The S-Classes That I Raised [EN]: Chapter 251

249. The Real and the Fake (3)

It was a desolate space.

A six-winged snake scattered poison. The man nonchalantly looked away from the thick curtain of poison spreading like a dark night, offering no escape. The poison dissipated before it could even reach him, and the massive snake, seemingly capable of swallowing the moon, merely writhed in the air, not daring to approach.

A wolf with a large, curved metallic horn emitting a blue light appeared. The monster, as enormous as the snake in the sky, slowly roamed around. Then, vines split the ground and rose up. Relatively small, but still three or four times the size of a human, hundreds of venomous insects swarmed, their sharp jaws clicking. An ice golem roared fiercely, shaking the ground.

“How annoying.”

He muttered quietly. When the system malfunctions, gaps are created, and through those gaps, monsters containing the power of the Source appear. Because the system, which is supposed to regulate the influence of the Source trying to devour the world, has a flaw, the monsters that appear are stronger than average.

The weakest venomous insect was SS-class. The rest were all SSS-class, monsters that ranked among the highest.

Even amidst the monsters slowly closing in, the man, Sung Hyunjae, kept his eyes fixed on the system window. Occasionally, he raised an eyebrow at the complex flow of mana surrounding him.

Tough.

Even borrowing the power of the body he entered, it was impossible to delve into the system. He could barely touch the parts related to Han Yoojin, the singularity currently twisting this world.

“The system’s creator.”

He couldn’t find out anything other than the information that it was someone on the side of the Parricide [someone who kills their own parent or a similar figure of authority]. How long ago they existed, whether it was just one person or many.

What was clear was that they had built a system to counter the Source trying to devour the world. A system that allowed the world to progress towards destruction slowly and systematically, at a pace that the people of that world could handle.

The frog in slowly heating water could be boiled to death, endure to the end, or jump out and escape. But it was better than being suddenly thrown into boiling water.

[But you doing this, it’s definitely related to me again, isn’t it? Right?]

Han Yoojin’s voice flowed from the window Sung Hyunjae had open. Unlike his clear voice, Han Yoohyun’s voice was choppy and sometimes completely inaudible. The voices of other people were the same.

At least the screen was clear, so he could read lip movements to understand the general conversation. Sung Hyunjae looked into the window showing the brothers. More precisely, he focused his gaze on Han Yoojin.

[Yoohyun, it’s not your fault. You didn’t do anything wrong.]

It was a tender yet earnest voice, mixed with deep affection and sincerity. It was as if he could pour out his heart to that extent. Even to Han Yoohyun.

Han Yoojin’s face, which had been barely smiling as if he was about to cry, brightened up again. He frowned slightly while talking about marriage, but there were hardly any shadows.

They were always such close brothers. Sung Hyunjae checked his points, wondering if he should pay for the viewing.

“…This.”

Before he knew it, his points were depleted again. Sung Hyunjae reluctantly added a notification to the quest he had given earlier and turned his gaze away. His eyes turned to the monsters growling as if they would pounce on him at any moment.

The tip of his only hand moved lightly. A pure white light gathered, and a spear with pointed ends appeared. It was just a long stick shape without any patterns or decorations. Lightly twirling it once, Sung Hyunjae looked at the monsters as if reviewing a shopping cart list.

– Grrr.

The metal-horned wolf reacted first. As if suggesting a joint attack, it glanced at the surrounding monsters and bared its fangs. Black light flickered on its sharp teeth and claws. Following an ability that enhanced its attack power, the fur on its entire body hardened.

Immediately, the wolf disappeared. Teleportation. At the very moment the wolf disappeared, Sung Hyunjae lightly thrust the tip of his spear. He simply poked the air without much effort.

– Kyaaaa!

One of the wolf’s eyes was pierced by the spear. He had predicted the location where it would teleport and attacked. Then, light burst out.

Kwararararng! A wave of light surged like a reversing waterfall, spreading in all directions. No matter how high-ranking the monsters were, it was difficult to open their eyes properly. Their hearing was blocked by the thunder, and their sense of smell was blocked by the smell of the wolf’s body burning. The senses of their entire bodies were also hindered by the current that spread like a dense spider web.

