The S-Classes That I Raised [EN]: Chapter 309

307. It Was Your House (4)

It was a pair of golden eyes, possessing both profound depth and a clear, radiant light, directed straight at me. The moment our eyes met, a shiver ran down my spine, and a small laugh escaped my lips.

It was a hostile gaze unlike any I had seen before, electrifying in its intensity. The fact that my existence was now so threatening that he was openly displaying murderous intent was… something.

Perhaps no one had ever received such a look from Sung Hyunjae. He, the strongest, always composed even during the Ranking Battles, almost to the point of seeming bored. He himself probably never imagined he would show such genuine animosity towards an F-stat, who was neither an S-Rank nor a born S-Rank.

I guess life is full of surprises.

“Shall I get you a potion, Chief Song?”

“No, thank you.”

Song Taewon said, pulling his shoulder and arm out of the wall. Stone fragments rained down. Despite the presence of two S-Rank Hunters, Sung Hyunjae was still only looking at me, exuding an aura of intimidation but not rushing to attack first. Perhaps he had regained some reason after exchanging blows with Song Taewon.

“…Get out of here.”

“You’re saying that again. I understand you’re not happy with the situation, but please bear with it a little longer.”

I could see the corners of his mouth twitching slightly beneath his hardened expression. He was clenching his teeth tightly. He’ll need to go to the dentist with me at this rate.

“Yoohyun, I can use the power of the S-Rank Hunters around me for a very short time. So just create an opening for me.”

Creating that opening wouldn’t be easy, though. Without needing a detailed explanation, Yoohyun nodded immediately.

“What about the door?”

“Not here.”

I used the Teacher Skill [a skill that enhances the abilities of those being taught] on Yoohyun as well. I could see the front window, still holding up without breaking. There was no point in letting Sung Hyunjae get outside. I felt sorry for the Seseong Guild building, but an enclosed space was better. So, I needed to draw him in further.

“Chief Song, towards the center of the house! Clear a path for me!”

I shouted and used my skill. Electricity crackled around me. Holding up the dagger that Changeling had transformed into, I blatantly used the same skill. He would be even more provoked if the person threatening his uniqueness used the same skill.

“Han… Yoojin.”

The golden eyes clouded over for a moment, accompanied by a stifled groan. I turned around immediately.

Kwaang!

Song Taewon’s fist struck the wall, creating a passage. The wall beyond the hallway also shattered. It was faster than opening a door. As soon as I confirmed the path was clear, I used the Instantaneous Movement skill [a skill that allows the user to teleport short distances].

Kwarurung-!

An explosion and electric shock swept through the spot where I had been. The attack, which swept through the hallway, was blocked by a black sword wreathed in flames. Kagagak, chains and blades collided, and golden and crimson hazes mixed. But the clash was brief; Yoohyun retreated first. Understanding my intention to draw Sung Hyunjae further inside, he only offered moderate resistance and followed me.

Bang!

Another path opened. This house is disgustingly large! I stepped over the bed covered in concrete fragments. I felt guilty jumping on the bed with my boots on. After passing straight through one room and breaking through the wall again in a straight line, a wide-open space finally appeared. Song Taewon jumped down, and Yoohyun, using the Acceleration skill of the Ye-jang suit [a specialized suit that enhances the wearer’s speed], quickly approached and snatched me up.

Willow leaves scattered, and the moment Yoohyun leaped up.

Kwaga Gaga-!!

The wall, which had only had a person-sized hole, burst open entirely. Fragments of the wall swirled like fallen leaves, and cracks spread across the walls of the 1st and 3rd floors, as well as around the 2nd floor. The moment I saw a figure flickering through the rising dust cloud.

Bang!

I lightly fired a shot. But there was no way it would work. The chains moved gratingly, blocking the magic bullet, and the black-red coat, Silrakia’s Wings [a powerful artifact that grants flight and protection], which he had somehow taken out, fluttered in the aftermath. Standing at the end of the wide-open wall, Sung Hyunjae looked up at me.

Still not losing his grip on reason. It would be easier if he just went crazy and attacked. In the giant tank that had been refilled with water, the fish were swimming leisurely, oblivious to everything.

“Wouldn’t you like to entrust yourself to instinct for just a moment?”

“…To me, such, a thing.”

It was hard to understand the low, muffled voice. Sung Hyunjae slowly closed and opened his eyes once. He looked strained. It would be okay if he just relaxed for a moment without needing to be so stubborn. But he had endured until now because he was a human who could never let go of himself.

