The S-Classes That I Raised - Chapter 724: Counseling (1)

Han Yujin collapsed. It was a sudden faint, with no warning signs—so unexpected that even Han Yuhyun and Park Yerim, standing right beside him, were taken aback. Han Yuhyun dashed forward and caught his collapsing body. Park Yerim panicked and glanced toward young Chaos.

“Grandpa!”

Young Chaos was already standing before Han Yuhyun. Han Yuhyun gently lowered himself and relinquished Han Yujin into Chaos’s arms.

“There are no external injuries,” Chaos said, examining Han Yujin with practiced fingertips. He furrowed his brow slightly, then let out a sigh. “He’s completely exhausted—both physically and mentally. But I see no other issues.”

“What should we do?” Han Yuhyun asked.

“Well, let him rest deeply,” Chaos replied as he stood. “Even if it’s just for a day.”

There was little time to spare. Han Yuhyun lifted Han Yujin more securely and rose to his feet.

“I will stay by his side.”

“That will give me peace of mind.”

“Take Peace with you too!”

“Kiang!”

Park Yerim called out quickly, and Peace followed Han Yuhyun’s back as they headed toward home. Watching their retreating backs, Park Yerim whispered to the adult Chaos.

“Sir, he’ll really be okay, won’t he?”

“What good does it do if I say he’ll be fine? Just look at how he was acting.” Chaos’s red eyes glared sternly at Park Yerim. “Don’t imitate him. There are things to learn—and not to learn—from someone who lives ahead of you.”

“Yes, I’ll be careful. I was surprised—I worried a lot about you too, but I thought that if it was you, you’d be all right… so I wasn’t exactly calm…”

“He’s still an adult compared to you third-born. You must feel additional guilt for involving you, first-born.”

“I came because I said I would. If I’d been the only one left behind, I’d have felt slighted.”

“From the first-born’s perspective, you third-born still aren’t old enough to take full responsibility for your decisions.”

“By your standards, I might never be old enough. Especially with Han Yuhyun,” Park Yerim shrugged as if expecting him to cradle her forever beyond sixty.

“Anyway, you’re saying there’s nothing abnormal. That’s a relief.”

At those words, Mari turned to look at young Chaos with curious eyes, then approached Park Yerim and whispered:

“Grandpa means he’s very old, right?”

“Very. He’s a Transcendent—even older than most Transcendents.”

“He’s so cute! The new recruit Transcendent was cute too. Do Transcendents have a lot of cute people?”

Park Yerim thought for a moment, then shook her head. Neither the Mermaid Queen nor the Chatterbox were cute. The tense atmosphere that had stiffened when Han Yujin collapsed slowly relaxed.

“Since Yujin needs to rest, please don’t go toward the house. If you need anything, just tell me.”

Myungwoo created a table and chairs. Mari raised her hand.

“Hyena unnie said you have to eat well to stay healthy! When Han Yujin wakes up, he’ll be hungry!”

“Right—he’s been tossed by water. Should we cook porridge? Myungwoo oppa, can you make porridge?”

“Myungwoo’s gaze swept the vast meadow and forest. “Compared to furniture, food is tricky. Nutritional balance could be off, or it could contain something inedible. So I have to prepare it myself. It’s better that way. The ingredients—”

He looked out across the field. “They should be somewhere out there. The recruit said she left only edible things. We just need cooking tools and seasonings from the forge. There’s kimchi and rice too.”

“I’ll pour the water right away! Since Han Yuhyun isn’t here, should I gather firewood?”

“Is there any game? I saw a bird flying earlier.”

Mun Hyena grasped her twin spears, and Samir drew his bow.

“Shall I ride?”

“No, sis. You’ll go Dragonfire.”

“If I stamp once, everything will spill out~. Should I add a bit of poison to the lake?”

“Others can’t eat it.”

“But just a little? They’re S–Rank. Sleeping princesses resist poison.”

“…If poison touches it, it won’t taste good.”

Noah, pleading once more with Liet to behave, spread his wings. Song Taewon also volunteered.

“I’ll chop the firewood.”

“It’s like we’re camping! I’ll go catch fish—who wants to come with me?”

“Me! I want to try fishing again!”

“We’re going to overturn the lake to catch them—is that okay?”

“Sounds fun~.”

Park Yerim and Mari headed toward the lake. Liet insisted on tagging along. Song Taewon took his axe into the forest, and the rest went hunting.

“Just bossing the kids around and watching,” young Chaos said, perching on a chair without a back. Seong Hyunjae approached with a smile.

“So you see no problems.”

Chaos opened his mouth to speak, then closed it and shook his head.

“You’re perceptive.”

“Even an elder’s senses…”

“It might truly be fine. But—”

“It shouldn’t be fine.”

