The S-Classes That I Raised - Chapter 705: The Wolf Hunter (2)

Weapons infused with mana drifted slowly through the air. Eight minutes remained of the ten I could stay here. In just two minutes, I had felled an SS-Rank Hunter—rather, a wolf.

“I do wish the weapons could have stayed intact.”

The SS-Rank weapons in the drawer remained many and irreplaceable, yet I hated to see them melt. Originally I’d planned this method as a last resort in London, hence the weapons were already extracted. I’d postponed summoning an SSS-Rank monster for fear of the burden—yet here I was.

I stripped the fallen Hunter of his equipment. Had I slaughtered the others and claimed their arms as well, every secondary weapon would also be S-Rank. Unfortunately, someone else held Grace. What to do with this corpse?

“Ahem—Master Seong Hyunjae, there is an administrator here, though I did not deliberately create it.”

“Administrator?”

“This space resembles Myung-woo’s forge. The person appearing now—No. 71—is akin to Ismu-ar. Not real, and not my creation. Just number seventy-one.”

At my summons, No. 71 appeared… as a teenager in a school uniform from before Awakening. Perhaps because I’d thought of Yuhyun sleeping back home.

“Welcome, Master.”

“Amazing. Han Yujin, you exploit even your brother so…”

“Please! I have no intention of enslaving Yuhyun—I only appear as a favored form. If I’d meant to order a servant, I’d have chosen Lady Seong of Sesung Guild! In any case, No. 71, can you dispose of this body?”

Four targets still remained; removing the corpse risked discovery, yet leaving it was disquieting. No. 71 regarded the corpse, eyebrows drawn—an awkward sight of a half-severed high-schooler. Even if Yuhyun felt nothing… I’d hoped to raise him gently.

“He is SS-Rank and faintly linked to a Transcendent. Your spatial mastery is still low, so efficiency is poor—but you can convert him directly into mana.”

“You can extract mana? My control has surpassed five percent?”

“About three percent. It’s possible only through Transcendent subjugation. You can expect enough mana for four to five entries.”

Few drawer uses remained, so the news was welcome. Three percent control—quite an improvement from the under 0.01 percent I started with. Perhaps owed to acting as system administrator.

“Then, please.”

Time was short; I left the pocket dimension. The snake flung aside earlier slithered to me.

Hiss—

“I should thank you for your service. Come here—both of you, coil around my wrists.”

True to my words, the snakes coiled into bracelets about my arms. Both were only B-Rank monsters, but their venom packed a punch.

“Which of you three was that?”

As I readied a flare, Seong Hyunjae asked.

“Ah, Yuhyun. Noticeable?”

“If he’d been a mere adversary-Hunter, I wouldn’t hesitate to use his corpse as material. The real Han Yujin would have balked—but he didn’t. Perhaps that unlocked your boon skill.”

“Yes. Because my stat is F-Rank, if a protector in this game dies… I receive their ability. There is a time limit.”

Though Boon triggers double, it’s equal stats right now—thus they didn’t doubt me. A fair boon for an F-Rank.

“There was no reaction to the youngest’s appearance, either. Try breathing deeply.”

“It’s been less than an hour since I left Byul. He only cried briefly—and Seol and Soyeong comforted him quickly.”

I’d worried he’d sob for hours, but that was reassuring. Bang! I fired the flare skyward. In ten minutes the second wolf would begin pursuit. I wished the ten-minute wait rule were gone—alas.

“I personally comforted him.”

“Don’t stuff anything in his mouth!”

“I just held him, gently rocked him, and tugged on the wings you gave him…”

“You care well for the child. Rest assured. I’ll catch the wolves quickly and send them home.”

And I had to go home, too. The world an hour ago felt years away. I exhaled, clawed at the dirt with my foot, sliced my arm for blood with the dagger’s tip. I smeared dirt on my clothing and face, then sat leaning against a tree.

“Stay well-hidden in my pocket.”

“…This is not simply a fight-to-win game, is it.”

“Just hide-and-seek.”

