The S-Classes That I Raised [EN]: Chapter 29

29. Goblin (1)

After showering, changing, and having brunch, my head had mostly cooled down. Though, I still felt a stronger thumping in my chest than usual.

I thought my hangover was gone, but wasn’t it? It felt like my mental state had been chipped away.

‘Considering I learned about an unexpected skill effect from yesterday’s events, it’s understandable, I guess.’

Still, it feels a bit strange.

Let’s start by organizing my thoughts.

1. Never, under any circumstances, should I tell anyone about the keyword effect.

There aren’t many people in this world you can trust with your life. Unless I could read minds, how could I possibly grasp their true intentions?

Unless they had a track record of risking their lives to save me like Yoohyun, I couldn’t just trust them blindly.

My stats are F-grade.

I must always remember this and be careful. If I act cocky just because I have an L-grade skill, an S-grade could flick me and I’d be crossing the River Styx [the river separating the world of the living from the underworld in Greek mythology].

2. I must exercise extreme caution when using keywords.

Right now, it’s just four people, but if I keep using the same keywords, someone might notice. Above all, using them in crowded places like yesterday is absolutely forbidden.

If the keyword were discovered and it only made applying growth skills impossible, I could still manage, but if the mental brainwashing effect were exposed, there would be chaos.

So, if I have to use keywords, it should be in a one-on-one situation, and I should mix in several other words to be somewhat safe.

3. Focus on monsters rather than people, and acquire S-grade level magic beasts as quickly as possible to protect me.

Even five years later, there had never been a monster that could communicate with humans. So, Peace and the monsters I would receive later were safe from the worry of the skill effect disappearing.

Just having two such S-grade monsters by my side would be enough to reassure me about my safety.

4. Finally, don’t underestimate the damn system. I should be careful, always careful, because I don’t know what other traps are hidden.

‘If my stats were S-grade, I wouldn’t be so worried.’

It’s too much. Ah, I’m about to get mentally weak again. Why am I like this today? It felt like I had thrown off the armor I was wearing.

…Is it because I overworked my liver too much?

‘Let’s go get some education.’

I’ll be fine after resting for a day or two. As expected, excessive drinking is bad for the body.

* * *

“Uncle!”

As I went outside, Yerim, who was waiting for me, greeted me happily. Whether she had a professional coordinator or not, her outfit today was refreshing and cute.

“I heard you were really drunk. Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

“That’s good. Don’t drink too much. It’s bad for your health.”

I was feeling how bad it was in real-time. See, my heart is beating again.

I need to ask before Yoohyun comes out.

“Yerim, by any chance…….”

I wondered what to do, but since there was no one listening, I asked directly.

“Does anyone come to mind when you see me?”

“Co-comes to mind?”

Yerim rolled her eyes in embarrassment. Bingo. There is someone.

“W-well……. I didn’t want to show it, but…….”

“It’s okay. Tell me.”

As long as it’s not Mom.

“When I was little… when I lived in a house, there was a neighbor who took care of me.”

Uncle! Hooray! Thank you, nameless neighbor of Yerim’s house.

“He was younger than Uncle, but I was younger then too. Mom said he was a student from next door, but he looked like a grown-up to me, so I just called him Uncle. He doesn’t look like Uncle, but he was sickly. Even I, as a child, was worried about him.”

Yerim’s gaze was directed at me, but it seemed to be reaching into the distant past. She recalled old memories and continued.

“My family was well-off, but the house next door was bigger and better. The yard was pretty too. There was a white swing chair, and a big dog. Uncle was too weak to go outside. Instead, he played with me every day.”

“You must have liked him a lot.”

Yerim nodded her head vigorously.

“Yes. I really liked him a lot. Back then, I spent more time with Uncle than with Mom or Dad. Dad was busy, and Mom went to church volunteer activities with the neighbor’s wife because I played well with Uncle.”

So that uncle… student became the most influential caregiver. It might have been different if Yerim’s parents had continued to live, but they passed away early.

Or perhaps, because of the difficult reality that suddenly struck after her parents passed away, she relied more on the peaceful times of her childhood. Because it was a painful age to cling to while recalling her parents’ memories.

“And I thought that when I grew up, I would become stronger than Uncle and protect him…….”

Her words trailed off. I could guess the rest without hearing it. They must have broken up. If it was a move, it would be fortunate, and since he was sickly, his condition might have worsened.

Yerim, who took a deep breath, looked up at me with anxious eyes.

“You’re upset, aren’t you? That I thought of someone else when I saw Uncle……. People usually don’t like that.”

“No, it’s okay. It’s not like he was a criminal, and you said he was a good person. I’m happy that you think of me that way.”

