The S-Classes That I Raised [EN]: Chapter 260

258. An Accidental Monster Hunt (1)

Koo-oong! With a tremendous noise, the last SS-Class monster collapsed onto the ruins of a building. Property damage was unavoidable, but there were no casualties. While Lanchea’s guards drew the monsters’ attention, Yoohyun and Moon Hyuna quickly took them down one by one.

Using the Kindergarten Teacher skill and coordinating perfectly, even SS-Class monsters couldn’t last long. As soon as Yoohyun and Irin immobilized the monster’s feet, Moon Hyuna’s devastating attack would follow, and that was the end of it.

“Hyungnim’s skill is really something,” Moon Hyuna said, jumping off the monster’s corpse.

“It’s usually difficult for combat types to cooperate. Normally, I’d have to brace for burns, and Doryeon-nim would have a hard time timing his dodges.”

As she said, Yoohyun and Moon Hyuna weren’t exactly a good match for cooperation. Fire, in particular, had a wide area of effect. Even if Moon Hyuna’s attacks were focused, their power meant getting caught in them was easy.

“Instead of constantly buying cookies, why not just buy a skill? It seems like it would be easier.”

“I don’t have any related traits, so it costs a ridiculous amount of points. Skill prices vary depending on the buyer’s stats.”

Yoohyun realized this after comparing prices in the point shop. Equipment and consumable items cost the same points, but skills were different. Fire-attribute skills, in particular, cost nearly a hundred times more for me than for Yoohyun.

“Really? No wonder some skills were unusually cheap. Still, if you have time, try to sweet-talk Dal into gathering points. He can get all the points Hyungnim earns when hunting together, even double the amount. I appreciate the help, but it’s hard to raid with a size Hyungnim like you hanging around.”

Moon Hyuna laughed, wondering what would happen if she got caught up in something and went missing. That wouldn’t happen, but it would make sharing resistance skills, not to mention the double points, easier.

“Buying skills is too hard, so let’s just stock up on cookies. A set of 10 is 20% off, and a set of 100 is a whopping 55% off.”

A box of 100 costs 5 million points, but an S-Class miniaturization skill with the same effect as cookies costs over 100 million points… Unfortunately, S-Class exchange tickets didn’t include skills. There were also point limits. Besides, it’s better for the kids to use the exchange tickets if possible.

“We’re heading straight to Medes, right?” Yoohyun said, taking me out of his pocket.

“That’s right. What are you going to do, Hyuna-ssi?”

At my words, she roughly scratched her red hair. She looked troubled for a moment but quickly shook it off.

“Even if it’s genuine, we need to draw a line. Everyone!” Turning around, Moon Hyuna looked at the Lanchea guards.

“I’ll be away to investigate the Akates Mana Hole anomaly. So, I’m entrusting the city to you while I’m gone. Go into emergency mode and try to endure with as little damage as possible. I hope we can all meet again, but don’t wait too long. If you see a promising SS-Class Awakener, grab them by the ankles and force them to stay. Got it?”

At her last words, some of the guards chuckled. Even though their leader said she would be gone for a long time, the atmosphere wasn’t gloomy. There were some worried faces, but their faith in Lambda, Moon Hyuna, seemed greater.

“Don’t worry, and come back safely!”

“We’ll keep waiting, but if we see an SS-Class Awakener, we’ll tie them down.”

“That’s right, it would be nice to have one more. Lambda-nim would be more comfortable too.”

“I bet if we get an SS-Class guard to entrust the back to, you’ll be going out of the city every other day.”

Amidst the lighthearted jokes, some guards rushed off, saying they needed to pack her luggage. There was even a playful argument about who should escort her, since she wasn’t going alone.

Lambda was a leader with great charisma, but Moon Hyuna, who continued that trust, was also truly amazing. There was a systemic effect that made her seem like Lambda, but that alone couldn’t create such a scene.

“We have a response from the Medes ship. They say they are approaching the Lanchea-Parus road.”

A guard said, receiving a transmission from the Lanchea Defense Agency’s communication room. Because an SSS-Class monster was following, they decided to rendezvous more than 20km away from the city. Soon, a military vehicle, Moon Hyuna’s bike, and a truck carrying luggage were prepared. To conserve power, only three Lanchea guards, ranked A to B, would accompany her as drivers.

With the people’s farewells, the vehicles departed. Moon Hyuna looked at them, at the dark city, with a regretful expression.

