The S-Classes That I Raised [EN]: Chapter 381

379. What’s Scary (1)

Swoosh-!

A large cage was pulled up from under the water. Then, with a splash, the waves pushed the cage completely onto the land.

“I’m telling you again, I dragged you out by force.”

Park Yerim said, getting off next to the cage.

“You didn’t escape, and I didn’t ask you to. Right?”

The goblins inside the cage blinked and nodded.

“We didn’t say anything.”

“Didn’t say it!”

“Yeah. So there’s no problem with the contract! Now, everyone get out! Quickly! I’m going to smash this cage! That’s a threat!”

Park Yerim deliberately growled, putting on a scary face. The goblins exclaimed, “We can’t help it! Little Kim Seobang [a playful, slightly archaic term of endearment, like ‘young master’] threatened us! Scary!” and slipped out one by one. As the goblins, along with an old flowerpot, emerged, Park Yerim completely smashed the cage, which was already partially torn. The concentrated water slammed into the cage like a giant’s fist, hitting it repeatedly.

“I hope Ahjussi [a respectful term for an older man, like ‘uncle’ or ‘mister’] escaped safely. I can’t even see him from here.”

At this distance, he should be safe enough. Still, just in case, she wondered if she should drive the goblins further away before leaving. That’s when.

“…Huh?”

The surging water lost its strength and sank with a splash. Park Yerim, who had been floating slightly in the air, also dropped to the ground.

“W-what is it?”

She couldn’t use her skills. The water she controlled like a limb wouldn’t budge. Park Yerim’s complexion turned pale in an instant.

“Ah, Ahjus, ssi…”

What to do? What should she do? Her heart pounded loudly. It wasn’t that she had completely reverted to her pre-awakened state. The power still lingered within her, and she quickly realized that it was the surrounding energy, not herself, that was distorted.

But the trembling in her chest didn’t completely subside. Park Yerim took a deep breath. She didn’t try to think about it, but unconsciously, she had been constantly afraid of it.

What if I become ordinary again like before?

If Han Yoojin knew about these thoughts, he would tell her not to worry, that we would always be family no matter what, and wouldn’t Yerim treat me the same even if I lost all my abilities? She knew that fact well, but she couldn’t completely shake off her fear.

Unlike other S-Rank Awakeners, Park Yerim was still too young. If she became ordinary, there would be nothing she could do.

“Little Kim Seobang?”

“What’s wrong? Little Kim Seobang?”

“Ah, it’s nothing.”

Park Yerim lightly tapped her cheeks. It’s okay. Something’s just weird around here, but I’m fine. She suppressed the fear that had briefly raised its head and put on an exaggeratedly serious expression.

“I think something strange is happening right now. You guys should get away quickly. Ack, I can’t use my flight skill, how am I going to get to the island!”

Does that mean everyone else can’t use their skills either! Park Yerim frowned and gestured for the goblins to go further away. As she took a step forward.

Thud!

“Ouch!”

She was blocked by something invisible.

“What is it now? This…”

Park Yerim reached out and groped the transparent wall.

“It feels like I’m inside a dungeon.”

She punched it with all her might, but it didn’t budge. Only her hand felt tingly and sore. The goblins approached Park Yerim, who didn’t know what was going on. One of them stretched out an arm and waved it around.

“There’s nothing there?”

“I know! I know that! It’s called mime! Pretending there’s something there when there isn’t!”

“Wow, Little Kim Seobang is good at acting!”

“Do it again! Again!”

“It’s not acting.”

Park Yerim tilted her head and tapped the air lightly. She could definitely feel a transparent wall. But the goblins passed through without any problem. A deep furrow formed between Park Yerim’s eyebrows.

“What’s really going on? I’d ask Ahjussi if he were here.”

She had no idea what was happening. What would Ahjussi do? Park Yerim groaned and asked the goblins.

“Can you guys use your skills?”

“Yeah, I can fly!”

“I’m a sky-blue fire!”

The goblins flew up or turned into balls of fire. They could use their skills. Only the goblins?

“…Is it something related to the goblins? I need to tell Ahjussi about this, but how do I get there.”

Looking at the shaking lake in the darkness, she felt helpless. Then, a small cry of a baby beast was heard. Park Yerim quickly turned her head towards the sound. There, a goblin was floating, holding a tiny baby fox and a baby water buffalo like decorative dolls. A white fluffball was also flying around haphazardly. Park Yerim slightly frowned. It looked very familiar for some reason.

