WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

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◈ The S-Classes That I Raised ◈

Chapter 77: Kindergarten Teacher (4)

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“Since Hunter Yu Myeongu made an S-Class spear, I was really looking forward to it. It’s not like I don’t have an S-Class greatspear, but having a spare would be nice, you know? It’s unsettling when you only have one main weapon. S-Class weapons aren’t indestructible.”

Moon Hyuna said as she lightly leapt over the ruins of a building.

The dungeon raid was proceeding smoothly and leisurely on its second day as well. Maybe thanks to the Yu Myeongu effect, there was much less snarling at one another than yesterday. It was hardly a cheerful, friendly atmosphere, but no one seemed about to seriously start a fight.

“Different weapon options can change up my combat style, too. I’m a little straightforward, you see. It’s not much of a problem against monsters yet, but it gets troublesome against people who can find out my information in advance.”

As she spoke, she glanced toward where Seong Hyeonje had gone.

“So, big bro, could you casually put in a word with Hunter Yu Myeongu? Ask him how about an S-Class greatspear for his next weapon?”

“Hyuna, I need one more urgently!”

Yerim, who had been sitting with her back against mine, shouted. With both legs stretched out toward Peace’s rear, she looked like she might fall at any moment, but she herself was completely at ease.

“You have all sorts of S-Class equipment, but I only have a spear and a bracelet!”

“The Haeyeon Guild’s Guildmaster is stingy. Ah, I’m not insulting your little brother. It’s good to be frugal.”

“It isn’t that he’s stingy. Their attributes are complete opposites, and their combat styles differ too, so they probably didn’t have much equipment that suited Yerim.”

Yoohyun specialized in close combat backed by overwhelming firepower. With stats and skill traits that were outstanding across the board, he was stronger in one-on-one situations against a specific powerful opponent than against large numbers.

Yerim, on the other hand, was focused on mana and agility. Her skills specialized in quickly binding and sweeping away numerous enemies.

Their attributes and types were complete opposites, so naturally, few of the Haeyeon Guild’s S-Class pieces of equipment would be useful to Yerim. Since she was not about to tackle an S-Class dungeon yet, A-Class equipment that fit her traits well was better than S-Class equipment with useless options.

“That’s true. Do you know that whenever the Haeyeon Guild has equipment of even a slightly higher grade, it’s covered in Fire Resistance? They say you need at least C-Class Fire Resistance to run S-Class dungeons with the Guildmaster. B-Class if you want to stay anywhere near him. Otherwise, you need equipment specialized for defense.”

“Yerim, if you want to form your own team, you should start gathering equipment with Cold Resistance now. This isn’t someone else’s problem.”

“Aah, right! Damn it!”

The hard road ahead was clear as day for our Yerim. Still, if she properly assembled an S-Class team, everything would be smooth sailing. The dungeon difficulty would rise, but if I paired her with Moon Hyuna, there would be nothing to worry about. The Keyword had not been applied yet, probably.

[Successfully Influenced Targets (7)

(Han Yoohyun-S) (Park Yerim-S) (Peace-S) (Pending) (Pending)

.

.

.

(Yu Myeongu-A) (Kim Seonghan-A) (Peep-□) (Blue-C)]

As expected, Moon Hyuna’s name was absent. Peace had risen to the S-Class ranks, while Yu Myeongu had changed to A-Class. With an SS-Class skill and C-Class stats, the system apparently considered him A-Class. Once Myeongu’s stats reached around B or A-Class, he would become S-Class too.

The Keyword had applied to Blue faster than expected. The unicorns would probably take quite a while, perhaps because they were apart.

‘Moon Hyuna is quite close, so it should only take one or two more mentions of the Keyword. Seong Hyeonje... well, if the opportunity comes.’

I had muddled through mentioning it once, but he was not someone it was easy to talk to about love. Assuming everyone except Peep became S-Class, that made six. Seven with Moon Hyuna. It had not even been two months since I obtained the My Kid skill, so this was a decent pace.

‘I should apply the Keyword to Moon Hyuna before we leave the dungeon.’

That was when it happened.

[Avoid! Spatial Interference!]

