The S-Classes That I Raised [EN]: Chapter 188

I woke up well past noon. After returning in the middle of the night, completely exhausted, it was no wonder I slept in so late. As I raised myself up, my entire body felt stiff.

“Ugh… I’m going to die.”

– Peep.

Peep, who had arrived at some point, rolled onto the blanket. Then, the door opened and Peace came in. He tiptoed in silently and jumped onto the bed. He rubbed his face and neck against my leg, then flipped over on his back.

– Kkiang!

“Yes, Peace. Did you sleep well too?”

I petted Peace and got out of bed. The house was quiet, so Yoohyun and Yerim must have gone out. There would be quite a bit to clean up because of yesterday’s events. Yoohyun didn’t do anything too bad, but Yerim would probably get a fine.

‘The one who caused the biggest trouble was Sung Hyunjae, though.’

Looking back, I feel like I’m the one who has to pay for everything.

I washed up, fed the kids, and had a simple meal myself. I turned on the TV and switched to a hunter-related channel, where they were talking about last night’s accident. The ship sank, but there was no mention of Sung Hyunjae being responsible.

“…Why is Yerim there?”

They were showing Yerim floating on the sea, saying she was helping with the accident cleanup. With Yerim’s abilities, she’s good at cleaning up debris and oil spills. Maybe she received a community service order instead of a disciplinary action. It would also help her image, so it’s a good method. The Association handled it well.

I received texts from Yoohyun and Yerim on my new phone, saying they were leaving early. I replied that I just woke up and to have a good lunch, then looked at my phonebook. Thanks to my past experiences, I had backed up my phone information in advance, so my phonebook was the same as before.

[Damnable Skill]

Should I change it too? After hesitating, I exited the list for now.

“I don’t know if I can do well, Peace.”

– Grrr.

I petted Peace, who was leaning against my knees. I didn’t regret it, but I felt a sense of pressure. How much can I accomplish?

“I’m quite lacking, though.”

Until now, I’ve confidently done this and that. But most of the time, I relied on and prioritized my skills rather than myself.

Wearing Fear Resistance like armor, using useful skills as weapons. And often using myself as a tool. Items, merchandise, bait. Things to be discarded if they’re useless. At the same time, it was a way to step back and objectify myself.

Because that was easier. Even though I had Fear Resistance, I unconsciously wanted to do that.

I was truly useless, only causing harm, a piece of trash that would be better off gone.

Whether that was actually the case, I don’t know now that I think about it. At least, I don’t think I ever excessively harmed others first. I did things that deserved criticism, though. I lied, but I don’t think I was such trash that I deserved to be torn apart and trampled on so much.

But my opinion didn’t matter. Even if only three people gather, they create a tiger out of nothing [a Chinese proverb meaning people can fabricate stories when they work together], so what could I do when everyone was saying I was bad?

I just accepted it. I got used to it and it became natural. Five years was more than enough time for that.

“…That won’t change easily, though.”

I took a deep breath and turned off the Fear Resistance skill. When I turned off the Fear Resistance skill, and even when it was on, I tried not to think unnecessary thoughts. There were too many things that were better off forgotten. Fortunately or unfortunately, I was used to burying memories.

But I decided to take them out now.

I reopened the phonebook and looked through the list. Damnable Skill. As soon as I saw it, my spine tingled. Recalling yesterday’s memories without Fear Resistance, I felt fear about what I had done. With my status. What am I going to do?

– Kkuung.

– Piya.

Peace looked up at me worriedly, noticing that something was wrong with me. Peep also cried softly.

“…It’s okay. It’s not okay, but it’s okay.”

It’s okay to be scared. It’s okay to be afraid. Isn’t this normal? Rather, this is mild. Who is the opponent? Even as I comforted myself that it was natural, my fingertips kept trembling.

Should I turn back now? To think I’m trying to become equal to the Seseong Guild Leader, anyone would say I’m crazy. An F-class rolling on the floor and an S-class standing at the top of the world. Absurd, nonsensical.

The me before the regression and the me now are different. Nevertheless, as soon as the memories of that time came to mind, I felt suffocated. I could vividly imagine how people would criticize and belittle me, to the point where laughter leaked out.

As I was panting slightly, the phone rang. I was so startled that I almost dropped the phone. Instead of Damnable Skill, my brother was on the screen. I answered the phone with my hand still trembling.

[I just saw the text. I left my phone outside while testing the item I received from MKC. Have you eaten?]

“Oh, yeah.”

My throat was a little hoarse, so I coughed unnecessarily. Immediately, a worried voice came back.

[Did you catch a cold? Should I buy you medicine?]

“No, I’m okay. I have medicine at home. Have you had lunch?”

[Yeah. I should have gone home to eat. Oh, Hunter Park Yerim won’t be easy to reach. She’s probably out on the sea right now.]

“I saw it on TV. Did the Association say anything to you?”

