Damned Transmigration - Chapter 14

WeTried Translations

Translator: Joy

Editor: Joy

◈ Damned Transmigration ◈

Chapter 14: Home Sweet Home (3)

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

Since the game had no official illustrations, he had only seen Orca through crude graphics and the fan art based on them.

She was certainly different in person.

Even her presence was different.

This was not Yuri’s first time seeing Orca Dersia.

Ten years ago, Orca had become interested after receiving a letter from the director of the Oldor orphanage and had visited it herself.

Yuri had hidden behind a wall and watched Orca meet Elena.

Elena had never properly learned magic, yet she moved mana through nothing but her natural talent and instincts.

She lifted the old, tattered ball the orphanage children kicked around and moved it this way and that without touching it.

She had shown Yuri that trick while giggling, but when she demonstrated it before Orca, her face was taut with tension and utterly devoid of a smile.

The worn ball soared far higher than it ever had when the orphanage children kicked it.

Far beyond where ten-year-old Yuri could have reached.

‘Excellent.’

Orca smiled at Elena, who stood stiff and tense after finishing the demonstration.

In truth, what Elena had shown was not so much magic as mana manipulation that required no magical formula. Still, for an untaught ten-year-old to possess that much talent naturally was enough to call her a genius.

‘Will you come with me?’

Yuri had heard those words from afar.

‘Y-Yes...’

He had heard Elena’s breathless reply as well.

The formalities were skipped. Orca saying she would take Elena was enough to settle the matter.

Elena did not have much to pack. The orphanage may have been her home at the time, but the only thing she could take from it was the old doll she always held while sleeping.

‘Goodbye, Yuri.’

At their parting, Elena sniffled through tears, her nose running.

‘I’ll send you a letter when I arrive. You have to write back, okay? And later, I’ll definitely come visit.’

His thoughts returned to the present.

Ten years ago, Yuri the orphan could not even stand before Heavenly Thunder Orca. Naturally, Orca had not paid him the slightest attention.

But Yuri now stood before Orca.

This meeting had not come about because he possessed any grand qualifications, but merely standing here gave Yuri a strange feeling.

‘I might be fucked.’

More than that strange feeling, he sensed danger. He had never imagined he would face Orca like this.

Although Elena was a prospective disciple, she was not alone, and this was not the Dersia Mage Tower.

‘I never thought Orca would come here herself.’

Moreover, there was interest in Orca’s eyes. She tilted her head slightly as she studied Yuri’s face.

“You have known Elena since the orphanage, yes? The one mentioned in the letters she sent from time to time.”

“Yes.”

“Hmm. Then I may have seen you ten years ago. I do not remember, though.”

“You probably did.”

“Let us see.”

Orca stroked her chin with a teasing smile. She examined Yuri’s face from every angle, as if appraising him.

“Your face is decent enough. You look a little mean, though. I did not know Elena liked faces like yours.”

“I told you it isn’t like that, Tower Master!”

Elena’s shout was almost a scream now. She rushed forward to grab Orca, but Orca’s magic rejected her.

Mana moved in an instant and formed a spell.

“Nngh...!”

Bound by magic, Elena twisted desperately in an attempt to break free, but escaping a spell cast directly by the Tower Master was impossible under her own power.

“You are using magic for something like this?! Have you gone mad?!”

“Others would think you are the mad one for speaking to the Tower Master that way.”

Orca chuckled and looked at Yuri again.

“Elena told me what happened. You nearly died in Oldor, so Elena went to find you herself and brought you here.”

“Yes.”

“I saw how that Namgung mutt attacked you earlier. Magic is quite convenient, you see.”

Her gaze moved down from his face. Her golden eyes narrowed.

“You seem to have trained your body quite well. You are skilled in a fight too.”

“Did you not hear how I lived?”

“I did. The Black Snake Gang, was it? An organization that only pretended to be part of the underworld.”

“Before that, I was a pickpocket. I was rather good at it. It seems I had nimble hands. I also got into fights often while I lived at the orphanage.”

It was not a lie. Yuri had been a troublemaker even at the orphanage, and he had never been caught while pickpocketing.

