The S-Classes That I Raised [EN]: Chapter 95

95. What Was Cut Off (1)

After Seong Hyeonje went back, I had a hard time comforting Noah, who was depressed because he thought he was useless. Considering that I was the one who scouted and hired him, it was my responsibility. No matter how many times I told him that, his tearful face wouldn’t brighten up. I told him that it was really okay, explaining at length about Noah’s value and pointing out that it was a beneficial deal for me, and only then did he finally look convinced.

In reality, it wasn’t a losing deal. Rather, Seong Hyeonje stepped back so readily that it felt unsettling.

‘Even if you look at it this way or that, he’s an S-Rank Hunter, yet he gave up so easily.’

Just how grand a request are you planning to make? But it’s not coercive either. He made the offer without a shred of evidence, and he readily accepted my saying that I would refuse if I couldn’t handle it. So far, the conditions are too favorable to me.

…He’s not the type to do something that would be a loss for him, so what’s his scheme? Could it really be goodwill? Just in case, I checked my Baby Skill’s status window, but Seong Hyeonje’s name wasn’t there.

‘Was I too caught up in my preconceptions?’

I don’t know. I’ll be able to be sure once I see what he asks of me.

More than that, should I keep it a secret from Yoohyeon or voluntarily report it? …Why do I have to worry about things like this? Still, I’m the older brother. I won’t hide it, but there’s no reason to report everything.

I’ll tell him if he asks.

* * *

There’s no way Yoohyeon wouldn’t have heard that Seong Hyeonje came, but there was no contact from him until evening. Well, from a distance, it just looked like he delivered a flower basket, had a few words, and then left quietly. It would be strange to pry into every little thing.

Instead, I received a call from the Hunter Association urging me on. They were asking if I wasn’t going to start producing special skill awakeners soon. They also asked when I would start identifying non-awakeners again. It was something I volunteered to do, but I didn’t feel good seeing them so eager to get a free ride.

In the first place, if those people had managed the Awakening Center conscientiously, I wouldn’t have had to step in.

‘If Song Taewon is alive, the Association will remain the same, but it’s not like I can just let him die.’

I wonder if Song Taewon could just swallow the Association whole. I question why a national-level S-Rank Hunter isn’t the Association President in the first place. Why doesn’t that person have any desire for power? Should I persuade him to take over the Association for the sake of the country?

Besides that, Yerim told me to hold Peace tight when she went to the dungeon. Peace, who had been running hard through S-Rank dungeons with Yoohyeon, now had S-stats even in his juvenile form. With Noah on standby at all times, I really didn’t need to worry about my safety anymore.

– Growl.

Peace made a pleasant rumbling sound in his throat, rubbing his head and tail against my leg. He seemed very pleased that Blue wasn’t home. I thought they had become quite friendly.

Blue had taken a spot on the rooftop garden’s circular pergola [an open structure with a roof supported by columns]. As he grew larger, he found not only the house but also the breeding facilities confining, and he didn’t try to come inside very often. So, I was planning to build him a nest on the rooftop garden modeled after a griffin’s nest. He had broken off branches and gathered cushions to build his own nest, but it was at a level where it would all blow away in the wind and rain.

“It would be nice if you could shrink your size like Peace.”

Unlike Peace, Blue seemed to have no talent for returning to his younger form, as he grew steadily throughout the training period. Comet is also a wyvern [a dragon-like creature with two legs and wings], so will he try to go outside when he gets bigger?

I uploaded a video of Blue, who had grown larger, acting cute on social media. When he’s fully grown, he’ll want to increase his flight range even more, and I’m already worried. Thanks to Yoohyeon’s dungeon raid time reduction issue, the law regarding monster breeding would soon be leniently amended. Still, many people would be concerned about large monsters flying around the city.

Should I go on TV more and let people know that our Blue is so kind and gentle? There are many requests for me to appear.

‘If it doesn’t work out, should I buy land in a deserted area and create a ranch or something?’

The beach would be nice too.

Requests for monster breeding were starting to come in from overseas, but I put them all on hold for now. The monsters purchased from Haeyeon were also arriving one after another, but I hadn’t brought them in yet. Once the unicorns and Comet finish their first training, I should bring them in or something.

“Piyak, do you want to eat mana stones?”

– Pip.

Piyak, who was taking out and arranging the flowers from the flower basket on the table one by one, replied briefly. It meant no.