[No. The main culprit is the Seseong Guild Leader, after all. The Seseong Guild Leader also ended up with a fine and three days of suspension.]

“I don’t know how much the fine is, but three days of suspension is light.”

[There’s no point in letting an S-class Hunter idle. But they’re difficult to handle, so it’s better to extract a lot of fines.]

“I guess so. If you mess with the Seseong Guild Leader, Chief Song Taewon will have a hard time. I’m glad the Association didn’t get greedy. I wonder how much they fined him, I hope they squeezed him a lot.”

The tightness in my heart loosened. A light smile appeared on my lips. I don’t know whose brother he is, but even his voice is nice to hear. He’s a really great brother.

“…You know, Yoohyun.”

[Yeah?]

What if I made the wrong choice? What if I cause you harm again?

I opened my mouth, then closed it again. There was no need to ask. Even if I make mistakes and fail, my brother will be by my side. Until the end.

“Thank you.”

[For what?]

“Just, for everything.”

For everything. Now, with my trembling hand stopped, I held the phone properly.

“Thank you for being there, that’s why I’m grateful. Yoohyun.”

There was a moment of silence, then Yoohyun said.

[…I’m the one who’s grateful, hyung. For being by my side.]

Even though it was my words, I felt embarrassed hearing them from my brother. After exchanging a few more words, I hung up and suddenly remembered.

“Just now, this was exactly the atmosphere for a watch strap commercial.”

I muttered and then laughed. I laughed out loud at how funny it was, then tapped the phone screen. Without hesitation, I typed lightly.

[Partner]

Well, then, now.

‘I should start by cleaning up the breeding facility.’

Both the building and this place are mine, but I’ve left them almost abandoned. Except for a few tenants, other guilds were in charge of the building’s security and management. In fact, I only had the building’s title, and I was just like one of the tenants.

But now I have to take control. It’ll be hard to change everything right away, but little by little.

“…People I can trust.”

People who didn’t betray me, but left. I recalled the one phone call I made to one of them. My lips were bitten involuntarily, and my stomach twisted, so I quickly turned on Fear Resistance.

It wasn’t that I wasn’t curious about those people now. I wanted to see them. But I buried everything. Because I wasn’t confident I could endure it twice.

They were all people with low ranks like me. Unlike Yoohyun, Yerim, Myungwoo, Noah, etc., who have strong and rare skills, they are people who are easy to lose again. That’s why I pretended not to know, pretended to forget.

‘First, let’s meet.’

Even if I don’t drag them into my work, let’s at least meet. Soothing my still stinging stomach, I smiled at Peace and Peep, who were staring at me.

“Someday, I’ll be okay without Fear Resistance.”

It’s hard to get better all at once. ‘It depends on your mindset’ is a ridiculous thing to say. If that were the case, I wouldn’t have regressed. However, I can start with making up my mind.

Since the Awakening Center hasn’t been established yet, they probably haven’t awakened. I haven’t heard that they were trying to meet an Awakening Broker…….

“Ah.”

Park Hayool. She was there. I postponed checking on her later and completely forgot about her, lumped together with things I didn’t want to remember. I felt a little sorry, but since I saved her life, she must have been doing well in her job.

The SNS… too many messages piled up. I went to Park Hayool’s account, but the updates were cut off. Did something happen? Surely it’s not that fate to die can’t be avoided, or something like that. Worried, I searched for Park Hayool on the portal site [major Korean search engine, like Google]. Then, the old articles popped up one after another.

[Rookie actress Park Hayool arrested for sneaking into the special ward of Seseong General Hospital]

[Park Hayool causes a disturbance in front of the monster breeding facility building]

[An entertainer obsessed with hunters? What is Park Hayool’s intention?]

…I think I did something wrong. Since other people don’t know about the relationship between me and Park Hayool, they probably thought she was just an entertainer who was deeply obsessed with hunters and caused a commotion. Such things happen often not only in breeding facilities but also in Haeyeon and Seseong, so it’s not surprising that it didn’t reach my ears.

I was wondering if I should contact her right away, but a relatively recent article caught my eye.

[Park Hayool signs a contract with China’s K-Bacon Contents]

Eh? Why China all of a sudden. According to the article, she doesn’t seem to be in Korea at all now. After the dungeon was created, China has been showing a near-seclusionist move, and entertainment exchanges with our country have decreased significantly compared to the past. I don’t know the details, but there have been several news reports about the Chinese market because of that.

“Yoon Yoon also disappeared from China, and Park Hayool too…….”

No, she just moved agencies. Still, I had a bad feeling. First, I left a simple greeting message on Park Hayool’s SNS [Social Networking Service]. Since China might censor SNS, I just wrote a greeting about how I met her before and suddenly thought of her.

‘What about Yoon Yoon?’

Sung Hyunjae reflexively came to mind. But now I can’t just ask and rely on him like before. For now, even if I get help from Haeyeon, it’s hard to get involved in China, so should I wait a little longer? The possibility of the Goblin King going wrong is really low. If I get in touch with Park Hayool, I can find out through her.

