The S-Classes That I Raised [EN]: Chapter 254

252. Mede’s Mu (2)

It was a long, long night.

Even after sunrise, monsters continued to emerge from the Mana Hole, though with occasional lulls. Sometimes there would be quiet periods lasting 30 minutes or more. But as soon as night fell, the onslaught resumed without pause. It was as if the difficulty setting of a defense game had been cranked up from normal to very hard.

The two remaining Defense Agency buildings had completely collapsed before sunset. The lowest-grade monsters appearing were A-grade, and SS-grades also appeared frequently, so all non-awakened personnel and guards below B-grade were evacuated. However, technicians needed to remain to repair the intercity communication devices, so S-grade guards were assigned to protect them as much as possible.

The shelters near the Defense Agency were also emptied. Most of the monsters were targeting Sigma, but some broke through the barricades, increasing the danger zone to a radius of 1 km.

“You should have saved some Acates S-grade guards. It’s easy for them to replenish mana.”

Mun Hyun-ah’s words were a joke until the sun came up. But as soon as night fell, the mana replenishment problem became even more critical.

Even guards from other cities could receive mana replenishment from Acates guards. The problem was that most of the so-called mana tanks were B-grade or lower, especially C-grade or lower. Protecting low- to mid-grade guards in a place swarming with high-level monsters was nearly impossible, so Acates A-grade guards had no choice but to help replenish mana.

Naturally, the number of mana replenishment guards was insufficient, and because the affiliated imprints were different, the replenishment efficiency was much lower. The rate of replenishment was slower than the rate of mana consumption, and the number of S-grade or higher guards who needed to rest gradually increased.

Not to mention the SS-grade guards, whose mana consumption was high due to their high skill levels.

“Ah, this is a bit dangerous. Hyung [older brother or a term of endearment for a close male friend], how many mana potions do we have left? We should conserve them.”

Not long after sunset, Mun Hyun-ah shook her head and said. Sigma was in an even worse situation than her because the Acates guards were reluctant to replenish his mana. Fortunately, I could at least get scratched and take all the points from the monsters Sigma caught, so I bought mana potions and handed them over.

In the end, the only SS-grade guard who could directly receive mana from the Mana Hole, Alpha, Yoo-hyun, had no choice but to step forward.

Dark blue flames constantly soared around the Mana Hole, and scattered ashes filled the night sky. All flame resistance items in the Acates Defense Agency were mobilized due to the spreading heat. It was difficult to stay nearby without flame resistance.

Yoo-hyun fought well, but there were still crises. Among the various monsters, there were some with mana absorption skills. Even with the Mana Hole right next to him, the amount of mana consumed, including the mana used for skills, was faster than the rate at which mana was replenished.

In addition, the consumption of stamina could not be ignored, and by midnight, Yoo-hyun also needed a break.

Kwaaaang!

Bombs exploded around the Mana Hole. They only left scratches on S-grade or higher monsters. Amidst the continuous explosions, I hurriedly handed Sigma mana potions.

“Please take care of it.”

Sigma leaped towards the Mana Hole, and thunder struck after the explosions. Mun Hyun-ah also charged towards the monsters with her guards. The two of them could handle it for a couple of hours.

“Yoo-hyun, you’ve worked hard.”

I hugged my younger brother, who had left the front line with an exhausted look. The strong smell of fire stung the tip of my nose.

“Are you very tired?”

“I’m okay.”

“What do you mean, okay? Ah, those small fries are escaping again.”

While the large SS-grade monsters were taking the brunt of the attacks, a few A~S grade monsters escaped. I pulled Yoo-hyun closer and threw poison orbs I bought from the Point Shop. Greenish-yellow smoke rose from the three orbs thrown in different directions.

The monsters caught in the S-grade poison smoke staggered, and I aimed my gun at the weakened ones. More than half of them collapsed, but some escaped. However, they were all defeated before they could get past the first barricade.

I’ve thought about it several times, but the Point Shop is really good. Item power is the best. Thanks to the double point acquisition, I’m earning more than I’m spending.

I bought a few S-grade trap sets and laid them out, then sat down on a bench with mana and stamina recovery options with my brother. Buying the bench had significantly reduced my points, but it was really useful now. Thanks to it, Hyun-ah-ssi [term of respect] and Sigma were recovering quickly.

“Do you want to close your eyes for a bit? We should eat something.”

“Water is enough.”

“I should have made some simple sandwiches before the building flew away.”

