The S-Classes That I Raised - Chapter 459: The Disciples (2)
I inspected my leg again and removed the cast. As the paralysis wore off, a sharp throbbing pain set in.
I realized the stick was just a wooden rod, not some graded weapon. Yet—
Clack!
The rod didn’t splinter between Peace’s teeth. The Flame Horn Lion bit down hard, and Young Chaos flicked the rod like a fishing line and swung it. Peace, caught in midair, dropped the rod and spread his wings. But before he could flap free, Young Chaos’s hand snatched the nape of his neck.
“Kyarung!”
So fast neither Peace nor I could react. A tuft of red fur flew far across the field.
“Peace!”
Peace vanished into a tiny red dot as he plunged into the lake. ‘Peace hates water!’ I thought, but no sooner had I thought it than Young Chaos turned back to me.
“You may use a weapon. I am S-rank now. Try resisting.”
At his words, my vision went black. Thud. I heard the dull impact. Yuhyun darted in front of me. I quickly used the Teacher skill on him and saw the Conqueror’s Blade clash against the wooden rod. Wow… an SS-rank weapon looked pale next to that force.
“But why are you protecting me?”
“You’re getting hit, so how could I just stand by?”
His reaction moved me more than I expected.
“Yuhyun…”
My little brother is so kind.
“What are you two up to?”
“At home it’s the same. It’s annoying,” Yerim grumbled.
“She’s the third child—she has it rough.”
“Right!”
I braced the rod. Although we were both S-rank, the Conqueror’s Blade slowly pressed it back. That’s the efficiency of power. Beneath Yuhyun’s feet, the earth creaked as he held firm, sending soil and blades of grass sliding aside.
Predicting that Young Chaos wouldn’t relent while I stood there, I quickly stepped aside. Immediately, Young Chaos surged power into the rod. Insane—more?
Screech—Yuhyun’s feet dug into the ground as the rod slid sideways, curling like a living snake and striking at his waist. Under that immense force, he faltered—but he remained composed and shifted the Conqueror’s Blade into its chained-sword form.
A black blade shot forth in an instant. Clang! The wooden rod scraped against the chained-sword. Even that flexible blade strained under the blow. Had he misjudged, the sword might have snapped back and wounded him.
Yuhyun merely altered its trajectory slightly. As the chain end embedded in the ground, he relaxed his stance and reverted the blade back to its shorter greatsword form. His body followed the retracting sword naturally. He leaned sharply to one side and—
Screeeek!
The rod’s tip slashed a long gash across Young Chaos’s tunic at the waist. Just a glancing blow, yet enough to tear fabric. Elder Chaos could foul things here!
“Isn’t that too much force?”
“If you’re second born, you deserve at least that much restraint.”
The rod, still extended, changed direction. Pivoting on the sword’s planted tip, Yuhyun {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} spun half a rotation. From left to right in a flash, and before he could fully rise, Young Chaos’s palm pressed against the pommel of the Conqueror’s Blade.
Thwang!
The sword, pressed palm-first, dug deeper into the ground, and the strike slid down the hilt to Yuhyun’s wrist. Movements too fast even for an S-rank to track. There was no time to react!
His wrist seized, then a kick struck him. The small boy’s fist penetrated Yuhyun’s chest while wrenched the sword from his grasp. Losing all support, Yuhyun’s body whirled backward.
Crash!
He slammed into a tree nearly ten meters away. Crack—the thick trunk snapped like a twig. Yuhyun!
“Wait, hold on, ack!”
“Ow!” He’d been hit in the back, but his movements were too rapid to see clearly.
“You, oldest brother, have no idea where to start.”
Young Chaos materialized before me like a spirit, clicking his tongue, then swung the rod at me. This time I could see it coming, so I dodged back and drew my sword.
“Your eyes follow quite well.”
Whish—the rod lashed at my side. I gasped at the sting.
“You’re as slow as a grub.”
“Friday was only, ack, a few days past surgery!”
“Yet you claim to have kept up training?”
I had no defense for that. I meant to, but used my sore leg as an excuse. And it’s not fully healed yet. I did upper-body stretches, but…
“Mister…”
Yerim looked at me with pity. When I used the Teacher skill on her, I realized how pitiful I must have seemed.
In her eyes, my desperate flailing against what looked like light taps… I couldn’t even dodge. Truly pathetic. Yuhyun, recovered, also looked anguished, and Peace, hovering in Apex form, growled. Even the rookie was uneasy.
“…Oldest brother?”
“…Yes?”
“You just sit here.”
“It’s fine, but…” I began.
“Sit now. You have a bruise already.”
Yuhyun set me in a floating chair the rookie conjured—white-furred, no legs, hovering midair.
“Really, I’m okay.”
“Hyung, sit. You’re bruised.”
Yuhyun checked my wrist. Peace, now corporeal, trotted to my feet and looked up anxiously.
“Any other bruises? Look—your arm too.”
“Grandpa, be gentle with Mister.”
