The S-Classes That I Raised [EN]: Chapter 234

232. Hyung is Here (1)

A doll perfectly resembling Han Yoojin was seated on a chair. With its eyes closed and its posture slumped, it looked as if it had fallen asleep. Its chest even rose and fell slightly, making it appear like a real human at first glance. However, there was no sound of breathing or a beating heart.

Sigma stared down at the doll before reaching out a hand. It was boring how it swayed with every touch. But the fact that only a fake doll remained here was far from boring.

“I seem to have underestimated him.”

A smile spread across his lips.

He hadn’t expected a C-rank to stay put obediently. But he certainly hadn’t anticipated that he would escape so cleanly.

He had confirmed that the C-rank didn’t have the ability to undo the Inventory Seal Necklace. Yet, despite that, he had somehow managed to remove the necklace while being guarded by an A-rank, leaving a dummy doll in his place before escaping.

A thorough body search had been conducted, and his inventory was rendered unusable, so it wasn’t an item. Nor was it a skill. There was no external assistance either.

‘I don’t know.’

With the knowledge he possessed, he couldn’t find an answer. Escape was impossible with the abilities of any being belonging to this world. That fact made his heart race slightly.

A mere C-rank. How?

“These are the items presumed to have been left behind by the C-rank.”

The S-rank guard placed the items he had brought onto the table one by one. A few items below A-rank and a sleeping bag. Sigma’s eyes narrowed as he looked at them.

“Oh dear, I hope he doesn’t catch a cold while camping out in the open like that.”

“…Excuse me?”

The S-rank guard was momentarily taken aback by Sigma’s words, as if he were genuinely worried about the escaped C-rank.

“Well, a total of seven items have disappeared from the S-rank exclusive equipment room. Five S-rank and two SS-rank items have been confirmed.”

It was only after one of the S-rank guards returned from patrol and entered the equipment room to replenish his gear that the missing items were discovered. Sigma’s lips curled up as he received the list of items stolen by the C-rank.

He had been nibbling away at them bit by bit over the past few days before running off.

“I will issue another wanted order. This time, we have a photo, so—”

“No, we won’t find him anyway.”

The first time was practically the same as him walking in on his own two feet. A wanted order would be useless. And it was highly likely that he had already left Solemnis City.

Sigma once again scanned the report on the C-rank’s movements.

In the report received immediately after the wanted order was issued, it was stated that the C-rank had shown interest in the guard with the fire skill, Akates’s Alpha. Furthermore, he had inquired about Akates City at the defense wall’s watchtower. The distance from Solemnis City to Akates City was two days by car.

‘A scooter with stealth skill applied, two days’ worth of food.’

These were some of the items on the C-rank’s shopping list. Combining them, it wasn’t difficult to guess the C-rank’s destination.

“He must have gone outside the city.”

“Yes? But his stats are C-rank, and he doesn’t have any attack skills. Even if he has a stealth skill, a C-rank’s mana pool without a mana imprint [a magical mark that enhances mana capacity] wouldn’t last even a day.”

Moreover, it was said to be a stealth skill estimated to be at least S-rank. The higher the rank of the skill, the more mana it required, so a normal C-rank would only last half a day at most. The S-rank guard said it was practically suicide, but Sigma’s smile deepened.

“Under normal circumstances, that would be the case.”

“…Do you think he has an accomplice?”

“No.”

“Then what on earth…”

The S-rank guard wore an expression of incomprehension. If a C-rank Awakened had crossed the defense wall alone, there was no need to look for him. He would have died before the night was over. But Sigma’s thoughts seemed to be different. Just before he opened his mouth.

콰앙! 쾅!

A series of explosions were heard not far away. Following that, the sound of a building collapsing and vibrations reached even here. Immediately after, a guard wearing an earpiece burst through the door and reported.

“A bomb has exploded in Building B-2! About ten consecutive explosions were heard… The firepower was concentrated on one floor, so the building is now…”

Collapsing. The guard who was about to say that blankly opened his mouth. Sigma was laughing out loud. A quiet laughter spread amidst the loud noise of concrete chunks falling.

“He’s getting his revenge properly. It’s quite a sting.”

If it had been an S-rank, or even an A-rank, he wouldn’t have felt this much enjoyment. But a C-rank, a guy who wasn’t even recognized as a guard, had wreaked havoc and even managed to escape safely.

“Contact Akates City. I will accept the request to suppress Alpha.”

“Yes? Then are you going to Akates City yourself?”

“Yes. Prepare.”