“…If you judge by the outcome.”

His red eyes turned toward the house where Han Yujin slept; the golden pair followed. There was nothing wrong with Han Yujin’s body—as far as young Chaos could detect.

“Do you have even a rough idea of what brought this about?” Hyunjae asked.

“Roughly, yes. That’s why I found it strange.”

The current Seong Hyunjae had not inherited the pre-regression Hyunjae’s memories. Yet he could still conjecture. The returned children had said they had slain a great serpent—a subordinate of the King of Devourers. And the recruit said the King of Devourers had vanished.

When that subordinate died, the summoned King of Devourers was killed by Han Yujin. That alone would be enough to strain anyone’s body, but on top of that—

“So the system # Nоvеlight # is the first-born’s as well?”

“Yes.”

He had paralyzed and severed part of the system. Even for a Transcendent, risking one’s life that way was staggering. Considering the system’s origin, achieving such an outcome—even by pouring out one’s entire being—would be nearly impossible. Yet Han Yujin showed no ill effects.

“He may have had a way to protect himself. But Han Yujin isn’t one to spare his body.”

“He must have received treatment. But he’s too unscathed.”

“What happens if the elder can’t detect the problem?” young Chaos asked, eyes heavy.

“If you can’t see it, you can’t fix it. Even a Transcendent.”

There was no recourse. Even if bound by a Transcendent, it would be useless. Chaos let out a short sigh.

“Let’s hope it’s not that serious. I wonder why the first-born does such things. People say there’s no limit, but he’s trying to scoop the sea with a bucket and carry mountains with a sieve.”

It was bound to break and tear. Even repairs had limits. Chaos, who had been sighing, suddenly lowered his voice to a chilling whisper.

“What are you thinking?”

“I was shirking work to my past and future selves while on vacation.”

“Don’t speak nonsense. You didn’t do nothing.”

“I also took care of the child while I was at it.”

“That’s true.”

“I found it suited me better than I expected.”

“Suit you? You’re not the type to nurture by keeping someone close.”

Seong Hyunjae’s eyes narrowed slightly. As Chaos had said, he was not one to keep others close—more a free-range style of raising. Provide adequate food, remove sufficient danger, but leave growth itself free. Like a vast pen indistinguishable from the natural environment, untouched at a distance.

“There are always exceptions.”

“To the first-born and that vexing one?”

“If it’s Han Yujin and Director Song Taewon, I’d gladly keep them. For the rest, as you said, I’ll respectfully decline.”

His gaze shifted toward the forest where Song Taewon had gone.

“Even if I welcome someone else while you’re away, the one who said they loved me might take the hand of the one I love. Sadly—”

Chaos silently drew out a birch rod. Hyunjae fell silent. The rod’s tip tapped the chair’s leg.

“Will you meekly do as the first-born bids?”

“Well, the first-born isn’t here.”

A calm voice followed.

“I don’t know how to heed the voice of one about to disappear.”

“Even if the first-born wants to live—”

“I have yet to hear it. He never told me.”

“Why you, the third-born, not the second?”

“You can’t lean on a stranger, can you? I’m a bit particular that way.”

Han Yujin walked forward. He had achieved much and proved himself—no one could now call him lacking, even standing alongside an S–Rank Hunter. Yet he remained precarious. Only by relying on someone barely holding on would he fall together.

“You’re a stubborn one. What more do you expect from the first-born?”

“I think he’s been kind lately,” Hyunjae protested with an aggrieved expression.

“And what of it? He’s always ready to flip dark at any moment. If only we could discard that one, the first-born…”

“He’s lovable. If Song Taewon can’t avoid it, Han Yujin can’t be cast aside—for both himself and them.”

“If we hold out a month, it’s not a bad plan.”

If Han Yujin’s world were completely severed from the system…

“I too wish for peaceful times with the two of them, but many things remain entangled.”

In the distance, a huge ripple of water swayed. A golden dragon streaked across the sky like a hunting falcon. A massive tree crashed down with a deafening crack. Hyunjae turned to young Chaos.

“So, guarantee for me.”

“…What?”

Chaos raised an eyebrow, and Hyunjae gave a gentle smile.

The air seemed to undulate like water. In that gentle rocking…

“Hey.”

A blunt voice shook her. She was tired. She wanted to fall into a deep sleep with no dreams.

“Hey!”

Too loud.

“Han Yujin!”

Wham! Someone kicked her. She felt wronged, angry, and irritated—for wanting nothing more than a little sleep.

“If you do that, you’ll sleep forever.”

Another kick. She tried stubbornly to close her eyes and rest. Just one more hour…

“…Ugh!”

Someone grabbed her hair. That madman clutched a handful of her hair and began to shake her.

“Next will be your cheek.”