“I was gentle. Bruises help heal and strengthen. I struck just enough—don’t worry.”
Callouses, perhaps. Young Chaos peered at me with a ‘what will you do with that?’ expression, then turned to Yerim.
“Child, you’re too young!”
He should be careful with Yerim, at least!
“I’m S-rank, you know?”
Yerim drew her spear.
“And I must learn martial arts. Grandpa’s the strongest, so I can’t pass up this chance!”
“Come!” In an instant, Young Chaos teleported before Yerim. She braced her spear upright to block the thrusting rod. As they collided, the rod slid up and snapped overhead.
“Ugh!”
Yerim staggered from a shoulder strike.
“Your lower body has no strength.”
The rod fell and struck her leg. Young Chaos called,
“Use your spear like a staff!”
Yerim, falling, plunged her spear vertically into the ground to support herself. Though she could have used skills, she relied solely on her body and weapon, eager to learn martial arts.
After pressing Yerim a few times, Young Chaos glanced at Yuhyun.
“You, third child, tried to mimic your brother.”
“What? No! Why?”
“Because he’s the strongest. Around you, his spear and sword would seem similar.”
Indeed, of all Yerim’s sparring partners, Yuhyun was the strongest—and closest to neutral—but Yuhyun’s repeated presence would have left the greatest impression. Seong Hyunjae used chains, and Hyun-ah’s style was too grand. Others who used spears in Yerim’s group weren’t as consistent an influence.
Yerim’s neck flushed pink.
“I didn’t mean to, but I watched him a lot… unconsciously…”
“Spears and swords differ. Swords have a blade; spear shafts don’t.”
Young Chaos noted Yerim tended to swing her spear as if to slice.
“Mimicking a stronger being is instinctive. Especially if you consider them an ally. That’s partly why the second born hardly heeds anyone but the first.”
Yuhyun was strong and had no warmly allied superiors. The only neutral influence was Director Song, and even then minimal. Yuhyun barely paid attention to others…
“Should I fix it?”
“Two options: overhaul your spear style, or learn the sword too.”
“The latter! It’d be great to master both.”
“You risk losing both if you chase too many; two is okay. Now draw your sword. You, third?”
“I have one.”
Yerim drew a longsword from her inventory. Though she’d never wielded one, her stance was surprisingly practiced—and she mirrored Yuhyun’s form. She looked delighted by the challenge.
“Plant your legs, watch your footing!”
Clang! Young Chaos swung the rod at the sword.
“Flying and teleporting weakened your lower body control.”
“Yes!”
He corrected her stance with a few precise taps, then gestured to Yuhyun. Two against one was no problem, he implied. It did look manageable. Yuhyun stomped the earth without hesitation. As they closed distance, Young Chaos flicked a stone up with his toe. He elbowed the rising stone powerfully and flung it at Yuhyun.
It didn’t seem too difficult to dodge—
Crack!
But the stone shattered into fragments before reaching him. What was that? Not a skill—timed explosion by force? The sand-like shards obscured his vision, and Young Chaos closed in. Meanwhile, Yerim writhed from a rib strike.
Yuhyun too—
“Ugh!”
He dodged the shoulder blow but took one to the waist. Ouch, you two.
“I said be gentle!”
I wheezed, but Young Chaos paid no heed and grew even more animated with the rod. Oh dear.
“Minimize your bodily mana.”
After assessing the kids, Young Chaos lined up Yuhyun and Yerim.
“Focus your energy on one spot. Think of it as where your Mana Stone would form. You don’t have one yet, but at some rank humans develop them.”
He pointed to his chest.
“In human form, they appear at the heart or the head. The head is risky—focus it at the heart.”
“Well… I feel my strength draining, Elder.”
“When mana drains, physical power naturally falls. You’re S-rank, so still stronger than lower ranks. Now, run.”
“Run?”
“Circle the lake once. Don’t use mana—just your bodies. To manage power efficiently, start from zero. Especially those strong from the outset.”
At his command, Yuhyun and Yerim began running. With minimal mana use, they were noticeably slower. My kids are enduring much…
“You, oldest brother, remove your top. Rabbit, can you dispel the chair’s backrest?”
[Yes!]
The rookie quickly stripped the chair of its backrest. I peeled off my shirt, and Young Chaos approached to examine my back.
“It’s stable as is. Fortunately no further twisting.”
“Really? That’s a relief.”
“You still haven’t mentioned that thing, second born.”
“Huh?” Then I realized he meant my lifespan.
“How could I tell anyone?”
“You told no one?”
“No one knows. Please keep it a secret going forward.”
“Understood.”
Young Chaos pressed stern spots along my back and nape, eliciting some pain, then motioned me to dress.
“You should’ve brought him too.”
“Him?”
“The baby Moon.”
…Seong Hyunjae? “Baby Moon” felt odd compared to “Young Chaos.”
“If he’s said nothing, he must be sincere.”
“Sincere about what?”
“Or the opposite.”
What is he talking about? Please explain so I can understand.
Source: Webnovel.com, updated by readnovel.co