“Could it be… Ahjussi?”

It was exactly like Han Yoojin usually was. At Park Yerim’s murmur, the goblin shouted.

“Middle Kim Seobang [another playful term, meaning something like ‘older young master’ or ‘middle brother’] sent us!”

“Ahjussi! Is that really you? Oh my god, there were three more? Are you safe?”

“Yeah.”

The red bead goblin tried to approach Park Yerim but bumped into the transparent wall. The goblin’s eyes widened. The other goblins also stared in awe.

“There’s something there.”

“Goblins can pass through… Ah, put them down!”

The red bead, having put down the fox and water buffalo, passed through the transparent wall. Seeing that, Park Yerim said, “So only goblins can come and go.”

“A strange power that only doesn’t affect goblins. Goblin, goblin… Ah! Maybe Yoon Yoon? The Goblin King? Did he have this kind of ability too?”

At the mention of the Goblin King, the goblins suddenly flinched. The red bead goblin also didn’t know what to do and hesitantly opened its mouth.

“Goblins, can’t kill people.”

“You don’t like hurting people, right?”

“Can’t. We, inside us, there’s something scary.”

The other goblins also murmured quietly.

“Get scary, can’t.”

“Become something else.”

“Scary thing gets stronger, can’t.”

“If kill people, that gets stronger.”

“Um… So, if you kill someone, you change? Scarily?”

The goblins nodded vigorously.

“Then this power right now, the Goblin King has changed scarily…”

The eyes that were looking at Park Yerim became teary. The goblins covered their mouths with their hands, hid their faces, or hugged each other. Seeing them afraid even to bring up the story, Park Yerim trailed off.

“Ah, I understand! Don’t worry! Everything will be alright. Ahjussi will take care of it somehow!”

Even if Yoon Yoon has changed, Ahjussi might have a way. At Park Yerim’s shout, the goblins tilted their heads.

“I’ll go and tell Yoon Yoon, that you’re their king. Getting there is the problem, though.”

Should I make a raft or something? As Park Yerim pondered, the red bead goblin approached her.

“I, I’ll help.”

“Huh? You?”

“Because same goblin, we’re okay, so I’ll cover you like you’re one of us.”

The red bead climbed onto Park Yerim’s shoulder. Its body shrank, and a red goblin light spread throughout Park Yerim’s body, faintly enveloping her. Park Yerim used her skill. Her body floated lightly into the air as usual.

“It really works! Thank you!”

“U-um. Now, going, right?”

The red bead goblin’s voice trembled slightly.

“You’re scared.”

“Yeah. But, have to go to Middle Kim Seobang. Little Kim Seobang.”

Park Yerim turned her head and looked at the other goblins. Not only Han Yoojin but all the S-Rank Hunters on that island wouldn’t be able to use their skills.

“Hmm… Maybe a few. Just three, no, even just two goblins to go with me? I’ll protect you for sure.”

In the silence, only frightened eyes blinked. The goblins’ help was definitely needed. Besides, it was also to help them. She felt a little frustrated, but Park Yerim didn’t try to persuade them any further.

Goblins who hadn’t been born long ago were like little children.

‘Ahjussi wouldn’t try to persuade kids he was scared of.’

Park Yerim smiled broadly.

“Be careful, stay safe. If anyone comes, hide right away! And those baby monsters too.”

Since it was in the middle of the lake, it seemed enough that she could use her skills. The moment Park Yerim turned towards the island.

“Huh?”

A hazy mist was spreading rapidly from far away. Feeling the air getting colder, Park Yerim quickly raised the water high like a wall. At the same time, she raised the water temperature as much as possible.

Crackle-!

The sound of the lake freezing hit her ears. The water wall that Park Yerim had created also began to freeze palely. It was a terrifying cold that was not enough to raise the water temperature. Park Yerim was an S-Rank with cold resistance, but the goblins, and the baby monsters behind them, were not.

Park Yerim gritted her teeth when.

Whoosh!

A hot flame rushed towards the freezing water wall.

“Peace!”

The Flame Mane Lion cub, wrapped in flames, slid along the widely spread ice wall. Hot heat soared, and the wall melted again. The fiercely rushing cold also disappeared, and lukewarm water splashed onto the firmly frozen lake.

“Wow… It’s all frozen. Peace, you! You can use skills? What happened?”

