The S-Classes That I Raised [EN]: Chapter 97

97. Traditional Play (1)

Originally, Yoohyun was going to assess my skills, but that would inevitably dredge up memories from before the regression. That was a bit much to handle, so I feigned feeling under the weather, quickly cleared the dungeon, and returned. Perhaps because I was out in the cold for so long, I actually felt a bit chilly.

“Turn off your poison resistance before you eat this. It’s a relief you can turn it off; if your stats were F-rank, your immunity would be the same as an unawakened person.”

My brother, after practically shoving me into bed, handed me cold medicine and a glass of water. I didn’t really need the medicine, but I obediently took it and swallowed it. I also made a note on my phone’s home screen to remember to turn off poison resistance. I shouldn’t turn off fear resistance at home for a while. It’s not like depression resistance, but it will help manage the everyday anxieties.

“You used to catch colds easily when you were little.”

“I haven’t caught a cold in over five years, probably?”

I stared blankly at Yoohyun as he took the water glass away. I had been thinking that because I regressed, the past 5 years had simply disappeared. But in reality, it was separated into another world and then merged with the current one.

However, my already dead brother couldn’t do that. He couldn’t merge; he simply disappeared.

‘…There’s probably not much difference between being gone and disappearing.’

Even so, I felt like I’d been hit hard in the back of the head. …Or maybe it’s my heart more than my head. Maybe the volleyball’s [referring to Sung Hyunjae, who is often metaphorically described as a volleyball due to his manipulative nature] choice of words is the problem.

Deleted, and cut off – what’s with that? It keeps making me feel like I’ve been abandoned. In that dungeon, just as I laid him down, he’s still there, just like that. It was a cold, hard floor. I shouldn’t have regressed so quickly. I even got poison resistance. It would have been okay to stay a little longer.

– Peep.

Something soft touched my hand. I saw two round, black eyes looking up at me. I lifted my hand and stroked Piak.

I had many thoughts, but the present is more important.

“Yoohyun, what exactly is that pseudo-religion thing?”

“I told you, I don’t really know.”

“Tell me what you do know.”

Yoohyun tilted his head and looked at me.

“Why all of a sudden? Did you hear something strange?”

“Strange sound… I guess you could say that.”

When I regressed, I planned to live quietly. Somehow, things snowballed, but my basic mindset hasn’t changed. Even after the system contacted me, I was still pretty laid-back.

Because I know the 5 years that would have been uneventful if I had just stayed still.

“It’s just that it’s related to you to some extent.”

“Of course, there’s a relationship. But it’s nothing for hyung [older brother] to worry about. Go to sleep.”

He said that and left. Peace climbed onto the bed. I stroked Peace and organized my thoughts.

‘The fact that they agreed not to mention each other means they’re on a similar level to the system creators, right?’

Not just a pseudo-religion. Those suspicious guys are related to Yoohyun. They’ve even interfered already. Enough for the system creators to make a dungeon for me.

More than anything, this interference will lead to a different progression than before the regression.

A lot has changed in less than two months, but I thought it was in a positive direction. With me, an obstacle, gone and actually helping, Yoohyun would naturally grow much faster and more easily.

Without any problems. …There shouldn’t be any problems. This time.

This time.

I picked up my phone. I frowned for a moment and then made a call. Soon, a familiar voice was heard.

[What brings you to call me first of all times?]

“There’s something I want to ask you.”

Sung Hyunjae. I was sure this man would know something. Even just looking at his actions before the regression, there were many suspicious points. Suddenly stepping down in Korea, and then disappearing not long after.

If you ask if he’s trustworthy, I don’t know, but you have to enter the tiger’s den to grab even a few hairs.

“Do you know about a pseudo-religion like the Yugyo [유교 – likely a reference to a fictional or obscure religious group, possibly with Confucian influences]?”

Instead of an answer, a low laugh returned. As soon as I heard it, I knew I had hit the nail on the head.

[Did they try to proselytize you?]

“No. It’s personal curiosity.”

[If it’s Han Yoojin’s personal curiosity, it must be related to the young master [referring to Yoohyun].]

“Don’t bother confirming if you already know; just answer me.”

[You’re sharper than usual. If you drag your precious brother into something unnecessary, the young master will get angry.]

