WeTried Translations

Translator: Joy

Editor: Joy

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Damned Transmigration

Chapter 14

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Home Sweet Home (3)

Yuri had met, died to, and killed Heavenly Thunder Orca Dersia countless times in the game.

With no official illustrations, her likeness had only ever reached him through crude in-game graphics and the fan art those inspired.

But seeing her in the flesh was something else entirely.

Her very presence was overwhelming.

This was not the first time Yuri had laid eyes on Orca Dersia. Ten years earlier, she had visited the orphanage in person, intrigued by a letter from its director.

Yuri had hidden behind a wall and spied on her meeting with Elena.

He remembered it vividly: Elena, who had never been formally taught magic, manipulating mana with nothing but raw talent and instinct. She had lifted the tattered ball the children used for play, making it hover, dart, and tumble through the air without once touching it.

The same little trick she used to perform for Yuri with a giggle, she now attempted before Orca, her face drawn tight, no trace of a smile.

The battered ball shot upwards, climbing higher than it ever had when kicked by the children, far beyond the reach of a ten-year-old Yuri.

‘Excellent.’

Orca had smiled warmly at her, who stood stiff and tense after her display.

In truth, what she had shown was closer to raw mana manipulation than proper spellcraft, needing no incantation at all. Yet for a self-taught child to wield such force was nothing short of genius.

‘Will you come with me?’

Yuri had heard those words from afar.

‘Yes, yes…’

He had also heard Elena’s breathless reply.

There had been no ceremony. Orca’s declaration that she would take Elena was all that mattered.

Elena had few possessions to begin with; the orphanage had been her home, yet the only thing she carried away was the old doll she always slept with.

‘Goodbye, Yuri.’

Her voice had been thick with tears as she sniffled.

‘I’ll write to you when I get there. You have to write back, okay? And I’ll come back to visit, I promise.’

His thoughts returned to the present.

Ten years ago, the orphan Yuri had not even dared to stand before Heavenly Thunder Orca. Naturally, she had not spared him a glance.

But now, he was standing directly in front of her.

This meeting had not been won through some grand achievement of his own, yet simply being here, face to face with her, stirred something unfamiliar in his chest.

‘I might be fucked.’

The uneasy feeling was eclipsed by a sharper, more pressing sense of crisis.

Never in his wildest imagination had he pictured confronting Orca like this. He was only Elena’s friend; Elena was not alone, and they were far from the Dersia Mage Tower.

‘I can’t believe Orca came here herself.’

What was worse, there was a spark of unmistakable interest in her eyes. She tilted her head slightly, her golden gaze fixed on Yuri’s face.

“You’ve known Elena since the orphanage, haven’t you? From the letters she occasionally sent.”

“Yes.”

“Hmm. Then I may have seen you ten years ago, though I don’t recall.”

“I’m sure you wouldn’t.”

“Let’s see.”

Orca stroked her chin, a mischievous smile tugging at her lips as she scrutinised him from every angle, as though appraising a painting.

“Your face is decent enough. A little mischievous, perhaps, but I never knew Elena had a taste for faces like yours.”

“I told you it’s not like that, Tower Master!”

Elena’s voice rose into a shriek. She rushed forward to grab Orca, but the Tower Master’s magic cut her off. Mana flared in an instant, binding her with a spell.

“Nngh…!”

Elena twisted, struggling desperately, but there was no breaking free from a spell cast by Orca herself.

“Using magic for something like this?! Are you insane?!”

“Most people would say you’re the insane one, speaking to the Tower Master like that.”

Orca chuckled, then turned her gaze back to Yuri.

“I heard it from Elena. You were on the verge of death in Oldor, so she went to find you and brought you here.”

“Yes.”

“I also saw how that Namgung mutt attacked you earlier. Magic is quite convenient, isn’t it?”

Her golden eyes travelled down from his face, narrowing as they traced his frame.

“You seem to have trained your body well. A skilled fighter, too.”

“Have you not heard how I’ve lived?”

“I have. The Black Snake Gang, wasn’t it? A pack of thugs playing at being the Underworld.”

“Before that, I was a pickpocket. I was good at it. Nimble fingers. And I got into fights often at the orphanage.”