“It would be nice if we could rest for a day or so. Lanchea is a wonderful city. I didn’t even get to eat Volunyas, a traditional southern dish. It’s in season, so it’s incredibly delicious.”

You’ve become a local here.

“It’s not the time to relax, but I want to return to the ship quickly because I’m worried about leaving those two behind. I wonder what they’re up to.”

“That’s true. Dal and Noah-ssi don’t get along very well, do they? I wonder if our Dal is getting scolded for not being able to use attack skills.”

I doubt Noah-ssi would go that far… Although he did try to abandon him. Soon, a barrier appeared, and we passed through a large gate onto a rough road. In the meantime, the cookie effect wore off, and I sat next to Yoohyun. The moonlight shining down was particularly intense.

“Noah-ssi confirmed that the location for the 5th disc installation is Medes Square, but he said there’s no area matching the 1st disc in Drosia.”

The 1st disc installation area was written as Lake in the center of the Libenua Forest. However, the Libenua Forest didn’t exist in Drosia. The land in the cold northern region had frozen even more as spirits of water and ice gathered, turning the former forest areas into snowfields. So, the answer came back that it might be one of the lost forests outside the city, so they would search the records.

“They’re here,” Yoohyun said first, and Moon Hyuna followed, looking up at the sky. I could faintly feel the movement of mana as well.

After engraving the seal, I couldn’t adapt to the sudden change in sensation, so I wore an item that lowered my mana sensitivity. If I left it as it was, I would become mentally and physically exhausted. Now, I had roughly D-Class level mana sensitivity.

Wooo-oong, the air trembled, and a huge ship appeared in the sky. Wrapped in various auxiliary skills, it approached us at a speed close to teleportation. The backlash caused the wind to slap our cheeks fiercely, as if a storm had struck.

A portion of the ship’s underside opened, and an elevator large enough for three or four cars to board descended. As we went inside, Noah was there to greet us.

“We will head straight to Medes City. The SSS-Class monster is still following without any sudden movements. Most monsters antagonize humans and attack cities, but there has never been a case this persistent. It must be targeting that person.”

Usually, they don’t actively chase after a certain distance. In addition, the Akates Mana Hole has also calmed down. It seems the anomaly in the Mana Hole was also Sigma’s problem.

“And, SS-Class and lower individuals have joined, now forming a group of around 300.”

“A group?”

“Yes. They occasionally eat each other, reducing the numbers, but they continue to increase beyond that.”

“…S-Class is one thing, but how many SS-Class are there?”

“We’ve confirmed five so far.”

I was speechless for a moment at Noah’s answer.

The plan was simple. After installing the disc in Medes, we would lure the SSS-Class monster and head straight to Drosia. According to Sung Hyunjae, we would join up with Yerim, the strongest guard in this world, and deal with the monster. I wonder if it will be okay. What if more SSS-Class monsters pop out?

“Where’s Dal-ssi?”

Since Sigma was processed as dead, we decided to use a different title temporarily in front of the people of this world. The person himself didn’t seem to like it. Yoohyun and Noah also referred to him as that guy, that person, that bastard, etc., and only I and Hyuna-ssi called him Little Dal.

It suits him, doesn’t it?

“He’s sleeping. Because it’s night.”

Noah said with a smile. No, the guards in this neighborhood are mainly active at night. He must have forced him to sleep. It’s better than fighting. Yoohyun looked at Noah with an approving expression. I feel sorry for Sigma, but thanks to him, Yoohyun and Noah seemed to have gotten closer. It would be nice if all three of them got along well… but that’s too much to ask.

“It will take about a day to reach Medes City. Please rest well in the meantime.”

Noah-ssi is the one who needs to rest. He was constantly supplying mana to the guards in the ship, as well as using auxiliary skills. Noah laughed at my concern, saying he was fine. He said he had excellent self-recovery ability because he had SS-Class stats and healing skills.

His appearance, giving instructions to the guards while preparing to move, felt particularly mature and reliable. Riet should have seen this.

As I headed to the cabin, I released the mana suppression item. At the same time, a slight dizziness washed over me.

“Don’t overdo it, Hyung.”

“It’s okay if there aren’t people using skills around. Yoohyun, you’ve been sensitive to mana from the beginning, weren’t you? Wasn’t it hard?”

“I’ve been faintly feeling it since before Awakeners appeared. Mana wasn’t completely absent even before that. Even I, who could feel it, only got a little stronger physically. There wasn’t much of a difference.”

Yoohyun had been healthy since he was young. His physical education grades were also good.