I felt frustrated, sorry, and impressed at the same time.

“I know you hate it to death. But it’s better than dying. Even if dying is better, it can’t be in front of me.”

That amount of water is plenty. As long as Sung Hyunjae doesn’t use it to his advantage. Since I’m still clumsy with electrolysis [the process of using electricity to decompose water], if I reduce his skill stats, he won’t be able to use it properly.

“If possible, get older and just live moderately. Not like this. If you die, I’ll prepare the memorial service for you. I’ll cut off the crusts of the bread and bake it, and I’ll leave the shrimp tails and fry them. Is there anything else you want to eat?”

“Why would Hyung [older brother or close male friend] prepare Sung Hyunjae’s memorial service?”

“Yoohyun, originally, wealth comes with the memorial service.”

“I have a lot of money too.”

“Hey, your memorial service… never mind.”

How could I close my eyes and leave him behind? I have to live a long life.

“Let’s catch him here.”

The moment I finished speaking, Yoohyun used his skill. The last melted door. Magic filled with heat spread out. Stepping into this place is a stupid thing to do. Of course, Sung Hyunjae wouldn’t do such a thing normally.

“Chief Song!”

The moment the ‘S’ sound of my shout came out, Song Taewon moved as if he had been waiting. There was no need for a detailed explanation. He sensed my intention through experience and put strength into his whole body, taking a step forward. His foot pressed down on the floor, cracking it and even denting it. With a perfect posture without the slightest wobble, his arm stretched out. Song Taewon’s fist reached the wall on the first floor.

Kugugugung!

The wall crumbled like a biscuit. As if a bomb had exploded, the surrounding walls completely collapsed. Not only the exterior but also the interior materials and the solid framework couldn’t withstand the impact and crumbled down. The entire building shook, and tiles fell from the ceiling with a thud.

Since the wall and ceiling on the first floor directly below collapsed, Sung Hyunjae had no choice but to come down as well. As he stepped down to the first floor, stepping on the falling concrete chunks, Yoohyun’s wide-area skill covered him. Attribute skill of the designated target decreased by 20%.

At the same time, flames poured down.

Kwarururu-

The dark blue flames swirled around the round hall like a giant dragon. The walls and floor melted, emitting a terrifying heat. It wasn’t for attack. To trap Sung Hyunjae inside, a wall of fire was erected, enveloping the area of the wide-area skill.

Inside, Song Taewon lunged at Sung Hyunjae. The spreading electric shock was somewhat subdued. Song Taewon accepted the electric shock with his body and threw his sword through the swaying chains.

Kadedeuk, at the moment the chains and sword intertwined, another sword fell like a whip, as if to split Sung Hyunjae’s head. The Ruler’s Sword grazed the floor, avoiding Sung Hyunjae, who twisted his body to dodge, and Song Taewon slid across the floor, lowering his body and kicking under the spread chains.

It was a series of difficult-to-avoid attacks. But Sung Hyunjae avoided the kick aimed at his ankle by falling backward. At the same time as his body collapsed, the flexible sword fiercely grazed his hair. Sung Hyunjae, quickly throwing a dagger after touching the floor with his hand. The wire that was flying to bind him collided with the dagger.

Pajijik!

It burned with a powerful electric current. The chains and black sword entwined, wrapping around the owner, and Yoohyun strongly pulled the Ruler’s Sword with one hand, creating a spear of fire with the other and throwing it. Sung Hyunjae skillfully knocked the spear away, but scorch marks remained on the hem of his clothes. Flame resistance was not completely effective.

Without even having time to care about his hand, which was reddened to the back of his hand, this time the iron rebar thrown by Song Taewon flew in. As soon as Sung Hyunjae avoided the iron rebar, Song Taewon closely followed his movements. Bang! The overlapping arms blocked the fist with a terrifying force, and the continuous kicks were lightly deflected by twisting his body.

In a short time, dozens of exchanges took place. It wasn’t just Song Taewon who was dealing with Sung Hyunjae. Yoohyun’s attacks flew in intermittently, with the Seeker’s Chain wrapped around the sword. The chain could have been disassembled and recovered, but if that happened, the Ruler’s Sword would also regain its freedom.

In the end, Sung Hyunjae’s body also began to show scratches one by one.

‘Still, to endure to that extent.’

I could only say he was amazing.

쿵! Again, the floor and walls vibrated. Every time an attack with tremendous force collided, the surroundings shook as if there was an earthquake. The impact was being applied not only to Sung Hyunjae’s mansion but also to the entire building. The tank I was standing on was also swaying. Cracks had long since formed in the ceiling to which the tank was attached.