Sung Hyunjae, who had instantly cut off the monsters’ senses, began to move.

The next target after the wolf was the snake. The current instantly disrupted the curtain of poison, and the wings were torn off with a light flick of his hand. The heel of his shoe crushed the snake’s head, which was raised fiercely. The difference in size was like an elephant and an ant, but the snake couldn’t withstand the crushing force and slammed into the ground with a loud thud.

Then, with a rustle, its head was cut off, and the regenerating wound was charred black. All of that happened in an instant.

The snake’s breath was cut off without even making a proper sound, and the ice golem, sensing the crisis, put up layers of defense skills. The translucent body turned black, and three layers of barriers wrapped around the golem. In the meantime, Sung Hyunjae was already standing on top of the golem’s head.

– Kiriririk!

Thousands of venomous insects, freed from the net of electricity, began to flap their wings towards him. An ear-piercing sound covered the sky, and the swarm of black clouds-like venomous insects moved together. Each one was the weakest of the monsters, but their buff skills overlapped, exuding a terrifying aura.

Geugeugeung, the golem’s arm moved towards its head. It intended to grab the enemy and help the swarm of venomous insects attack, but. Thud. Sung Hyunjae lifted one foot and blocked the giant hand trying to grab him. There was almost no sound. Even though it looked like he had just lightly touched it.

Eujijik─

Cracks began to spread rapidly from the golem’s fingertips where his shoe touched. The black ice chunks shattered into pieces, and a pure white spear was plunged into the golem’s crown. The spear, which had smoothly penetrated the ice without any use of layers of barriers, once again spewed out light.

A roar and a flash. In the midst of it, Sung Hyunjae, who had already withdrawn the spear, took out a long thread this time, pulled it round and swung it. He wasn’t sure what skill he used, but fragments of the shattered golem were stuck all over the hot pink yarn. He threw it as if shooting it towards the swarm of venomous insects rushing in.

– Kiiii!

– Kirik!

The pink yarn wrapped around the ice fragments cut through the middle of the swarm of venomous insects. Immediately after.

Bang! Kwaang!

The ice wrapped in yarn literally exploded. The monster’s remains, ice, and water, all filled with magic power, were electrolyzed and then exploded with magic power poured into them.

Even in the midst of the terrifying explosion, nearly half of the venomous insects survived and rushed towards Sung Hyunjae. However, yarn and golem fragments overflowed at his feet. Explosions continued in the air once again. The remains of the venomous insects rained down.

Sung Hyunjae raised the corners of his lips, lightly creating electricity to block the bouncing debris.

“You’re quick to notice, but.”

His gaze turned towards the ground below. As if sensing it, the ground faintly writhed. Sung Hyunjae created a white spear on his palm again.

“I don’t have enough points to take care of my partner.”

I can’t just let you go. The thrown spear dug deep into the ground. Then, fluid gushed out like a fountain through the pierced hole, and thick vines burst out, splitting the ground. Sung Hyunjae predicted the path of the vines, which were thrashing like whips in their last struggle, and dodged them with minimal movement.

Before long, the last monster became quiet. Silence fell, and Sung Hyunjae recovered the points that had risen above the monsters’ corpses.

In an instant, tens of millions of points gathered. When he collected the points from the venomous insects, it easily exceeded 100 million. It was a huge amount of points that Han Yoojin would have worked hard to extort if he had seen it. But.

‘The efficiency isn’t very good.’

It cost points to operate the system and send quests. It cost millions of points to give out 10,000 points as a reward. The same was true for item rewards.

Sung Hyunjae reopened the window he had closed for a moment.

[That comparison is definitely different. Mr. Song also came!]

[I’m sorry about that too.]

‘I’m sorry too.’

Wouldn’t it have been interesting to see Song Taewon enter this world? Especially his impressions of the Akates City. Perhaps there might have been a slight change in his rigid attitude.