That vile bastard. She cursed under her breath and forced her eyes open. A face identical to her own looked down at her. Her mood soured further.

“Just let me sleep!”

“If you sleep here, you can’t wake up, you know?”

“What? First put down my hair, ow ow! Hey! Hey! You jerk!”

“Did you put glue in your hair? My fingers won’t let go.”

“What nonsense! Why would I use glue!”

“I mistook it for wax.”

“You, who don’t use such things, ow! Hey!”

He finally let go after tugging for what felt like ages. Thanks to that, she was wide awake. She blinked and looked around. A dim space, water lapping in and out at her feet.

“Hello.”

She waved her hand and offered a perfunctory greeting. So…

“You can’t wake up?”

“It’s what—coma? Here, you have to decide to leave in order to leave. That’s why if you sleep, you can’t wake. If someone sane falls here, they wake up once they hit. Like dreaming.”

“So, you’re a dream?”

“Do you think I’d be a dream?”

The slightly taller version of herself shrugged. Yes, this must be the Nightmare Dungeon version of herself—the twenty-nine-year-old, now perhaps thirty. Thinking of her thirty-year-old self, paused and turned back, gave her an odd feeling.

“Don’t stare at me like that. It’s creepy.”

“I love you.”

“You should’ve just let me die of thirst.”

She frowned deeply.

“You acted like a medicated chicken but you’re surprisingly fine.”

“A lot has happened. Hey, I’m a celebrity now. I wouldn’t freak even if I went on broadcast.”

“So have you become a celebrity?”

“No. Why’s the floor like this? I’ve been here before, right?”

A faint memory surfaced. She nodded.

“There was a flood in your world, right?”

“…What? A real flood? Really?”

“I don’t know the details, but the sleeping sea?”

The Mermaid Queen. It seemed the Mermaid Queen’s water influence had enveloped their world.

“So I connected with you more easily. Water flows and mixes. I’m asleep and so are you; your consciousness sank so deep that originally identical beings’ awareness crossed the world’s walls and mixed somewhat.”

“…You understand that?”

“I don’t really get it either.”

Anyway, it seemed she had aided her when she was in danger. She must have been that exhausted. No wonder.

“Thanks, roughly. Are you doing okay? How’s Yuhyun?”

“Of course he’s fine—well, I want to say that.”

She scratched the back of her head.

“We fought.”

“…Hm?”

Why? How did that happen? There shouldn’t be any problem now. She furtively avoided the gaze of her startled self.

“Honestly, neither he nor I are… normal. At first we were fine. But being fine became the problem. Because it was peaceful, we became anxious. Especially Yuhyun—always being with me made him fear losing me again.”

“Ah…”

In hindsight, both had too many wounds to just reconcile and move on. She had reset by regression, but the other Yuhyun was still the twenty-year-old before deep hurt had set in—enough for things to go smoothly for a while, but not thereafter.

“It’s awkward to say, but… it felt like he wanted to die with me.”

“That I know well. That’s Yuhyun’s instinct.”

She nodded emphatically. So that phase had come there too.

“It’s a good sign.”

Her doppelgänger stared at her as if she were insane. But it was true.

“Yuhyun’s nature is like fire. He wants to consume the one he loves.”

His eyes still glowed with distrust. Yes, even she struggled to understand. If they’d stayed peaceful like before, she might never have grasped it. So many things happened that she gradually accepted it.

“When he attacked me at the hotel—didn’t you see me hurt? That’s Yuhyun’s instinct. He keeps it down, but as he finds stability, he starts to heed his desires.”

She earnestly explained the events she’d endured and the advice young Chaos had given. Although reluctant, she listened and gradually nodded in understanding.

“It’s hard to understand, but I think I get it.”

“But don’t just say it’s fine. Otherwise you both might die.”

“I’m not planning to die. That’s why I ran.”

“…What?”

“I got caught soon enough, though.”

“You must have been imprisoned.”

“I escaped again. Yuhyun couldn’t stay by my side while preparing meals.”

She could vaguely picture herself singing for that food. Well… it wasn’t exactly as expected, but anyway, she was living well.

“Talk it out—talk. And, ah, sign a contract and have a bout.”

“Hm?”

“Make Yuhyun’s physical rating equal to yours and agree not to use skills. If you fight, some desire will be released. Yuhyun will like that too.”

“You’d need to write dozens of S–Rank contracts to lower him that much.”

“Then add conditions—so it can be voided whenever Yuhyun wants. Contracts that the signer can easily cancel have fewer restrictions.”

“That’s true. With such an XP gap I’d still lose easily—maybe I’ll say I’ll use skills.”

Her other self nodded at the suggestion, looking at her.

“So what’s your problem?”

A problem… hmm… She hesitated, then spoke.

“I think it might be serious this time.”

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