The S-Classes That I Raised [EN]: Chapter 406

404. The Road Not Taken (2)

What should I do now?

To be blunt, Noah had absolutely no chance of winning against Liet. Even though they were both S-Class Hunters, the difference in their abilities was significant. Liet boasted formidable power, even among combat-type S-Classes, while Noah, a support-type, lacked decent offensive skills.

The outcome was obvious to anyone.

“Well, Pebble. What are you going to do now?”

Liet leisurely took a couple of steps back, her attitude daring him to attack. Noah slowly rose to his feet.

“…Please, let me go.”

“Why should I?”

Her blue-black eyes sparkled with life. Liet bared her pointed fangs, silently laughing.

“If you’re not coming with me.”

Noah inhaled sharply and leaped to the side. At the same moment,

KWA-GWA-GWANG!

The spot where he had been standing was blown apart. Fragments of the pavement flew up, shattering the glass windows and signs of the shops. Noah didn’t stop running. Explosions continued to erupt along his path.

JJAENG-GANG-JJAENG-GANG! Show windows shattered one after another, the merchandise inside swirling around like in a tornado. KUUUNG! A piano crashed down right behind Noah, producing a mangled melody.

“Peb~ble!”

Her voice was cheerful, almost innocent. Noah panted softly. Dust enveloped him, and paint splattered on his clothes from a shattered shop. He must have looked a mess, but for Liet, this was nothing more than a game.

It was always like this.

Even though Liet was just poking at him, Noah, Pebble, struggled.

And her control was so precise that she never put his life in real danger. Liet would get excited, have her fun, and then it would be over.

KUREUREUNG, the building shook violently as it was struck by Liet’s attack. Then again, the impact against the side of the building caused it to begin collapsing towards Noah. Noah quickly spread his wings and flew up, dodging the falling concrete chunks.

“Running away is not allowed!”

Liet stepped on the collapsing debris as if it were stairs and leaped into the air, spinning wildly. BING-GEUL, she spun like a top, her heel aimed precisely at Noah’s back. If he took that hit, he wouldn’t be able to move for at least ten minutes, even with his healing skills!

Noah folded his wings and dropped straight down. His speed of descent was slightly faster than the speed of her heel strike. KUNG! Noah crashed into the rubble of the building, deactivated his wings, and quickly rolled to the side. Liet landed where he had been just a moment before, missing him by a hair’s breadth. KWA-GWA-GWANG, a deep crater formed in the ground as if a meteor had struck.

“I’ll go easy on you as long as you don’t get too close~”

Liet said cheerfully. As always, Liet had no intention of tormenting Noah. It was nothing to her. Even if Noah were stronger than her and the situation were reversed, it wouldn’t have mattered.

If Liet were Noah, she would have relentlessly attacked a stronger opponent who didn’t kill her, never giving up, always excited.

Noah knew that. That’s what made it all the more frustrating and hopeless. Noah tried to understand Liet, and he did to some extent, but Liet didn’t. All she had was a terribly one-sided form of protection and attention.

“Stop it!”

“Why?”

“I don’t like it when you do this!”

Liet tilted her head, puzzled.

“Didn’t you want to be recognized? Come at me with the same energy you had earlier, Pebble.”

“I know I can’t beat you, Liet!”

“But it doesn’t matter, does it? I won’t kill you.”

So, what a great sparring partner he was. Noah met his sister’s nonchalant gaze. He wanted to lower his head and shrink back, as he had become accustomed to doing after so much torment, but he held his neck as stiffly as possible. He had won once, after all.

Even if it wasn’t by his own strength, that one time was enough to straighten his back.

“But your brother is dead.”

Liet’s eyebrows furrowed slightly. Her lips pouted.

“He was weak.”

“No. No, it doesn’t matter that he’s dead. So, what about me? I would have been Pebble until the end, wouldn’t I?”

Pressed down by Liet, bound by her. Noah took a deep breath and shouted.

