The S-Classes That I Raised [EN]: Chapter 327

325. Sibling Rivalry (5)

“What are you doing!”

I immediately tried to run and grab him, but he staggered and avoided my touch. He consumed mana to forcibly squeeze out non-existent moisture, letting out a cold sigh. As I got close to Yoohyun, whose movements had become sluggish, fierce flames swirled as if trying to block me. Unable to withstand the force, I was pushed back. The sigh also disappeared in an instant.

‘Damn it, a lullaby won’t work in that state.’

Yoohyun’s focus became slightly blurred. It wasn’t a fatal injury that would endanger his life, at least not for an S-Class Hunter. But for an ordinary person, it was a level where they would be on the verge of death. It meant that dragging it out could become dangerous.

“Get a grip! Han Yoohyun!”

He didn’t seem to be in his right mind and was instinctively counterattacking to protect himself. I quickly drank a mana potion and used the Blink skill [a short-range teleportation skill]. As I approached Yoohyun from behind, he relentlessly stabbed with a dagger. I blocked it with my arm and patted my brother’s back with my other hand.

“Calm down, it’s your brother.”

“…….”

Yoohyun’s body lost strength as he moved his lips, and he collapsed. I quickly caught him. Thank goodness the skill worked.

“You really…! I told you it’s dangerous to receive a shock that could kill you instantly even here!”

If both were S-Class Awakened, even if they started a fight, it wouldn’t be easy to kill each other unless the stat difference was significant. It wasn’t for nothing that S-Class Hunters had a low mortality rate. Unless their heads were blown off in one go, they could be revived by pouring potions and using healing skills. That’s why ranking matches were held even for the precious S-Class Hunters.

Unless they were planning to kill their opponent, the surroundings were more dangerous than the S-Class Hunters themselves. Besides, I had Noah’s healing skill and had brought plenty of potions, so I could guarantee safety.

“First, I need to pull out the sword to heal him…”

“…Hyung.”

Blood flowed out along with a voice calling me, indicating that his organs were damaged. It was fortunate that it was a mental world; if it were reality, I would be going crazy. Seeing this scene here also made my heart ache.

“Shut up and clench your teeth.”

Since the bleeding was severe, it was better to damage his teeth than to bite his tongue. I gripped the hilt of the Ruler’s Sword. A burning heat was transmitted to my palm. I took a short breath and pulled out the sword in one go. There was a sound of teeth clenching tightly. I threw the sword, soaked with blood, behind me and quickly used a healing skill while taking out a potion.

“Spit out the pooled blood. Is your lung okay? Is it hard to breathe?”

An A-Class healing skill couldn’t heal a serious injury in an instant. Not to mention a potion that wasn’t from a dungeon. I should have obtained an elixir [a powerful healing potion].

Still, the overflowing blood soon stopped. Yoohyun coughed, spitting out blood, and drank the potion. His focus also returned to normal. I replenished my mana and sat down, hugging my brother. I patted the body leaning on me, reassuring him.

Perhaps because the owner had lost control, the surrounding flames gradually subsided. Since there was nothing left to burn, the heat quickly decreased. My brother, leaning his head on my shoulder, took a long breath.

“…I’m sorry.”

“Isn’t that something you should apologize to yourself for, not me?”

At my words, Yoohyun replied in a lowered voice, as if his feelings were hurt.

“I told you I don’t like it.”

“Huh?”

“Me, trying to swallow Hyung.”

Ah… I remembered the story we shared in the Black Cow Forest dungeon. He said that if he didn’t suppress himself, he would burn everything. That it was his nature.

“But you enjoyed it. And, whatever the method, you stopped. You did it yourself.”

Even I, who was watching, wanted to let him do as he pleased because he looked so satisfied. But he stopped. Yoohyun was silent for a moment before opening his mouth.

“I like the me that Hyung created and raised.”

“…You don’t have to say I created you. I did raise you, though.”

“It’s true. The current me is what Hyung created. If Hyung wasn’t there, it would have been completely different.”