An urgent message appeared, and a strange sensation swept over my entire body. It felt as though something was twisting precisely where I stood.

A chill ran down my spine.

[The fear of a powerful being disappears!]

The Fear Resistance skill message appeared. As my slightly stiffened body relaxed, I shouted.

“We need to get out of here! Peace, run!”

- Grrr!

Peace cried out as if in reply and accelerated. Yerim fell off with a shriek, while Moon Hyuna and Kim Seonghan immediately followed behind us.

“What’s happening, mister?”

Yerim flew over and asked. Had no one else felt it?

“Tell Yoohyun and Seong Hyeonje, ngh, to come over here!”

The shaking nearly made me bite my tongue several times. Yerim vanished in an instant with a reply. Then, shortly afterward,

Rumble, rumble!

A sound like a mountain collapsing came from behind us. Not once, but several times in succession.

“What the hell is that?!”

Moon Hyuna shouted in surprise. Damn it. If an S-Class Hunter was startled, this definitely was not an ordinary situation. When I patted Peace’s back, Peace somehow caught on and stopped. After swallowing a breath, I turned around.

In the middle of the half-destroyed city stood a mountain.

No, it was an enormous monster the size of a small mountain. Its raised head was dizzyingly high. The shattered buildings beneath its four thick legs looked as insignificant as toy blocks.

A gigantic toad covered from head to toe in rock.

[Grade 1 Giant Toad Species, Babar, the Mountain Swallower

Current Stat Grade: SS

Awakening Possible Stat Grade: S to SS

Optimized Initial Skills

Small Mountain (SS) acquired

Endless Digestion (SS) acquired

Melting Venom (S) acquisition failed

Regeneration (S) acquired]

It was a Grade 1 monster with SS-Class stats.

Rumble! Boom!

Babar moved slowly. It crept along at a snail’s pace, but because it was so huge, dozens of buildings were swept away with every step. The ground trembled in small vibrations, as if there had been an earthquake.

The sight of a small mountain moving felt unreal.

Fortunately, it was heading away from us and was far enough away. When I climbed down from Peace’s back, Kim Seonghan and Moon Hyuna approached. Both had stiff expressions.

“Holy shit, I’ve never seen anything like that. Yerim, Hunter Kim Seonghan, have either of you?”

“It’s my first time too.”

“Me too. It’s huge!”

“Is that really a monster? How are we supposed to kill something like that?”

Moon Hyuna shook her head as if sick of the thought. Still, Babar was one of the easier Grade 1 monsters to kill if you knew the strategy. It had not acquired its venom either, making it even more manageable.

For the S-Class Hunters of five years from now, that was.

“Brother!”

Yoohyun had appeared at some point and pressed close to my side.

“You should leave first.”

“Do we have enough Gate Stones for everyone?”

“...No. The Haeyeon Guild only has three, and we brought one.”

Including mine, that made two.

“I only have one too.”

Moon Hyuna said. Seong Hyeonje was probably in a similar situation. Besides, there would be a problem even if we used Gate Stones to escape. There was no telling whether a monster that had appeared due to an error would quietly disappear.

If the dungeon burst while Babar was still here, it would be a disaster. This dungeon was right next to Y University. The area around Y University could be completely swept away.

‘I don’t know what the spatial interference is either, but for now, we have no choice but to deal with that thing.’

It was not as though we had no method. Seong Hyeonje arrived with Yerim just then.

“Is this the same phenomenon as when Golden-Beaked Maiya appeared in that D-Class dungeon?”

At Seong Hyeonje’s words, Yoohyun’s gaze reflexively turned toward me. I did not know whether this was related to me as well. The anomaly had appeared exactly where I had been, so it did not seem entirely unrelated.

“That monster is a Grade 1 Giant Toad Species called Babar, the Mountain Swallower. Its stat grade is SS.”

“Grade 1? SS-Class stats? Why would a monster like that appear in an A-Class dungeon? I’ve never even seen one in an S-Class dungeon!”

Moon Hyuna frowned, while Yoohyun and Kim Seonghan’s expressions hardened. Yerim still did not seem to fully grasp the seriousness of the situation.