“Is it okay for me to get angry?”

After a brief silence, an interested voice flowed out.

[Of course. You’ve been scattering your possessions like pebbles on the riverbank; what wind has blown you here? Our Han Yoojin is much more dangerous than the young master. Why even say it?]

Sung Hyunjae is right. I’ve been standing by all along. More than this unnecessarily sharp man thinks.

If I set my mind to it, I have the confidence to grow my power as much as I want. The foundation is already laid. If I grow Blue, even excluding Peace, I have two S-ranks under my command. In addition, there’s Myungwoo, the only item crafter. It wouldn’t be difficult to formally bring in another S-rank, Yoon Yoon.

Is that all? I have overflowing information about other S-rank hunters. I can raise as many special skill hunters as I want. It’s easy to tie hunters down with contracts or something else. Information about dungeons, items, and many other things. There were many, many weapons to wield. I could even ask the system creators to adjust the dungeon appearance times to my advantage.

But I just.

I wanted to see Yoohyun grow. Once again, my brother from 5 years later. And beyond that.

This time, I could purely feel proud and admire him as I watched.

“Then please tell me.”

[I can’t explain it in words, but I think I can show you.]

Can’t say it in words, huh. It seems like the pseudo-religion is also sanctioned from leaking information like the system side. Maybe Yoohyun doesn’t really know because he’s been silenced.

“That’s not bad either. How will you show me?”

[Prepare that bracelet and the double attack skill effect sharing from back then. And Noah too.]

“Assuming everything is ready, what’s next?”

[We have to enter an S-rank dungeon to lure them in. But before that, I have to calm down the rampaging young master.]

…Why does it have to be an S-rank dungeon? I could persuade him if it was an A-rank, but S-rank is a bit much. Besides, dungeons are unsettling.

“Can’t it be A-rank or lower? I’m also curious if my safety will be guaranteed.”

[Don’t worry. They don’t intend to harm you. That’s for sure.]

So, I can save my life. I need to tell Yoohyun about Dohamin and Yoon Yoon. The problem is whether I can contact Yoon Yoon right away, but he’s been consistently updating his SNS even after going to China, so it should be fine. I don’t know if he went to find his subordinate or to sightsee. China should have SNS blocked, but he’s doing a good job of leaving sightseeing records.

I asked why he was so confident that they wouldn’t harm me, but again, I couldn’t get a proper answer. The system is like that too; did they sew their mouths shut? They’re all so vague.

[If I want to change the dungeon, I need an excuse. There’s no reason to take Han Yoojin to an A-rank or lower dungeon… I’ll have to ask him out on a date.]

…Why are you suddenly jumping to something weird? This guy, really. I suppressed the urge to cut him off and listened; it was a plausible excuse in its own way.

[You seemed quite interested in the ruins in the last A-rank dungeon. I know a good place to look around. A lakeside castle in a lower A-rank dungeon. There are several tall towers, and the largest tower in the center is hardly damaged. The weather is nice, and there are no flying monsters. If you just forget about the monsters in the water, it’s a landscape that’s perfect as a tourist destination.]

“An S-rank hunter as a tour guide; that’s extravagant.”

[Isn’t it amazing how sincere I am? It means I can do this much for Han Yoojin.]

Well done, really.

Anyway, if I add a bit of coercion, it’s at a level where I can say I’m going on a trip for two or three days. Even if it’s A-rank, Noah can fly in the lower ranks, so I can get out in two days at the earliest. If the monsters are clustered in the water, it’ll be even faster. Electricity and poison. Attributes that are perfect for stirring up the water.

“It wouldn’t be possible to increase the number of people, would it?”

[A few A-rank hunters would be fine, but the young master can’t. I wouldn’t poke them unless I could handle it. Noah is a bit unstable, but it can’t be helped for safety reasons.]

If I enter the dungeon with the right number of people, they’ll contact me, huh? It’s a dangerous method, even if I just look at it roughly. There’s no guarantee that Sung Hyunjae hasn’t joined hands with them. Looking at what he’s saying, it’s clear that his relationship is deeper than Yoohyun’s.

‘If Yoon Yoon hadn’t become the Goblin King, I would have hesitated to jump in.’