It was not a lie. Yuri had been a troublemaker from childhood, and he had never once been caught pickpocketing.

“This is the first I’m hearing of it. It seems Elena didn’t want to expose your less-than-savoury past.”

“Or maybe she was just embarrassed for herself.”

“Haha. Knowing Elena, that’s more likely.”

Orca’s quiet laughter gave way to a nod.

“Rutlan is different from Oldor. If you try your tricks here, you’ll be caught in no time.”

“What happens if I get caught?”

“They cut off your wrist so you’ll never steal again.”

“I don’t know who does the cutting, but I doubt they’ll be as merciful as you, Tower Master. I’ll refrain from pickpocketing.”

Orca laughed again at his slick reply.

“Born with the gift of the gab as well as nimble fingers?”

“The men I called my seniors weren’t so merciful. A misplaced word earned a beating.”

“You fight well. I suppose those seniors of yours were stronger than you?”

“I wouldn’t know. I never fought them. And I never will, since they’re all dead but me.”

Yuri had died too.

“If you’re the only one who survived, then perhaps you were the stronger one.”

“Hearing you say that makes me regret my past. I should’ve tried a little insubordination instead of taking all those beatings.”

“I heard you have no intention of learning magic right now,” Orca said, her teasing smile fading.

“No. I tried to teach myself, but it didn’t work. I’m better with my body, so if I learn anything, I’d rather learn martial arts.”

“Are you aware that Elena is sulking over your choice?”

“I’m not sulking!”

Elena, still bound by the spell, shrieked through a whimper. Yuri ignored her.

“Yes, I’m aware.”

“I said I’m not sulking!”

“But what can I do? As for magic… if the chance comes later, I’d like to try.”

“The pursuit of knowledge is never wasted, no matter your age. Especially when it comes to magic.”

Orca chuckled, then nodded.

“Yuri, was it? You’re a very lucky young man. Do you know that?”

“Yes. Thanks to having such a good childhood friend.”

“Indeed. And thanks to that friend, you’re about to receive an Azure Heaven Pill, something most could never even dream of touching.”

“I’m the one taking it?”

“Who else would? Me? I’ve no use for such things. Elena? She is worthy of one, certainly. But didn’t she receive three? She’ll surely give one to you.”

“…”

“The Azure Heaven Pill is a rare man-made elixir from the East.”

But it wasn’t that rare, he thought. An elixir of that level could never have been smuggled out by someone like Namgung Jin.

‘If I get on Orca’s good side, maybe I could get a bottle of Elixir?’

The Ascard Family’s man-made elixir.

In the game, a single Elixir boosted your level several times over and increased your base stats dramatically. At level ninety-nine, when further levelling was impossible, grinding for Elixirs to max out stats was the standard strategy.

“Of course, you mustn’t take it right away,” Orca warned.

“If someone like you, without a heart technique or a mana cultivation method, consumes an Azure Heaven Pill, you’ll only grow healthier. You won’t gain a shred of internal energy.”

“Yes.”

“As for a heart technique… I’m sure Elena will find one for you. Or shall I provide one instead?”

“You’ve no reason to do that for me. I’m not even part of your tower.”

“The boyfriend of my adorable prospective disciple isn’t exactly a stranger, is he?”

“I told you, it’s not like that!”

Elena’s voice had become a full-blown shriek.

“Thank you for the offer, but I’ll pass,” Yuri said.

Though tempted, he shook his head.

It could well be a test. Even if it wasn’t, he had no intention of taking a heart technique from Orca. If he did, she would expect to see his progress, which meant more meetings.

That was something he wanted to avoid at all costs. Besides, he already had the Heavenly Art of Annihilating Evil.

“So you know how to refuse. You’ve some sense of propriety.”

Orca smiled mischievously.

‘Was it a test after all?’

“I was planning to find one for you if you asked.”

‘Guess not.’

“I didn’t get a proper look, but I suspect you’ve a fair talent for martial arts. Those who fight well often adapt quickly to martial techniques. You may even have talent for magic. You did say you’ve never had a real teacher.”

“I certainly hope so.”

