The S-Classes That I Raised [EN]: Chapter 278

276. Luga, Your Majesty

Even though the jellyfish’s stats were slightly lower than mine, it surprisingly didn’t budge. Did it have a ridiculously good weapon? Of course, it probably had something that easily surpassed SS-grade.

– Oop-cha!

Just then, the Changeling threw the bomb I had prepared in advance at the King of Innocence. The jellyfish, unable to escape because it was locked in a power struggle, frowned deeply. With a *poong* sound, the King of Innocence was pushed back.

“Flame resistance is really good. It’s barely affected by the bombs. Especially the heat-emitting kind.”

I took out another bomb and threw it, using Instantaneous Movement. The power of the bomb I threw this time wasn’t that strong. But as it burst with heat and light, the King of Innocence couldn’t predict my approach path.

In an instant, I approached the jellyfish’s side and swung my sword. White clothes tore, and blue bodily fluids splattered. But for a surprise attack, the wound was shallow. Maybe it was thanks to living for so long, but it skillfully deflected attacks that were hard to avoid, only suffering minor injuries.

Of course, there was no reason for me to praise it for that. On the contrary.

“Getting pushed around by a 30-year-old F-grade. You completely wasted your age!”

It’s a waste of the Transcender title. Let’s ask how old it is. The King of Innocence gritted its teeth and retreated sideways as if sliding. A thick fog blocked my path. But that was only for a moment, as it was pushed back by a lightly swung flame.

“I was wondering why you were so late.”

Sung Hyunjae smiled at me. What, what is this? How, when.

“Why are you here! Right now, you’re just getting in the way—”

*Thwack*. While I was distracted by Sung Hyunjae, a scale sword came at me, trying to slash my arm. Following the warning of Battle Prediction, I quickly turned my body, but my clothes were slightly cut. Sung Hyunjae had already disappeared. It was a fake. That invertebrate jellyfish bastard.

“Uncle!”

I heard another welcome voice. Even knowing it was fake, I couldn’t help but reflexively turn my gaze. I need to burn this damn fog all up.

I spread the flames even wider and struck down lightning. *Kwa-rumble, kwang!* With a loud noise, the fog scattered as if pushed away. Since fog is a collection of tiny water droplets, I wondered if electrolysis was possible, but it wasn’t possible with my abilities yet. The jellyfish bastard’s magic power was also mixed in, making it even more difficult to deal with.

Still, fog is fog.

*Shuaaaaaa—*

I used Yerim’s skill, Cold Sigh, pouring in a lot of mana. Yerim’s fog mixed with the King of Innocence’s fog, instantly lowering the temperature and freezing it. *Thud, thud, thud*, tiny ice fragments formed from the solidified fog fell to the floor like rain.

Mana consumption was considerable, but there was no need to take out a potion. I felt the reduced mana being replenished in an instant. It must be thanks to the Mana Spring of Grace.

“Isn’t it pretty? It’s like we’re at a party venue.”

I smiled, looking at the King of Innocence, who had surrounded itself with the little remaining fog like a shield. The scattered ice particles sparkled beautifully. Each step I took made a *crackle* sound.

The jellyfish, which had been emitting subtle colors, was now completely dull. It was wriggling with a pale blue color.

“Why are you so quiet? You know a lot, right? There’s still time, so talk. You should try to live a little longer.”

Who knows, maybe it’s because your soul looks so pure that I came to give you good advice~ and if you spill out useful information, maybe I’ll be tempted to follow you even now. Until my face became known, I used to get picked up quite a bit on the street. But when things got really tough, even they didn’t pick me up.

“Don’t you have any decent attack skills? Just showing illusions.”

“It can’t use them, you idiot.”

The King of Innocence said grumpily.

“Wielding power that’s disproportionately strong compared to the body is no different from suicide. Think of putting lake water in a portable leather bag. *Poong*, it’ll burst. You could weaken the skills to use them, but they need at least a well to show their proper effect.”

It kindly explained, then raised the corners of its mouth.

“It’s the same for you. How long do you think that body will last?”

“What?”

“How many S-grade or higher skills do you have? There’s probably even L-grades. Tell me, you’re going to kill me anyway. Let’s at least satisfy my curiosity.”

I glared at the jellyfish bastard before opening my mouth. Since it can’t escape anyway, it’s better to find out everything I can. Anything.

“Two L-grade titles. Five L-grade skills based on the titles.”

The King of Innocence’s face brightened. Its cloudy eyes were dyed black and filled with light.

“I want it! I want to analyze it! Every single detail from the top of your head to the tip of your toes, inside and out!”

“…For someone about to die, your curiosity is amazing.”

“To live long, there are usually three things. Being mindless like a rock or a tree, having a goal to devote your whole life to like the Filial Unpiety [a concept emphasizing extreme devotion] bastards, and the last is.”

The little remaining fog trembled. A staff with dozens of strands of dark red metallic strings dangling from it was erected in front of the jellyfish bastard. Something’s not right. In a situation where I don’t know the opponent’s skills or weapon, it’s best to avoid it if I feel a sense of crisis.