Sung Hyunjae sat on a suitable rock. Han Yoojin and Moon Hyunah were talking about Sigma, then suddenly shut their mouths. Then they started talking about this world.

– Grrr.

After a while of silence, something like a lump of mud crawled out with a blue light. It didn’t dare to approach and just roamed around.

[What a waste of a face. I told you to smile a little. Smile~]

In the meantime, Han Yoojin was having a private meeting with Sigma. His appearance being dragged over the table in chains was shown in the window.

“Oh my, he’s rough, as expected of a young man.”

He could have led him advantageously just by being young. Sung Hyunjae clicked his tongue at Sigma’s attitude. Even though he pretended to be calm on the outside, he was hasty and unstable.

It wasn’t incomprehensible. For Sigma, Solemnis was like a narrow cage. A narrow world where the same daily life and the same events were repeated. A completely new being had fallen in front of him, who had been fading away trapped in that place.

Sigma must have intuitively felt that not only Han Yoojin’s actions but also his very existence was an alien thing that could not exist in this world. It was like cool water poured on a dying fish.

He had no choice but to chase after him. And he had no choice but to try to get him. To survive.

Moreover, Han Yoojin.

[Sigma, you’re the only one for me.]

He was the only real thing in this world. That real thing affirmed it. He sincerely said that what should be fake was real. A huge error had occurred. Immediately after.

Sung Hyunjae felt the world shaking. And one more person sensed the same thing.

– You said it.

It was a white bird. A white bird, reduced to the size of a small hawk, landed on a fragment of the ice golem, dragging its long tail feathers. Sung Hyunjae looked at the white bird with a gaze that was by no means friendly.

“Yes. As you predicted.”

A future-seeing species, a star-counting bird. It wasn’t real. It was data left in this world, but she also knew this future now.

– Just because I saw it doesn’t mean everything will come true as it is. I’m just trying to increase the possibility.

Even at the white bird’s excuse, Sung Hyunjae’s gaze was still cold. He even began to reveal his murderous intent. The pupils of his golden eyes narrowed like needles. But the white bird didn’t care and flew up, settling on Sung Hyunjae’s shoulder.

– I thought it would be especially difficult this time. I didn’t think he would accept it so easily.

“My partner is kind. As long as you don’t cross a certain line, he accepts everything. Whether it’s a human, a monster, or something else.”

Anything. Was it because he raised Han Yoohyun? There was no limit. Not yet. Sung Hyunjae looked at Han Yoojin, who was making a tearful face.

Even himself. He felt it clearly at the convenience store on his birthday. Han Yoojin had erased the line that had been blocking Sung Hyunjae. He himself seemed to believe that he was still keeping his distance.

“Thanks to you, it’s quite troublesome.”

Han Yoojin already thought of Sung Hyunjae as the same kind of person as himself. That’s why he accepted the partner request. And then, what should he do? It was a rare and difficult problem even for Sung Hyunjae. Han Yoojin was still F-class, weak, and his insides were rotten. Yet, Han Yoojin liked Sung Hyunjae in an ordinary way.

If he got hurt, he would worry, if he was in danger, he would try to save him, purely celebrate his birthday, have casual conversations, and greet him for the New Year. And perhaps he might change Sung Hyunjae. He couldn’t say that there was no influence already.

“But he won’t become like Han Yoohyun.”

What to do with this, after a short period of contemplation, Sung Hyunjae chose protection. He had no intention of letting go now. Also, even now that he couldn’t even take care of his own body, if his rotten insides were completely healed, how would Han Yoojin change? So, he had tried to heal him with his own hands.

He was rejected though.

Sung Hyunjae wore a faint smile. Cracks began to form around him. The white bird flew up and soon disappeared. Her information ended here. Even if the real thing flowed in and accepted the fake, it was impossible to change such a huge being. There was also a limit to the information she could give to Sung Hyunjae.

Sung Hyunjae got up, lightly dealt with the mud monster, and then sent a quest.

[Special Main Quest! Protect Sigma!!]