We didn’t even have a proper dinner, but at least I fed him well for lunch. I took out water and gave it to my brother amidst the rumbling. I need to modify the imprint quickly, but it’s too dangerous to do it here. I can’t engrave the imprint unless I’m near the Mana Hole. My heart really dropped when an SS-grade monster with mana absorption skills appeared. It would have been dangerous if Irin hadn’t stepped up quickly.

“Irin, you’ve worked hard too.”

At my words, Irin climbed onto Yoo-hyun’s shoulder and wagged its tail.

-Irin helped Yoo-hyun a lot, so praise me more, Hyung!

“Yes, you did really well. Especially that monster with the teleportation skill earlier, you blocked it really cleanly. Our Irin covers Yoo-hyun’s blind spots, so we don’t have to worry about being caught from behind. You’re really amazing!”

Irin opened its mouth wide and smiled. It spun around in place, then tapped Yoo-hyun’s shoulder with one front paw.

-Say you love him too, Yoo-hyun!

“…Not praise?”

-Quickly!

Why does this kid like hearing that so much? Is it because it’s a fire spirit and likes hot expressions of emotion? It kept urging me, saying, ‘You haven’t said it much, I asked you to say it a lot! Irin definitely said that!’, so I opened my mouth somewhat awkwardly. There are S-grades and higher all around, so they’ll all hear me even if I speak quietly.

“My brother, I love you.”

Ah, should I have used our kid’s skill while I was at it? No, it has a cooldown of 10 days, so it’s better to save it. At my words, Yoo-hyun smiled brightly, and Irin also jumped up and down.

-Say I’m good! Say I’m cute! Say I’m pretty!

“No, Irin.”

-But it’s true. Isn’t Yoo-hyun cute?

“Of course he’s cute.”

-Then you should say it a lot! If you don’t say it, you won’t know. It’s good to give a lot of praise. It’s good for the person giving it and the person receiving it, so why don’t you do it! Say it a lot, Hyung!

It’s not wrong, but. Irin looked up at me with sparkling eyes. Really small sparks were circling around its eyes. Yoo-hyun didn’t say anything, but he had an expectant look similar to Irin’s. Ugh, really.

“Cute guys. Irin, come here too, I’ll hug you together.”

Yeah, they’re cute, right? They’re also kind and pretty. At that moment, a huge reptile with thorns around its neck collapsed a few steps in front of us. Mun Hyun-ah, who was standing on the lizard’s head, looked down as if asking what we were doing.

“The three of you are playing well. Hyung, aren’t you coddling your brother too much? There’s a time and place for everything.”

“I think Hyun-ah-ssi is amazing too.”

“…Huh?”

“When I went to the Breaker Guild before, I was really impressed. Just looking at the guild atmosphere, I could easily tell how good of a person Hyun-ah-ssi is. I’m always grateful for you taking care of Yerim, and I feel like Hyun-ah-ssi is a great support to me too. Hyun-ah-ssi came this time too-”

“Ah, that’s enough!”

Mun Hyun-ah waved her hand wildly and quickly left the spot. Sigma isn’t coming this way, is he? Right now, the only things I can praise are his face and abilities. …That’s a lot. Anyway, he’s great.

[Praise is good! Let’s do some more ^^]

After being quiet for a while, a sub-quest popped up. Does it want me to praise it too? If it gives me enough points, there’s nothing I can’t do.

“Well, I’m usually grateful in many ways.”

I muttered and opened the quest window.

[You’re showering the people around you with praise! You’ve done a great job. But isn’t there someone you’ve forgotten? Don’t forget to praise yourself too!

Reward: 200,000P, Warm Star Candy]

…The reward points were really high. Did it empty its pockets and then refill them? If it gives me this much, I have no choice but to do as it says. But when I actually try to say it out loud, I feel embarrassed.

“Um, Yoo-hyun. I did pretty well too, right?”

“What? I don’t know what it is, but Hyung always does well. …Except for not taking care of yourself enough.”

“But I’m better than before, right? Sometimes you have to do dangerous things when you live. Anyway, I’ve been running around diligently since I came here. Good job, not bad.”

-Irin wants to say you did a good job too, Hyung! You’re the best, Hyung! Irin likes Hyung as much as Yoo-hyun does. You did a good job hugging Irin, you did a good job praising Yoo-hyun!

“No, that’s…”

…Yeah, I’m a little embarrassed. I wonder if I really did a good job. Of course, there were mistakes too. I was hasty sometimes. But I think I did well for my grade.

Even in the slightly strange atmosphere, monsters continued to pour out. Irin jumped out and instantly burned the monsters caught in the traps. The moon was still high, and after a short break, Yoo-hyun stepped forward again.