I used Instantaneous Movement almost immediately.

“Kuh!”

“Curiosity! Interest! The desire to uncover everything in the world!”

The dark red string that stretched across space pierced my leg. I tried to burn the string with Blood Flames, but it didn’t budge. I was using Grace at SSS-grade, so is it about an L-grade weapon?

– Dad!

The Changeling was startled and grabbed the string with its front paws. But it only flapped its wings and didn’t help much. My skills, as well as the jellyfish bastard’s attacks, didn’t affect it at all, so it seemed like it couldn’t properly use direct physical force itself. Is it related to being a Phantasmal Creature?

There were still dozens more strings left. I gritted my teeth and forcibly used the Instantaneous Movement skill. Flesh was torn away, and my blood scattered as the second string slammed into the spot where I had been.

While healing the wound, I used Instantaneous Movement again, simultaneously spraying electricity and Lamentation. Because of the staff’s effect, Battle Prediction wasn’t working well either. I had a feeling that an attack was coming, but I couldn’t pinpoint the direction.

*Whoosh!* Cutting through the air, the string lunged at me again, trying to bind me. Even if I used Grace at Mythic-grade, I couldn’t prevent my body from being tied up. I’m worried about mana if I raise the protection grade higher than now. Even if it’s the Mana Spring, it’s still young, so it can’t be infinite.

I narrowly avoided the string, relying on the sensation transmitted from the electricity and Lamentation spread around me. Magic Detection is faster than my eyes. Fortunately, it seemed like it couldn’t directly move the string into my body.

‘It must be because of magic resistance.’

The same goes for Space Movement and other skills. For example, even if Yerim tried to directly freeze the moisture inside the enemy’s body, it wouldn’t work at all if they were around B-grade. Moving one’s magic power in a space heavily dominated by another’s magic power was difficult even with a considerable grade difference. For C-grade or below, it’s better to just make a whole ice block without having to do such difficult control.

“Let’s just analyze it once, okay? It’s my last wish.”

The jellyfish said, manipulating the staff’s strings. The bastard wasn’t unscathed either. It seemed like it was using power that exceeded its lowered stats, and its body was melting away. One arm had already fallen to the floor like mud and disappeared.

It’ll die on its own if I just hold out.

“Why would I grant your wish just because you’re pretty! Ugh, if you really want it, then die first. It’s only polite to grant the wishes of the dead!”

The fiercely flying string narrowly grazed my ankle. I transformed Grace into a rod and wrapped it around the string. The dark red metal string was wrapped around the translucent rod made of crystal. The jellyfish bastard’s weapon couldn’t break Grace either.

“You only use Space Movement when attacking?”

Recovery was done normally. In other words, it’s an option that only applies when attacking. As I tried to pull the string to snatch the staff itself, several strings rushed in at once.

“That’s savage.”

I quickly changed Grace into a thin chain, pulled it away from the string, and then transformed it into a wide shield. I pretended to block with the shield, then used Instantaneous Movement to the outside of the shield.

*Whack! Kwakwak!*

The strings that had used Space Movement to the spot where I had been poured down savagely. You know I’m going to use Space Movement, so why would I try to block it with a shield so obviously?

The King of Innocence staggered greatly, probably because it was handling several strings at once. Its right arm, shoulder, and the waist connected to it had disappeared. The lower body, hidden by the fog, didn’t seem to be safe either.

*Thung*, I knocked away the clearly weakened string with Grace, which had transformed back into a rod. It was desperately putting up a last struggle, but the end was slowly coming into sight.

“It’s been a long time since I risked my life. You don’t know how to accept someone else’s sincerity.”

“Risking your life only works in fiction. In reality, 80% of the time you just die. And 80% is being generous.”

The swaying metal strings all drooped powerlessly to the floor. The staff became blurry and soon disappeared. I felt a sense of regret, but seeing the dying King of Innocence, I didn’t think it was worth it. It would have been a great weapon if it had its original stats. How could you withstand it if it moved dozens of strings in all directions?

I slowly moved my steps. I looked at the King of Innocence, who was still standing but whose very presence was fading.

“I want to dissect you like Diarma, but do you have any intention of accepting a mental skill?”

It tried to walk, but it didn’t work. The King of Innocence chuckled.

“Your name. Tell me your name.”

“You already know it. It’s Han Yoojin.”

“Luga, Your Majesty. The king of a very old race.”

Luga, Your Majesty, continued to speak as if singing.

“When the fog spread, people all hid in their homes. Close the windows, close the doors, and smear mud in the cracks. A lazy bum overslept and missed the time. When the fog cleared and the parents came home, he shouted, ‘Thief!’ and stabbed them with a spear.”

Old story, old story. The hand that only had one side left, the tentacles, gestured to me.

“Come closer. Let me touch you just a little. I’ll tell you a story in return.”

