I’m Here to End This Fight

Chapter 176: Alliance Quest (1)

It was an early September dawn, and despite the absence of sunlight, the air was warm and muggy.

Sss- Sss-.

Amid the darkness, the steady sound of breathing continued without pause.

Then finally,

Hoo-.

As golden particles drifted from his mouth and scattered into the air,

Flash-.

Golden eyes lit up within the pitch-black darkness.

The eyes blinked several times in the shadows before beginning to move.

Clack-.

A hidden luminous stone was soon revealed, casting light in the darkness.

And there appeared Yuri.

“Ugh.”

Yuri, who seemed to have grown slightly taller, stretched briefly and tried to gauge the time.

‘It’s a bit less hot; it must be around dawn.’

This meant that he had stayed up all night.

Yet, Yuri’s face showed no signs of fatigue.

Instead, it was filled with a sense of refreshment.

Yuri wore a pleasant smile.

‘It was a lucky day.’

Yesterday, September 1st, was the day when the special sale items were refreshed.

And now, unlike before, there was no time to leisurely browse the items on special sale.

Most of his peers already knew about the special sale item updates.

Moreover, many of them had accumulated enough points to buy items from the special sale.

As such, the special sale days resembled battlefields, with everyone trying to grab what they wanted.

Even Yuri, on several occasions, had missed out on items he desired, highlighting how fierce the competition was.

However, yesterday, he had managed to secure two low-grade mana elixirs by sheer luck.

That wasn’t all.

A high-grade mana enhancement elixir had also been listed.

Among the 50th batch, Yuri was the only one capable of purchasing a high-grade mana elixir, so it naturally ended up in his hands.

And the luck of September didn’t stop there.

‘There was also a high-grade elixir in the 49th batch’s special sale.’

With Theresia’s help, Yuri had successfully procured a high-grade mana elixir from the 49th batch’s special sale.

Although he had to pay Theresia a significant commission, the elixirs were far more valuable to him than his abundant points, so he didn’t regret it at all.

Thus, on September 1st, he had bought two low-grade and two high-grade elixirs at once.

Given that he had never experienced such a fruitful special sale before, it was fair to say it was truly a lucky day.

And all four elixirs disappeared into Yuri’s stomach on the same day.

He patted his stomach, which had finished digesting.

Thump, thump.

With a drum-like sound, a satisfied smile spread across his face.

‘It’s grown quite a bit.’

Where once a tiny nipple hung loosely on an empty watermelon, now it had developed into something quite robust.

Though he had an empty stomach from absorbing mana for quite some time, he felt full enough to skip a meal.

After basking in satisfaction for a while, Yuri finally gathered himself and began his morning routine.

Thud-.

Yuri abruptly threw off his top.

This was a routine he hadn’t skipped even once over the past four months.

It was focused on building muscle.

This regimen was born from Johan’s advice.

[“You ate a Strength Core? Ha, you sure know how to pick up good things while I wasn’t looking.”]

When Johan heard that Yuri had consumed a Strength Core, he seemed pleased.

[“For now, focus more on developing your body than on swordsmanship. You’ve consumed something valuable, so you should maximize its effects.”]

Although the Strength Core had an immediate and substantial effect, Johan explained that it could also disrupt the body’s balance.

To counter this imbalance, he stressed that a process of physical conditioning was essential.

Yuri, who heard this, grumbled, questioning whether it was necessary and expressing his desire to continue his swordsmanship training.

Johan clicked his tongue in response.

[“Tsk, the reason the Strength Core is considered a treasure is that its potential-enhancing effect lasts quite a long time. What does that mean? It means that with more effort, you can fully exploit that effect to its limit! How big was the core you found?”]

When Yuri replied that it was about the size of an egg, Johan was astonished.

[“…Seriously, you lucky bastard. That’s a rarity, incredibly hard to come by. With a core of that size, the effect will last at least half a year. So for about half a year, focus on building muscle as if your life depends on it. Just as you can’t create something from nothing, the core’s effects are also proportionate to the muscles formed during the absorption process.”]

Even after Johan’s thorough explanation, Yuri still couldn’t fully grasp why he had to reduce his swordsmanship training.

Johan eventually sighed and gave a more detailed response.

[“Your growth rate is freakishly abnormal. Normally, no matter how much insight one gains, you only progress about 1.1 or 1.2 times the prepared capacity. Growth should be gradual, step by step… but you’re leaping threefold, fourfold each time. It’s as if you have no limits.”]

Johan’s expression turned serious.

[“This is too much, far too much. If you were somewhat prepared, that talent might indeed be a blessing… but at this rate, it’s more like a curse that could end your life at any moment.”]

Johan believed that Yuri’s condition stemmed from his Avatar.

[“From the beginning, your bloodline was open… The barriers that normal people face to reach that level might not even exist for you. Or maybe those barriers are absurdly low. Of course, this is all just my conjecture, but… being cautious won’t hurt.”]

Johan warned him not to deliberately attempt to elevate his level until he was fully prepared.

[“This time, we were lucky that I noticed in time and managed to help you out safely, but that means that if I hadn’t been there, things could have gone south long ago. Do you understand?”]

Therefore, Johan repeatedly emphasized that Yuri should not even attempt to gain the ‘Zone’ before he was ready.

[“If you have the luxury to do that, then invest that time in strengthening your foundations. No wonder you got where you are without earning it; even though you use a Holy Sword, you can’t properly throw a slash that a certified fifth-tier would do easily? Damn it, once your body is built up, start from strong swordsmanship again and work on basic proficiency!”]

Only then did Yuri fully understand Johan’s advice.

He shifted his training focus to muscle-building as Johan had suggested.