Let’s find these people first, I thought, and Sung Hyunjae came to mind again. With just one request, he’ll find them and tell me right away, it’s really convenient, damn it. I’ve gotten too used to it. Still, I can do this much. I know some personal information, so I can ask Dohamin or entrust it to a suitable detective agency.

Get out of my head, Sung Hyunjae. Just as I thought that, the phone rang. Partner, surely you didn’t read my mind.

“You should be under house arrest, what’s going on?”

[I have something to schedule with my partner.]

Scheduling an appointment separately. It felt formal, so I felt strange. Until now, it’s been too informal. Suddenly barging in and calling me out.

At my words to tell me, Sung Hyunjae replied. It was about the Japanese dungeon.

“You’re going to adjust the shares? Why are you suddenly changing your mind? It’s already over.”

[At that time, it was against my item. If Han Yoojin took 70%, he would give about 50% of it to Haeyeon, and if you include the share of my item, it would be 50%, so it was appropriate. But isn’t it different now?]

“Didn’t Haeyeon say they could use the slime dungeon as bait? You seem to be too greedy for a simple brokerage fee.”

[It’s not a simple brokerage fee. We sent an S-class hunter and we’ll be handling the aftermath. Also, unlike before, we need to receive at least a minimal briefing. What is the purpose, what are the benefits, the party requesting cooperation should tell us that much.]

…He wasn’t wrong, so I had nothing to say. I didn’t write the contract accurately. I trusted and relied on him too much. As I was silent, a low laugh flowed from beyond the phone.

[If you want, I can return it.]

“No thanks. It’ll have to be after your suspension, so it’ll be three days later. I’ll be waiting.”

[I’ll prepare the meeting place. You can’t come in your usual clothes. I advise you to hire professional personnel. You can’t rely on Haeyeon forever, and you’re not alone.]

He must be referring to Yoo Myungwoo, Seok Hayan’s team, and Noah. Seok Hayan’s team will also have to start the presentation soon after the field experiment is over, so I’ll have to pay attention to them.

“I’ll keep your advice in mind.”

[Then I’ll see you soon, Han Yoojin.]

The phone hung up. Han Yoojin-ssi [formal way to address someone], it was a title I had heard many times, but it felt unfamiliar. More than that, how much is he going to take? Is it 50% after all? …Then he’s being generous. If he sees an opportunity, he’ll try to squeeze more out of me. Starting right away without a practice game, you cheapskate. Don’t apply it retroactively.

I went outside to see Dohamin. Peace was left behind because he hates the hamsters getting stressed, and only Peep came with me. As soon as I went outside the building, Noah, who found me, flew down.

“Were there any problems yesterday?”

I was too exhausted at night to even think about checking. At my question, Noah nodded.

“Yes. There weren’t any problems, but… Myungwoo-hyung [term for older brother or close male friend] seemed a little angry.”

“Myungwoo?”

“When I went into the smithy, the atmosphere was scary.”

Scary. That was unexpected. The atmosphere of Myungwoo’s smithy was the opposite. The scent of wood and fire gently mixed, and the sunlight permeated softly, a scene like a fairy tale.

“It was underground.”

“Yes?”

“It was moved to a large basement, but the place itself was ordinary.”

There was a basement there too. Noah recalled yesterday’s events and shrugged slightly.

“Since upper-level hunters gathered, it was naturally noisy. There were people who asked to be let out, and there were people who picked fights for no reason.”

I was worried about that. Even if Ismual was there, I wondered if he could handle all those hunters. Still, Myungwoo is the owner, so he can just kick out anyone who causes trouble, so I thought it would be okay.

“Myungwoo-hyung, who was watching all that, told them all to shut up and sit down, coldly, ordered them.”

…This time, it was more unexpected than I could imagine.

“Uh, I think there would have been a lot of backlash.”

No matter how much they need to impress the weapon maker, the upper-level hunters wouldn’t just stand there and listen to that. Not to mention A-class, there were several S-classes. At my words, Noah nodded.

“Yes. There were even people who took out their weapons. But then Ismual appeared. Flames swirled and the person with the weapon was instantly thrown away. He was an S-class hunter, but he was really light.”

Noah said that Ismual seemed to be SS-class. When I saw him before, I thought he was at least A-class, roughly S-class.

“It was a really imposing flame. Myungwoo-hyung, who was casually controlling it, was also a little scary. After a while, I came out of the smithy and was rescued, but Myungwoo-hyung seemed a little upset the whole time.”

Noah said that Yoojin-ssi should go and see him. He said that he didn’t even come out to the smithy in the building today. He attended almost every day, whether it was weekdays or weekends.

It could just be that the hunters were rude and he was upset, but considering Myungwoo’s usual self, it was strange. I said I understood and hurried my steps.