“That is the first I have heard of it. Perhaps Elena did not want to reveal your embarrassing past.”

“Maybe she was embarrassed herself.”

“Haha. That does sound more like Elena.”

Orca laughed softly and nodded.

“Rutlan is not like Oldor. If you cannot shake your old habits and try pickpocketing here, you will be caught quickly.”

“What happens if I get caught?”

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

“I do not know who does the cutting, but they probably will not be as merciful as you, Tower Master. I will never pickpocket.”

Orca laughed again at his shameless answer.

“Were you born with a gift for words as well as nimble hands?”

“The people I called my seniors were not merciful. If I said the wrong thing, they beat me with sticks.”

“You fight well. Were those seniors of yours stronger than you?”

“I do not know. I never fought them. And I never will, since everyone but me is dead.”

Yuri had died too.

“If you alone survived, then perhaps you were the stronger one.”

“Hearing you say that makes me regret the past. I should have tried rebelling instead of taking those beatings.”

“I heard you have no intention of learning magic right now.”

Orca was still grinning as she spoke.

“Yes. I tried learning on my own, but it did not work. I am somewhat used to using my body, so if I have to learn something, I would rather learn martial arts.”

“Do you know Elena is sulking over your choice?”

“I am not sulking!”

Elena, who had been struggling against the binding spell, let out a shrill cry. Yuri answered while ignoring it.

“Yes, I know.”

“I said I am not sulking!”

“But there is nothing I can do. As for magic... if I can, I would like to learn it later.”

“Learning is worth pursuing no matter how old you become. Magic even more so.”

Orca chuckled and nodded.

“Your name was Yuri, yes? You are very lucky. Do you know that?”

“Yes. I am living well thanks to having such a good childhood friend.”

“Of course. Thanks to that childhood friend, you will soon take an Azure Heaven Pill, something most people cannot even see.”

“I am taking it?”

“Who else would take it? Me? Haha, I have no need for such a thing. Elena? It would be worth her taking one. But she received three, did she not? She will give you at least one.”

“...”

“The Azure Heaven Pill is quite precious among the man-made spiritual elixirs of the East.”

But it was not extraordinarily precious. Namgung Jin could not have smuggled out an elixir of that much value.

‘If I become friendly with Orca, could I get a bottle of Elixir?’

The Ascard Family’s man-made spiritual elixir.

In the game, taking one Elixir raised a character by several levels and greatly increased their base stats. At level ninety-nine, when it was no longer possible to level up, grinding for Elixirs to raise stats was standard.

“Of course, you must not take it immediately. If someone like you, who has learned neither a heart technique nor a mana cultivation method, takes an Azure Heaven Pill, you will only become healthier. You will not accumulate internal energy.”

“Yes.”

“As for a heart technique... Elena will find one for you herself. Or should I find one for you?”

“You have no reason to do that for someone who is not part of your tower.”

“My adorable prospective disciple’s man is not exactly a stranger.”

“I told you it is not like that!”

Elena’s scream was almost a wail now.

“Thank you for the offer, but I am alright.”

He was tempted, but Yuri shook his head.

This could be a kind of test.

No, even if it was not a test and Orca was sincere, Yuri did not want to receive a heart technique from her. If he did, she might want to see his progress later, which would lead to continued meetings.

Yuri had no desire for that. More importantly, he already had the Heavenly Art of Annihilating Evil.

“You know how to refuse as well. You have some sense of propriety.”

Orca smiled teasingly.

‘So it was a test after all?’

“I thought I might find one for you if you asked.”

‘Apparently not.’

“I did not examine you closely, but Yuri, I think you have considerable talent for martial arts. Those who fight well tend to be good at martial arts as well. Perhaps you may have talent for magic too. You said you had never learned from a proper teacher.”

“I certainly hope so.”

“Talking with you is rather enjoyable. If I had my way, I would go inside, taste that dreadful tea, and speak with you a little longer.”

Orca shrugged and looked back at Elena.

“But if I did, my prospective disciple’s pleasant voice might be ruined. So I will leave it at this for today.”

