Chapter 135: Precise Positioning
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 135: Precise Positioning
"How are you feeling?"
"I feel..."
Muen woke from his stupor. After a brief moment of adjusting to the stinging light, he moved his body at Teacher Mela’s prompting.
"My body feels light, like I’ve been reborn. And..." Muen looked at his arms and said in surprise, "I feel like I’ve become a lot fairer."
"It’s not 'like' you’ve been reborn; you have been," Mela said. "Under the erosion of the mercury and the recovery of the Crimson Flame, almost every inch of your flesh has been replaced. Naturally, your skin is brand new. It’s only normal to be fair."
"But I feel like being a pretty boy doesn't really suit my vibe," Muen said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "I should be more suited to that rugged, bronze, macho-man look."
"Give it a rest." Mela rolled her eyes. "A pampered Duke’s son shouldn't be saying things like that. Come on, get up and hop around a bit."
Muen obediently stood up and hopped a few times. However, mid-jump, he failed to control his strength properly and nearly lost his balance and fell.
"This is..." Feeling the surging power within him—a sensation he had never experienced before—Muen’s eyes gleamed with excitement. "It feels like my realm has improved."
After entering the Academy, his Martial Artist realm had remained stagnant because he’d been so hopelessly immersed in his studies. Now, it seemed to have undergone another explosive growth spurt. He had actually reached the level of a late second-tier Martial Artist.
"After being tempered by the Mercury Well for so long, this kind of improvement is normal. After all, your previous constitution was so pathetic that any little thing would have boosted it," Mela said, scribbling notes on a parchment. "But don't expect this kind of effect later on. The purpose of the Mercury Well's tempering is to improve your body's resilience and resistance, not its raw strength. To get stronger, you still have to rely on yourself, taking it one step at a time."
"I see..." Muen looked at his hands and couldn't help but clench his fists again.
Though he didn't quite know what this "resilience and resistance" was good for, he could feel a genuine improvement. For Muen, that was something worth celebrating.
"Wait, hold on. You just said... 'later on'?" Muen finally processed her words and asked in horror, "You mean this isn't a one-time thing?"
"One time? How is that possible? Are you still dreaming, kid? Do you really think that with your constitution, soaking in the Silver Well once would be enough to host the Eternal Clock?" Teacher Mela continued her calculations, then added, "With your physique, you’ll probably need to soak about a hundred more times to meet the minimum standard."
"A hundred more times?" Muen’s face went pale instantly.
Just once had nearly claimed his life. If he had to do this a hundred times... even the toughest man would go weak at the knees.
"Relax, relax. Everything is hard the first time. Since you survived the first round, the ones after won't be as bad as you think," Teacher Mela comforted him. "There’s a saying, isn't there? You have to learn to find pleasure in pain. Who knows, maybe as you keep looking, you’ll actually start to find the pain quite enjoyable."
"I’m not some kind of masochist!" Muen roared. Suddenly, the life that had just started looking up felt shrouded in darkness again.
The thought of having to endure such a dangerous and painful ordeal at least a hundred more times made Muen feel like he should just go ahead and write his will.
Let’s see... one for my parents, one for An, one for Celicia, and one for Senior Sister. As for this detestable old loli teacher who loves acting young, I’ll just leave her a candy wrapper so she can cry while she licks it!
Wait, hold on.
Speaking of Senior Sister...
Muen snapped out of it and looked at Mela. "What time is it?"
"About nine o'clock."
"What’s the date?"
"The date? Do you really think I keep track of that?" Mela spread her hands, indicating she had no idea. Having lived for so long, she had long since lost her sensitivity to the passage of time. Forget the date—Mela didn't even know what year it was, nor did she care to find out.
"Then how long was I soaking in the Silver Well?"
"Well..." An illusory clock appeared before Mela. She flicked the hands casually and said, "About thirty hours."
"Thirty hours?!"
That meant... it was already 9:00 AM on the second day of the Open Day! And the time he had agreed to meet Senior Sister was 10:00 AM! He only had one hour left!
"Crap, I’m going to be late!"
If he was late for their first date, Senior Sister would tease him to death!
Muen scrambled to his feet and grabbed Teacher Mela’s shoulders, shaking her vigorously. "You can torture me as many times as you want later, but Teacher Mela, please, let me out now!"
"Oh? Are you going out?"
"Yes, I have to leave the Academy. It’s something very important."
"That’s perfect. Go prepare the materials for the second stage."
"Second stage materials? What materials?"
"Ancient Dragon Heart Blood," Mela said. "The Academy’s stock is empty, so you’ll have to collect it yourself. I need that stuff to proceed to the next step; otherwise, you’ll just have to keep soaking in the Silver Well indefinitely."
"Fine, fine, fine, I got it. Ancient Dragon Heart Blood, right? I’ll get it for sure." Muen was visibly impatient.
"Good. Off you go then."
Mela suddenly waved her hand. Accompanied by a sharp bout of dizziness, the scene before Muen’s eyes shifted instantly.
The sun was bright, and the air still held the lingering moisture from the previous night. Everything in the world seemed as if it had been washed clean, sparkling under the sunlight.