The more I see them, the more I think they’re really double personalities. Piyak, who likes mana stones and runs around chirping, and Piyak, who doesn’t eat mana stones and is quiet and curious. Even if their personalities are different, why doesn’t the quiet Piyak eat mana stones?

* * *

Myeongwoo didn’t show up until quite late at night. I had turned off my fear resistance, so I felt a slight sense of intimidation from the leaking heat. It was just heat, but it felt similar to seeing a large, burning fire up close. If I encountered Ismual without fear resistance, I might find him quite scary.

“Are you okay? Are you getting enough rest?”

“I’m fine.”

Myeongwoo scratched the back of his head and said. Even if he said that, he couldn’t hide the fatigue on his face. Even if his stats had increased, it hadn’t been just a day or two, and he couldn’t keep pushing himself too hard.

“What on earth are you making that’s causing you so much trouble? No matter how good the item is, take care of your body first.”

I clicked my tongue and poured out the piled-up tonic into a cup for him.

“The thing I’m making right now is more difficult than I thought. I didn’t know it would take this long.”

“How long has it been since you made an S-Rank weapon that you’re already trying an SS-Rank? If it doesn’t work out, make something easier first to increase your proficiency and then try again.”

“I have to see it through since I’ve already started.”

His smiling face showed that he had no intention of giving up. I was going to go to the dungeon with him to level up, but at this rate, it would take much longer. If I had known this would happen, I would have used my Baby Skill Growth for him. It would have helped him increase his proficiency.

“By the way, you don’t have any more of those bracelets, do you?”

“That?”

Myeongwoo took out five transparent beads the size of hundred-won coins [small Korean currency] from his inventory.

“I made them from the scraps left over from cutting it.”

“You cut it? What?”

“I’ll tell you later. This is similar to the bracelet from before.”

I accepted only two for now. If it’s nullification of damage, it would be better for Myeongwoo to have some for emergencies.

[Shalos’s Bead]

This time, it had a proper name. There was no explanation of the effect, though.

“Shalos? Is that the name of the material you cut?”

“Yeah. You can think of it that way. I’m busy, so I’ll be going now.”

Myeongwoo put down the empty cup and disappeared as if running away. He’s suspicious as always. I narrowed my brows and looked at the bead in my hand. I feel like I’ve seen something similar somewhere.

“…I don’t know what the material is, but he made an item like this out of scraps.”

Then what on earth… what comes out of the main body?

‘Myeongwoo, that guy……’

It’s getting a little scary. It’s welcome news that good items are coming out, but how long has it been since he got the skill that he’s already pushing himself too hard?

* * *

“Hello, Hyungnim [term of endearment for older brother or male friend]. I’m glad you look healthy.”

In the afternoon of the next day, Moon Hyuna visited after finishing a dungeon raid. I had brought Blue inside to train him while the people building his house kept trying to play with him.

– Kkyau-kkyau!

“Oh, the griffin has grown a lot too. I need to get a baby monster and entrust it to you soon. Because of Hyungnim, there’s a global shortage. They don’t come out at auction. They’re completely extinct!”

I blankly stared at Moon Hyuna, who was grumbling. What’s with her hair? She had shaved off about two-thirds of her hair on the right side. The remaining hair on the left side was dyed a reddish-brown color, making it look even more unconventional.

“Your hairstyle has… changed a bit?”

“It got burned in the fire that day. I just went ahead and cut it off.”

Did it burn that much? Moon Hyuna smiled, sweeping back her flowing hair.

“How is it? Does it suit me?”

“…It does suit you, but didn’t the people around you try to stop you?”

“I got a lot of nagging! Especially from the older folks, who complained that I couldn’t go around as a Guild Leader looking like that.”

Looking at her cheerful attitude, it was clear that she didn’t care at all about the nagging from those around her. Still, it was definitely a bit problematic to appear in public like that. It was cool, though.

…It suits her well. Personally, I think she looks better now. Cool.

“Why, Hyungnim? You keep glancing at me. Are you smitten?”

“It’s worth looking at. And if you can’t get a baby monster, try getting it on the condition that you entrust it to me first. I’ve been rejecting all the overseas breeding requests that have come in recently.”

“Really? Could you reject them for a while longer if possible? It would be easier to get one then. There are a few overseas guilds that have several high-level baby monsters.”