Even if he said that, I couldn’t imagine it well. Han Yoohyun who grew up without me. It would be different from Sung Hyunjae and Riet. Even though they were all born S-Class, they were all different. The only common point was that they were in the position of predators. It felt like putting a lion, an eagle, and a shark in the same frame.

“Hmm, he wouldn’t have created a guild. Would he have become more distant from people than he is now? …They said he wouldn’t live long either.”

“Could he have become a criminal even before awakening?”

My brother said lightly.

“No, not that far.”

“If Hyung wasn’t there, he wouldn’t have understood why he had to tolerate annoying people. But even when he was an unawakened person, he might have been cautious because of his survival instincts, but after awakening, he would have been a disaster.”

“…You would have been quite troublesome in modern society.”

He might have even founded a country in the old days. In an era where followers would gather just because he was strong. No, he would be more suited to being a hunter in a world full of monsters. Famous as a dangerous hunter that was best left untouched.

“I don’t just like the current you, I can’t even imagine a different version.”

“Didn’t you think I was strange when I was young?”

“I was young too, what would I have known? I just thought it was because you were a kid. Anyway, you were cute.”

Because he was a cute child that anyone could see, people who met him briefly said he was pretty. That’s why I couldn’t understand my parents even more. Now I wonder if I was the one who was special. I gained the title of caregiver by raising Yoohyun, but I might have originally had such a talent. Even if he was a born S-Class, I didn’t feel alienated towards children, or I was born without fear or with a lot of affection, like people who are naturally fearless or affectionate.

“But Yoohyun.”

“I don’t want to.”

My brother answered as soon as I started to speak.

“I know what Hyung wants to say. I don’t like living suppressed either. But, it’s not a bad thing. Hyung did too. I know that Hyung gave up a lot too.”

“Well, me…”

If he said that, I had nothing to say. But even if I thought about it carefully, there was nothing I regretted. Everything before the dungeon appeared and Yoohyun awakened was my choice, and I didn’t regret it.

I definitely gave up a lot, but if it was a sacrifice, well. It was hard. But I was happy.

“Because what I gained by giving up and enduring was much more valuable to me.”

“Me too.”

Yoohyun’s gaze reached the remaining flames. The blue fire with black light.

“Do I have to be perfect?”

“…No.”

I said no again.

“Just like you told me, I love any version of you. That’s why I didn’t want you to force yourself to endure because of me. And, where is there a perfect person?”

We’re just trying to get better. If we’re perfect from the beginning, that’s the end. I don’t know if a person who has stopped without needing to try or change anything can really be called perfect.

“I make mistakes and you make mistakes too. Hey, Sung Hyunjae is picky about food. Even though he’s so great, he got help from me.”

“I like everything Hyung gives me.”

That’s also picky, if you think about it. I ruffled my brother’s hair a little roughly.

“Okay, Yoohyun. Anyway, um. Good job. You endured well.”

Yoohyun smiled happily when I praised him instead of asking why he endured.

“I really liked fighting with Hyung too. It was really the best, Hyung.”

“It looked like that even if you didn’t say it.”

“Can we do this again?”

“It’ll be hard often, but of course we can fight again. It’ll be good for you too. You just need to be able to stop at the right time. Safely next time.”

Forcing yourself to endure is not a good thing. Conversely, letting go of everything is also not good. My brother’s appearance of running wild was still lingering in my eyes, but although there was regret, Yoohyun’s own will was the most important.

“About the color of the flame. Will it stay the same even outside?”

At my question, Yoohyun tilted his head.

“I don’t know. This is a special place. And it seems to have been affected by the fire Hyung used.”

“By the Black Blood Flame?”

“Yeah. You said it’s the fire I’ll use in 5 years, right? So it’s definitely stronger than me now. The skills have changed a lot, but the fundamental parts are the same, so by constantly colliding, like tempering? My skills seem to have gotten stronger too.”

Of course, Yoohyun added that the influence of fighting with me was also great.

“I can’t help you outside, so I’ll have to come in here again.”

“The dungeon is safe now, so if we finish reorganizing the guild, we’ll have plenty of time, Hyung.”

“Hey, you’re the guild leader.”

“It’ll be fine to manage the dungeon without me.”

