Chapter 39: A Morning After and a New Discovery

Yufinika groggily opened her eyes, swaying as she sat up from the sofa.

Her clothes had come undone at some point, revealing a sliver of her flat stomach, which stood out against the dim light; yet, she paid it no mind.

Stretching languidly, she refastened the slipped shoulder strap and ran a hand through her somewhat disheveled white hair.

Glancing out the window, she noted that the sky had almost completely darkened.

“How long did I sleep for… I can’t believe I actually passed out drunk…”

Yufinika mumbled to herself.

Her head throbbed excruciatingly; it had been an age since she had last experienced such a profound hangover.

The vast room lay empty and pitch black, and a wave of loneliness washed over her.

While years of solitary living had long accustomed her to such feelings, she still detested them.

Her throat was parched, and her stomach rumbled faintly, a consequence of not having eaten all day.

‘If only I could have something warm to eat right now,’ she thought wistfully.

Yufinika shook her head with a bitter smile.

She was indeed still drunk, indulging in such unrealistic fantasies.

‘Never mind,’ she decided, ‘I’ll just boil some water to drink later.’

Just as Yufinika pushed herself up from the sofa, her small nose twitched.

She caught a pleasant scent.

Following the aroma, she noticed a faint light emanating from the kitchen not far away.

‘Someone is in my house!’

A jolt of alarm tightened Yufinika’s chest, instantly dispelling the lingering drunkenness from her mind, and she instinctively reached for the hilt of the sword at her waist.

However, she quickly regained her composure, slowly lowering her hand.

Yufinika approached the kitchen entrance and, sure enough, found Yalin inside.

The stove fire cast a soft glow, illuminating Yalin as he bent over, patiently stirring something in a pot.

He evidently heard her footsteps, for he looked up at her, his expression placid, and said, “Yufi, you’re awake?”

“Noah?”

Yufinika froze, her hazy gaze fixed on his face, her lips trembling slightly.

So alike, too alike.

She felt as though she had been transported back years ago, to that dilapidated but cozy little house, where the young man used to stir ingredients in a pot, smiling warmly at her.

The crackling of the flames shattered the illusion, and the phantom image vanished with the firelight, pulling Yufinika back to reality.

She knew she couldn’t remain lost in a dream forever.

The dream was over.

Yufinika shook her head. “Yalin… what are you doing?”

“I’m cooking porridge, Yufi, would you like a bowl?”

Yalin scooped a spoonful of porridge, from which a wisp of white steam rose, the plump, round grains of rice looking exceptionally inviting.

“I…”

Yufinika’s stomach unceremoniously grumbled.

Her ears felt a little warm, and after a moment of hesitation, she took a seat at the small kitchen table.

“I’ll have a bowl, please.”

Yalin served the porridge into a small wooden bowl and placed it before Yufinika.

The fragrant aroma of rice wafted up, and Yufinika couldn’t help but take a deep breath.

She took a spoonful, and the warm, creamy porridge slid down her throat, instantly warming her body.

Yufinika squinted, her cheeks slightly flushed from the steam, and she quickly polished off the entire bowl.

Exhaling a soft breath, Yufinika finally spoke, “It’s so late; why are you still here?”

“I saw that you were quite unwell from drinking, and I thought you might want something warm to eat,” Yalin replied truthfully.

“However, I took the liberty of using your pot and rice; I hope you don’t mind.”

“It’s fine, thank you for your thoughtfulness.”

Yufinika murmured, her head bowed.

She used to love drinking, that sweet, clear liquid, a taste utterly unobtainable in the Castia Great Forest.

Back then, however, her tolerance was poor; after only a few drinks, she would pass out in bed, unable even to get up.

At those times, Noah would always smile as he brewed her a bowl of soup, then nag her like an old mother, telling her to drink less.

Later, Yufinika’s alcohol tolerance improved significantly; even pint after pint of common tavern ale could no longer make her feel drunk.

Thus, it had been a very long time since she had experienced such gentle care.

Yufinika suddenly felt a touch of gratitude that she had earlier asked Yalin to suppress his smile.

His indifferent expression served as a reminder to stay clear-headed, to face reality.

Otherwise, she feared she might lose control.

Yalin observed her somewhat embarrassed demeanor, secretly marveling at what a strange woman she was.

Most people maintained a proper composure in their daily lives, only letting loose and babbling nonsense when drunk.

Yufinika, however, was precisely the opposite.

Though she was often eccentric and wild in her daily life, once she got drunk, she became docile and well-behaved, much like a little cat.

“In the future, if you want to use anything in my house, you can just use it directly; you don’t need to ask me…”

Halfway through her sentence, Yufinika suddenly remembered something, her expression shifting, and she quickly grabbed Yalin’s wrist, pulling him closer.

“Right! While I was asleep, you didn’t do anything to me, did you?”

“No, I wouldn’t dare lay a hand on you while you’re asleep; I know my limits.”

“That’s good… When I’m asleep, my body can unconsciously launch attacks to protect itself, so it’s best if you don’t get too close; you could get hurt.”

“Understood, I know.”

Yalin nodded. ‘No problem,’ he thought, ‘I’ve already experienced it.’

‘It’s a good thing I’m the Legendary Unkillable King; those minor injuries were nothing.’

Only after confirming that Yalin had no injuries did Yufinika breathe a sigh of relief.

She stood up, a helpless smile playing on her lips.

“Alright then, I didn’t expect your alcohol tolerance to be so good; I really underestimated you.”

“A bet’s a bet, and I’ll honor it. As agreed, you can take any one of my collectibles. Come on.”

On the way home, Yalin carried a wooden box, his mood unusually light.

After so many days of constant trouble, he had finally stumbled upon something good.

He had to admit, Yufinika was an excellent client.

Though she was a ‘crazy woman’ (TL Note: A slang term for an eccentric or unpredictable woman), who seemed like she might stab him in the kidney at any moment, the fact remained that this rich lady was truly generous.

Not only did she freely hand him a bag of gold coins, but she also kept her promise, taking him to her underground material vault and allowing him to choose whatever he wished.

What surprised Yalin most was that among the dazzling array of treasures, he actually found the very material he had been desperately searching for.

With it, he could officially begin analyzing the ‘Eye of Nothingness’.

All this time, Yalin had been troubled by the secrets surrounding him.

Now, he finally had a premonition that he was on the verge of touching a corner of that mystery.

Early the next morning, he rushed to the academy, eager to set up his experimental equipment and begin his research immediately.

However, upon reaching the laboratory door, Yalin paused, his brows furrowing.

A faint, lingering smell of something burnt continuously wafted from beneath the door.

“No way, not again…”

Yalin was silent for a moment, then reluctantly pushed open the door.

The laboratory, which he had only just managed to clean and organize, was once again in complete disarray.

‘That old geezer (TL Note: (lǎo dēng) is a colloquial, somewhat disrespectful, but often affectionate or exasperated term for an older person, implying they are troublesome or set in their ways)... something must have upset them again,’ he wondered.