For today?

A cold sweat ran down Yuri’s back as he bowed deeply.

“Thank you.”

“You have good manners too.”

“I am enjoying this good life thanks to my childhood friend, but you are the one who made it possible for her to give me that life, Orca-nim. And thanks to you, I will be receiving an elixir called the Azure Heaven Pill as well.”

“As long as you know.”

Yuri raised his head after hearing the answer. Orca turned around with a pleased smile.

‘Phew...’

He swallowed a sigh of relief.

“Ah, right.”

Orca turned back. Her hand shot out and grabbed Yuri’s.

“?!”

Crackle!

An electric current flowed through the hand she had grabbed. It was not an attack. A weak current flowed through Yuri’s swollen hand and into his body.

His muscles reacted on their own, twitching involuntarily.

“You said that Namgung mutt injured you earlier, yes? I can heal something like this with my magic.”

He had lied about twisting his ankle while dodging the slap and spraining his wrist while batting aside the punch.

But it was true that he had injured his wrist while blocking the fist aimed at his face, and that his leg ached after he was sent flying high and fell.

Was this magical electrotherapy? Yuri could see the swelling in his wrist quickly subside, and his leg no longer ached.

“How is it? Do you want to learn magic now?”

“I will... learn it later.”

“You were startled. Did you think I would fry you? I have no reason to do that.”

Orca chuckled and released Yuri’s hand.

“I examined you while treating you. There are no other injuries requiring special attention. Your body is more thoroughly trained than it appears. Are you quite impressive with your clothes off?”

“Yes...?”

“Your acupoints are sturdy, and there are few blockages. But you truly do not have even a handful of internal energy or mana. It seems you were born with an exceptional body. If you begin learning martial arts now, you might beat that Namgung mutt within a few years.”

After making that assessment, Orca turned around.

“I am truly leaving now. Take good care of my prospective disciple.”

“Eyes!”

Elena, who had stopped screaming and was breathing heavily, shrieked again.

“Yuri! Close your eyes!”

Yuri knew what would happen. He hurriedly shut his eyes. Instead, he focused all his senses and tried to read the movement of mana.

A great amount of mana swelled around Orca, and the mana in the air distorted. With the sound of electricity crackling, his darkened vision flashed brightly.

Thunder God’s Mirage.

It was the magic that symbolised Heavenly Thunder Orca, transforming her body into lightning itself. Once Orca used Thunder God’s Mirage, she became immune to all physical attacks and her evasion rate rose to the system’s maximum value.

It was a terrible match-up for UrMumSpammer, whose main approach was barehanded physical attacks. After several attempts, he had acquired an anti-Orca skill and incorporated it into his build, but the compatibility between Orca and UrMumSpammer had been so awful that he deleted the game several times during the trial and error.

“...You can open your eyes now.”

Elena’s weak voice reached him. After all the shouting, screaming, and wailing, her voice was slightly hoarse.

‘Even Orca Dersia could not detect my internal energy.’

She had not merely looked at him. She had held his hand and even sent an electric current through his body.

Yet Orca had assessed that he possessed not a handful of internal energy or mana.

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

The moment she grabbed his hand, Yuri had thought he was fucked. Instead, he had gained something valuable.

If even Orca, one of Seronis’ highest-ranked mages, could not sense his internal energy, he would have far more freedom to conceal that he was a transmigrator.

“Are you alright?”

Yuri turned toward Elena. Perhaps because she had struggled so hard to escape the bindings, Elena was sweating as if it were raining and leaning on Haryeong for support.

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

Elena looked at Yuri while breathing heavily.

‘Why is she giving me shit even when I am worried about her...?’

What a terrible personality.

“That is what I should be asking...! Yuri, are you really alright? You are not hurt anywhere? Did that Namgung Jin bastard... no, no, did the Tower Master hurt you?”

“I was not hurt. She healed me instead. You saw it happen, so why are you asking?”

“You do not know. Do you know how much the Tower Master tormented me when I was young? Whenever I was concentrating on a magic tome, she would sneak up behind me, place a finger against the nape of my neck, and give me a little shock to startle me...!”

