The S-Classes That I Raised [EN]: Chapter 114

114. Ruler of Water (3)

The water droplets floated up again, subtly filling the spaces left by their frozen and shattered brethren. They drifted slowly, as if nothing had happened.

Seong Hyeon-je raised a hand. A small spark ignited at his fingertip, followed by a thin ray of light spreading outward.

Pajijik—

Golden particles enveloped the water droplets, connecting them to their neighbors. Quickly, endlessly, they consumed the large and small droplets, and then—

Bang, Pubeong!

They burst all at once. The sight of light and water droplets scattering was dazzling. The air filled with glittering fragments. The sound of raindrops falling on the water’s surface echoed loudly, and the surroundings became clear—for a moment.

Seeing new water droplets rising again, Seong Hyeon-je’s lips curved into a smile.

“Ordinary methods won’t be enough to end this.”

Right. Should I just evaporate all the water? I recalled the Mermaid Queen being a bit tricky. A bit? That’s an understatement. Simple patterns of monsters appearing and being defeated are much more appealing.

Should I use the skill I received now? If this is just a single-layered dungeon that ends here, it would be fine, but there might be another floor. So, I want to observe a bit more.

In the meantime, Yerim, who had slipped out of my arms, raised her ice spear high.

“Let’s freeze all the water!”

“The water?”

“Yes. The water droplets are popping out from the water on the floor. If we freeze it all, they won’t be able to come out, right?”

She spoke with a competitive spirit, as if she had never been tearful. Our Yerim is so brave.

“It seems endlessly wide. Are you sure you’ll be okay?”

“I have plenty of mana potions. Let’s do it until you’re tired of orange and apple flavors, like you, Uncle!”

I feel reassured. But don’t overdo it.

Yerim jumped forward and began to freeze the water from under her feet. With a crackling sound, the water touched by the mist solidified into white. The ground under my feet, already frozen, became even harder and emitted a stronger chill.

Above the water, freezing smoothly like a mirror, a cluster of light containing brain energy bounced again. The fragments of water droplets, crackling and bursting, solidified into round beads as soon as they fell.

‘Yerim and Seong Hyeon-je also have pretty good synergy… I guess.’

Various ways to apply it came to mind, making me feel a little bad. Still, Moon Hyeon-ah is better. We’re already quite close. I need to find a way to help Moon Hyeon-ah grow more too.

“Yuhyun, did you name your spirit?”

“No, not yet.”

As if sensing that we were talking about him, the fire lizard popped out and circled around Yuhyun’s shoulder.

“This guy is being picky. He rejected everything.”

Does he have no talent for naming? Did he give it a weird name?

“More than that, Hyung, you seem close to the Seseong Guild Leader.”

“I told you, we’re not close.”

Why are you doing this, after Yerim?

“It’s just a transactional relationship where we exchange smiles and jokes because we have something to gain from each other.”

He’s the kind of person who would cut ties as easily as flipping his hand if I become useless. Of course, I would also give him a clean and refreshing farewell if the opposite were true.

The problem is that it’s unlikely to happen. Seong Hyeon-je’s cooperation will be necessary not only for skills but also for preparing for the future.

“There’s no harm in joining hands with someone like that. Weren’t you quite close too?”

Yuhyun frowned slightly at my words.

“Close? Be careful not to get caught up. Don’t follow him recklessly into dungeons. No, never again. Once is enough.”

“You don’t have to worry that much anymore.”

I explained in detail about the equipment that Myeongwoo made for me, the Grace. It can be charged with magic stones, and if it’s S~A grade level damage nullification, the duration is long, so if I manage it well, I’ll be safe even in high-level dungeons.

Yuhyun, who had been listening quietly, grabbed my wrist. Then he took off the bracelet.

“Uh…”

Um, it was taken away very easily. It’s natural since he can touch my body as much as he wants, but still.

– Bleep!

A bluebird popped out of the bracelet’s jewel and pecked at Yuhyun’s hand, chirping. When it didn’t even leave a scratch, it cried out even louder as if more angry. It was then.

– Shh.

The fire lizard suddenly popped out and bit the bluebird’s head.

– Bleep!