Of course, many people would be upset, but it was my own fault. A good, rich male student, even if he was sickly, was something to be grateful for.

Yerim smiled brightly with relief at my words.

“Really? Uncle is a really good person too. I thought you would be kind from the first time I saw you!”

…After shouting that I don’t do sugar dating.

“Do you remember when you first thought of that uncle when you saw me?”

“Yes. At the meat restaurant, after Uncle was talking nonsense. I think that easygoing appearance was similar.”

If it was after talking nonsense, it was right after I said the keyword, ‘I love you’.

As expected, the effect of keyword enthrallment is certain.

“I will definitely protect Uncle!”

“Yeah, thanks.”

Yerim clung to me as usual, but unlike usual, one side of my chest turned cold. Thinking that this was all because of the skill, I felt uncomfortable and even a little scared.

…If I’m careful, there won’t be any problems, so why am I worrying so much? Is it really because of my liver? Did it go bad overnight? Or is there another reason—

Bang.

“Did you wait long?”

Yoohyun opened the door and came out.

“No, not really. Let’s go. We’ll be late.”

Today is a theory class, so I should listen appropriately and come back early to rest.

* * *

The rookie Hunter theory education room was smaller than I thought. Unlike the association facilities that could accommodate about a hundred people, there were only five desks and chairs. Well, it would be surprising if more than five rookies entered Haeyeon at once, considering the strict grading of abilities. Even now, Yerim is the only real rookie.

‘The chair is comfortable.’

It must be expensive.

As we sat down, the person in charge of the theory education appeared. The person who opened the door and came in was a woman in her early twenties wearing light sandals and a tropical long dress.

She looks like she’s about to go on vacation, but is she really the education manager? The face with round glasses looked familiar.

“Hello.”

The woman standing in front of the podium put down the materials she had brought and said.

“I’m Seok Hayan. I’m in charge of your theory education today.”

Seok Hayan! I remembered when I heard the name. A leading authority in dungeon studies, Dr. White.

Originally, she majored in statistics and was doing research on dungeons and Awakened in Korea, but she went to the United States and played a major role in uncovering the laws of dungeon generation.

She looks so much younger than she did on TV that I didn’t recognize her right away. I remember her being older than me, but her makeup and clothes are so different that she looks completely young.

Why is such a great person here? It’s still the time when she’s in Korea, but she’s not at the level to educate rookies.

“First, I’ll teach you about the basic knowledge of dungeons.”

Seok Hayan put the handouts on each of our desks. Then she stopped right in front of my desk. Her round eyes behind her round glasses stared straight down at me.

What is it?

“…Do you have something to say?”

“You’re Hanyujin, right?”

She said as if she had been waiting.

“Yes, I am.”

“I’ve heard a lot from my uncle, or rather, the Haeyeon HR team leader.”

…HR team leader? Uncle? Come to think of it, they have the same last name. No, before that, what did you hear a lot about? Seok Simyeong, that old man, promised to keep it as secure as the guild leader’s personal information, but he couldn’t stand it and blabbed? Even though it hasn’t been verified yet because it’s before the dungeon attack?

He’s not the type to do that.

“I don’t know what you’ve heard, but Team Leader Seok is overestimating me.”

“You’re being modest. He’s not the type to overestimate. He’s so picky.”

Seok Hayan smiled brightly. That old man is picky. Still, what he said about me was an exaggerated delusion.

“I’m not being modest. More than that, can you tell me what he said about me?”

“I heard that you are surprisingly knowledgeable about Awakened and dungeons.”

He didn’t say that I could know the types of dungeons in advance. I was relieved that he didn’t misjudge me. I regained my composure and replied with a smile.

“That’s too much praise, isn’t it? If you came all the way here just because of what Team Leader Seok said, I’ll feel sorry.”

“I came to Haeyeon today to meet the Goblin. Of course, I’m in charge of education because of Hanyujin.”

“You don’t mean a real goblin, do you? A Hunter?”

“Yes. A Hunter famous for special skills.”

If it’s the Goblin, I know him well too. No, I can’t say I know him well.

This unique Hunter, who wears a goblin mask and dresses like he’s about to appear in a traditional Korean play, has not revealed his name, age, or gender even five years later.

The reason he, or she, who is not even registered with the association, is famous is because of his special skills.

Mid-range space movement and stealth.

Unlike teleportation, which cannot cross blocked areas, space movement can go anywhere. With stealth added to that, he truly possessed the elusiveness befitting a goblin.

‘His social skills were good too.’

Being able to sneak in anywhere was a very threatening ability. If he revealed it carelessly, he could easily become the target of everyone’s attacks.