“I can’t take care of them for the time being, even if I had the capacity. Seseong also said that there’s a high probability that they’ll bring out a baby monster from the A-Rank dungeon they entered this time.”

It’s a relief that the other two guilds are quiet.

“Come to think of it, wasn’t the S-Rank dungeon you managed this time the first raid? You must have gotten something good.”

I asked casually, even though I knew. It was definitely the White Whale’s Tears of the Festival. It was a consumable item that could grant skills to equipment, and it wasn’t compatible with Moon Hyuna’s ice-type skills, so it was put up for auction. It was really noisy back then. Originally, it was won by an overseas bidder, but now that Yerim is here, I want to buy it. It would be a perfect fit for the SS-Rank Mermaid Queen Earrings.

“Of course, I got something! An Elixir!”

“…An Elixir?”

“Ah, Hyungnim probably doesn’t know. It’s a very rare item. It’s a good potion that’s no exaggeration to say is an extra life. Only two have come out so far. It’s the first in the country.”

No, I know very well that Elixirs are rare… Why is it coming out now?

“Anything else? For example, a skill granting item or something.”

“Skill granting? If something like that came out, I would have already used it and been happily showing it off. An S-Rank glove came out. The performance isn’t that good for its rank, though.”

…Did it really not come out? It’s not like Yoohyeon and I jumped in alone, and the conditions should have been the same as before the regression since the S-Rank new dungeon raid took a long preparation period and entered with little time to spare.

In my bewilderment, I took out my phone and looked up the dungeon raid results from the past month or so. I had searched for a lot of dungeon information when I was busy looking for brokers and trying to awaken, but there were only a few that I remembered since it had been five years. But all of those few were the same as in my memory. The American White Sanctus Shield, the Philippine Lullaby Book, and the Indian Wind-Leading Bow.

All the famous items and equipment came out properly, so why did the White Whale’s Tears disappear?

‘Is it because of the regression? Or is there another reason?’

The other three came out properly, which makes it even more confusing. It doesn’t matter if it’s just a coincidence, but… should I ask the System about this too?

After sharing a little more about the Giseungsu, Moon Hyuna left, and I sent a text to Yoohyeon.

[I’m going to enter an F-Rank dungeon tomorrow or the day after. With Peace. Not for the purpose of leveling up.]

[System?]

The reply came quickly.

[ㅇㅇ]

[I’ll go too.]

Isn’t he still busy? Even if another problem arises, it should be okay if I just bring one more gate stone for Peace. I also have Shalos’s Bead that Myeongwoo gave me.

Well, let’s keep the promise to look at his skills this time. I hope there are no problems this time.

* * *

I was originally planning to bid on a suitable F-Rank dungeon, but thanks to Yoohyeon’s involvement, the destination changed to a D-Rank dungeon managed by Haeyeon. Unless there’s something particularly wrong, an F-Rank or D-Rank dungeon is about the same level.

‘At this rate, my standards will only get unnecessarily high.’

There are too many S-Ranks around me. I only see high-level hunters at the breeding facility, so I feel like my standards are getting strange. It used to be the opposite.

I soothed Piyak, who wanted to follow me, and headed to the building’s parking lot, holding only Peace. I felt sorry for leaving Piyak behind, but how could I take him? A fluffy ball of fluff that can’t even wear equipment. Should I ask Myeongwoo if he can make an item for Piyak? But he has to finish what he’s making now first.

The hunters who are eager to contact Myeongwoo are pitiful. There are many people who deliberately guard the breeding facility, but Myeongwoo doesn’t go out.

When I arrived at the parking lot, Yoohyeon, who was leaning against the car, turned to look at me. He’s just wearing a white summer shirt and comfortable pants, but he looks like he’s about to appear in a fashion magazine. It’s not just the S-Rank stats, that guy was handsome even before awakening. He was born an S-Rank, so it wouldn’t have had no effect.

“Hyung [term of endearment for older brother or male friend] still looks tired. Are you okay?”

“It’s because I didn’t take enough naps. It’s okay now that Blue is out in the garden.”

It’s freedom when Comet grows up… but I don’t know when another nocturnal baby monster will pop out.

I got in the car and started driving towards the dungeon building. Look at Yoohyeon not wearing his seatbelt. He should take care of himself usually. The upper stream must be clear for the lower stream to be clear [a Korean proverb meaning that leaders must be virtuous for their followers to be so].