"Incredible..." In a daze, Muen realized Mela had sent him directly to the front of his dormitory.
"Dammit, no time to be impressed." Muen gritted his teeth and, taking advantage of the little time he had left, rushed back to his room.
...
Shower. Change. Style hair. He even went so far as to spray on a few spritzes of expensive men’s cologne.
After checking himself in the full-length mirror and confirming he looked flawless, Muen hurried at a light jog to the meeting spot—the Academy’s main gate, next to the giant stone engraved with the words "St. Maria Academy."
Since it was Open Day, ninety percent of the students were out having fun, leaving the Academy grounds quite empty. He didn't even run into anyone else on the way, so he immediately spotted Senior Sister waiting by the stone.
"Senior!"
Anna was wearing a goose-yellow sundress with white leather boots. A simple woven bag hung from the crook of her arm; though the material didn't look expensive, it was very eye-catching. Her long hair was tied at the ends with a simple ribbon and draped habitually over her chest. Her pretty face was adorned with elegant, light makeup. When she saw Muen, her eyes crinkled into a smile, making the beauty mark at the corner of her eye look exceptionally charming.
"Junior Muen, you’re late."
"Huh? Am I?" Panicking, Muen quickly pulled out his gold-plated pocket watch. The slender hand was still a few ticks away from the top. "Wait, I’m not late."
"Is that so?" Anna rested her cheek on her hand, feigning a serious expression. "But when a boy asks a girl out, isn't arriving half an hour early standard procedure? And here I was, arriving thirty minutes early just so my dear Junior wouldn't have to wait in vain. Sigh, as a girl, I stood alone in the cold wind for half an hour, wondering what I’d do if I caught a cold, or what if I got hit on, or what if a passing thug kidnapped me... or worse, what if I got stood up by a certain someone..."
"Stop, stop, stop! Enough! Senior, please stop!" Muen quickly cut her off. If he let her keep going, he’d be labeled an irredeemable scumbag before the date even started.
He took back his earlier thought—even if he wasn't late, he was still going to get teased.
"I was wrong, Senior. I was wrong," Muen pleaded. "Have mercy, okay?"
"Well, alright. Since you’re being so sincere, I’ll forgive you. You are my cute Junior, after all." Anna giggled. The allure in her eyes made Muen daze for a moment. "But for the rest of the day, you’d better make sure I have a good time."
"Of course. I’ll make sure this da—this repayment of the favor is ten thousand percent satisfactory for you, Senior." Muen puffed out his chest, looking as if he were making a solemn vow.
...
Inside the carriage, while Senior Sister leaned her cheek on her hand and gazed at the scenery outside, Muen stealthily flipped through his long-prepared Belland Dating Guide.
Only now did the panic in his heart start to spill out like an overturned cup of water.
According to his original plan, he was supposed to spend all of yesterday reading the guide, making a plan, and even scouting the locations in person. But because he’d been suddenly summoned by Teacher Mela and soaked in the Silver Well for thirty hours, he didn't have a plan. He wasn't even sure where their next stop should be. In fact, when they got into the carriage, he hadn't even given the driver a specific destination; he just told him to head toward the city and wait for further instructions.
"Oh, this place has changed so much? It’s only been two years," Anna suddenly let out a small gasp of surprise.
Muen followed her gaze out the window. A street that seemed to have been recently renovated and rebuilt came into view. it was bright, clean, and relatively prosperous—a stark contrast to the general vibe of the Lower District.
"This is..." Muen found it familiar and quickly flipped through the guide. "Right, this is the new commercial street in the Lower District."
"It seems it was built to revitalize the Lower District's economy. Lots of merchants and interesting shops have moved in, and the foot traffic is pretty good."
"There are even special events lately. Recommendation index... four stars. That’s quite good."
"Most importantly, Senior seems to like it here!" Muen’s eyes lit up. He made the call—this was the place!
*
"Ah, Head Maid, I’m so tired."
The little maid, Noel, was wobbling down the crowded street, clutching a large pile of ingredients. "Speaking of which, why did we have to cross half the city just to buy things here?"
Exhausted, Noel looked at the figure in front of her. Even in a black-and-white maid outfit and under the constant gaze of passersby, the woman remained poised and elegant. Noel’s eyes were full of confusion.
The Duke’s Estate was in the western suburbs, but for some reason, the Head Maid had insisted on dragging her to the eastern part of the city to buy supplies today. She hadn't even brought any guards. The Lower District was a melting pot of all sorts of people; what if they ran into trouble?
"It’s good to learn about the produce of other areas once in a while, isn't it?" An was picking through a fruit stall, though she seemed somewhat distracted.
Suddenly, she looked up toward a certain direction. Her nose twitched slightly, as if she were confirming something.
A few breaths later, the corners of her mouth slowly curled upward into a strange smile that made Noel shudder.
"Wha... what? Did something happen, Head Maid?"
"Young Master."
"Eh?"
"I feel it. The Young Master’s scent." A piercing, predatory glint flashed in An’s eyes. "The Young Master is within a five-mile radius!"