It sounded like she had pranked Elena with a lighter’s igniter.

“I was startled, but I am fine. I really was healed.”

Yuri raised his hand to show that the swelling had completely gone down. There was no discomfort when he moved his wrist.

“...That is a relief.”

Only after seeing Yuri’s calm expression did Elena finally relax. She let out a long sigh and shook her head.

“I am sorry. I... I should have told you, but it never crossed my mind. I never imagined that Namgung Jin bastard would come to the house...”

“What is your relationship with him?”

Yuri was honestly curious.

Namgung Jin repeatedly ringing the doorbell, his fit upon seeing Yuri, and Orca directly mentioning romantic interest. Perhaps Elena and Namgung Jin were...

“What relationship? Do not say ridiculous things. And do not get any strange ideas!”

‘Does she have mind-reading magic too?’

“He was just someone who persistently followed me around.”

“He even came all the way to the Mage Tower, asking her to meet him for a meal,” Haryeong said while supporting Elena.

“Even though he is the fourth son, Lord Namgung Jin is the legitimate son of the Namgung Family. And Lady Elena is a prospective disciple of the Dersia Mage Tower. In terms of background and talent, Lord Namgung Jin does fall short of Lady Elena, but it was still an opportunity for her to become the Namgung Family’s daughter-in-law.”

“Daughter-in-law? Do not say something so horrible...!”

“You never know. If Lady Elena had gone to the meeting Lord Namgung Jin arranged last week, the relationship could have developed that way.”

“Do not misunderstand.”

Elena sharply turned her head and glared at Yuri.

“He was so persistent and tiresome that I only thought I would have one meal with him, as he wanted. I was going to say, ‘I am sorry, but I have no intention of meeting men right now, and I am too busy dedicating myself to magic. I do not think I can return your feelings!’ Then I was going to leave...!”

“I see.”

Unlike Elena, who spoke in a rush, Yuri remained calm.

“So when you said you gave up something important to come get me, you meant you gave up a meal with Namgung Jin.”

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

Her trembling gaze turned to Haryeong.

“Haryeong, you said something unnecessary...!”

“I think it was a sufficiently valuable meeting. How many women would want to attend a meal that might lead to a relationship with marriage to the Namgung Family’s fourth son in mind?”

“I would not!”

“Namgung Jin clearly did not think so. That is why he came immediately upon hearing that Lady Elena had returned, and this whole mess happened. In the end, it is Lady Elena’s fault for standing him up without a word.”

“Haryeong, are you taking Namgung Jin’s side now?”

“Why would I be insane enough to take that Namgung whatever’s side? I am only saying.”

Haryeong answered with a blank expression and felt along her arm a few times.

“Still, I never expected Orca-nim to come herself. I was so surprised that I nearly ran away.”

“Why would you have a reason to run?”

“I have told you several times. She has become more easygoing now, but until fifteen years ago, Orca-nim hated assassins to an extreme degree.”

“She still hates them.”

“But for reasons I do not know, she decided to understand Salhomun. The fact that I am now assigned to guard Lady Elena is proof of that. I heard many stories about Orca-nim during my trainee days as well.”

“That is ancient history.”

“Even so, the fear I felt while hearing those stories remains. In the past, more than ten Salhomun assassins died for the sole reason that they caught Orca-nim’s attention. All of them died while on protection missions. If assassins from other professional assassin sects are included, more than ten times as many assassins may have been killed by Orca-nim.”

It appeared that the Orca of this world had hated assassins in the past as well.

Yuri wondered what change of heart had led her to understand Salhomun, but Haryeong did not know the reason either, so he could not ask further.

“What now?”

Yuri spoke as he entered the mansion with Elena and Haryeong, who had returned with them.

“I said I would cook for you, but I have not done it yet.”

“That is alright. I came back early, and you got caught up in all this too.”

Although Elena said it was alright, Yuri remembered the expression she had worn before leaving the mansion earlier.

“Rest. I will cook for you now.”

“Huh...?”

“What, are you hungry?”

“Ah, no.”

Elena quickly shook her head.