The S-Classes That I Raised [EN]: Chapter 481

Irin, perched on Yoohyun’s shoulder, flared up, raising flames like an angry beast bristling its mane. Yoohyun moved closer to my side, and Yerim took a deep breath.

“…It’s stifling.”

“I know, it feels like my throat is blocked.”

Mun Hyuna agreed with Yerim’s words.

“It wasn’t like this before.”

Noah, who had been to the blacksmith’s basement before, said. Even amidst the unpleasant gazes of the S-Rank Hunters, Myungwoo remained unfazed. He apologized to me.

“Is it bothering you a lot? I haven’t quite gotten the hang of controlling it yet, sorry.”

“…Control?”

“Before, it was more like I was a tenant, merely possessing this place.”

Hearing that, I thought of the drawer the King of No Harm had given me.

“Could it be that your understanding and control of the space have increased?”

Myungwoo’s eyes widened at my words.

“You know about it too, Yoojin?”

“Yeah, a little. I heard that if it becomes perfect, you can manipulate space as you please.”

“That’s right. I’m still far from that level, though. This kind of space is like a man-made small world. Of course, it’s much cruder and more limited compared to the real world. Even if you create an artificial ecosystem isolated from the outside, it can’t last long. It needs interference to maintain it.”

“The drawer the King of No Harm gave me also needs to be replenished with mana.”

“Because that mana is the source of power that creates and sustains the world. Ultimately, it means that without a source, it’s impossible to create or maintain such an artificial world. Only the source can create a real world.”

The King of No Harm had said the same thing. You can create pseudo-mini worlds like the blacksmith or the drawer, but ultimately, the source must be the foundation.

“Even so, to be able to completely control this place…”

“…Is it similar to being a god?”

I said, thinking of the new recruit and the King of No Harm. Changing the surrounding scenery and creating all sorts of things on the spot. Not just simple illusions, but real things appearing and disappearing according to their will.

“It’s grandiose, but roughly? It’s being omnipotent only within a small world. I’m still just at the beginning, but I’ve laid the foundation as a true owner. That’s why people sensitive to mana feel discomfort.”

Myungwoo looked at me, at the people around me, and said.

“It’s openly displaying the mark of ‘my domain.’ The outside world is a commons, but not here. It’s not just entering someone else’s house, but everything, even the air you breathe, is under my ownership, so it’s bound to be uncomfortable. It’ll feel like being thoroughly monitored.”

So that’s why it felt stifling. Myungwoo apologized again, saying that it would be possible to adjust it as he became more skilled. Then, gesturing for me to sit, a chair suddenly appeared.

“…Did you make it?”

“No. I’m not yet capable of creating things on the spot. I simply teleported it.”

“Teleportation is said to be difficult for humans.”

“Because this space itself is mine. Think of it as moving furniture in a model house.”

Urging me to sit again, Myungwoo provided chairs for the others as well. Mine was a comfortable armchair with a backrest and armrests, and Yerim and Noah also had simple but ordinary chairs. However, the rest were all different: large boxes, tree stumps, rocks – things that could be sat on but were far from being chairs. *Were* there only three chairs? I thought there were more.

Feeling sorry for sitting in the most comfortable spot, I hesitated, but Yoohyun sat me down and stood guard beside me. Rin, who had crossed over to my shoulder, whispered softly.

– Hyung, Rin doesn’t like it here.

“Is it very uncomfortable?”

– There’s another spirit. It seems very old, and it makes me feel bad. Rin is the first one outside!

It seemed she didn’t like being the younger one, partly because of Ismual’s domain. She trembled and repeatedly flicked her tail.

“More interesting than I thought.”

Sung Hyunjae said, perching on a rock. Perhaps because of the Seeker’s Chain [a skill that increases in rank depending on the user], he hadn’t shown much interest in Myungwoo compared to the other Hunters. He had treated him well since he had subordinate Hunters who needed equipment. But now, he was looking at Myungwoo with considerable interest. He was about to bring out his bad habits again.

“I told you not to touch the people around me.”

“Wasn’t that limited to children? Hunter Myungwoo is the same age as Hanyu Jin-gun.”

“Kids are a given as humans, and the people from the breeding center and the building are also off-limits. Why do you keep poking at this person and that person?”

It would be one thing if it ended well, but there were many who didn’t. Besides, Myungwoo was busy. There were already plenty of people trying to take a piece of the pie, and I couldn’t let a giant bug stick to him. I glared at Sung Hyunjae, telling him not to even dream of doing anything unnecessary. Sung Hyunjae spread his palms as if he couldn’t help it.

