The S-Classes That I Raised [EN]: Chapter 178

178. Sibling Rivalry (6)

Silent Wound (S). A newly acquired skill by Noah that had the effect of decreasing the opponent’s overall stats.

It was a skill that reduced stats by 1 percent per minute, up to a maximum of 50 percent, from the moment the opponent was wounded. There was no grade restriction, meaning it worked no matter the opponent’s grade, and it was impossible to block it with poison or curse resistance.

It may sound like a really good skill, but it was actually very difficult to use.

First, the problem was that Noah was a support-type Hunter. He had relatively low stats compared to Hunters of the same grade and possessed poor attack skills. Because of this, it was difficult to wound even an S-grade opponent with his own strength. What good is a skill with no grade limit if he can’t even use it?

In addition, Silent Wound was only activated while the wound was maintained. Even if the opponent completely healed the injury, the stat reduction effect disappeared. So, in order to see the skill effect, he had to keep interfering with the wound healing. Of course, this was also difficult for a support-type Hunter alone.

Noah, who excelled at supporting others, had a skill that he could only use properly with the support of other Hunters.

Both the skill’s ability and the usage environment were, in many ways, the opposite of Noah’s stat tendencies.

However, if he could apply it properly, it was possible to defeat even enemies much stronger than himself.

“How is it, Noah?”

Noah answered my question.

-Time has been shortened!

The double attack skill effect shortened the skill application time of Silent Wound. In other words, Riet was now having her stats reduced by 1 percent every 30 seconds.

Noah was in a position where he had to endure, so if the time was shortened, it would be much more advantageous. If he could hold out for only about 5 more minutes, it would be easier to avoid Riet’s attacks.

“Is the maximum stat reduction the same?”

-The description in the skill window is the same, so I don’t know. The reduction applied to the opponent definitely changes every 30 seconds.

“Then let’s run away as much as possible!”

-Yes!

It was then that Noah raised his flight altitude a little higher. Yerim’s slightly embarrassed voice was heard.

[Uh… a new match rule has just been announced. It seems that many people have suggested that there should be a limit not only to the width of the arena but also to the height. It would be difficult to proceed with the match properly if the flying opponent keeps going higher and higher.]

…Tch, they didn’t tell me about the ground height limit on purpose. Yoohyun, Yerim, and Noah were all silent because it was more advantageous for them. But it seemed that the sight of him flying away so openly was annoying. In the ranking match before the regression [referring to MC’s previous life], the flight restriction rule was created right in the second round.

Yerim took the megaphone she was wearing on her waist and shouted.

“From now on, excessive flight altitude is prohibited! Since it is during the match, we cannot accurately determine the height, so a warning will be given if it is determined to be high-altitude flight for escape purposes, not combat! If you accumulate three warnings, you will be disqualified!”

At Yerim’s words, Noah looked back at me as if asking what to do.

“We can’t be disqualified after coming this far. But if you think it’s dangerous, just run away. In a real battle, not a match, the person who survives by any means is the winner.”

Even if she says it’s a disqualification, Riet won’t just end the match. Of course, we have no intention of nodding our heads and saying yes. If possible, we should win in a good way, but there is no need to be afraid of warnings and fight a losing battle.

Kugugung!

In the meantime, Riet followed closely with a loud rumbling. As he soared high to avoid the attack, he heard a shout that a warning would be given.

“Just take up to two warnings! If Riet’s stats decrease, it will be safer to lower the flight altitude, so hold on!”

I said to Noah, who flinched at the word warning. He said that three accumulations would result in a disqualification, so he could throw away two. Besides, once a warning is given, it usually won’t be given continuously. As expected, even if he maintained the flight altitude, the second warning was not heard immediately.

Still, it was when he went down a little to pretend to be aware of it.

-Pebble, what did you do?

Riet’s voice, mixed with a growl, was heard. It’s only been about 5 minutes, but did she notice? If she finds out that her stats are decreasing, she will definitely attack more aggressively.

[Ah, Riet! What is she trying to do!]

At Yerim’s words, I quickly turned around. I could see the huge black dragon standing up on its hind legs. It was close to the out-of-bounds line, so I had to change direction without being able to continue running away. Riet must have been aiming for that.

Emitting a fierce aura, a hazy energy flowed through Riet’s entire body. And soon, the black dragon slammed down on the ground.

Kurururung-!

The ground cracked. That was nothing special for now. But the black body did not stop at trampling the ground, but pressed down, broke, and dug into the cracked ground.

Amid the incessant thunderous sounds, the cracked earth began to rise up this time. As if the sky and the earth had been reversed, soil, rocks, and trees soared high in all directions. And the black figure must reappear below.

‘Where’s Riet?’

The black dragon, which had completely overturned the earth, was nowhere to be seen. Noah’s surroundings were full of obstacles.

“Noah!”

Dangerous. I remember seeing this kind of battle. At the same time as the shout, I used the Teacher skill on Riet, who was nearby. I couldn’t see her, but the skill could be applied because she was close and because I had confirmed that she was there.

Immediately after unilaterally transmitting Riet’s senses to Noah.

‘…Ugh.’

My vision became dizzy due to the strong rejection. But before that, I felt that Riet, who had already transformed into a human, was stepping on the rising debris and hiding her body, and was right nearby. As expected.

Squeak-

This time, the blade flew silently without any warning signs like the vibration of the air. Noah, who had shared his senses, moved one step ahead, but the blade barely grazed the golden scales with a paper-thin gap. Even that made blood splatter.

Even that was just the beginning.

Grrr, as some of the highly raised ground fell like rain, the sword danced. Every time Noah barely succeeded in dodging, rocks and trees around him were cut and burst out. It was impossible to grasp Riet’s movements with his eyes because the surroundings were a mess of all kinds of debris. He was barely avoiding it by relying on the senses of the Teacher skill.