“Eunhye! Don’t eat it!”

Fortunately, Yuhyun stopped him, or maybe the lizard decided it wasn’t food, and spat it out. Eunhye flapped its wings and pecked at the lizard’s head.

“You’ll get bitten again, come here. Good girl.”

– Bleep, Blee!

“Yes, yes. The lizard was bad. Bad lizard.”

Eunhye returned to my hand, upset. Then it opened its beak wide and shouted.

– Bad lizard! Bad lizard!

“…It, it can talk?”

“I’ve never heard it talk either.”

The bluebird, which only knew how to shout ‘bad lizard,’ went back into the jewel when Yuhyun returned the bracelet. I heard that more skills would appear as it grew, so can it also learn to talk?

“Don’t trust items too much. Especially against people.”

“I know that much. But the Seseong Guild Leader is someone who will coldly assess my value and respond accordingly. I’ll be safe until he finds something more useful than me.”

But would there be such a thing? If I were an item, I would easily be L-grade or higher. Poison resistance, curse resistance, attack skill buffs, growth buffs, new skill acquisition, stat skill buffs, damage nullification shield, and I also raise monsters, and although it’s not a definite success yet, I’m also doing a curse dragon combination. If you add the Seedling and Teacher skills to this, it’s truly an item that you would have to cherish and protect as if it would fly away if you breathed on it.

…It’s a bit of a waste that I’m a person. If I were a real item, it would be easier to use, and I could always receive resistance and buffs without skill sharing. Thinking about it that way, it’s a waste. Why am I not an item?

“I would have given you to you if I were a dungeon item.”

“…What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

“Because I’m disappointed.”

In the meantime, the water far away was all frozen cold. The water droplets were all gone except for a few in the corner.

“Uncle! It’s blocked from here!”

Yerim shouted, waving her arms wildly. Although it was blocked, it seemed like there was a transparent barrier with space continuing beyond it. Yuhyun grabbed me to prevent me from slipping as I tried to go to Yerim.

“I should have brought Peace.”

Right. I didn’t even think of it. Maybe it’s because she always stays in her child form at home, so I feel like she’s a child who I can’t even think of taking into a dungeon.

“This is very hard. Is this the end of this dungeon?”

It was similar to how a typical dungeon is blocked. But looking at it up close, it felt different.

Beyond the transparent barrier, there was frozen water spread out. Endlessly. Yerim’s skill range is wide, but not that wide. Moreover, it was beyond a barrier that couldn’t be penetrated.

“It’s not a dungeon barrier.”

Seong Hyeon-je seemed to have the same thought as me. This is.

“It’s a mirror.”

A mirror that doesn’t reflect us. No, if this dungeon itself is a mirror, then it was reflecting. Past memories. It showed the zombie bastard what each of us wanted to see.

I think I know more clearly what kind of filial piety addict the new one is.

“A mirror? It’s just transparent though?”

“Look closely. It’s the same except for us. Even that slightly broken ice surface is reflected exactly.”

“Oh? Is that so? But what do we do now?”

I don’t know. There’s still no reaction. Looking around, I saw a few water droplets sparsely remaining far away.

“Yerim, burst those too.”

“Yes!”

With a refreshing answer, an arrow-like ice shard flew and cleanly dealt with the remaining water droplets. Immediately after, the barrier, the mirror surface, began to ripple in a circle. Yuhyun grabbed me and stepped back, and Yerim blocked the front. Seong Hyeon-je also stepped back a few steps.

“I guess freezing and sweeping it all away was the answer after all!”

The mirror reacted when we eliminated the water droplets that reflected memories and prevented them from reappearing. This is definitely.

“It seems like something from our memories is going to appear, so be careful.”

I’m not too worried about Seong Hyeon-je, but I urged Yuhyun and Yerim. I think I’m the most dangerous one. Should I close my eyes in advance?

The ripples on the mirror are getting bigger and rougher. We widened the distance even more in preparation for the worst. Our figures were briefly reflected on the shaking barrier,

Blue light began to spread.

“Oh, that earring?”

Yerim’s eyes widened. A familiar earring swayed, jingling. What slowly emerged from beyond the mirror was a giant mermaid with blue scales.

