The S-Classes That I Raised [EN]: Chapter 54

Peep (3)

54. Peep (3)

— Kkeuek!

Thwack!

The Moss Monkey, its head crushed, dropped from the tree. At the same time, Peep above my head fluttered its wings.

— Peep! Peep!

That was the signal that the monkey I just killed had a mana stone.

After finding and feeding this tiny chick two F-grade mana stones, it started chirping whenever I caught a monkey with a mana stone, as if demanding it. It seemed to sense the presence of mana stones.

“Peep, you’re more of a glutton than I thought.”

This was already the sixth one, but it was still fluttering, wanting more. Moreover, unlike Peace, it didn’t touch the meat and only ate mana stones.

— Peep! Peep!

“Alright, alright.”

You’ve only known me for less than thirty minutes. Yet, you’re already sticking to me and demanding food. You seem a bit brazen. Is it because you’re too young to distinguish between friend and foe? Do you see anyone who feeds you as a parent?

The Moss Monkeys usually had mana stones near the base of their necks. As I took out my knife and cut through the skin, it practically tap-danced on my head.

— Peep peep peep! Peep!

Ugh, blood splattered. No matter how careful I was, my hands, sleeves, and even my elbows were inevitably stained with blood. I’d have to wash up in the pond before leaving.

I fed the mana stone to Peep, who had already moved down to my shoulder. It was a small, F-grade common monster mana stone, but it still managed to gulp it down.

— Peep!

“Want more?”

— Peep!

I didn’t know what it was saying, but it didn’t seem full. Alright, let’s see how much you can eat.

I thoroughly searched the small forest, killing Moss Monkeys. When raiding dungeons, it wasn’t necessary to kill all the common monsters. You only needed to hunt more than half and then take down the boss monster. However, the more you hunted, the longer the dungeon would remain stable, so the Association recommended wiping them out if possible.

Since there wasn’t an exact technology to determine the dungeon’s saturation level, a separate report had to be made if you only hunted half of them and left.

— Kkeeeuk!

“This seems to be the last one.”

— Peep!

Peep was quiet, so it seemed this one didn’t have a mana stone. Since I didn’t sense any more Moss Monkeys, I headed to the pond. Peep, having devoured all the mana stones, was happily humming.

“If mana stones were normal food, you would’ve burst by now.”

You ate everything I gave you, eventually eating more than your own body size. Even if it’s a mana stone, it still goes through your stomach, so it must be absorbed quickly.

— Peep peep peep~ Pee!

“You’re such a glutton, a real glutton.”

This one’s going to cost a lot to feed. Even if it’s F-grade, how much is it worth? I think I fed it too much. I should cut back in the future. Baby animals don’t know when they’re full and eat everything they’re given.

The pond at the edge of the forest was quite large. In the middle of the clear water, with lily pads floating on the surface, was a small green island.

— Gurgle.

With a heavy rumble, a large head suddenly emerged from beneath the surface. It was a Giant Moss Turtle. Except for the pair of long, protruding fangs, it looked just like a big turtle.

— Peep! Peep! Peep peep! Peep! Peep!

“…My head’s ringing. Calm down.”

As soon as it saw the turtle, Peep started making a fuss. It didn’t seem scared, so was it asking me to catch it? It only asked for mana stones after I caught the monkeys, but it seemed to find the turtle’s mana stone particularly delicious.

— Peep peep peep!

“Not this time, you little rascal. You’ll get a stomachache.”

— Peeek!

Whether it understood or was just excited, Peep fluttered even more. Afraid it might fall, I took Peep out of my hair and held it in my arms.

Meanwhile, the giant turtle was slowly approaching, parting the water. I’d be grateful if it came.

— Koo-uh!

“What ‘koo-uh’?”

I lightly flicked my wrist towards it. The extended tentacle whipped out and instantly wrapped around the turtle’s neck.

— Kuek!

The turtle, strangled, struggled and tried to swim backward. If my stats were F-grade, I would’ve been dragged into the water. But not now.

I stepped forward with one foot for support and yanked the tentacle hard, like fishing. Scattering droplets of water, the turtle flew through the air and landed with a thud outside the pond. It looked a little pathetic as it flipped over and floundered.

I gave it three seconds of silence and then cut off its neck with my knife.