Is it really safe? It couldn’t still have some power left, right? I glanced at the Changeling, who had returned to sit on my shoulder, and approached the King of Innocence, Luga, Your Majesty. Luga, Your Majesty, stretched out an arm, a slender tentacle, and patted my shoulder.

“I didn’t expect to die like this, but it’s not as bad as I thought. Still, it’s a shame. Han Yoojin. I still want to have you.”

The tentacle stretched out and caressed the back of my neck. I reflexively frowned.

“Hey, that feels gross.”

“Just bear with it a little. Thanks to the mana imprint, I think I can examine you without doing anything special. You’re curious about your condition too, right?”

“Are you sure you’re not going to do anything weird?”

“Write a contract or something. I don’t have more than ten minutes left.”

Luga, Your Majesty, moved the tentacle to my back, half-embracing me. The movement of it crawling down was creepy.

“Still, auxiliary skills are less of a burden on the body. It’s possible to have high skills with low stats. But it’s not like there’s no effect at all.”

It was a calm voice that was hard to believe came from a dying person.

“You have mental skills too. Fear Resistance. L-grade?”

“Yeah.”

“An L-grade mental resistance skill for an F-grade stat. It’s highly likely that the Filial Unpiety [a concept emphasizing extreme devotion] bastards deliberately put it in. You got it as a reward? Rewards can be adjusted within a reasonable range. Having Fear Resistance makes you easier to handle. If you don’t have fear, your caution naturally fades.”

And what else is there, Luga, Your Majesty, said as if whispering.

“The Caregiver is also L-grade? You must have raised this dragon. I see, I see. With Diarma’s skill, wow. Amazing.”

“Yeah. That’s right.”

“I really have to be careful. Crescent Moon would be very happy to know about you. They’ll try to use you as a foundation to raise Transcenders. Of course, me too. It’s a shame, so regrettable.”

Come to think of it, the King of Innocence said it knew Crescent Moon.

“What kind of guy is Crescent Moon anyway? You used to work together.”

“Ah, that’s right. I was originally close to neutral. Crescent Moon is, well, trying to save the world. Or rather, they want to eliminate the Source. I thought it was more interesting to have the Source. It’s a waste to have it disappear before I even properly figure out its identity.”

As expected, this guy didn’t fit the title of Filial Piety Addict. It’s just siding with the Source because it’s fun.

“It seems like they’re constantly raising Transcenders to prevent the Source from swallowing the world, while also looking for someone who can eliminate the Source. They seemed to have high expectations for Little Moon.”

“For Little Moon?”

“Yeah. At first, they tried to make them a Transcender right away, but Little Moon refused. They must have cherished them a lot because they didn’t abandon them and moved them to another world, but they refused again. Still, they didn’t give up and even hid them well in case another Transcender touched them.”

So it doesn’t know what happened after that, Luga, Your Majesty, let out a small breath and collapsed. I reflexively grabbed and supported it. The lower body had completely disappeared, and the fog that had been supporting the body also scattered.

“You said you’d last longer than me, but you won’t last long either. The lifespan of humans in this world is about a hundred years, right? You won’t even last half of that. Maybe even faster. Your skills will inevitably eat away at you. You need to have S-grade stats to be okay.”

“That’s too high of a goal.”

“Haven’t you ever felt unwell? Have you? Your eyes don’t see well, or your arms or legs are paralyzed, or you can’t hear, feel, or speak.”

“Oh, my eyes were for a moment.”

“See? You already had problems. You’re skinny for a human in your world, right?”

“Not that much…….”

“And your speed.”

A tentacle poked my chest.

“I paralyzed you with Fear Resistance. If it weren’t for that, I could have taken you.”

It’s a shame, it’s a shame. Luga, Your Majesty, lamented several times. The King of Innocence’s body became blurry as if it really didn’t have much time left. It felt like it would disappear from my hands at any moment.

“Is the system, are the Filial Unpiety [a concept emphasizing extreme devotion] bastards really trying to save my world?”

“The system, Chatterbox knows well. Say hello if you meet them. The Filial Unpiety [a concept emphasizing extreme devotion] bastards, um. Try to seduce the newbie well. They’re still wet behind the ears.”

“Chatterbox is the one who was helping you—”

“It was nice meeting you. It would be better if I could watch what happens to you. I saw something really amazing for the last time, so it’s not too bad.”

Then goodbye. With a short greeting, Luga, Your Majesty’s remaining body flowed down like water. Clear water droplets dripped between my fingers. A magic stone was visible in the middle of the small puddle on the floor. It was small in size and looked like SS-grade, probably because it died in a state of lowered stats. The iridescent colors were faintly swirling, though.

I stared blankly at it, unable to pick it up right away, and stepped back. The Changeling’s skill was still in effect, but I felt all the strength drain from my body.

Without resisting, I plopped down.

– Dad, here.

The small silver front paw held out a small bead. It was Yoohyun’s memory, which I had entrusted to the Changeling because it wouldn’t fit in my inventory. As I accepted it, what I had been holding back welled up.

I bit my lower lip tightly. It’s okay. I can go back now. It’s okay.