Quick learner. I requested the system remove the ten-minute wait—accepted without question, to my disadvantage. Soon I felt another approach. An F-Rank made no effort to conceal themselves. Then, to replenish the drawer’s fare—

[Current Score

Han Yujin team: 1

Seong Hyunjae team: 1]

Three minutes after the second Hunter’s departure, the score updated and a flare went off. The third Hunter narrowed his brow.

“Too swift.”

It would have been odd had Yuhyun surrendered immediately—yet still fast. He leapt off and vanished into the forest in a blur. Chorawoon, remaining at the start, glared at the system window.

“Did the first fill all twenty minutes?”

The timer appeared for the Hunter only; I didn’t check. The final Hunter, silent until now, spoke.

“It did feel shorter. Also, both have not returned—do they immediately teleport back on victory?”

Chorawoon eyed the silent woods. Not a creature’s cry, not even a whisper. No crash or explosion. They were SS-Rank versus F-Rank. A silent and swift defeat seemed likely.

‘Han Yujin.’

That F-Rank was none other than Yuhyun. Chorawoon’s frown deepened.

He’d bred S-Rank monsters, gauged non-Awakened’s awakening tier, buffed others—yet remained powerless as F-Rank, a born tool for upper Hunters.

Chorawoon had grown fond of Yuhyun—planned to tame him, use him. No reason for dislike. A spirited beast subdued easily. But Yuhyun had broken free, stood amid S-Rank Hunters as if he’d been one himself. The world began recognizing Chorawoon’s failure: an F-Rank crawling at the bottom.

Thus he must suppress Yuhyun to his knees—restore their world’s hierarchy. The fate of nations, the Transcendents’ wagers, devoted zealots—all were irrelevant.

Only Yuhyun’s submission, dragging the outcast back to his rightful place, mattered.

[Han Yujin team: 2]

The score updated again—under five minutes since the second departure. Chorawoon’s face turned cold; Gérard, the fifth Hunter, glared scowling.

“The unbeliever scored in five minutes.”

“He wouldn’t yield—he must have killed him.”

No other answer made sense. But how? Chorawoon and Gérard drew weapons. I could not see how. Likely Yuhyun had bested the third—and perhaps the first two—Hunters.

Silence fell. No insect chirp. Chorawoon hefted his sword and swung. Sharply focused mana cleaved a tree meters away. Shards of Balmy Leaves fluttered from the fall. Across the debris, Yuhyun descended.

“You noticed, as expected.”

His dark hair stirred with a smile. Not a scratch marred his appearance; he’d changed clothes as if on a stroll. A molten red sword—SS-Rank, forged from the three Hunters’ blades—hovered around him.

“I have good and bad news. Which first?”

“What trick did you work?”

“Bad news: the three wolves have been devoured, point one granted only because he surrendered before I cleaved off his head—two in a row would invite suspicion.”

Yuhyun laughed, then:

“Good news: my stat is S-Rank. Lower than those mutts. How delightful.”

Indeed, his power felt weaker than the two Hunters before him—no SS-Rank, but not insignificant. Yet neither Chorawoon nor Gérard relaxed. Already three SS-Rank had died at ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) Yuhyun’s hands.

“Well done, escaping from the pack.”

“Easier to catch them one by one—though I’ll happily become a dog if I must! A single mind can’t be tricked, right? Or were you completely oblivious? Apologies—I overestimated you. What a shame.”

Chorawoon, instead of replying, signaled Gérard. Their mana entwined, summoning barbed spears—huntsman’s javelins gaining speed and accuracy from the wolfpack’s power.

Whing—

Two spears cut the air. Unlike the teleport speed of before, these still shot at Yuhyun in a blink. He vaulted into the air, Combat Foresight guiding him narrowly past their tips. The wolves summoned more spears, and Yuhyun, circling in midair, extended an arm. The bracelet on his wrist transformed into a bow.

Like a carved crystal, translucent and perfect, strung with molten blade fragments as arrows: SS-Rank, with Fire Shard buff elevating them to SSS-Rank campfire flames. Even an SS-Rank bow would buckle under that heat, but Grace—the hardest metal—shone brighter in that light.