If I’m just alive, he’ll save me. If they were planning to kill me, they wouldn’t bother with this trouble. There’s a limit to how much a tiger does its best to hunt a rabbit; would they even bother setting up a trap? They can just flick me and I’ll die.

“Then I’ll be looking forward to it.”

I hung up the phone and threw it down. If I find out, what will I do next? Unlike what the volleyball said, if they’re threatening.

I opened my status window and looked at my titles and skill list.

[Last Requital(L)]

A skill that transfers the target’s skills and stats doubled upon the death of the keyword-affected target. Requital; the name is absurd again. If you’re going to say requital, you should at least get rid of memory transfer. The deer bastard [another nickname for Sung Hyunjae, referencing his manipulative and cunning nature] said he named the Perfect Caregiver title skill, but I didn’t think this was it. It’s just slightly changed from the Caregiver title skill, Last Reward.

‘…A-rank would be enough, right?’

I also have double attack skill effect. And if I apply the A-rank level, I might be able to save up to S-rank. I thought of the special isolation facility that Song Taewon mentioned. Criminals who need special treatment even though it’s a sweet society for high-level hunters. I can use them, right? Thinking about the skill names and keywords, it’s a really ridiculous irony.

– Peep peep.

After staring at the skill window for a long time, Piak on my lap tilted its head. Suddenly, I closed the status window and looked down at Piak.

“It’s okay.”

– Peep.

“You’ll be okay too, Piak. Don’t go into the dungeon by accident.”

– Peep peep!

The lovely yellow beak that opens, and the round, soft body, I wouldn’t even mind putting it in my eyes. How could you be born so cute, our Piak. That volleyball bastard, I really don’t like him in many ways.

“Wouldn’t your dad protect you?”

Of course, the other kids too. No matter what I have to do.

* * *

Yoohyun naturally opposed the idea of going on a date… no, a tour with the Seseong Guild Leader. I would have been more surprised if that guy had readily said it was okay.

After listing that there were no flying monsters, there was Noah, poison skill, poison resistance, and even beads, he finally said it would be okay, but naturally, the words that he would go too followed. I had to work up a sweat to refuse that with kind words.

“So, if I go missing or something, contact Dohamin and the Goblin [referring to Yoon Yoon, the Goblin King]. They can find me right away and get me out safely, so stop worrying.”

[Even so, aren’t you being too naive? Who knows what they’ll do to you in the meantime. I know hyung’s resistance skills are good, but they’re not omnipotent.]

“If my condition is strange, take me to any dungeon gate and knock three times before entering. The system administrator will help.”

He said there’s no one to replace me yet, so he’ll use any means. This is almost perfect preparation. Of course, it’s over if I die.

I persuaded Yoohyun, told Myungwoo, and left the kids in their care. After finishing all sorts of preparations, I left the building with Noah. Of course, I added that it wasn’t Noah’s fault.

“This is my personal matter. It has nothing to do with Noah-ssi [Mr. Noah]. Rather, I’m sorry for bothering Noah-ssi because of me.”

“No, not at all.”

Noah, who was restless at the news that he was entering the dungeon with the Seseong Guild Leader, finally calmed down. I gave him a necklace with Shallos’s bead attached, along with an explanation of its effects. I have to prepare him in case he gets caught up in my work and is in danger.

“You said you have a gate stone, right? If you think it’s dangerous, use this and go to the gate to escape.”

“What about Han Yoojin-ssi?”

“I have one too. Here.”

There’s one more spare in the inventory in the same necklace form. Myungwoo made it into a necklace so it would be easy to use when I said I was going into an A-rank dungeon.

When I went to the parking lot, Sung Hyunjae was already there waiting. He seemed unusually excited. He seemed to be having fun. He even opened the car door himself and smiled.

“Doesn’t it seem like it will be a pleasant time?”

“I hope it’s not an optional tour with a lot of extra costs attached.”

“I’ll only take a tip.”

Someone who has more than a fortune, what tip. It’s my first overseas(?) tour, so I want no tips and no options.

Muttering, I got into the car. The destination is the A-rank dungeon, Lake’s Castle. It was managed by the Soodam Guild, which is led by Yoon Kyungsoo, a domestic S-rank hunter I haven’t met yet.