The S-Classes That I Raised [EN]: Chapter 320

318. Three Times Safer (1)

Through my blurry vision, I saw my brother asleep, turned towards me. I raised myself up and positioned Bellare on my shoulder, using the Teacher skill. Yerim seemed to be already awake; only crumpled blankets remained.

Last night, Sung Hyunjae actually came to cook, and after a bit of a commotion that wasn’t quite confinement, he fell asleep like a good little child as soon as 10 PM rolled around. He said he’d be sleeping a lot for a while, and he really was. I couldn’t just leave him passed out to the point where someone could kidnap him without him noticing, so I took him to our house for the time being.

Since there was a guest room available, I threw him on the bed, and then Yoohyun came to my bedroom. It was because Sung Hyunjae might have another fit like last time. Then Yerim appeared with a pillow and blanket.

Thanks to that, the three of us ended up sleeping together. Yerim was fine, but Yoohyun was bothered by the fact that there was an unfamiliar S-class Awakened person in the house. In the end, I couldn’t soothe him and had to use a skill to put him to sleep. He can’t sleep properly outside, and he’s nervous even at home if there’s someone else. He’s so sensitive.

‘I never knew before.’

He couldn’t sleep well without me before, but that was when he was young. I thought he’d be fine when he grew up. I reached out and stroked my brother’s hair. Yoohyun seemed to be half-awake, opening his eyes slightly. As soon as he saw me, a smile spread across his face.

“…Hyung.”

“Did you sleep well?”

“Yeah.”

He smiles so happily that it makes me feel good too. He still has sleepiness in his eyes, and his hair is messy, making him look younger than usual. It reminded me of the old days. If nothing had happened, things would have continued like this.

“Did you have a good dream?”

“I just like things as they are now.”

“Yeah. It’s been peaceful these past few days.”

I really wish it could be this peaceful forever, but I was sad that it was impossible. I wish even Yoohyun didn’t know anything. I wish he could keep making happy faces like now, but when his eyes are fully recovered, I have to tell him about the Black Dragon’s Heart Fragment. I know he’ll hate it, but I have to persuade him somehow. And how worried will he be when he finds out about Chatterbox?

And the things that happened before the regression… I really hope he doesn’t find out about that.

…I wish someone would just solve everything for me and tell me there’s nothing to worry about anymore! Where are the heroes? But instead of a hero to save the world, it was a text message notification.

[Investigation complete!]

It was a text from Seok Hayan’s lab. The research team was working on the dungeon state change investigation even during Chuseok [Korean Thanksgiving]. There were many foreigners, so there was the reason that they don’t celebrate Chuseok, but it seemed more like they were so eager to learn that they gave up their vacation. Seok Hayan also said she could skip one Chuseok day every year and wouldn’t go home, but she was forcibly dragged away.

Anyway, it seemed the results were out today. I called right away, and someone else answered instead of Hayan, who had been forcibly sent home. He explained the investigation results to me.

“So, the dungeon reset speed is the same?”

[Yes. The saturation speed is only three times slower than before, and the reset speed is the same. This means that frequent attacks are possible as before if desired. In other words, we can concentrate the attack teams on dungeons with high byproduct value.]

The value of dungeons varies. Even dungeons of the same grade and difficulty have vastly different profits. But we can’t leave dungeons to explode, so we have no choice but to regularly clear even dungeons with low profits compared to the time and effort invested. That’s why there are regulations allocating a certain percentage of unpopular dungeons to guilds.

But now we can spend less time on low-value dungeons.

[We haven’t checked all the dungeons in the country, but the same results have been found in each region we’ve investigated. On the other hand, overseas dungeons are said to be the same as before. We directly confirmed it with the cooperation of the Amaterasu Guild in Japan.]

Mr. Shishio also sent a Chuseok gift. I don’t want to meet him again, but it was useful. So, only our country has changed?

“I understand. Please organize the data for the presentation, but keep it a secret for now.”

[Yes.]

I hung up the phone and fell into thought for a moment. It’s definitely good news that the dungeons have become more stable. But if it’s revealed that only our country is like this, the attention of every country in the world will be focused on us at once.

‘They’ll be curious about the reason, but I can’t reveal it.’

Should I say I raised a monster, and it put a special shield only on our country, haha. They’d say I’m crazy.

‘But how long does the shield last?’