“I thought I would get along well with Hunter Myungwoo, but it’s a shame.”

“What do you mean *get along*? You’re completely different.”

There wasn’t even a speck of similarity between the two.

“I’ll say it again, I won’t stop you from playing around with this person and that person—not kids, not non-awakened, not low-ranks, but high-rank Hunters.”

At that point, they wouldn’t have their lives ruined by Sung Hyunjae. It wasn’t forced either.

“But not around me. I can’t stand seeing that. I absolutely won’t stand for it, so I’ll poke your eyes out, Sung Hyunjae-ssi.”

“Don’t people usually say ‘before dirt gets in my eyes’?”

“Why would I blind myself when there’s a perfectly good perpetrator’s eyeball to use? The saying is wrong. It should be ‘before dirt gets in your eyes, you bastard.’”

If it really came down to it, wouldn’t burying you be the right thing to do? Anyway, I had to tell Myungwoo to be careful.

“And Sung Hyunjae-ssi, why are you sitting there like that? I told you to pretend you’re not involved yet.”

Sung Hyunjae should stay one step back in case Chloe remained uncooperative and Park Hayul didn’t respond to negotiations. That’s why I told him to not come if possible, and if he had to join, not to bring a helicopter again, and to bring a regular car, but…

“The Seseong Guild Leader might end up rescuing Chloe Hunter.”

“I’m not confident in acting naturally.”

“I’ve come to save you, Princess! Or something like that.”

“Have you really done that before?”

Yerim, who was sitting next to me, asked. No, that’s…

“When Riet kidnapped Team Leader Han and tried to assault him, right? Did you wear a dress too?”

“There’s no way! Who brings a dress when going to a dungeon in the first place!”

There’s no such thing as a dress among the equipment. Why would you trip over the hem of your dress while fighting? Ugh, my mouth is the problem. Why did I bring up that incident? It’s all because the person who seems like the most shameless person in the world said nonsense about not being confident in acting.

“Should we kick the Seseong Guild Leader out?”

“Then I’d like to ask for that too.”

As soon as Myungwoo spoke, Song Section Chief raised his hand.

“It’s unsafe for the captured Hunters to leave him alone outside.”

“I promised not to deliberately kill them to get information.”

Sung Hyunjae leaned forward slightly, resting his arms on his knees. The promise must have been referring to Ms. Min Jisu. If he read their memories, he would know how they died. He might have even written a contract. At Sung Hyunjae’s words, Song Section Chief narrowed his brows.

“Before, one out of four…”

He stopped mid-sentence, as if it wasn’t a story worth elaborating on, but I could guess the content. Sung Hyunjae just had to *not* kill them directly. Since there were three Hunters outside, he could make them kill one. Subtly. I didn’t know the exact method, but Sung Hyunjae would have handled it cleanly, to the extent that Ms. Min Jisu wouldn’t be bothered.

…Honestly, extracting information from a corpse was the easiest way. Still.

“Both of you stay here. We can put up a screen so you can’t be seen.”

No sooner had I finished speaking than a thin panel appeared in front of Sung Hyunjae and Song Taewon. I couldn’t even feel the slightest sign of how it was done. Sung Hyunjae tapped the panel, and it shook slightly, but I still couldn’t tell what was moving inside.

“You can’t feel it either?”

“No, not at all.”

Just in case, I asked Yoohyun, and he replied that the presence had completely disappeared.

“I can hear voices.”

“It only blurs the perception of the existence beyond the panel.”

“Can you use it outside?”

“No. It’s not an item effect, but I’ve slightly distorted the space. That panel is a screen and a boundary line. I’m still clumsy, so I have to draw a visible line.”

You can really do everything. If I learned from Myungwoo, could I at least replenish the mana in the drawer? Then, a necklace flew from beyond the panel where Sung Hyunjae was. Yerim caught it, accurately thrown at her.

“Lend it to the little miss.”

“Thank you! But did Seseong Ajusshi [a respectful Korean term for ‘mister’ or ‘uncle,’ used by younger people to address older men] always carry a translation item?”

“I’m not proficient in every language in the world.”

Well, even Sung Hyunjae wouldn’t know obscure tribal languages.

“What about you, Hyuna-ssi?”

“Hmm, should I hide too, just in case? I’ve known Chloe longer than Hyungnim [Korean term for ‘older brother,’ used respectfully by males], so I could pretend to rescue her instead of Sung Hyunjae.”

“Yes. Let’s do that.”