The spears flew again. At once he loosed his arrows. Whoosh! Blazing shafts collided with the barbs, melting them like snow under a summer sun. The arrows, having swallowed the spears, shot straight into two wolves.

Boom!

Flames roared. Chorawoon and Gérard dodged swiftly as the inferno spread. Two, three arrows followed in rapid succession. Yuhyun pulled the bowstring again and slid down a Willow Leaf to the first impact spot. As he neared, the arrow remelted and reformed in his hand.

“A bow is the hunter’s best friend.”

The fire raced through the forest. The final rune activated—Shards buffed, tier rose, inferno surged.

“Yuhyun!”

Chorawoon bellowed. The F-Rank he had to crush now stood atop the trees. Flames curled about him, bow in hand. His entire being, pristine as white silk, glowed unblemished. His eyes, dark amid the fire, looked down on those compelled to crawl. A tableau of hunter versus prey—Chorawoon ground his teeth.

“The dog barks.”

Unmoved, Yuhyun’s fingers drew the metallic mana swirling around him, forging another arrow. Molten steel, brimming with mana, settled on the bowstring. A soft smile curved his lips.

Boon-Repayment remained imperfect—few memories, awkwardly borrowed stats. Though I’d wielded them often, the new skill and growing stats naturally misaligned in places.

Yet my brother’s skill obeyed like an old sword, as if its master never left his side.

Clang—

The arrow shot forth, fiercer than ever, burning through the air like a wildfire. The wolves leapt aside, but could not escape the explosive heat—Chorawoon and Gérard’s hair and clothing singed.

“We must pull him down.”

Steeling his rage, Chorawoon said. At range, pursuit offered no victory—but in close quarters, we would prevail. Not only through our stats but by warping his skills.

Gérard nodded and dashed off to Chorawoon’s flank. As they split, Yuhyun’s brow rose.

“Annoying.”

I knew little of Gérard’s abilities—only gleaned from his Seedling skill’s name. Yuhyun’s gaze shifted to Chorawoon.

‘He’ll try to close in—making him more troublesome.’

Yuhyun recalled Chorawoon’s stats from me and Hwalrim: on par or above an opponent in battle, he could boost his own stats and concentrate them. Once seized, escape would be nearly impossible.

Arrows flew toward Chorawoon. Gérard lurked amid the flames, invisible—yet Yuhyun had Combat Foresight. The uncatchable arrows chased Chorawoon, who rolled across the ground, limbs nicked by their edges. He dodged well, but barely.

Yuhyun nocked another arrow—and triggered Teacher Skill upon Chorawoon, the repulsive force barely staved off by S-Rank fortitude. The arrow flew—

“…Ugh!”

Chorawoon’s ear was severed. Flesh and blood charred in the heat. He staggered. Yuhyun, reloading swiftly, spun around: Gérard had hurled a barbed spear. Still terrifyingly fast, but not ungovernable. However—

“Interesting.”

A wire trailed from the spear. Attached to trees and boulders, it ensnared a makeshift battering ram larger than a truck, hurtling toward Yuhyun. Too massive to vaporize outright. He could not reconvert the arrow to a sword for defense. Moreover—

“Follow the gods!”

Gérard leapt from behind with a great saw—its wire winding under his boot—charging at Yuhyun. The saw, trailing a foreboding aura of skill-warping power, rose above Yuhyun’s head. With both front and above blocked, Chorawoon slashed from behind. His superior stats left no escape—short of teleportation.

Yuhyun smiled.

“Kei.”

Before the word left his lips, Seong Hyunjae thrust out the Drawer of the Lord of Harmlessness. Simultaneously, Yuhyun vanished. Gérard plummeted to the earth and Chorawoon’s sword bit empty air. Moments later—

“Hello.”

Yuhyun reappeared exactly where he had vanished, bow aimed at both wolves’ heads. With no time to react, he loosed his arrow.

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