.
"……Why do you think I don't care about college?"
Soliet asked dryly, a hint of annoyance in her tone.
I glanced sideways at her. Her eyes narrowed slantwise.
"College Board? Your family forced you into it."
"……."
Soliet's expression chilled. Smoke escaped her clenched teeth like breath.
"I think I told you the same thing when you broke into the girls' dorm……."
She stubbed out the barely smoked cigarette on the ground and said,
"Don't get cocky."
Her voice dripped with hostility. A clear warning not to cross the line.
Looks like I slipped up a bit.
"……Pfft."
I smiled instead.
Her tone was so nostalgic. That same speech pattern and voice from past and present—it was so good to hear, it nearly brought tears.
Soliet furrowed her brow.
"What're you grinning at? You nuts?"
I shook my head and asked back,
"Whatever. Let me ask: do you like your family?"
Soliet Arkne.
Pre-regression, she placed second on the continental College Board but didn't attend any college—instead, she vanished.
It was a shocking scandal that splashed across year-end media.
"……."
Soliet didn't answer. Instead, she clenched her fists. Crack—crack—she rolled her neck side to side, making threatening sounds.
"You don't."
Right now, I'm about to cross the line. Stomp all over it deliberately.
To this far rougher, more fragile, sensitive teenage Soliet, from a guy she's only met twice.
No choice. I've lived for revenge alone, so my social skills suck.
"Your family fucking sucks."
The purpose of this life given to me is just to complete karma. Everything else—especially relationships—is worthless trash.
But.
Even if that's my only goal, I don't want to miss the opportunity right in front of me.
"Did that shitty family of yours send someone after you?"
Soliet's tone turned serious.
"Nah. Would Arkne hire trash like me?"
"True."
She nodded without suspicion. It felt oddly satisfying.
"Then why do you keep butting in? Wanna die?"
I watched Soliet's mouth get fouler. Mana stones dotted the wall she leaned against, illuminating her brightly.
Blue light bleeding into her red long hair. Gem-like clear eyes, lips set with resolve and determination.
"Well……."
I had loved this beautiful woman.
She was a star to me, always coming to mind whenever I looked up at the sky.
It was a fleeting emotion from my worthless terminal life.
"Just."
But to confess this now, to live loving someone—our time is too short.
"I need money."
I pulled a flyer from my inner pocket and handed it to Soliet.
[Services Offered]
Soliet let out a ridiculous scoff.
"……You? The 'expert'?"
"Yeah, pretty much."
I'm a quasi-expert. Even in the underworld where laws and ethics don't exist, I've rolled in the dirt as one. Delivery, cleanup, driving, background checks, tailing, searches……come to think of it, all odd jobs, but whatever.
"Get lost. Keep flapping your mouth when you know nothing, and I might kill you."
Whoosh— Soliet burned the flyer. The ashes blew into my face.
"I know. I already know."
I said innocently,
"Why you're trying so hard to break free from your family."
"……Shut."
Soliet pressed a finger to her lips. Her eyes sharpened like blades, and the air grew icy.
"Watch your mouth. Last warning."
This is it.
One more step, and it's touching her reverse scale.
Doesn't matter.
Last warning or not, we're short on time.
Current Soliet is wearing down even faster than me.
Already somewhat eroded.
I don't want that.
I don't want her to die.
Recovery might be greedy, but at least stop the self-harm.
My 'regression' miracle is the chance to save her.
So……
I said it.
"It's because of Knightmare."
That one word.
Just one word changed the atmosphere drastically.
Uncontrolled mana leaked from her body, shaking the cave with a rumble, and Soliet vented her rage in curses.
"——You fucking bastard."
She stood up. Glared at me with eyes blazing like flames.
Her murderous look didn't scare me. It was almost cute, except one thing.
Our eye levels didn't match.
I'm still shorter.
"I'm not messing with you. I can help."
I was sincere, but Soliet's face was already ice-cold. She even gathered mana in her hands.
At me?
Whirr——!
Soliet shot the mana clump upward. It stretched like a harpoon and stuck to the ceiling.
"Rot here forever."
She growled through gritted teeth and shot up like a rocket.
"……Whoa."
I stared up blankly and muttered,
"That's like 30 meters."
Pulling out 30 meters of mana to use like a wire. Monsters are monsters, alright.
"……."
Alone now, I scratched the back of my head. Bit my lower lip for no reason.
I got caught up in the moment, but now I was a little worried.
Was that the right move?
Could my efforts move Soliet Arkne even one step?
"……Gotta hope."
Once, someone told me I spread illness. 'You made me unhappy.'
Thinking back now, it might've been true.
The people I liked, loved, admired in my past life.
Those who liked me, helped me, cared for me.
All who stayed by my side for any reason got hurt or died.
Soliet was one of them.
Pre-regression her pitied and sympathized with me. No different from how she'd treat a lost dog or cat, but I was fine.
Because I loved her.
Because she allowed me.
……Was that why?
Soliet Arkne.
Seven years from now, she would take her own life.
"—Oh my."
A voice from the mine's darkness. Footsteps disrupting my thoughts.
"Oh dear."
Pretending to be surprised, exaggerated gestures clearly meant for me to hear—as she looked at me—