Mun Hyuna was also hidden beyond the panel. When the panel first appeared, it looked a little strange, but after a short time, it felt like a wall. Is this also Myungwoo’s ability?

‘…Come to think of it, I’m the only one left.’

The only one who can persuade Chloe. I couldn’t ask Yerim, Yoohyun, or Mr. Noah to do it. Will it be okay? I took a breath, straightened my shoulders, and crossed my legs.

“Wake her up. But how did you knock her out?”

I was amazed that she was an S-Rank, yet she had been unconscious for so long without moving. S-Rank Hunters don’t faint easily unless they have a life-threatening injury. …Even Yoohyun was calm.

“I twisted the flow of magic.”

“You can do that?”

“Ismual’s magic is much stronger, and this is my domain. I can’t do it outside. So catching her was quick, but making her lose consciousness took longer.”

It would have been easy if I had inflicted a major injury, but he said he was worried about me. He’s so kind. Myungwoo stroked the back of Chloe’s neck, who was lying down. Then, the eyes that had been closed suddenly opened.

“…I didn’t expect you to use the blacksmith.”

Chloe said calmly and sat up, still tied up. A slightly chilly gaze turned to me.

“Isn’t it dangerous to send a friend with low stats out alone?”

“I volunteered.”

Myungwoo slowly turned to Chloe’s side and approached me.

“Yoojin was naturally worried about me. But I was sick of just sitting around watching.”

Myungwoo, didn’t you even come to the Chinese dungeon? I received a lot of help thanks to you.

“There are fewer people than I expected. I thought there would be more.”

Chloe moved only her eyes, looking around. She didn’t seem to recognize the three hidden people.

“It’s our business.”

Noah, who had been standing up from his chair, said coldly. Strictly speaking, it’s the breeding center’s business, as Mr. Noah said. Yoohyun and Yerim belong to Haeyeon, but before that, they are my family.

“Whatever your purpose, you took Yoojin-ssi away from us.”

“That’s right! Ajusshi [a respectful Korean term for ‘mister’ or ‘uncle,’ used by younger people to address older men] is already weak.”

“Just being in the same group is reason enough not to let you live.”

Yoohyun said coldly, as if recalling the anger he felt when I disappeared, whether they were bystanders or not. The atmosphere was ominous, as if everyone was reliving the anger they felt when I disappeared.

Even in that atmosphere, Chloe was looking straight at me.

“You are more loved than I thought.”

“Thankfully.”

I smiled. It hurt quite a bit to hear Chloe say she didn’t like me, but now it felt surprisingly okay. My precious people are supporting me so strongly that I can’t keep hurting.

“Would you be willing to cooperate with me?”

“No.”

It was a natural answer.

“I am, after all, a victim. So I think I have the right to receive compensation.”

“Speak.”

“First, release Park Hayul’s skill. This is not compensation, but a natural demand. As compensation, all of Chatterbox’s invitations. That should be enough.”

“…Chatterbox, you mean.”

“The Transcendental who gave the invitations. I have slightly more information than your side. I was already wondering how to get the invitations.”

I spoke as if I already knew, so it wouldn’t look like I found out from Sung Hyunjae. I lightly tapped the tip of my foot, which was raised in the air.

“As you know, we haven’t received any contact. Let me just say that I had a bit of a bad relationship with Chatterbox. He was cheap and rejected my first offer, so it seems there was no second time.”

It wasn’t a complete lie. It was true that the King of No Harm, who brought in Chatterbox, had made an offer to me.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t answer that.”

Chloe said calmly.

“I am truly sorry about Park Hayul’s skill, but now that I know that Team Leader Han’s power is greater than expected, it seems even more difficult to back down.”

“It sounds like you want to keep using me. I don’t know who the villain is.”

My expression turned cold. *In the end, an S-Rank is…*, I thought, and Park Hayul’s words came to mind. The S-Rank Hunters around me had a lot of suspicion fade thanks to rolling around together. Mental skills are inevitably affected by the situation. Yoohyun didn’t even guard against it in the first place.

But Chloe is different. Rather, she was close to an enemy from the beginning. Thanks to that, she definitely became more unpleasant.

“Then shall I play the villain role a bit? I’m already a kidnapper, but more certainly.”

I smiled at Chloe.

“After Chloe-ssi disappeared, your colleagues came to save you. Of course, they’ve been captured.”

Her expression hardened at my words.

“They’re still safe. But honestly, there’s no reason to leave my kidnapper gang unharmed.”

The calm gaze cools down. I didn’t want to do this either, but my people are more important.