“Let’s go to the gate right away, Brother.”

“Yes, please leave first.”

What were they planning to do if I left? Even if everyone else used Gate Stones, Yerim, Kim Seonghan, and Peace, if we counted the monster as one person, would be trapped here without any way out.

“There’s no need to worry right away. It won’t even notice us until we attack it.”

Most monsters were aggressive and attacked first, but that one was different. It could not even properly notice small humans scurrying around right in front of it.

It was dull and slow. But it was incredibly tough.

The dungeon where Babar first appeared in China could not be cleared and eventually burst. That giant toad only wandered around slowly, but even that caused immense damage.

It had appeared on broadcasts several times because of that, so I clearly remembered the strategy.

Everyone needed to take down Babar was here right now. Thankfully.

“Babar’s shell is incredibly tough. Ordinary skills can never break it.”

That remained true even for S-Class Hunters five years from now. No one could handle a Grade 1 monster species alone.

“The thinnest part of its shell is the indented area on the back of its neck. It is directly connected to its head, so you could call it its only weak point.”

“How do you know that? Does the magical beast rearing skill provide information like that too?”

Seong Hyeonje asked. I could not say that I had seen it in the future.

“More or less. Please focus on the raid for now. If we leave without killing that thing, it’ll be a disaster.”

I vaguely brushed it off and turned my gaze to Yerim.

“Yerim, you’re first.”

“Me? First for what?”

“Even though the back of its neck is comparatively weak, we can’t break it without weakening the shell first. The most effective way to weaken Babar’s shell is a sudden temperature change.”

And right now, we had both fire and ice.

“Put Shadowless Day’s stat boost into mana and its attribute boost into lightning. On top of Sigh, concentrate Pale Rain over a limited area to freeze it. Don’t forget Ice Attribute Enhancement. Then you’re next, Yoohyun.”

“You mean I should melt it with the highest temperature possible?”

“You catch on quickly. And Hyuna, break the weakened shell with Peace! I hear you have the greatest destructive power when it’s concentrated at a single point.”

“That’s my specialty! It’ll be even easier against something that slow.”

Moon Hyuna said excitedly. She even grinned as she turned toward Peace.

“I doubt it’ll end with Moon Hyuna. I’m last, then.”

“Yes, Hyeonje. Once Hyuna breaks the shell, the flesh underneath will be exposed. If you pour a powerful current into it, you can cook its brain, though your current stats will probably be lacking. But with Yerim’s stat and attribute boosts, plus the doubled effect of attack skills, you can definitely finish it.”

I had already told the people here that I could share the title that doubled the effects of my attack skills. They could not help noticing when Kim Seonghan killed the boss, and if I shared it again afterward, it would likely be with S-Class Hunters.

“Does Brother really have to step in?”

Yoohyun suddenly frowned. I did not want to step in either, but considering the five-year difference, a thirty percent stat boost and a twenty percent attribute boost did not feel reliable enough. There would be a major difference in level, stats, skill proficiency, and equipment.

“I have the bracelet. Ten minutes will be enough. No, if it takes over ten minutes, we’re done for. One of Babar’s skills is S-Class Regeneration. Its natural recovery must already be high, and now it has Regeneration too. If even a little time passes between attacks, it’ll recover in an instant.”

Then we would have no way to win. The others could try again, but I was a one-time use only. So I needed to use the bracelet as late as possible, when success seemed certain.

The timing was important in many ways.

‘Ferocious Kindergarten Teacher. Should I try using that?’

The skill that had suddenly appeared that morning. It seemed that the skill I had failed to receive at Level 10 had been acquired after fulfilling its conditions.

I did not know what those conditions were, but considering the skill’s grade and the situation, they must have involved S-Class Hunters. Something terrifying, like commanding a certain number of S-Class Hunters.

...If that was true, it did not seem like a skill meant to be acquired.

I opened my status window and checked the skill once more.

[Ferocious Kindergarten Teacher (SS): A teacher who leads unruly Awakened! The children never listen and do as they please, do they? But do not worry! Use this skill to deeply connect multiple targets, allowing close cooperation centered on the skill user.

