Chapter 21

Infinite Skill Copying with EX-Grade Interpretation Chapter 21

─Ssssss.

I simply rode the rope leading downward toward the excavation site.

Gravity gradually accelerated me as I descended at high speed.

I carefully prepared to land as the ground drew closer.

─Tap!

The moment I set foot on the cold excavation site, I took a breath.

The cold seemed to stab into my lungs, naturally making me frown.

Even so, I couldn’t stop, so I reached into my pocket and took something out.

─Rustle.

I pulled out the black sunglasses that were starting to feel familiar and put them on my face.

All right, remember.

The way those men in suits I had seen until now talked.

Thinking of those bastards who had persistently followed me, befitting the phrase ill-fated connection, I slowly swept my hair back.

Perhaps he sensed an outsider entering.

Or maybe he had been standing guard, because one of the men in suits waiting outside was walking toward me.

The distance narrowed.

I spoke first.

“Wow~ Working hard, huh. Aren’t you cold? You’re enduring this chill in a suit.”

“What?”

“I asked if you’re cold. Headquarters sent me to deliver an item, but damn, why is it so cold here... You must’ve suffered excavating this place.”

I brought up the possibly nonexistent headquarters.

He seemed confused at first, but at the words headquarters and delivering an item, I could see his guard slowly lowering.

The last thing remaining was.

Proof.

“Look. This is the relic headquarters told me to deliver.”

“R-really... Then does that mean we can finally leave this damn place?”

“Of course. More importantly, can you show me around the excavation site? I’m freezing to death.”

“O-of course. No, of course, sir. Since you came directly from headquarters, I’ll personally guide you.”

‘Looks like his rank isn’t that high.’

Apparently, their hierarchy was also divided between headquarters personnel and everyone else.

I smiled at how readily he volunteered to assist me because he thought I outranked him, while briefly looking at the building before me.

‘They call this an excavation site... but isn’t this basically a barracks?’

The reason I didn’t refuse his guidance was simple.

Regardless of it being called an excavation site, it was far too massive.

An enormous barracks large enough to be called a building had been constructed.

‘Inside the Tower... they built something like this?’

Even if it was only a temporary barracks, the sight itself was fascinating.

Because of the Tower’s environment and monsters, constructing a building like this was difficult, so most guilds didn’t even attempt it.

Yet these people had built an entire barracks under the name of an excavation.

And that wasn’t all.

“Are you hungry by any chance? There should still be food left in the dining hall.”

“No... I’m fine.”

“Then please keep following me.”

The building wasn’t empty inside either.

Numerous facilities filled every available space.

What I saw with my own eyes as we passed through them was fairly shocking.

‘Just how much manpower and money do they have?’

At this point, I wouldn’t have believed it even if someone told me a major guild was backing them.

They were pouring this much money and manpower into a single ruin?

“Hey, Kassil! You’re back already? Wanna have another arm-wrestling bet today?”

“Wait, who’s the guy next to you? Never seen that boss before...”

“My apologies. He...”

I had been lost in thought over their strange behavior when voices reached me.

They seemed to be men in suits who were colleagues of the man assisting me.

And as my gaze swept over them, I quietly checked.

[Using ‘Interpretation.’]

[Unable to interpret due to the targets being of a higher level.]

‘What the hell, these guys... They’re all higher level than me?’

I was startled that I couldn’t interpret them.

I had encountered similar situations several times with people I had met before, but this was the first time I had seen so many at once.

Every person gathering around... was at a higher level than me.

Most of them had been hunters longer than me and had trained for far more years.

Gulp.

Put another way, if I assumed I had to fight every one of them here.

‘I’d be fucked.’

There was no other conclusion.

I simply kept up the act as much as possible, quietly closing my eyes and continuing to play the part.

“I’m from headquarters. Everyone, you’ve worked hard. This shitty life should be over now, so relax.”

“Seriously? We can finally say bye-bye to this barracks.”

“Damn~ it’s finally over. Everyone, let’s have a drink. You too, boss from headquarters, have one...”

“No. I have work to do.”

For now, I reassured them with words while my heart tightened.

All while paying attention so I wouldn’t say the wrong thing.

Just as the noise of the men in suits, delighted at the prospect of finally leaving this place, began to grow.

I tapped the shoulder of the man assisting me, signaling that we should leave.

“Right. There’s somewhere you absolutely need to see.”

“Where?”

“There’s someone who’s been waiting specifically for that relic...”

“Waiting? Where the hell is he?”

“It’ll be easier if you just go and see for yourself.”

Where the hell is he taking me?

______________

Following his guidance, I naturally moved deeper into the barracks.

And at the end, we reached a dark room.

No, calling it a room wasn’t quite right either.

This was...

‘What the hell is this, a museum...?’

It looked like a museum.

True to the name excavation site, old relics and fossils were scattered throughout the room.

Frowning at the musty smell, I walked deeper inside.

And.

I encountered a man collapsed in the middle of the room.

“Hey, Sian. Get your ass up. The relic you’ve been waiting for finally arrived.”

“Relic...? Yaaawn. Relic! It really came!?”

The man who had been sprawled out hurriedly sprang up, looked back and forth between me and my assistant several times, then rushed over.

─Grab.

He clasped my hand, his eyes shining.

“Oh, my lord. Thank you. To think you’ve brought hope to this humble researcher.”

“Researcher...?”

“Haah... Yes. This is a facility for researching the relics obtained while excavating the ruins.”

They even had a research facility.

It was genuinely astonishing.

No wonder... So that was why there were so many relics around.

Only then did I understand the scenery around me and nod.

“More importantly, where’s the relic? We couldn’t enter the ruins because we were missing the most important relic...!”