— Peep peep peep! Peep!

“I told you no. Don’t be greedy, you’ll get sick. Hey, where are you jumping? Peep, you─”

[Amazing Achievement! Successfully cleared an F-grade dungeon solo with F-grade stats, F-grade or lower attack skills, and using three or fewer items!]

…Huh? What’s with the sudden achievement message?

[S-grade title, ‘Miracle Rookie’ granted!]

Then a window popped up showing acquired items. But more than that, what is this?

“Miracle Rookie?”

Is it a title you can get for clearing a dungeon solo with F-grade stats and attack skills, using few items? The conditions are really dirty. How do you even get this? They should at least let you wear full equipment.

But I got it.

‘Does it not count the skills and stats I got from the Boon Skill?’

Someone with a special skill like me, or someone who gets a few pieces of equipment with attack skills and high stats, might have a chance. But who would do such a weird thing? If you have the equipment to clear an F-grade dungeon alone, you’d team up and go to a D-grade dungeon. Moreover, having that kind of ability means you’re incredibly rich. The equipment would cost at least billions.

— Peep peep! Peep peep!

While I was distracted checking the message window, Peep finally broke free from my arms and jumped down. Hey! It was so eager that it fluttered its wings and ran towards the giant turtle’s corpse.

— Peep!

Ugh, that glutton. Your fur’s all covered in blood. First, I cut open the turtle’s belly and took out the mana stone. It was F-grade, but it was a boss monster mana stone, so it was quite large. It was about two finger joints [approximately 2 inches or 5 centimeters], so it was impossible for Peep to swallow.

— Peep! Peep!

“Alright, alright. Hold on. I’ll break it up for you. Just eat half and that’s it for today, okay?”

— Peeek, peep!

As I just held the mana stone, it grabbed my pant leg with its tiny beak. Why are you so greedy for food? I clicked my tongue and showed the mana stone to Peep.

“Look, it’s too big.”

— Peep!

Peep, happy to see the mana stone, bit down on it. And then,

— Pyoong pyoong pyoong.

It made a deflating sound and struggled to swallow it. Hey, how’s that going to fit? Trying to pass a camel through the eye of a needle [attempting the impossible].

“You’re going to choke. Give it back.”

I took the mana stone back, afraid it would get sick from trying to swallow it. Peep seemed shocked and froze, then collapsed to the ground. And then.

— Peeeee! Peeek, peeee!

Its tiny beak opened wide and it started crying loudly. Oh dear, so sad. It was both absurd and cute that it was crying so loudly because I took away its food. Where did this pig come from?

I quickly broke the mana stone and scattered it on the ground. It immediately forgot it was crying and started pecking at it happily.

I watched Peep for a moment and then opened my status window. The newly registered title caught my eye.

[Miracle Rookie (S)

An amazing rookie hunter who soloed an F-grade dungeon with weak stats.

Dungeon item rewards doubled]

…Wow, item rewards are doubled. That’s good. It’s really good, but I don’t have any reason to raid dungeons.

‘Why give me such a useless title?’

This would be amazing if at least an A-grade got it. Especially if you go into an S-grade dungeon, you get two S-grade mana stones and double the S-grade items, and the first clear reward special item is also doubled. That would be a huge jackpot.

Giving a title like this to someone with F-grade stats is just teasing.

‘Even if I’m a low-level hunter, it’s much better than nothing.’

Just thinking about it, my income is doubled, and it will be much easier to find a team using this. If I’m lucky, I might even be able to tag along to a C-grade dungeon.

Still, it doesn’t seem like an S-grade title for a low-level hunter.

Maybe there will be a useful time to use it someday when the Boon Skill activates.

The other items weren’t anything special. Maybe it was because I cleared it solo, but they were good for F-grade, almost at the level of D-grade dungeon clear rewards, but they were common items.

‘But I wonder if they give titles for solo clearing other grade dungeons as well?’

I’m suddenly tempted. With my current abilities, I could clear up to D-grade alone. C-grade is possible, but from here on out, it gets too big, and if I try to clear it alone, it won’t end in a day or two. The Boon Skill period is also running out, so it would be safer to try up to D-grade.

‘I’m sorry, Peace, but I’ll tell them I’m resting at home for a while longer…….’