“You competed for 1st and 2nd place in sports day, didn’t you? In the relay race, you caught up even though the distance was wide, but you narrowly lost.”

“I did that on purpose. It’s annoying if I do too well. I didn’t plan to go into sports.”

“Wasn’t it in the third year of middle school that you said you were going to medical school?”

“I thought it would be advantageous in many ways.”

“Being a doctor is a good job, but… wasn’t there anything you really wanted to do, Yoohyun?”

“If you’re asking about a job, no.”

My brother said, opening the cabin door.

“At that time, I simply wanted to make it easier for Hyung to live. Move to a better house and not do hard work. That’s all it was, is that weird?”

“No, not at all. That’s usually the case. It’s cool to do something great enough to be remembered in history, but most people just want to live comfortably: not worry about money, have a harmonious family, and have friends you can connect with. If you add health to that, what more could you ask for?”

Having big dreams is good, but living a smooth, happy life is also a good thing. It’s not easy either.

“Besides, we can only live peacefully by saving the world. It’s not a small dream. When you think about it, people who live for the world are also trying to create an environment where other people can live comfortably and happily. If every ordinary person becomes happy, that’s world peace. So, does that mean taking care of yourself is the cornerstone of world peace?”

I don’t know if it makes sense, but anyway, just. I want Yoohyun and all the people who like me to be happy. I don’t care about the people who hate me.

“Since there’s nothing much to do until we arrive in Medes City, will you help me adapt to my mana sensitivity?”

“Of course, I can help, but my skills are dangerous to use on Hyung. It would be better to experience it with your body, so wouldn’t it be better to ask Noah Hunter? With healing or support skills.”

“Experiencing skills is good, but using them directly is the fastest way. Among them, resistance skills are the best for mana control. I’m going to practice with fear resistance.”

Poison or curses are too dangerous, and it’s perfect since it’s dropped to S-Class.

“Okay, threaten me.”

I sat on the chair and looked up at Yoohyun. After hesitating for a moment, Yoohyun took out his sword. The sharp tip of the blade was aimed at my neck. Almost touching my Adam’s apple, a cool sensation grazed my skin.

“…Is it because we’re acting? I don’t feel anything.”

– Even an A-Class Awakener would have been scared and run away!

Irin chimed in. But I really don’t know. I’ve never been good at feeling intimidated by Yoohyun, but now I feel even less.

“Then how about this?”

My brother spun the sword in the opposite direction. As I watched the metallic trajectory draw a semicircle, I jumped up from my seat.

“Han Yoohyun!”

The blade thinly cut my neck. It only slightly injured the skin, with just a few drops of blood, but my temperature soared. Fear resistance activated, and the movement of mana, which I hadn’t properly felt before, spread throughout my body. Since it was an S-Class skill that was much higher than my stats, I felt a tickling sensation all over my body, like goosebumps. I felt drained, but I suppressed it and approached Yoohyun.

“Hey! Even if it’s not real, you can’t hurt your own body! It’s not real, but still!”

As I slapped my brother’s back, Irin chirped, Hyung’s hit hurts more! My current stats are C-Class, so I guess I can feel it.

“I know this much injury is nothing to you, but still, you can’t do that!”

“Okay.”

“Don’t smile!”

“Okay.”

I feel bad asking Noah-ssi directly when he’s busy, so I should just ask for a free support guard, even if their skill level is a bit low.

Sigma, who woke up in the morning, didn’t attack Noah. Instead, he stood in front of him and boldly demanded that he put me down and fulfill his duty as a protector.

“Complain to M്യൂ [presumably a higher authority or system], C-Class. Aren’t you my protector?”

Hiding behind me, pretending to hide even though he couldn’t, Yoohyun and Noah’s expressions twisted, and Moon Hyuna was about to die of laughter.

“Our Dal-nim, good job! Do more! Sung Hyunjae’s face is even more fun! When can the Seseong Guild Leader come here?”

“I’m even overlooking your failure to fulfill the contract, but are you ignoring me?”

“No, hey. You started it first.”

“…Yujin-ssi, if you entrust him to me, I will quietly put him to sleep until the work is done.”

“That’s right, Hyung. Just hand him over to Noah Hunter.”

“Now you’re even trying to starve me all day. I won’t just stand by, C-Class.”

Our Dal-nim has become even more flexible. At this rate, he’ll become similar to Sung Hyunjae in just 30 or 40 years, not 100 years. But I still have to feed him.

Amidst the small bickering, the ship approached Medes City. In the meantime, the number of monster groups exceeded 300.