But the Goblin boldly revealed his abilities to the world.

‘My bag contains all sorts of secrets, but as long as I am safe, they will never be revealed.’

With that declaration.

In the first place, he is a Hunter who is extremely difficult to catch because of his skill characteristics. But now, instead of attacking, I have to protect him. There was no one in the world who didn’t have secrets, especially organizations.

Thanks to this, the Goblin was free to work without belonging anywhere. He hardly ever attacked dungeons, but instead mainly worked as a errand runner, delivering important items or letters.

Because he could find out all the secrets, he was a more reassuring opponent than anyone else.

‘And a few years later, it was revealed that he could create ultra-long-distance moving portals.’

There was a buzz that he should be a Goblin King or a god, not just a goblin. Because it was such a useful ability, there were a lot of love calls, but the Goblin only used it for rescue purposes.

He saved countless people in dungeon breaks as well as various natural disasters, and his fame and support soared.

Even though his personality is a bit strange, he was a kind and great person.

“I didn’t know he was at Haeyeon. I’d like to meet him too.”

“There’s no reason why you can’t. If you have a conversation with me until the appointment time.”

“Aren’t you going to teach, manager?”

“You talk just like a professor.”

Seok Hayan slightly glared and went up to the podium.

The content of her lecture that followed was quite excellent. She understood dungeons and Awakened very well, and her explanations were easy to understand and pleasant to listen to. She was also skilled in using audiovisual materials.

Even though it was a story I already knew, I unconsciously concentrated on it. Still, there were a few things she didn’t know. No matter how hard she studied, 3 years of data is not as good as 8 years.

“This concludes the rookie Hunter theory education. Thank you, Professor, for listening to the insufficient content.”

…Why professor again. To someone who hasn’t even stepped through the gates of a university.

“It wasn’t insufficient at all. Your lecture was very skillful. It was easy to hear and easy to understand.”

Since she called me professor, I gave her an evaluation. Then Seok Hayan glared at me again.

“Thank you for the compliment, but you were making faces like, ‘That’s not right’ from time to time. You have the same look in your eyes as my major professor, so I felt like I was back in college.”

Did I do that?

“The first time was when you were explaining about Awakening. Awakening mainly occurs when you feel a threat to your life, and the initial skill is an action to protect yourself. This part.”

She’s quick-witted and has a good memory. Well, she has the title of genius.

I smiled awkwardly.

“It’s not entirely wrong. It’s mostly right. However, initial Awakening skills are usually…….”

“Usually?”

Seok Hayan widened her eyes. Her expression urged me to continue. Can I just spill it out like this? It’s not very important information, but.

“I think it’s divided into aptitude and environment. There are many skills that can’t be used in battle right away, rather than to protect oneself.”

“But most of them are combat and combat support, aren’t they?”

“Most, but not all. And it was an Awakening environment that should have been most [influential]. If you check, the percentage of Awakened with skills unrelated to combat has increased recently.”

Of course, the situation of, ‘Oh, I think I’m going to die!’ is the easiest way to Awaken, so combat skills will still account for the majority. Still, now that dungeons hardly ever explode, the rate of Awakening in everyday life will naturally increase.

Not long ago, there were people with sea fishing skills and earthworm calling skills at the Hunter Association.

Seok Hayan closed her mouth for a moment, narrowed her brows, and nodded.

“Okay, let’s check. And the second time you chuckled was…….”

“Wait a minute. Are you going to check everything one by one?”

“I don’t have time, but I can make it, and Hanyujin has a lot of time left.”

“The time I have left is not to be used for Seok Hayan.”

Seok Hayan made a what-should-I-do expression.

“…Well, is there anything you want? Should I pay for research?”

“I just want to rest.”

“I’ll book a 5-star hotel room for you. A suite with a good view.”

Why is the hotel coming out? My room has a good view and is comfortable.

‘What should I do.’

It wouldn’t be bad to build a friendship. She’s going to America later, but……. Wait a minute, if I give her a hint, can she figure out the laws of dungeon generation in Korea? Hmm… there aren’t enough dungeons for that.

The number of dungeons was proportional to the population and land area. That’s why Seok Hayan had no choice but to go abroad to continue her research on the laws of dungeon generation, which required a lot of data. There were hardly any places that allowed foreigners to investigate dungeons.

The royalties were no joke, what a waste. Is there any way to get her to do research in Korea?

“Since I want to meet the Goblin, I’ll hang out with you for a while. But I can’t answer everything.”

“Really? Thank you!”

Seok Hayan clapped her hands with a bright expression. Is it that good?