My brother said as if he was being spoiled. He even said he didn’t want to leave here.

“I think we can fight one more time after resting a bit.”

“The day is already dawning. Look over there, the sun is rising.”

“Should we change the location? Once each in a place that’s advantageous for Hyung and a place that’s advantageous for me.”

Yoohyun’s eyes sparkled with anticipation and excitement. It was supposed to be once, but why did it increase to twice?

Creak, squeak—

It was then. A strange sound came from behind.

“What was that sound just now…”

There shouldn’t be anyone here besides us. I turned around in surprise. Yoohyun also raised his upper body, which had been leaning on me. Again, there was a sound of scales colliding with each other. The encroaching Ruler’s Sword. The black sword stained with blood was trembling finely.

The sword.

In that moment, the words of the young Chaos flashed through my mind. He was asleep now, but he sometimes mumbled in his sleep. Even if he was asleep, it meant that the sword’s, the Black Dragon’s, consciousness remained.

“…Crazy!”

“Hyung?”

Goosebumps spread all over my body. This was a mental world. A place where you could use the old power you had if you only remembered it. It meant that a monster that was once L-Class had entered this place. If he woke up, or even if he just mumbled in his sleep.

I immediately picked up Yoohyun and used the Blink skill. I moved as far away from the Ruler’s Sword as possible and ran without stopping.

“Hyung! Why—”

“Damn it, Yoohyun! Try to get out. Can you get out?”

Yoohyun hesitated for a moment and shook his head. As expected, he couldn’t. Immediately after, a terrifying pressure exploded from behind.

“…Kugh.”

My legs almost gave way. A fear resistance skill message appeared in front of my eyes. Yoohyun’s body also stiffened. I gritted my teeth and used Blink again. As soon as I barely escaped the lake-like pit.

Kugugugung!

The ground, everything around, shook. In the end, I couldn’t hold on any longer and sat down, hugging my brother. I saw Yoohyun’s face, which was pale not only because of the bleeding. He stubbornly tried to move his body, but the difference in rank was unavoidable, and all he could do was grab my arm.

“…Hyung, this…”

The voice in the short panting was faint. Why didn’t I anticipate this situation? I felt self-reproach, but I forcibly pushed it away. This wasn’t the time to regret it. I had to find a way somehow. Would it be possible to communicate? At the L-Class level, it wouldn’t be a simple monster.

I clenched my fist tightly. The pain of the transformed nails digging into my palm slightly lessened the pressure that even fear resistance couldn’t completely dispel. I took a deep breath and was about to turn around when.

[Would you like to summon the Young Chaos?]

A message window popped up. Did I need to ask? Of course, yes! I answered the message window and turned my head. The pit, which was already wide, had become so large that the end was not visible. It was heading towards the sea. No, water was filling it as if it had been connected to the sea.

There was a huge black figure there. I reflexively hugged my brother even tighter. Chiijijik! Seawater was constantly evaporating, filling, and evaporating around the black figure. It was difficult to properly see it, as heat and steam mixed together, making it look hazy like a mirage.

My heart was beating wildly, and goosebumps ran all over my body. The very brief moment of turning my head felt as long as eternity. The light of dawn was shining like a collapsing twilight. I couldn’t even dare to face it. If it weren’t for the warmth in my arms, I would have given up everything and waited for the end.

But I forcibly exhaled the blocked breath.

“Just, hold on a little longer. Yoohyun.”

It’s okay. It’ll be okay. As I tried to somehow regain my senses.

Kiiiing—!

A sharp sound rang out, as if tearing my ears. Unable to overcome my instincts, I closed my eyes. The world trembled again, and a terrifying roar followed. After the scream ended, the surroundings suddenly became quiet. The pressure that had been suppressing my whole body also lessened a little.

While trying to hide my brother with my whole body, I barely opened my eyes narrowly. Someone’s back came into my blurry vision. A familiar robe. But it wasn’t loose; it fit perfectly. The long black hair tied in one was swaying in the strong wind.

“Long time no see, lizard.”

He greeted lightly. The dragon snarled fiercely again.