Did I ask? I don’t remember. I can’t say the dungeons have become three times safer! and then a few days later, say, surprise, it’s back to normal~

“Um, Changeling? Sorry to wake you up, but can I ask you just one thing?”

“Hyung?”

“I’m curious about something. Be good, let’s wake up for a second. 응? [a soft, cajoling sound]”

When I touched the wound on his chest, a pinkish silver dragon appeared before long.

– Haaaahm, uuuuh…….

He yawns with a face that says he’s sleepy to death, unable to even open his eyes properly. The wings on his back were also drooping.

“Oh my, you’re sleepy. I’m sorry. The saturation speed of Korean dungeons has slowed down now, can you tell me how long this will last? Just tell me this and go back to sleep.”

– Uuu, if you don’t touch it, a hundred years? Even if someone tries to weaken it, it’ll last ten years, Dad.

Ten years, well, everything will be settled somehow. I stroked the Changeling’s head, saying he was good. Then the door burst open.

“An unfamiliar voice─ 어? [Huh?]”

Yerim’s eyes widened as she saw the Changeling.

“Cute! Is that the fairy dragon? It’s so pretty! Can I hold it? It looks so squishy!”

As Yerim approached, the Changeling burrowed into my arms.

– Dad, I’m going back to sleep. Even if you call me now, I won’t be able to wake up well…….

“Okay, okay. Go to sleep quickly. Thank you.”

The Changeling, yawning greatly with his red tongue and small teeth showing, disappeared. Yerim looked at the empty space with great regret.

“I really wish I had fairy wings.”

Is she talking about the water spirit? I need to contact Bunny Bunny Bear Company in advance.

“Yoohyun, you heard the phone call, right? I think we need to discuss something, is the Seseong Guild Leader awake?”

“He’s making breakfast now.”

He’s earning his keep. I got up, washed, and changed my clothes. And then I was about to go out.

“…Yoohyun, your hand.”

“Uh, 응? [Huh?]”

Yoohyun was flustered and hid his hand behind his back. Wait a minute, you.

“You didn’t wash properly! Don’t tell me Yerim, Yerim!”

“I washed with water! I even washed my face with soap. Not with my hands, but just with water like this, making soap bubbles.”

“No! Wash properly, properly. Don’t tell me you guys didn’t wash your hands properly last night either?”

I couldn’t see well because it was dark! The problem hand had clear pen marks left on it. Yoohyun was Hae Yeon Guild Leader, Han Yoohyun. Yerim was Ruler of Water, Park Yerim. Last night, they were very upset when they saw Sung Hyunjae’s hand, so I wrote it for them.

Of course, I didn’t leave out the others. For Myungwoo, it was Golden Blacksmith, Yoo Myungwoo. For Noah, it was Golden Dragon, Noah. For Hyunah, it was Breaker Guild Leader, Moon Hyunah. Lastly, Director Song declined, but I thought my heart would hurt if only Sung Hyunjae’s Director Song Taewon was left out, and he might cause an accident, so Director, Song Taewon had to go back with it on his palm.

Anyway, it’s fine to write names on your palms and play, but why don’t you wash?

“Go to the bathroom quickly, Han Yoohyun.”

“But Hyung, it’s a waste.”

“It’s not a waste. I can write it again anytime, so wash it! You too, Yerim!”

Anyway, these kids. After making sure the kids washed properly, I went out to the kitchen. Peace was sitting in front of the kitchen door as if guarding it, and Ppiyak was somehow on top of Sung Hyunjae’s head again. Is it because it’s high? But it doesn’t go on Yoohyun’s head, does it? Sung Hyunjae must think it’s okay to go on his head.

– Kkiang!

I stroked Peace, who was greeting me, and approached Sung Hyunjae.

“Um, good morning.”

“Your eyesight seems to have recovered a bit more. That’s a relief.”

“Thanks to you, your eyes are safe too.”

“If you want─”

“No, thank you.”

Really, no thanks. I don’t need it. If I had something like that, a crescent moon would appear in the middle of the night and grab my ankle, demanding my little moon’s eyes.

“Yoohyun won’t even touch the food Sung Hyunjae made, so I’ll help you too.”

“I might get kicked out right away for making Han Yoojin work.”

“Stop exaggerating.”

His attitude was the same as usual. That is, before entering the Black Cow’s Forest dungeon. I wanted to ask what he was thinking and what he was going to do in the future, but I held back and cracked the eggs.