It was the Mermaid Queen of Changlang [a powerful water-based monster], holding a long spear and spreading her scale wings.

‘…Damn it.’

Could it be that this mirror is reflecting the strongest opponent in our memories? It was certain since Yerim saw the same thing. I’m really screwed. It’s not just a little tricky. This fraudulent water droplet!

The Mermaid Queen’s closed eyes slowly opened. Her emotionless, bead-like, deep blue eyes looked at us. It couldn’t completely copy the real thing, so the sense of intimidation was less. But with our current strength, it was an absolute monster that we could never face. At best, we could only borrow the power of the bracelet to block attacks while escaping.

“Yerim, use your skill!”

Yerim, who had been stiff, startled and gripped her spear again. The jewel embedded in the spear shone,

Tudduk, Tududduk

It started to rain.

Between the thickening raindrops, Yerim’s back was visible. It was clearly small and delicate, but an incredibly strong presence was overflowing. If she turned around and looked at me, my knees would tremble and it would be hard to stand. Not only Yuhyun but even Seong Hyeon-je couldn’t take their eyes off her.

Before I knew it, all the ice had melted, and the water was soaking our ankles.

“This is no joke.”

Yerim said, lightly yet heavily. The fake Mermaid Queen looked at her. The end of the long spear moved, and the entire dungeon shook with that one slow movement. But that was it.

The power that seemed to split the earth disappeared in an instant. I couldn’t understand what happened. Yerim also tilted her head slightly. Water droplets rippled around her, floating lightly in the air.

“…Uncle, I don’t really understand. The skill is moving on its own.”

The troubled voice cleared my suppressed mind a little. I looked back and forth between the fake Mermaid Queen and Yerim. It was raining around the Mermaid Queen too, but the thickness and speed were slightly different.

They are basically using the same power. If so.

‘I don’t know if I can handle it, but.’

Rather than wasting a precious opportunity, let’s try it. I used the Teacher skill on Yerim. At the same time, what I felt was water.

Just water. Not just being submerged in water, but a sensation that I can’t explain, where my whole body, every hair, every drop of blood, was wrapped in water.

“Hyung!”

Yuhyun’s voice reached my ears a beat late. I felt my brother’s arm supporting my body. Wow, this is really no joke. Is Yerim okay?

“I’m okay, ah.”

“What do you mean you’re okay? What did you do!”

What did I do, I just used a skill.

“Uncle! Don’t use that skill!”

Yerim also shouted. No, I can handle it. It’s too precious of an opportunity to just throw away.

“…I’m okay. Hey, Good Adult [referring to Seong Hyeon-je].”

I barely turned my head and looked up at Seong Hyeon-je. Why does that human have such a dissatisfied expression again?

“Skill, a little.”

That, Combat Prediction. If he shares the feeling of using the same skill as himself, but much weaker, Yerim will gain more. What would be even better is to use the Teacher skill on the fake Mermaid Queen, but I really don’t think I can handle that.

When I applied the Teacher skill to Seong Hyeon-je, he raised the end of his eyebrow slightly.

“You’re going to faint right away if I refuse.”

“…Don’t be like that between us. Aren’t we week-long friends?”

“I’ve never made anything like a lifelong friend.”

What a bleak life. Even though he didn’t want to, Seong Hyeon-je used the Combat Prediction skill. And the water moved.

Mermaid Queen and Park Yerim. The two rulers of water wield their authority at the same time. The phenomenon that I didn’t understand a little while ago is now felt.

Every place where it rains, no, every single drop of moisture in the air is following Yerim’s will. How much does water contain? This entire space is now watching only the movement of a small fingertip.

The fake Mermaid Queen also tried to expand her dominance, but it was woefully inadequate. Like a small local lord standing before an emperor commanding a million troops, the gap between the two was enormous.

The moment Yerim vaguely realized how to move, it was over.

Kwajangchang!!

The mirror shattered. All the mirrors in all directions shattered. Water splashed in the space, which was not very large for a dungeon, and rain was still pouring.

Receiving the worship of all the water, Yerim turned around. Um, she has an angry face.