“This?”

“This is it. Ohhh, a tooth... As expected. What kind of tooth could it be? Perhaps it belonged to the people who lived in these ruins!”

‘He’s a researcher... but he knows absolutely nothing about yetis?’

Despite his overflowing curiosity, it seemed their actual research hadn’t progressed much.

I became certain when he couldn’t even identify whose relic I had given him.

‘Or maybe I’m the unusual one.’

Simply being able to understand an item’s true nature just by looking at it was special in itself.

More importantly.

‘Could those relics possibly...’

With the thought what if, I quietly turned my attention to the relics scattered throughout the room.

[Using ‘Interpretation.’]

[Using ‘Interpretation.’]

[Using ‘Interpretation’...]

I took in dozens of relics with my eyes, quietly examining them and checking the information contained within.

[Yeti Fur Fossil]

[Ice Mammoth Horn]

[Broken Yeti Ice Spear]

[Yeti Claw]

.

.

.

[Interpreting the memories contained within the relics.]

Huh?

Amid the flood of information that suddenly rushed into me, hazy memories began pouring in chaotically.

The civilization of the yetis. Their culture. And their methods of hunting.

Those who wielded ice, using that ice as the foundation upon which their entire civilization was built.

They called it the Age of Ice, and that ice became eternal frost that created their home.

At its end, unbreakable ice would take the place of their souls and carry on their will...

“Ugh...”

“Are you all right?”

I broke into a cold sweat as I held back the nausea rising from the flood of memories.

Did I look at too many?

It was my first time interpreting this many relics at once, so I was beyond surprised and simply confused.

Even so, this moment wasn’t entirely unpleasant.

Because.

[Countless experiences accumulate within your body.]

[The experiences are sublimated, granting you skills.]

It was the moment when skills that soothed my churning stomach fell into my hands.

[The skill ‘Cold Resistance (D)’ changes to ‘Cold Resistance (A).’]

[You have acquired the skill ‘Touch of Cold (B).’]

[You have acquired the skill ‘Overheat (B).’]

[You have acquired the skill ‘Body Temperature Regulation (C).’]

[You have acquired the skill ‘Killing Intent (D).’]

[Touch of Cold]

─Manipulates cold energy.

─Allows you to create and shape ice.

─The intensity of the cold increases with proficiency.

[Overheat]

─Accumulates heat within the body to strengthen physical abilities.

─The longer it is maintained, the more damage accumulates in the body.

“Cold... and Overheat.”

I looked at the two newly acquired skills and thought.

These two skills were probably secret techniques possessed by the yetis.

Create ice, then build up enough heat to withstand that ice and gain tremendous strength.

‘I got something better than expected.’

A smile naturally formed at the skills that could supplement the strength I lacked.

Should I call it fortunate?

I couldn’t hide my happiness as I felt myself grow stronger in an instant.

And.

“The relics...! They’re reacting!”

“Hmm.”

Perhaps reading the memories of the relics had served as a trigger.

The relics in this place were reacting to one another and being drawn together.

The tooth and fur... fossils, various relics began overlapping with one another until they finally merged into one.

“That’s...”

“A necklace?”

Something resembling a necklace.

I stared as though mesmerized at the completed relic radiating light.

And.

“Th-this is...!”

“Don’t!”

─Hissss!

“Aaaagh! M-my hand...!!”

The cold pouring from the relic froze the hand of the researcher called Terry in an instant.

Everyone could only stare blankly at the overwhelming cold.

What the hell is that?

[Using ‘Interpretation.’]

[Token of the Yeti]

─A token containing the cold energy of the yetis.

─Allows entry into the sealed ruins of the yetis.

“Give it to me.”

“You can’t... Huh?”

[Using the skill ‘Cold Resistance.’]

[Using the skill ‘Body Temperature Regulation.’]

─Hiss.

Even the cold that seemed capable of freezing my hand did nothing to me.

From the start, it seemed I was the only person who could even touch this token.

Seeing how it seemed almost made for me, I simply raised the corners of my lips and smiled.

“Guide me to the ruins. I’ll handle everything.”

“...Yes.”

I enjoyed the gazes of those looking at me like I was a monster for remaining unharmed while holding such overwhelming cold in my hand.

Looks like I’m the only one.

I almost felt sorry for them, having been completely unable to enter the ruins even after meeting the conditions.

Or perhaps they should be glad that thanks to me, they could finally finish this job.

With that thought, I began walking.

______________

“This is... the ruins?”

“That’s correct.”

─Stop.

My steps came to a halt.

The intense cold briefly held my feet in place.

But I had no choice but to stop at the sight of the enormous ruins spread before me.

The entrance to ruins formed from a massive iceberg.

And the ice spikes blocking the way in front seemed to reject outsiders.

“As expected.”

[The Token of the Yeti is reacting.]

I could see the token radiating frigid cold reacting with the ice spikes.

“I’ll go inside, so head back.”

“Yes, understood.”

“If... you find anything inside, could you bring it back? Hehe, it looks like there’ll be plenty to research.”

I quietly stepped toward the interior of the ruins.

Every time I placed a foot forward, the spikes moved aside as though welcoming me.

No, rather, it seemed as though they were guiding me, showing me the direction I needed to go.

Deeper between the split glaciers.

And by the time I broke through the frigid cold and reached the end.

Just as the cold tried to wrap around my entire body.

I encountered it.

A structure like an enormous temple.

And.

“What the hell... is that?”

I saw it.

“A monster...? What kind of monster is that?”

An enormous monster.

An overwhelming creature sealed inside the gigantic ice within the temple.

[The Token of the Yeti is reacting.]