Standing on the smooth surface of the tank, I looked down. There was little chance of succeeding in an attack by recklessly jumping in there. It’s not necessarily true that the odds of winning increase by ganging up on one person. If you’re not good at teamwork, you might end up tripping each other up.

Even now, if I didn’t have the Teacher Skill, it might have been better to fight separately. The Teacher Skill isn’t a panacea either.

So now.

“Yoohyun!”

I shouted and aimed the gun at the tank. The flames surrounding me quickly subsided.

Taang!

With the gunshot, the tank burst. A tremendous amount of water poured directly below, towards Sung Hyunjae and Song Taewon. Before the pouring water scattered to the floor, I quickly used my skill.

Applying Shadowless Day, Cold Sigh, and Pale Rain [a combination of skills that manipulate water and ice].

Jjeojjeojeojeok-

I froze the water, compressing the water filling the tank, making it harder than anything else. Sung Hyunjae’s two legs and part of his body were entangled in the water, in the vines of ice. Song Taewon, who hadn’t let go of Sung Hyunjae until the end, was the same.

Kagagak!

The golden chains twisted and scattered to break the ice holding their master.

But Yoohyun blocked them. The Ruler’s Sword, transformed into a flexible sword, bent flexibly like a dragon’s tail, striking down every single golden ring without missing one.

Light flashed, and metallic sounds rang out loudly.

Even if I captured him by overlapping skills, it wouldn’t last long. Even now, electricity was already gnawing away at the ice. My whole body felt heavy and aching from the continuous use of skills, but I used Instantaneous Movement for the last time.

“Catch him!”

Song Taewon wrapped Sung Hyunjae’s arm with the remaining wire and pulled. Amidst the wildly raging current, cold, sharp golden eyes approached right in front of me.

Kwajajak!

The ice shattered. Electricity touched the melting water, exploding with a bang. In the light that turned my vision white, I jumped into Sung Hyunjae’s arms, who hadn’t completely escaped yet. Unless he used a space movement skill, he couldn’t avoid it!

Giving strength to the hand holding the dagger’s handle, I stabbed him. The sensation of cutting through another person’s flesh, transmitted from my fingertips, felt strangely vivid. The white shirt was soaked red. Considering I stabbed his heart, the blood stopped flowing soon.

Sung Hyunjae looked at me. His pupils, which had been slightly dilated, returned to normal, and he smiled.

Along with the feeling that the magic stone implanted in my arm was burning hotly.

“…Damn it.”

A tingling or eerie magic power was detected beyond Changeling’s dagger.

“Get out of the way!”

I shouted, melting Song Taewon’s ice. Immediately after that.

Kwarurureung-!!

As if exploding all the anger that had been suppressed until now at once, a tremendous thunderbolt erupted. Even with the Grace’s Protection, I couldn’t open my eyes properly. For a moment, I couldn’t hear anything as if my ears had gone deaf.

A short time, like eternity, passed.

“…Wow.”

The sky was revealed above my head. When I turned my head, I saw a garden covered with building fragments instead of the mansion. Inadvertently, I swallowed hard.

“Yoohyun? Chief Song… Huff, Sung Hyunjae!”

Why did this human collapse! Sung Hyunjae, who was lying under me, slowly opened his eyes. Changeling, who had already returned to his dragon form, returned to my shoulder.

Seeing that the Teacher Skill was connected, the two were safe. First, I removed the skill to reduce my burden and moved away from Sung Hyunjae’s body. Even though I had stepped back, he was still lying there without being able to get up. In the first place, he wasn’t a human who couldn’t budge just because one person got on top of him.

“Are you okay? How many is this?”

“Three.”

“You’re wrong.”

“You have a scar on your cheek. And on your forehead.”

I reflexively touched my forehead. If my eyesight is fine, it means other places are also reasonably okay. First, I let out a sigh of relief.

“Hyung!”

Yoohyun approached, followed by Chief Song, who appeared through the debris. Is it only the mansion that flew away? The building attached to the mansion probably isn’t in good condition either. For safety, it seems like we need to rebuild it. Did everyone evacuate safely?

“It’s quite a mess.”

Someone appeared from beyond the collapsed mansion. It was Evelyn. Unlike her words, she was calm, so it seems like she prepared well. After nodding awkwardly to her, I turned my gaze to Sung Hyunjae, who still showed no signs of getting up. Should I call a healer?