The long, long night continued. I supported the exhausted three by spending points generously. The points being recovered gradually decreased, but Seong Hyun-jae occasionally sent quests with large reward points.

Just when faint dawn light was shining through and the appearance rate of monsters was noticeably decreasing. Everyone was taking a breather when a loud shout was heard from the communication device.

“Communication device is ready!”

It was welcome news. The appearance of monsters had stopped, so everyone rushed towards the communication device.

“Video transmission is not yet possible, but audio is possible.”

The technician said while operating the machine.

“Connect directly to Mede.”

At Yoo-hyun’s command, the communication device was activated. Mun Hyun-ah narrowed her brows slightly as she watched the signal go through.

“But I don’t know if they’ll cooperate willingly.”

“Yes?”

“As far as I remember, Mu, Mede, is a bit exclusive. Isn’t that right?”

Mun Hyun-ah looked at Sigma, and Sigma nodded.

“Mu rarely left his city. The only time was when a large number of Mede guards were kidnapped.”

“But I have a feeling it’s someone we know. He’s friendly with Rancia, so if I say something, he’ll connect me.”

If it’s someone we know… could it be Noah? Since he’s a support type, it’s highly likely. Yoo-hyun and Mun Hyun-ah also entered the bodies of guards with skills similar to their own.

Not long after, a slightly crackling voice was heard from the communication device.

[This is the Mede City external communication room.]

“This is Lambda of Rancia. Requesting urgent communication with Mu of Mede due to the Mana Hole anomaly.”

[Are you Lambda of Rancia? The communication origin is confirmed to be Acates City.]

“I’m in Acates right now. Please confirm with Rancia.”

[Yes. Please wait a moment.]

After a moment of silence, the Mede communication room confirmed the answer. And after another short wait.

[This is Mu of Mede.]

Despite the unstable communication state, a clear voice rang out. Could it really be Noah? It was hard to tell just by the voice.

“This is Lambda of Rancia. An anomaly has occurred in the Acates Mana Hole. Requesting immediate support from Mede. Also, do you happen to know Noah Leuhier?”

[I know him well. Is that Hunter Mun Hyun-ah?]

Mu, most likely Noah, answered calmly. It’s him! Mede treats its guards well, so he must be doing well. I’m so glad. Now all I have to do is find Yerim and Peace.

“That’s right! Hunter Noah, right now-”

[It is true that I am Noah, but I am also Mu of Mede now. I cannot send support based solely on a simple request from another city.]

“What?”

Mun Hyun-ah looked back at me in embarrassment.

“Hyung, I think Hunter Noah is more serious about this world than I am.”

I nodded in agreement with her words that she didn’t expect this. Is he really not going to come help us?

“Um, Noah-ssi.”

[Yes, Han Yoojin-ssi. I’m glad you seem to be safe.]

“I’m still safe, but I don’t think I’ll be in the future. Can you come and help us? I need Noah-ssi’s help.”

I couldn’t bring myself to say that this place, Mede, doesn’t really exist. Even if Noah chooses Mede… it can’t be helped. In that case, it would be better to give up Acates City. Just as my head was getting complicated, Noah’s, Mu’s, answer came back.

[I cannot leave Mede City to help Acates City. However,]

Noah’s voice continued.

[Han Yoojin-ssi is under my jurisdiction. Mu of Mede does not neglect even a single guard under his jurisdiction. Please hold on for one more day, Yoojin-ssi.]

“Ah, yes! Thank you, Noah-ssi!”

[It is my duty. Please take care until I arrive.]

The communication was cut off. One day. It won’t be easy, but if it’s about the current level, we can hold on.

“Let’s finish preparing as much as possible before night comes!”

I have to gather as many points as possible while it’s still manageable and stock up on mana potions.

The long and tedious battle started again, the sun set, and dawn was approaching. Even though we had prepared during the day, everyone was more tired than the day before. Yoo-hyun, Mun Hyun-ah, and Sigma had one or two wounds that weren’t there yesterday. They were treated immediately with potions, but the fact that wounds were appearing was proof that they were exhausted.

Just when I thought it would be difficult to hold out until the third day.

“…What is that?”

Something huge appeared in the distant, still dark sky with a cluster of lights. Something like a spaceship from a sci-fi movie was slowly moving overhead.

Kwang, Kwaaaang!

Accurate shelling began, targeting the monsters that had escaped the barricades first. No, what is that really? Why is Mede alone in a different era?