Peace, who had come to Park Yerim, spat out what he was holding. It was hair dyed in cyan-gray.

– Growl.

Then he growled as if dissatisfied with something.

“Whose hair did you tear out?”

– Grrr.

“It wasn’t a non-Awakened, was it?”

Peace continued to growl. He was going to follow Han Yoohyun, but he heard a voice saying Yoojin hyung [older brother], so he went there. It was because it was a familiar name and a familiar word to Peace. But Han Yoojin wasn’t there. Dad wasn’t there, but Dad’s scent was there.

“What’s hanging on your hat?”

A pendant he had never seen before was hanging on his mini hat. It was a large white jade pendant. When she took off the pendant, Peace’s wings suddenly disappeared. Could this be.

“Where did you get this, Peace!”

– Keuheu.

“You can’t talk… Anyway, let’s go to Ahjussi quickly! It looks dangerous, so transform into a big one.”

Park Yerim said, giving the pendant back to Peace. Peace’s size grew, and the three of them, including the red bead goblin, quickly crossed the frozen lake.

“…….”

Until that figure completely disappeared, the goblins quietly stared without even blinking. Silence fell without a single noisy sound.

“…Little Kim Seobang helped.”

“Helped.”

“Scary. But.”

“What to do.”

“What to do.”

It became quiet again. The goblins looked at each other.

* * *

There must have been an unexploded bomb left, but that’s not it.

‘Is the final boss finally appearing?’

Because I was quite far from the island, I couldn’t check the situation with my naked eyes. But this, what should I say.

It was like a dungeon. Defeat the zombies, 1st floor. Move and defeat the ice giants, 2nd floor. A boss appears when the monsters are cleared.

And.

‘Seedling Skill.’

I was too rushed to notice it earlier, but all the information, including the optimization skill, appeared as before. In other words, at least in China, the system connection is working properly now.

If this area around me has become a dungeon, there’s no way to escape even if I run away. No matter how I look at it, it doesn’t seem like the military’s work alone, but if it’s Chatterbox, it’s the worst, and if it’s the remaining traces of the King of No Harm, it’s still fortunate.

Yerim and Peace, who had flinched at the explosion, quickly approached again. The two of them found a way to use their skills, wait a minute.

“Seong Hyunjae-ssi [a polite title, like ‘Mr.’ or ‘Ms.’], candy! Do you have candy? It’s a secret from Yerim!”

If she found out, she might have unnecessary curiosity. It’s not just a regular cigarette, it works on S-Ranks too. Absolutely not. It’s not good for adults either, but it’s absolutely not allowed for minors.

Seong Hyunjae took out a candy from his pocket and threw it to me. I don’t know why he carries it around, but thank you. Then I whispered softly to Noah.

“Please don’t let me down, ever. I’m begging you.”

“Ah, yes!”

He’ll find out about my leg injury eventually, but not now. I don’t want him to worry unnecessarily. In the meantime, I welcomed Yerim and Peace, who had arrived, with open arms.

“You’re both safe! I’m so glad!”

“Ahjussi!”

– Keureureung!

“Our Yerim looks good with long hair too! Your clothes are cool too! Peace, your horns… You must have been cute! Your fur is mottled?”

A mini hat was stuck on the tip of Peace’s horn. He must have worn it when he was in his cub form. The fur… Was it dyed? There were black spots left here and there.

“Ahjussi! It’s blocked around the lake! Like a dungeon!”

“I knew it.”

“How did you know? And it’s the Goblin King! This, what he did! The goblins were trapped under the lake…”

Yerim explained what she had experienced. Crazy, putting a contract on two goblins at the same time, so if one breaks it, both are cursed… It was as expected, but it’s too much.

“If a goblin helps, you can use skills?”

“Yes. But everyone except him was too scared… I couldn’t bring them.”

“You did well. You can’t force scared kids to come. Thank you for helping, even though you were scared, Red Bead.”

“Yeah, Middle Kim Seobang.”

The red bead blinked shyly. I’m sad that I couldn’t get the goblins’ help, but it can’t be helped. It’s good enough that one came. Besides, Peace also brought a pendant that allows him to use skills. Hwang Rim must have worn this pendant too. If it’s cyan-gray hair… Is it Park Hayul? As expected of our Peace.

“It’s dangerous, so Yerim, you wear the pendant, and I’ll take the red bead with me.”

The red bead goblin moved to me. With this, there’s no burden to use skills anymore.