CHAPTER 196: CHAPTER 196: COOPERATION

"King..." Harper muttered, her voice barely audible, as her eyes widened in disbelief. A cocktail of emotions churned within her—shock, fear, and, unexpectedly, a tinge of irritation.

He was the man who had appeared like a phantom in the chaos of a rift, saving her, her grandfather, and their entire escort convoy from certain doom. She had agreed to owe him a favor for that miraculous intervention, but after months of silence, he had vanished from her immediate thoughts. Occasionally, she had spotted his name in passing articles, but she had brushed them aside, consumed by her own responsibilities.

And now, standing before her, he was revealed to be the academy’s top student—the one who had just put her in this humiliating position. Her cheeks flushed faintly at the memory of the assumptions she had made moments earlier when she thought he was simply toying with her.

Harper’s lips pressed into a tight line as she pushed herself up from the ground, her back sliding against the wall for support. Her movements were slower than necessary, more deliberate, as though stalling might calm the tempest in her chest. "You could’ve led with that," she muttered under her breath, her voice edged with irritation.

Lake, unfazed, rose smoothly to his feet, his piercing gaze locking with hers. He stood a full head taller, his composed demeanor a stark contrast to her fraying nerves.

Her ragged breathing betrayed her flustered state, but she refused to look away. She wanted answers. Yet, as her mind scrambled to piece together the whirlwind of revelations, her irritation began to ebb, replaced by the weight of understanding.

One moment, she had been delivering a lecture; the next, the academy’s star student had performed magic, spoken of collaboration, and revealed himself to be the very hunter to whom she owed a life-saving debt.

"Gulp." Harper swallowed audibly, her earlier frustration melting into apprehension. She had no doubt this man could be as dangerous as he was enigmatic.

By the time her breathing had steadied, Lake had taken a step back, giving her space. His eerie calmness only heightened her discomfort.

Taking a deep breath, Harper fixed him with a wary look, though her voice carried a hint of residual irritation. "What exactly did you just do?"

Lake tilted his head slightly, his faint smile never wavering. "What do you mean?"

"Y-you know," Harper stammered, gesturing vaguely as she mimicked his earlier motion above her head. "That thing with your hand. What did you grab?"

He remained silent for a moment, his gaze steady and unreadable. Finally, he replied, "Let’s just say I removed a pest that would’ve interfered with our cooperation."

"A pest?" Harper echoed, her irritation flaring again at his cryptic response. "You’re really not going to explain anything, are you?"

Lake’s subtle smile deepened, but he said nothing more. Instead, he took a step closer, his presence radiating quiet authority. "Why don’t we return to the original matter of our discussion, Miss Sun?"

The subtle pressure of his aura silenced any retort she might have had. Harper swallowed hard, recognizing his unspoken warning. "Fine," she muttered, crossing her arms in a gesture of reluctant acceptance.

"Good," Lake said, his tone smooth and measured. "We were discussing magic and technology—specifically, cooperation between us."

"Right," Harper nodded slowly, her earlier irritation now fully replaced by cautious professionalism. "I mentioned needing your assistance and the magic formulas to determine if they could be replicated with technology."

"I’ll provide the formulas," Lake replied. "But I won’t be available to work directly with you. I have other matters to attend to."

Her brows furrowed. "I’m sorry, Lake," she began, her voice softening, "but I can’t make much progress without your direct involvement. I may be a genius with Manatech, but I know almost nothing about magic. Even with your notes, it would take too long to figure it out alone."

Lake nodded slightly, as though expecting her objection. "Naturally, I’ve accounted for that. You can visit the Blackheart Guild. I’ve stationed someone there who can assist you."

Harper’s eyes narrowed slightly at the mention of one of the top ranked guilds. "The Blackheart Guild? You’re associated with them?"

"You could say that," Lake said vaguely, offering no further elaboration.

"Alright," Harper said after a pause. "I’ll visit them once I’ve finished my lectures here." She hesitated briefly before adding, "Does this count as repaying the favor?"

"No," Lake replied instantly, his tone firm. "This is mutual cooperation. It doesn’t clear your debt."

Harper’s lips tightened as she recalled something. "Wait... You said I owed you two favors. There’s the one for saving my life but I don’t recall you doing anything else warranting of additional favors. What other favor do I owe you?"

Lake’s enigmatic smile returned, sending a shiver down her spine. "Speaking of favors," he said, deftly avoiding her question, "I’d like to cash in on one now."

Harper’s expression froze, seeing that her attempt at probing for answers had backfired. Sighing, she shook her head. "What is it? I can’t promise much given my family’s current situation, but I’ll do what I can."

"It’s nothing much. I just need you to create something for me in the near future," Lake spoke calmly, "separate from the magic collaboration."

Harper’s interest was slightly piqued at Lake’s request. "What do you want me to build?"

"A supercomputer," Lake’s smile deepened, "one capable of housing a very powerful AI."

"Hm? A supercomputer? That doesn’t sound so difficult. What are the specs for the AI?" Harper asked, her previously dampened mood slightly brightening.

Sun’s Mana Technology specialized in Manatech, a field far more advanced than a simple supercomputer. If creating one was all she needed to do to repay Lake’s life-saving favor, she would gladly take the opportunity.

However, as she listened to Lake list the estimated specifications, her initially bright mood took a nosedive.

Harper looked at Lake with an expression that suggested she had just heard the most ridiculous statement of her life.

"You... are you serious?" She asked again to confirm because she simply couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

"It’s a very powerful AI." Instead of answering directly, Lake left this vague hint.

Harper wanted to press further but got the distinct impression that Lake would just ignore her if she did, leaving her slightly frustrated.

"Eh, fine," she eventually relented. "Building the supercomputer won’t be a problem, but it’s going to take a lot longer than a few days for a project of this scale."

"How long do you estimate?" Lake asked.

Harper thought for a moment before replying, "With Sun’s Mana Technology’s current financial state, it would take roughly two months to complete."

"Very well, that timeline works for me. During the construction process, I assume you’ll also be working on the magitech project?"

"Of course. Who do you think I am?" Harper raised her head in annoyance but quickly shrank back down after meeting Lake’s piercing gaze.

Seeing her reaction, Lake simply smiled before stepping forward and extending his right hand. "To our harmonious cooperation, Miss Sun."

Harper heard Lake’s words and saw his hand. After a brief pause, she reached out and shook it. "To our harmonious cooperation, King."