“It’s quite enjoyable talking with you. If it were up to me, I’d go inside, endure that dreadful tea, and chat a while longer.”

Orca shrugged and cast a glance at Elena.

“But if I did, I fear my prospective disciple’s lovely voice might be ruined. So, I’ll take my leave for today.”

For today?

A cold sweat trickled down Yuri’s back. He bowed his head deeply.

“Thank you.”

“You’ve good manners, too.”

“It’s thanks to my childhood friend that I live this well, but it was you, Tower Master, who enabled her to give me such a life. And now, thanks to you, I’ll also be receiving the Azure Heaven Pill.”

“As long as you know.”

He raised his head. Orca was smiling pleasantly as she turned to leave.

‘Phew…’

Just as he let out a silent sigh of relief—

“Ah, right.”

Orca spun back. Her hand shot out and closed around his.

“?!”

Crackle.

A current flowed from her touch. Not an attack, just a faint electric pulse running from his swollen hand into his body.

His muscles twitched involuntarily.

“You said you were injured by that Namgung mutt earlier, didn’t you? I can treat that with magic.”

He had lied about twisting his ankle dodging the slap and spraining his wrist when he blocked the punch. In truth, his wrist hurt from deflecting a fist aimed at his face, and his leg ached from the fall when he was thrown.

Was this magical electrotherapy? Before his eyes, the swelling in his wrist subsided, the pain in his leg vanished.

“How is it? Feel like learning magic now?”

“I’ll… learn it later.”

“You look surprised. Did you really think I was going to roast you? I’ve no reason for that.”

Orca chuckled and released his hand.

“I checked while I was healing you. No other injuries worth note. Your body’s better trained than it looks. Are you impressive with your shirt off?”

“Sorry…?”

“Your meridians are strong, with few blockages. But you’ve neither internal energy nor mana. You were born with a gifted body. If you start learning martial arts now, you could beat that Namgung mutt to a pulp within a few years.”

With that assessment, Orca turned away.

“I’m really leaving now. Do play nice with my prospective disciple.”

“Your eyes!”

Elena, panting from rage, found her voice and shrieked yet again.

“Yuri! Close your eyes!”

He knew what was coming. Yuri quickly shut his eyes and focused his senses, trying to read the flow of mana.

A surge of power swelled around Orca, thick enough to warp the air itself. Crackle. His darkened vision flared white with a blinding flash.

Thunder God’s Mirage.

The signature spell of Heavenly Thunder Orca, transforming her body into pure lightning.

While the spell was active, she became immune to all physical attacks, her evasion pushed to the very limits of the system.

A nightmare match-up for his old character, ImmuneToMumJokes, who had relied solely on unarmed physical combat.

After countless frustrating defeats, he had reshaped his build entirely around countering her.

The process had been so gruelling he had nearly deleted the game more than once. That was how bad their compatibility was.

“…You can open your eyes now.”

Elena’s voice reached him. Weak, hoarse, worn thin by all the shouting.

‘Even Orca Dersia couldn’t detect my internal energy.’

She hadn’t only looked. She had held his hand, sent her magic through his body. Yet her conclusion had been that he had no internal energy, no mana at all.

‘The Veil of Deception works, even against someone at the Tower Master’s level.’

He had thought he was finished the moment she touched him, but instead it was a windfall.

If even Orca, one of Seronis’ greatest mages, could be deceived, then he had far more freedom in hiding that he was a transmigrator.

“Are you okay?”

Yuri turned. Elena was drenched in sweat, as though she had run a race, leaning heavily on Haryeong for support. Likely from the strain of resisting the binding spell.

“Am I okay? Why are you asking me that?”

Elena glared at him through ragged breaths.

‘Why is she like this, even when I’m worried about her?’

What a rotten personality.

“I should be the one asking! Yuri, are you really alright? Did she hurt you??”

“She didn’t hurt me. She healed me. You saw it, so why ask?”

“You don’t understand. Do you know how much she tormented me when I was younger? If I was concentrating on a magic book, she’d sneak up behind me, press a finger to my neck, and shock me for fun!”

So she basically zapped her whenever she was bored?

“I was surprised, but I’m fine. She really did heal me.”

He raised his hand, the swelling gone, and flexed his wrist to show there was no pain.