He wanted to leave right away, but leaving his affiliated city was not an easy task. Above all, mana replenishment to the imprint was only possible at the corresponding mana hall. Mana itself was the same regardless of which mana hall it came from, so he could use fuel tanks from other affiliations, but the problem was that they could refuse to provide fuel tanks.

Therefore, he had to prepare plenty of fuel tanks from his own affiliation and also have proper power. In particular, Akates City was not a welcoming place for guards, so even more caution was needed.

“It’s been a while since you’ve been away. Unless an anomaly like the one at Goldberg Park occurs, we have about a week of leeway.”

“Make a support request to Lanchea’s Lambda. Tell them I’m going to Akates myself.”

“…Frankly, I don’t understand why you’re going this far.”

The S-rank guard followed the order while still looking puzzled. Both guards left the room. In the meantime, the surroundings were quiet, as if the building had completely collapsed. In the silence, Sigma’s gaze turned to the doll sitting on the chair. A light flickered in his eyes, which had been faded and subdued.

* * *

– Cheep!

The sound of birds was heard. A flock of birds fluttered up over the forest as the dawn light seeped in.

‘I wonder if it’s exploded by now.’

Ten timed bombs costing 20,000 points each. I hid them well in every nook and cranny. I set them to explode around sunrise, so I hope they worked well. The power of each one isn’t that great, but if I concentrated them on one floor, I might be able to see the whole thing collapse.

I hope the pursuit is delayed because they’re busy cleaning up.

I took out a can of food from my backpack and opened it. I picked up something similar to a meatball with the fork attached to the side. The meat in this area definitely tastes good. It’s edible even without heating it up.

‘It’s definitely safer during the day than at night.’

Unlike what I had prepared myself for, risking my life or two, the outside of the defense wall was surprisingly safe. Thanks to the stealth skill buffed by items to S-rank level, the monsters couldn’t find me, and the high-level monsters were busy hunting mid- to low-level monsters.

The stealth rank applied to the scooter was B-rank, and even if it was compatible with my skill, it was only about A-rank, so I was worried, but there were hardly any monsters that paid attention to the small scooter. I did catch the eye of an S-rank monster a couple of times, but it soon chased after a lower-level monster.

Fortunately, I didn’t encounter any SS-rank monsters.

‘During the day, the low-level monsters disappear, and the high-level monsters have filled their bellies, so they’ll rest or sleep. Is there a kind of ecosystem in place?’

After finishing a simple meal, I threw the empty can and drink bottle on the side of the road. Unauthorized littering is not allowed, but this world is fake anyway.

At that moment, a message window popped up.

[☆★Hidden Quest Achieved!!☆★]

What, again? The same thing happened when I escaped from the Solemnis Defense Agency and raided the equipment room. Did they put blowing up the bomb as a hidden quest this time?

‘…Is the newbie making and inserting quests to match my actions?’

I was suspicious. He said the skill name and description window were written later. It was highly likely that the hidden quests were the same. And the fact that he gave me the wildcat shoe set.

Well, it’s better than not doing anything. With a grateful heart for the newbie’s efforts, I opened the quest achievement window.

[Daring Bomber!

You have destroyed a building of the Solemnis Defense Agency, which is full of high-ranking guards, with bombs. Your boldness is as if you have taken your liver out of your stomach! [idiom for extreme courage]

Reward: 100,000P, Dragon’s Breath Bomb (SS) 3]

Dragon’s Breath Bomb? It was an SS-rank item. It’s a bomb, so it’s one-time use, but giving me three of them, what else do you want me to blow up? I know this isn’t the real world, but I feel like I’m living too recklessly since I came here, and you’re fanning the flames.

[Dragon’s Breath Bomb – SS Rank

A bomb that embodies the power of the highest-grade dragon breath. Timer and remote control possible.

One-time use]

It’s too precious to use. I should take it out with me if nothing happens. I’ll cry if they don’t let me take game items out.

I put the bomb safely in my inventory and started the scooter again. I yawned slightly after staying up all night. It’s impossible to rest comfortably whether it’s night or day, so I have no choice but to run for two days straight. I’m glad my stats are C-rank.

If it had been F-rank as before, I would have been too scared to fall asleep at the wheel and have an accident, so I would have had to take a nap somehow. The road is rough, so just driving the scooter was quite exhausting. I hope Yoohyun welcomes me as soon as I arrive in Akates City and tells me to rest well, hyung [older brother].

‘I miss the kids. I really miss them a lot.’