The exclusive entry pass is the problem. But it shouldn’t be too hard to get up to D-grade. If I can’t get it, I can’t get it. Let’s try it anyway.

“If you’re done eating, let’s wash up and go home.”

I washed my hands first and took off my shirt, soaking it in water. The blood that seeped out spread across the surface before fading away. It’ll be hard to completely remove it, so it’s better to wash it roughly and buy a new one on the way home.

I grabbed Peep and soaked it in water too. It became half its size when wet. It was all about the fluff.

— Peep peep!

I wondered if I had soaked the chick too much, but it shook itself once and quickly became fluffy again. Convenient.

I also washed my face, just in case blood had splattered on it. Splashing cold water on my face made my head feel clear.

At the same time, the message I had put aside came to mind.

‘Should I move more actively?’

I thought the difficulty of the dungeons and the speed at which they were increasing would be the same as before the regression.

But it’s not.

Even though they’re slowing down the progress, it seems inevitable that it’s faster than before.

‘At least the rapid increase can be somewhat covered… Should I worry about people as well as monsters?’

The person who made the system, or rather, the people, gave me a quest to fill 50 S-grades, probably meaning for me to raise S-grades to prepare. Finding and nurturing hunters who originally didn’t reach S-grade or didn’t have special skills, like Yerim or Yoo Myungwoo, would be a great help to the force.

Of course, I can’t use Optimization Awakening often because of the 30-day limit, but there was one more thing I could do.

‘Special Skill Awakening Center.’

I had briefly thought about making it and then dismissed it.

A facility that checks Optimization Skills with saplings [individuals with potential] and then provides the right environment to awaken them.

If people who would have gained mediocre combat-related skills if left alone awakened according to their aptitude, it would definitely be helpful in many ways. Even if they didn’t get an Optimization Skill, if it seemed a waste, I could raise them through keyword application like Myungwoo.

“…The problem is that I only have one body.”

— Peep.

I wrung out my clothes and grumbled. Damn it, how am I supposed to do all that alone? Raise monsters, check people’s aptitudes, awaken them, apply keywords to raise their skills, and connect Dokkaebi [a mischievous goblin-like creature from Korean folklore] and Seok Hayan in between.

Try balancing childcare and work, huh?

“But I’m worried about the future if I let go.”

What’s the point of having a building? If an S-grade dungeon explodes nearby, it’ll all be destroyed. If a 1st-class dragon species pops out, it’ll become a sandcastle. Moreover, the Awakening Center that will be created soon can’t be trusted. It would be more of a nuisance.

Sigh, I thought I could live without worry for at least 5 years, but why is my life so tough?

Tap tap.

I roughly shook off the water from my clothes and put them on. I also washed the soles of my shoes. I put on sunglasses and a cloth to cover my mouth, put Peep inside the inverted hat, and covered it with the remaining cloth.

“You absolutely can’t come out.”

— Peep!

The sound is just similar to a chick, so they’ll think I put a bird in there. If they don’t know the appearance well, they’ll think it’s a baby of a large bird.

I reassured Peep not to come out again and left through the gate next to the pond.

I left the dungeon management building and checked my phone first. When I was inside the dungeon, the phone wouldn’t have worked, and the missed texts were only from unknown numbers. If they found out I was gone, my phone would have been ringing off the hook as soon as I left the dungeon.

Before returning to the Haeyeon Guild, I stopped by a clothing store and bought new clothes. I deliberately chose a slightly loose shirt, put Peep inside my clothes, and used the lizard on the wall [a subtle camouflage or stealth technique] against the clerk. Fortunately, the clerk didn’t notice me or Peep.

‘Peep, please be quiet.’

Just don’t make a sound.

Fortunately, it had eaten the turtle mana stone and was a bit full, so it was half asleep.

I safely went up to the dormitory floor in a similar way to when I left the building. The hunter at the entrance had put down the book and was knitting something. Thanks to the high stats, the speed was really fast.

I checked my surroundings in front of the house door and then released the skill. I took off my hat and sunglasses and moved Peep back into the hat.

Now I just have to go in.

‘…Is it okay to leave a baby bird and a cat together?’