“…That’s a relief.”

Seeing his calm expression, Elena finally relaxed. She exhaled, shoulders sagging.

“I’m sorry. I should have told you. I wasn’t thinking. I never imagined Namgung Jin would come to the house…”

“What’s the deal between you two?”

He asked out of genuine curiosity.

The endless ringing of the bell, Namgung Jin’s violent reaction when he appeared, and Orca’s pointed comments all seemed to hint at something.

Perhaps Elena and Namgung Jin were…

“What deal? Don’t be ridiculous. And don’t get any weird ideas!”

‘Does she have mind-reading magic too?’

“He was just… some guy obsessively pestering me.”

“He would even visit the tower, asking her to dine with him,” Haryeong added gently while still holding Elena upright.

“Even as the fourth son, Lord Namgung Jin is a legitimate heir of the Namgung Family. And Lady Elena is the prospective disciple of the Dersia Mage Tower.”

“In terms of background and talent, Lord Namgung may not compare to Lady Elena, but it was still an opportunity to become the Namgung Family’s daughter-in-law.”

“Daughter-in-law? Don’t say such horrifying things!”

“You never know, miss. If you had gone to the dinner Lord Namgung arranged last week, your relationship might have developed that way.”

“Don’t twist it!”

Elena swung her head to glare at Yuri.

“He was so annoyingly persistent, so I thought I’d give him one meal like he wanted. I planned to say, ‘I’m sorry! I’ve no intention of seeing anyone right now, and I’m far too busy dedicating myself to magic! I cannot return your affections!’ and then leave!”

“I see.”

Unlike Elena’s flustered tone, Yuri was calm.

“So when you said you gave up something important to fetch me, you meant giving up your dinner with Namgung Jin.”

“Is that meeting really valuable enough to call a sacrifice?”

Her trembling eyes darted to Haryeong.

“Haryeong, because of your pointless remarks…!”

“I believe it was a very valuable opportunity. Many women would leap at a dinner that could lead to a match with the Namgung Family’s fourth son.”

“Well, not me!”

“Lord Namgung Jin clearly didn’t think so. That’s why he came here the moment he heard you’d returned, which led to this whole mess.”

“In the end, it is your fault, Lady Elena, for standing him up without a word.”

“Haryeong, are you taking his side now?”

“Why on earth would I take the side of that Namgung-whatsit? I’m only stating the facts.” Haryeong’s face was blank as she rubbed her arm.

“But I never expected Lady Orca herself to appear. I was so startled, I nearly bolted.”

“Why would you run away?”

“I’ve told you many times. She may have mellowed since, but until fifteen years ago, Lady Orca had an extreme hatred for salsu.”

“She still hates them,” Elena muttered.

“But for some reason I don’t understand, she chose to tolerate Salhomun. The fact that I’m assigned as your guard is proof enough. Even during my training, I heard countless stories about her.”

“That’s ancient history.”

“Perhaps. But the fear I felt then still lingers. In the old days, more than ten salsu from Salhomun were killed simply for drawing Lady Orca’s attention.”

“All of them died while on protection missions. If you count salsu from other clans, the number she killed would be ten times that.”

So the Orca of this world had also once despised salsu.

What had changed her so much that she now tolerated Salhomun?

He wanted to ask, but since Haryeong didn’t know the reason, he held his tongue.

“Now what?” Yuri asked as he, Elena, and Haryeong stepped back into the house.

“I said I’d cook for you, but I haven’t yet.”

“That’s fine. I came back early, and you got dragged into all this.”

Even so, he remembered the look on her face before he’d left earlier.

“You rest. I’ll cook for you.”

“Huh…?”

“What, are you hungry now?”

“N-no.” Elena shook her head quickly.

“I’m fine. I rushed over while rewriting my contract, so I really must return to it.”

“I wasn’t planning on offering you any.”

“How cruel, especially when I was the first to rush to your aid, Yuri.”

“Your face doesn’t say that.”

“This is just my normal expression.”

They entered the house, joking around, but above all, his mind was elsewhere.

‘The Azure Heaven Pill…!’

The thought of taking one of those pills made his pulse quicken.

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