“I have something important to talk about, so contact me when you think you’re completely stable.”

I’ll tell him about what happened before the regression, and then the crescent moon. What to do. The problem is that there’s nothing we can do about it. Thinking about it again, I’m getting a little angry again. Are they having a meeting right now about what to do with our world? I, we, didn’t do anything wrong, but we’re just waiting for the results. I know the world is unfair, but I still don’t like it.

Yoohyun, who came out after washing, said he would do it, but I just told him to sit down. You worked during Chuseok, so you should at least get breakfast.

The table was set, and I told the hesitant Yoohyun about the side dishes Sung Hyunjae made. As expected, he didn’t touch them.

“I have something to discuss before you return to your guild.”

I almost finished breakfast and put my phone on the table. I made a video call to Moon Hyunah, and she answered before long.

[What’s wrong, Director Han? Did Sung Hyunjae cause an accident?]

“No, but is there anyone next to you?”

[I just arrived at the guild, wait a moment.]

The scenery in the phone changed, and Moon Hyunah was shown again. Okay, no one can hear, she said, and I brought up the matter.

“The dungeons have changed. Only in Korea.”

I told her the story I heard from the lab as it was. Sung Hyunjae and Moon Hyunah listened to me seriously.

“The cause is probably due to what happened in the Black Cow’s Forest dungeon. Japan was particularly damaged, while our country had less damage and the dungeons themselves changed to be much safer.”

I hid the fact that the cause was the Changeling.

“The fairy dragon feels that it will last at least 10 years and up to 100 years.”

[That’s a long period.]

“Then we need to reclassify the guild-affiliated dungeons first. We also need to reorganize the attack teams.”

“If it becomes known, the reaction will be considerable.”

“That’s right. But we won’t be able to hide it for long anyway.”

The dungeon saturation state can also be known by the color of the gate, so it will eventually be discovered. In that case, it’s better to prepare and then announce it.

“It’s already been quite a while, so it’s better to announce it quickly. I think it would be good to go to the association this afternoon to discuss and decide.”

[I wonder if I’ll get caught if I buy stocks that will go up 100%. There will be a lot of talk overseas. There’s already talk that too many S-class hunters are flocking to Korea these days.]

“Really? We lost two people.”

[Yerim and Hunter Kim Sunghan, two new S-classes have emerged. It’s plus or minus zero, but three more have come in from overseas. Riet didn’t move, but she’s still staying.]

“There are two S-class Riders and Comet will be finished growing soon. It’s understandable that there’s talk. If the dungeons become safer than before, there’s a possibility of pressure coming in.”

…Annoying. Why are they coveting other countries’ talents? It’s true that Korea has a large number of S-class hunters compared to the population. Still.

“But it’s something we can’t postpone any longer. We need to be careful after the announcement.”

Even if they put pressure on a country-to-country basis, it’s impossible to put leashes on S-class hunters and drag them away. If they openly pick a fight, we’ll definitely not raise Riders and not sell stamina potions.

Moon Hyunah, as well as Sung Hyunjae, returned to the Seseong Guild, saying that there were many things to prepare for in advance. Yoohyun was the same. Since it wasn’t something that could be hidden for a long time, the announcement was scheduled for tomorrow, so they had to move even more busily.

Of course, I was an exception.

“Oh, Hamin. Did you send the gifts well?”

[Of course, I sent them well.]

I sent Chuseok gifts to the people I owed favors to. Also to those who showed me kindness before the regression. I didn’t reveal who they were, but I included a letter saying that I received help in the past. It was true. It’s the past for me, and it’s true that I received help.

“And send me the investigated data too.”

[Minyi will take it. Is our Geumdong still not here?]

“It’s a mess this time, so I don’t know. I’ll let you know as soon as I get a call.”

I hung up the phone and took a long breath. When the holidays are over, I have to go visit. Like Myungwoo or Yerim, saying I used to live nearby is a bit much. It would be better to use the excuse that I received an anonymous recommendation.

Before long, Kim Minyi delivered the data. Looking at the familiar but younger faces in it, I repeated what I had to say several times in my mind.

In the late afternoon, a meeting was held at the Hunter Association. In addition to Hae Yeon, Seseong, Breaker, and Hanshin, people from the association and the government were also present. Of course, the head of the Awakened Management Office was also present.

Various things were said, but everyone agreed that it couldn’t be hidden for long. As expected, the announcement of the change in the dungeon was made the next evening.