I suddenly felt worried. Peace is a unicorn subspecies, but it’s a lion, so it’s carnivorous and close to the feline family, and Peep is a baby bird no matter how you look at it.

…Wouldn’t there be a bloodbath if I went in like this? No, can they even be raised together in the first place? If I teach it not to harm it, will it understand?

‘Not all monsters are carnivorous, and there might be natural enemies.’

If I raise multiple at once, I have to think about that too. It would be a strange atmosphere if Peace was gnawing on a dragon’s wing bone in front of the dragon baby I’m entrusting to Sesung.

“What should I do.”

I didn’t think I should go in defenselessly. It would be easy to stop Peace with my current stats, but I only have one body. It would be hard to hold Peep on one side and Peace on the other and soothe or teach them.

Should I ask the hunter at the entrance for help? No, it would be better if someone Peace knew helped. When is Yerim coming back? I was about to take out my phone to contact her when I felt an S-grade approaching.

“Hyung? I thought you had a cold and were going to sleep, what are you doing in front of the door?”

“…Why did you come, then? I told you not to come.”

“I wasn’t going to wake you up, I just—”

— Peep.

Peep cried. Yoohyun looks at me, at the hat I’m holding. Well, I got caught sooner than expected.

“…A chick?”

“I picked it up.”

It wasn’t a lie. It’s just that the place I picked it up was a dungeon.

— Peep peep.

“You picked it up?”

“Someone left it in the hallway. It might have wandered in from somewhere. Anyway, I picked it up.”

“Is it really a chick?”

My brother gave me a suspicious look.

“It’s not an ordinary chick…….”

Well, I have to tell him anyway. I lifted the cloth of the hat and showed Peep, saying.

“It’s a baby monster.”

“What?”

“F-grade. Weak. Maybe someone couldn’t kill it and picked it up, but couldn’t raise it, so they left it. Well, I do raise monsters.”

Like people who abandon puppies at animal shelters or dog cafes. Don’t abandon your pets.

“…….”

“Just pretend that’s the case.”

Yoohyun sighed softly. I’m the one raising it, why are you sighing?

“Even if it’s F-grade, it’s still a monster, so tame it. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

“Okay. More than that, help me persuade Peace since you’re here.”

“Persuade?”

“If I go in recklessly, it might mistake that I brought live food.”

I explained the situation roughly, covered Peep with the cloth again, and opened the door. I already knew I was coming, and I could hear the sound of paws pattering back and forth beyond the middle door.

“Peace, stay still, well, stay.”

I was about to say if it was staying still, but I quickly changed my words.

— Kkiang!

I ignored it jumping up and down asking to be held and went to the living room. It would be better if the place was wide.

“Okay, Peace. Don’t attack.”

I said, holding up the hat. Peace had also noticed something and had been looking at the hat since a while ago. Its ears were perked up and its eyes were sparkling.

“It’s not food, it’s a sibling, a sibling. Your sibling.”

I slowly took off the cloth covering Peep.

— Peep!

A white, round head popped out. When it cried once more, “Peep,” Peace’s eyes widened.

“Your sibling—”

— Grrr.

Well, it doesn’t seem to see it as a sibling. The difference in species is very big. Peace, baring its teeth fiercely, kicked off the floor and jumped up in an instant. Just before its sharp fangs touched the hat,

Thwack.

Yoohyun’s hand grabbed Peace’s scruff. And then.

Whoosh—

He threw it?! What, what.

…Han Yoohyun, you bastard?!

The S-Classes That I Raised [EN]

The S-Classes That I Raised [EN]

My S-Class Hunters The S-Ranks That I Raised 俺が育てたS級たち 내가 키운 S급들 내스급 스급이다
Status: Completed Author: , Native Language: Korean
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[English Translation] Once a pathetic F-rank Hunter, burdened by the weight of his younger brother's extraordinary talent, he lived a life of regret, culminating in tragedy. But fate offers a second chance. Reborn with the title 'Perfect Caregiver,' he vows to nurture the gifted, to guide them to greatness from the shadows. But these aren't ordinary talents. These S-ranks... they're acting strangely. Prepare for a captivating tale of second chances, hidden powers, and the unexpected bonds that form when the most powerful beings in the world need more than just training. They need a caretaker, and he's about to discover that raising S-classes is anything but predictable.

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