“I hate you like this! It’s annoying!”

“What?”

“I hate it! Really! You’re selfish and violent! I did all the housework!”

“You cried because you couldn’t eat it because it tasted bad!”

“It was so hard to even say that!”

Noah’s hand gripped a half-broken tree. UDEUDEUK, he tore it off completely and threw it at Liet. Liet waved her hand, swatting the tree away like a fly. The tree crashed into the convenience store sign with a KWA-DEUK.

“I even respected you once, Liet! Because you were strong, really!”

He couldn’t help but think she was amazing. Liet was strong. She was the person who least fit the word ‘weak.’ It was the same even before she awakened [gained her Hunter abilities]. She was always confident, no matter what happened. She brushed off failures and got back up. She never bowed her head, no matter what anyone said.

“But as a sister, you’re the worst!”

Liet narrowed her eyes at Noah’s shout.

“I didn’t kill you!”

“That’s obvious! Because I’m your brother!”

“Why? You’re a rival trying to take what’s mine.”

“…What?”

Liet frowned and took a step forward. Noah’s shoulders tensed slightly. He leaped back to maintain the distance between them.

“Mom and Dad had you after I entered school. They tried to start a new family, pretending I didn’t exist. So, of course, I had to kill you. I was still young.”

She had no affection for her parents, but she still needed their protection. Liet coldly concluded and waited quietly, pretending to be uninterested. A newborn was small and weak, so it wouldn’t be difficult to get rid of him secretly.

“Mom and Dad were relieved when I didn’t show any interest. They thought they could send me to a boarding school when I got a little older and become a normal family. They were careless and showed you to me.”

This is your brother. Hearing those words, Liet decided not to kill her brother. This was hers, and surprisingly, he was cute. He was just uselessly wriggling around, but it wasn’t bad. Besides, she had a feeling he would be a little stronger than her parents.

“So, in the end, Mom and Dad abandoned you too~ They thought I would chase after them if they took you. But I didn’t kill you, and I raised you so you wouldn’t die. Because you’re my brother.”

“…Liet, you’re really.”

Noah let out a hollow laugh, seeing Liet’s expression as if asking what was wrong.

It was crazy and maddening, but Liet clearly cherished her brother. Her standards weren’t normal, but she took care of her brother. Even if it was a form of care that would have been better off abandoned, Noah had come to understand his sister to some extent, so he couldn’t completely hate her.

He had tried to shake her off and break away, but it was impossible to end it completely with just one fight.

She was his protector and caretaker.

“But I’m not you. I can’t be like you, and I can’t follow your standards.”

“Pebble.”

“It’s true that you raised me. And I, too, tried. I even wanted to be like you.”

That’s how he grew into an S-Class Hunter. Even if Liet had forcibly and violently pulled him along, it would have been impossible if Noah had refused to the end and not tried. He also wanted to become stronger. Even now, he had lingering feelings.

Noah looked at his status window.

[Light Dragon Species (SSS) – Not Applied]

A title purchased with points earned from the Japanese dungeon. It was discounted enough to be affordable, even though it was an SSS-Class item suitable for Noah’s aptitude—not even an item or skill, but the highest value title. However.

[Light Attribute Dragon Species Transformation Skill. Permanently applied upon skill acquisition. User’s state changes due to specialization in support healing.]

The last part of the short description window, the fact that his state would change due to specialization in support healing, bothered him. Dio Valshesis’s twin, the Cursed Poison Dragon Species, still had combat-type characteristics. But if he applied that title, wouldn’t the characteristics of the Cursed Poison Dragon Species fade?

That’s why he had been hesitating all along.

Noah had respected Liet. He envied Han Yoohyun. He wanted to become a powerful Hunter who could stand on his own, not a support-type who backed others up.