Kagak, geugeugeuk!

The glittering light, scratching the golden scales, continued as if it would last forever. In reality, it would be a very short time. Noah’s panting grew louder, and finally, almost all of the rising debris fell. Riet, who had lost her footing, also turned her body to the ground with a cold look.

Kukung!

Seeing the black dragon descending with a loud roar, I quickly withdrew the Teacher skill from Riet. I was more out of breath than Noah. Even though I had Rauchitas’s nemesis effect [an ability that reduces the negative effects of skills], it was difficult to handle because Riet properly rejected it. If I didn’t have the title, I might have fainted right away.

-Are you okay?

Noah said, using healing skills on the minor wounds all over his body. He was too busy avoiding the continuous attacks to even have time to heal the wounds.

“…Yes. I’m just a little dizzy.”

Noah flapped his wings long and hovered over Riet. Like a wolf aiming for a hawk, the black dragon bared its teeth fiercely.

“Riet felt a sense of crisis, so she will try to attack with all her might again.”

The reason she transformed into a dragon right away must be because it was easier to endure the stat reduction in that state. Noah’s stats also increased slightly overall when he specialized. Riet would be the same. Her stamina and strength were likely to increase even more than Noah’s.

“What is the stat reduction rate?”

-It’s just 20 percent now.

20 percent. If Riet’s specialized stats are a little better than Yoohyun’s, excluding magic power and agility, it’s still a close call for Noah to deal with.

“Let’s get one more warning.”

-Yes!

Noah increased his altitude, and Riet, who was crouching as if she was about to jump, let out an angry growl. Yerim’s shout soon followed.

“It’s the second warning! If you get one more warning, you will be disqualified, be careful!”

The wind brushed past my ears, and the summer sun pierced my vision without hesitation. Come to think of it, dragons don’t sweat, do they? I quickly descended before receiving the last warning.

Kwagwagwa! Riet, who had chased after me in an instant, attacked, but Noah definitely avoided it more easily than before. The power to dig up the mountain and break the trees like straws was still there, but the signs of the stat drop were gradually becoming clear.

-It’s 30 percent.

“Is the stat lending still maintained?”

Noah said yes. We could wait until it dropped to 50 percent, but it seemed better now. When Riet’s power is still threatening. That’s when it’s better.

“Noah, let’s finish it.”

Noah shut his mouth tightly. His eyes quickly scanned the surroundings. His gray eyes turned to the steep cliff of the mountain over there. Noah, who had reached the cliff in an instant, turned his body and turned towards Riet. His four legs were on the cliff, and his limbs and wings were full of strength. I also stuck as close as possible to Noah’s back.

Kwang!

At the same time as breaking through the solid stone wall, the wings of the skin membrane pushed the air back with all their might. Riet aimed her teeth and claws at Noah, who was flying like a strongly fired arrow. As soon as I saw that ferocious appearance, I used the Teacher skill on the black dragon again. Unilaterally transmitting the senses to Noah.

The tips of the golden wings moved sensitively. With a slight movement, he changed direction and barely avoided the claws that were rushing to tear his body apart. Knife-like teeth bit into the air, and a mass of force that increased speed rammed into the black dragon’s thick neck.

The black scale-covered skin, which felt like an iron wall, was dented. Noah’s power was pushing Riet back.

-Keuek!

A sound like his neck was being strangled and.

-Noonim! [Korean term for older sister]

Noah’s shout was mixed in. And eventually.

Kung!

Riet’s huge body collapsed to the floor. Unable to withstand the blow that threatened to break her neck, she collapsed. Her limp four legs only twitched weakly as if she had a momentary paralysis. Noah still stood on Riet’s neck, who was still growling without losing her momentum, and looked into her eyes, which were the same color as his scales.

-I won.

-…I see. What are you going to do now?

-Nothing.

-Because of the broadcast?

-No.

Noah took a long breath and continued.

-Neither my sister nor I care about that. Of course, I hate my sister. I hate her. I wanted to kill her. But it doesn’t matter now. It doesn’t mean I forgave her. We’re not the type to give or receive forgiveness anyway.

-Of course not. I don’t think I did anything wrong.

Noah laughed as if he knew it would be like that. It was a light laugh as if nothing was wrong.

-Then why are you going to miss the opportunity? It will be difficult a second time.

-Because I don’t need to hate my sister anymore.

It doesn’t matter. There’s no need to. Noah said as if he was trying to completely shake off the old.

-I am loved enough. And that’s much better. Instead of hating my sister, I will think about and fill the space with something warmer instead of hating and resenting her. I will live regardless of my sister.

Riet’s eyes narrowed. She wriggled her body a little and soon returned to her human form. She took out a potion with her still slightly trembling hand and shook it towards the drone facing this way.

“I lost. I’m using a potion?”

Yerim’s voice was heard that Noah had won. Riet, who used the potion, got up from her seat and looked at her younger brother.

“I see, Pebble.”

-It’s Noah.

“Okay, Noah.”

Riet nodded. Then she smiled.

“Okay, that’s fine too. But Noah, I can bite your wings off at any time. You know my personality. Don’t let your guard down.”

-Yes, sister. I will also bite your neck off if you interfere with my life. Somehow.

“Hey, I’m a little sad.”

Riet scratched the back of her head roughly. But there was no hesitation in the way she turned around.

I got off his back and Noah also returned to his human form. Before I could even ask if he was okay, Noah smiled first. It was a face without a single shadow. I didn’t think there was any need to ask the face that was smiling brightly without even giving a glance to his sister who was walking away.