It’s been a long time since I’ve been alone for this long. After the regression, there was almost always someone by my side. At least, it’s comforting that they’re not real bodies other than me, so they can’t die. If that weren’t the case, my fear resistance would have dropped, and I might have been anxious.

…I wish our world had been applied as virtual reality as well. That thought came to my mind, and I unconsciously gritted my teeth. Even if virtual reality has its dangers, still, many things would have been different. It may simply be that the other person’s rice cake looks bigger [a Korean saying meaning ‘the grass is always greener on the other side’].

‘…For now, let’s just think about taking as much as I can from here.’

Join up with Yoohyun, find the others, and gather a lot of points. I have to prepare new weapons for Yoohyun and Yerim before we leave. Skills are good too.

Ah, I miss the kids. I think I’ll even miss Hyunah-ssi [term of polite address] and even Sung Hyunjae. I’m lonely.

A tall defense wall, similar to the one in Solemnis, appeared in front of me. The height of the wall, as well as the shape of the watchtowers built at regular intervals, were similar. Were the other cities built around the same time? Without releasing the stealth skill, I looked at the defense wall under the morning sun.

It was said that it took two days by car from Solemnis to Akates, but even if the scooter has good performance, it’s still slower than a car. It took two and a half days, but because I left at night, I ended up staying up for three days straight. My eyelids were heavy, and I kept sighing.

‘Should I go over the wall or enter through the main gate?’

It was said that the guards at the Solemnis defense wall were mainly B-rank during the day. At night, when many new monsters appear, they are replaced with A-rank guards. The monster occurrence pattern is the same, so wouldn’t Akates be the same?

‘It’s not difficult to escape from a B-rank opponent.’

I took out the identification card that I had kept carefully and hid behind a tree to release the stealth skill. To hide the fact that I didn’t have an imprint, I also took out a scarf from my backpack and tied it around my neck.

Maybe Yoohyun had told the guards guarding the city entrance in advance. He might have ordered them to welcome and bring Han Yoojin if he came looking for him. He might have ordered them to let him know because he would come out to meet him in person.

Yoohyun, hyung is here. With a fluttering heart, I approached the small door in the defense wall. The door was just big enough for a vehicle to barely pass through.

“Excuse me, please open the door!”

I waved my hand and shouted towards the watchtower, and soon the door opened. An armed B-rank guard approached me without letting his guard down.

“I’m Han Yoojin from Medesang City. Here’s my ID and pass.”

“Ah, you’re from Medesang.”

The B-rank guard’s expression noticeably relaxed at my words. It seemed that Medesang had many healers and support-type guards, so other cities easily accepted them. It seemed that the newbie had taken care to prepare my ID.

The guard checked my ID and pass with a machine and welcomed me, stepping aside. Yoohyun… didn’t say anything. Well, he might not have told them for my safety. If I was someone that an SS-rank guard cherished, I could be kidnapped as a hostage.

“I’m really grateful and happy that you welcomed me like this after I came all this way. Thank you for your hard work protecting the city.”

I smiled amiably and took out a drink from my backpack and handed it to him. The guard thanked me and took the drink.

“You’re registered as a C-rank support type, so I’ll take you to the city center. The slums on the outskirts of the city are dangerous anyway. There’s a high chance you’ll be robbed since you’re on a scooter and not a car.”

“Thank you. Then I’ll be shameless and ask you to do that.”

“It’s time for me to change shifts anyway, so don’t worry about it.”

How kind. The guard brought a military jeep with a cargo bed in the back. I put the scooter in the cargo bed and got into the passenger seat next to the driver.

“Seeing that you came here safely alone, it seems that the scooter has a high-ranking stealth skill.”

“Yes, I bought it for a high price. How else would I get here without a stealth skill?”

It seems that the reason for his kindness is the smell of money. If he guides me well, I might give him a generous tip. I don’t have money, but I have a lot of items. How much would it cost to sell just one A-rank equipment? And my brother is richer than me. If you treat me well, I’ll tell him to treat you well.

“About Akates’s Alpha…”

I brought up the most curious topic while making small talk. Alpha. As soon as that word came out, the guard’s face hardened.

“It seems you’ve already heard the news.”

News? I haven’t heard anything, but I agreed.

“Ah, yes. Of course, I’ve heard. I’m an outsider, so I don’t know the details.”

“It was such a big accident that it’s bound to have leaked out. But don’t worry too much because the rampaging Alpha has been safely suppressed and is being well managed by the Defense Agency.”

…Rampaging and suppressed, what the hell is he talking about?