When he became Mue of Medusa, he thought he could become strong enough even as a support-type. But the reality was bleak and cold. Can I really do it? Do I really want to remain a support-type? Wouldn’t accepting the Light Dragon Species title make me even more ambiguous?

“You and I are different.”

Noah touched the Light Dragon Species title with his fingertip. He might regret it. But it’s okay to fail once or twice. He was at an age where he could get lost and wander. There were also people around Noah who would help him if he fell.

Even that violent sister in front of him. If Noah wanted, she would help him.

[‘Light Dragon Species’ title has been applied!

‘Twin of Dio Valshesis’ title reacts with the ‘Light Dragon Species’ title.

The younger twin of Dio Valshesis has inherited the blood of the Light Dragon lineage more strongly. The two connected titles will gradually mix!

Expected grade of combined title – SSS~L]

“Twins…….”

Noah’s eyes widened. Clearly, Dio Valshesis’s twins had appearances that were too different to be called twins. But that was because they had different Dragon Species mixed in. Moreover, if the titles were combined, they could grow up to L-grade. Even if it remained SSS-grade, it was likely to be a high-ranking one.

[Light Dragon Species (SSS)

Superior Dragon Species of support healing.

Title Additional Skills

Nest Where Light Descends (SSS)

Dragon Species Transformation (SSS)

Conductor of Mana (SS)]

[The S-grade title skill of the Light Dragon Species and the S-grade title skill of the Twin of Dio Valshesis are mixing!

Forced Blessing (SS)]

“What are you doing, Pebble?”

Liet asked, seeing Noah standing there blankly. Noah snapped his head up.

“We really were different. I didn’t know even this would be different.”

“Huh?”

“But we’re still twins.”

Wings spread behind Noah’s back. Golden feathers fluttered reddish under the sunset.

“Oh? Your wings.”

“I’m a support-type! Of course, I can’t beat you alone!”

It was natural because he was a support-type. Not because Noah was weak, but because his characteristics were different. He was simply different. He wasn’t a combat-type. Liet and his paths were different.

“Are you trying to run away again?”

“I’ll be back.”

“Where do you think you’re going, Pebble!”

Liet leaped towards Noah, who was flying away. A terrifying sonic boom accompanied the swirling wind. Noah’s wing feathers fluttered wildly. Noah barely dodged the attack and used a skill on Liet as he flew past the buildings.

Forced Blessing.

“…Huh?”

Liet, who was about to rush towards Noah again, couldn’t change direction and crashed into the building. KWA-GWA-GWANG! The building, with its lower part caved in, tilted with a grating sound.

“What is this? This? My body…….”

She couldn’t control herself for a moment. Noah’s Forced Blessing was a combination of support and curse skills. Usually, support skills could only be applied if the target accepted them, and control was automatically performed to adapt to the suddenly increased stats.

However, Forced Blessing was applied without the target’s permission. Furthermore, it could make it impossible to adapt to the increased stats. Moreover, the buffs of support skills were usually a percentage increase based on the target’s stats, so the higher the stats like Liet, the harder it was to control one’s body.

Even a born S-Class with excellent adaptability was bound to be defenseless against a momentary change in stats.

“Interesting.”

Liet brushed back her disheveled hair as she soared out of the collapsing building.

“But that’s not enough!”

Even if there were momentary interruptions, it couldn’t bridge the gap between Noah and Liet. Instead of moving, Liet unleashed a sword strike this time. The sharp sword strike grazed over Noah’s head and struck the top of the building. UREUREUNG, the building poured out debris with a thunderous roar. Other buildings also had their upper parts blown off in succession.

The intention was to block Noah’s vision and prevent him from using his skills properly. At the same time, Liet quickly approached Noah, hiding her body in the debris pouring down like rain.

“Show me some more tricks!”

The tip of the blade drew a long line across Noah’s wing. No blood splattered, but feathers were cut off and scattered. Just as Noah momentarily lost his balance,

“Wow, an angel!”

Someone grabbed him. And then, they teleported away.