And fortunately, there was someone nearby who could give him sound advice on muscle training.

[“I’m hungry!”]

[“Increase the weight and do ten more reps!… That’s what he says.”]

Thanks to Muscle-Pig Baldy and the cooperation of translator Arin, Yuri was able to continue his strength training smoothly.

As a result, Yuri’s hideout was filled with all sorts of rocks.

These were brought in to provide progressive overload to his body according to Poppy’s training methods.

So, Yuri, dripping with sweat, was fully engrossed in building his muscles once again today.

Huff- Huff-.

He did push-ups while standing on his hands at a 45-degree angle, with heavy stones attached to his legs.

Drip, drip.

Clear sweat beaded and flowed down Yuri’s upper body.

Thanks to the effects of the Strength Core and the arduous training, Yuri’s muscles had noticeably transformed.

They had grown larger, boasting a density that seemed incredibly compact and tough at first glance.

His growth spurt also helped, resulting in a balanced and well-proportioned physique.

Over the past four months, Yuri’s physical abilities had harmonized, progressing towards even greater balance.

Huff- Huff-.

The morning workout that started at dawn didn’t end even by lunchtime, and as his sweat evaporated, filling the room,

Bang-.

The door swung open, and a bright voice echoed through the space.

“Ugh, the smell of sweat… Can’t you ventilate a little?”

The person who appeared while pinching her nose was none other than Theresia.

Despite Yuri’s shirtless, mid-workout state, she entered the room with a casual, unaffected demeanor.

Of course, it was only natural for her not to be flustered by this.

She had seen this sort of scene far too often already.

Theresia calmly opened the window and swung it lightly, clearing out the stale air.

She did it with such ease that it was clear she had done it more than just once or twice.

Afterward, she glanced at Yuri, who was still absorbed in his workout despite her arrival, and spoke.

“That’s enough for today.”

“I haven’t finished my daily quota yet. Just a little more, and I’ll be done!”

Yuri continued his exercise even as he responded.

However, he had to stop at Theresia’s next words.

“It’s an integrated quest. You have to go, too.”

“Huh?”

Yuri immediately straightened up and turned his head toward Theresia.

“Integrated quest? You mean the 49th batch’s integrated quest?”

“Yes. The notice just came out.”

“Why should I go to that? Oh… is it one of those quests where outsiders can join, like last time?”

“No, this is a 49th batch quest, but…”

Before Theresia could finish, Arin’s loud voice rang out.

“Yuriiii! The 50th batch has to gather toooo!”

Hearing this, Theresia chuckled and continued.

“It’s also the integrated quest for the 50th batch.”

“…?!”

Yuri’s eyes widened slightly.

Near the northern clock tower, more people than usual had gathered.

However, it was as if an invisible wall separated them into two groups.

Red epaulets and yellow epaulets.

The 50th and 49th batches were split into two sides, an awkward tension hanging between them.

Of course, the awkwardness was entirely due to the 50th batch.

‘Damn it, an integrated quest with the seniors…’

‘How am I supposed to focus on the quest with all this tension?’

It was the first quest the 50th batch would undertake with a higher batch.

Naturally, they felt intimidated and couldn’t help but be overly conscious of themselves.

In contrast, the 49th batch appeared relaxed.

Most of them cast sly smiles at the 50th batch, applying pressure.

As if they were about to devour their juniors at any moment.

However, the atmosphere shifted dramatically with the arrival of a few individuals.

“What’s this? Why’s the vibe so tense?”

A casual, cocky voice.

A black-haired boy walked up with his hands in his pockets, followed by four others.

As they squeezed between the 50th and 49th batches, the pressure on the 50th batch from the 49th quickly dissipated.

But not all of the pressure vanished entirely.

A few from the 49th batch, slow to catch on, continued to glare at the 50th.

“What’s this? You wanna go? Huh?”

Yuri’s head tilted to the side in a challenging manner.

Just as it seemed like he might charge at the 49th batch, Poppy slipped his arm under Yuri’s armpit and lifted him up.

“Hey, Poppy, let me go! I’ve got some words for that senior punk who gave me the stink eye.”

“I’m hungry.”

“Hey, I’m not gonna hit anyone! I’m just gonna have a little chat, just a chat! So, let me down already!”

Seeing Yuri flailing his legs in Poppy’s grasp, the 49th batch quickly turned their heads away.

‘It’s that lunatic!’

‘…Don’t mess with that guy.’

Yuri had already made a strong impression on the 49th batch from his previous battle with the Demon King.

Exceptional skills and a wild temper.

As a result, he was known among the 49th batch as the “Mad Dog of the 50th.”

Thanks to the ruckus Yuri caused, the pressure on the 50th batch from the 49th faded away as if it had never existed.

Inadvertently, Yuri had rescued his peers, and now, like a doll, he was being carried by Poppy towards the front.

As if parting the sea, the 49th and 50th batches hurriedly moved aside, startled by Poppy pushing Yuri forward.

After setting Yuri down, Theresia, Arin, and Gunther patted Poppy on the back.

“Well done.”

“Great job!”

“Good call.”

Seeing them all shower Poppy with praise, Yuri, now pouting, seemed ready to grumble when—

“…Huh?”

A new group caught his attention.

As they gradually approached, Yuri blinked in surprise.

“What’s with them?”

Arin, realizing she had forgotten to mention something, responded casually.

“Oh, did I not tell you? It’s not just the 49th and 50th batches participating in this quest.”

“…Why are you only telling me this now?”

Yuri’s brows furrowed slightly.

From the west side of the circular arena, a group of about a hundred people appeared.

They were all wearing green epaulets, representing the 48th batch.