Target Grade Limit: SS]

It was obvious at a glance that someone had changed halfway through writing the description. I could vividly imagine Waterdrop or the tree smacking the back of a deer’s head and taking over the task of writing it. I did not know what any of them looked like, though.

[※ Affected by mental strength and mana. The more exceptional the targets’ abilities, the greater the burden on the skill user may be. The burden is expected to be lower for Keyword-applied targets. If a target strongly resists, the skill user may suffer damage. Other effects may exist.]

Most of it was speculation, but they had still explained it in detail. How kind.

‘Judging from the skill name and description, it’s probably a special command-type skill.’

The prospect of close cooperation was especially appealing in this situation.

When facing Babar, whose recovery was exceptional, the most important thing was swift and precise coordination between each skill. We had to land the next attack as quickly as possible without getting caught up in an ally’s skill.

Even the team that first succeeded in hunting Babar had to go through several trials and errors because they were not coordinated.

If the Teacher skill worked as described, it would be extremely useful.

“Does anyone have equipment that mainly provides flat increases to mental strength and mana?”

“I have percentage increases.”

Yerim said. The others shook their heads too. Right, of course they did not. I took out and equipped what I had. At least mana and mental strength stats often came together.

“Peace, look at this! An S-Class saddle!”

Moon Hyuna pulled a black-and-white saddle out of her inventory. At the sight of her approaching with a broad grin and wicked intentions, Peace backed away toward me.

- Grr.

“Put up with it just this once.”

“Put up with it? Do you know how good this is? It has Speed Enhancement as a basic option, plus increased strength, defense, charging power, and even the rider’s attack power!”

“Hyuna, do you have Fire Resistance equipment? You’ll be up after Yoohyun, so you should prepare.”

“Of course I do. I never know when I might have to fight him, so I brought it.”

She had really come fully prepared to pick a fight.

As everyone prepared their equipment, I spotted Kim Seonghan standing apart by himself. There was no role for him to join in on, but I could not simply leave him out.

“Does anyone have a ranged weapon?”

“Me!”

Moon Hyuna raised her hand high. What she took out of her inventory and tossed over was a longbow.

“Does it have a long range?”

“Very. I use it for signals too.”

I took the bow, approached Kim Seonghan, and handed it to him.

“Fire one shot, hit it, then stay back.”

A bow like this would not even make the toad itch, but that was not important. One of Kim Seonghan’s conditions for advancing to S-Class was hunting an SS-Class monster with ten or fewer people. Even including Peace, there were only seven of us, so it met the requirement.

“Will that really be all right? I don’t want to cause trouble because of me...”

Kim Seonghan looked like he was dying of guilt. Honestly, the toad appearing seemed to be my fault.

“Don’t worry about it. All kinds of things happen in life. If you really feel indebted, keep supporting my little brother in the future. Like you’ve been doing.”

I had already extended his contract period by helping him advance to S-Class, but that was how people’s hearts worked. It would give him more motivation if I asked him nicely instead of forcibly tying him down.

“Of course I will. Please don’t worry.”

Kim Seonghan said, gripping the bow tightly.

Everyone had finished preparing their equipment. Babar was opening its enormous mouth and eating a castle. The loud sound of bricks pouring down reached all the way here.

“It won’t react even if we climb up to the back of its neck. You can consider its shell almost completely numb.”

It could not feel anything short of a considerable impact.

“Then we should climb up first.”

At Moon Hyuna’s words, Yerim spread her arms wide toward me.

“Come on, mister!”

“...Huh?”

“That’s pretty steep. If you ride Peace up there, you’ll fall right off unless you tie yourself down. Since I have a flying skill, I’m the best choice. I’ll get you there safely and comfortably!”

She had a point, but it was a little embarrassing to cling to a girl who was smaller and younger than I was. I approached while wondering if I should hang onto her back, when,

“Ah, wait!”

Yerim scooped me up in both arms. Damn it, Yerim!

“Hold still, mister.”

“Do we really have to do this?!”

“This is the safest and most comfortable way. You’re incredibly light, so just relax and leave it to me.”

No, my weight was not the issue... The back of my neck was burning. Ugh, how embarrassing.

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