WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

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◈ The S-Classes That I Raised ◈

Chapter 93: Riette

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Yerim forgave Noah far more readily than I expected. She seemed to think that while she was angry he had hurt me, the fight itself had been fun. So, she said, it did not matter if I was all right.

“Once I pay off all my debt, I’m buying a new antidote item first. The best one available.”

- Kyaau.

Yerim said this as she tossed Blue high enough to nearly touch the ceiling, then caught her again. She also said she wanted a rematch. She had never had an ordinary personality to begin with, but she seemed to be getting more aggressive by the day. Though it was rare for an S-Class combat Hunter not to be aggressive.

“You should focus more on practicing control over Sigh. With your stats, dodging attacks is your best option, and you can block poison by freezing it. You should also raise Cold Resistance to S-Class as quickly as possible. Once you get used to controlling resistance to your own element, you can regulate it. In your case, you could lower resistance only in the poisoned area and freeze it for emergency treatment.”

Yoohyun and Seong Hyeonje had occasionally done something similar during ranking matches, where items other than equipment were prohibited. They cauterized their wounds. It was useful for emergency treatment, but watching it made you wonder what kind of insane thing they were doing.

Even without an innate affinity, someone with genius-level mana control could regulate their resistance. Of course, with my mana stat in the gutter despite my ridiculously high skill grades, it would be impossible for me forever. At least I could turn mine off.

“Oh, you can turn passive skills off. Resistance skills and things like that.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. If you try to turn one off twice in a row, it turns off.”

Yerim, who had been staring in fascination, tilted her head.

“It doesn’t work.”

“…It doesn’t?”

“No.”

…Why not? I turned Poison Resistance off and back on. It worked fine. Just in case, I called Yoohyun to ask. He said he had never tried turning one off before and would check, then soon told me it did not work for him either.

“You too? …Does it differ by grade?”

[Maybe.]

There probably was no one besides me with L-Class passive skills, so I could not confirm it. All my resistance skills were L-Class, so I could not compare them myself either.

No wonder nobody mentioned being able to turn skills off even five years later. It was not as though no one had ever tried something strange like I had.

“Looks like lower grades can’t be turned off.”

“Isn’t the Guildmaster’s Fire Resistance S-Class? What grade is your Poison Resistance anyway, mister?”

“L-Class.”

“Wow, that’s crazy. L-Class exists?”

“Yerim, use nice words. The Sesung Guildmaster noticed my Poison Resistance was S-Class or above and told people, but the exact grade is a secret.”

I still wondered how he had pinpointed it so precisely. Did he know the grade of Noah’s poison skill? Judging by the way he spoke with Riette, they did not seem close enough to share their skills. He had not even granted permission to visit the rearing facility.

“Anyway, the more you use most skills and the more skilled you become, the more ways you can apply them. Higher grades can also unlock additional functions. So before you think about buying items, try figuring out whether you can solve the problem with your skills.”

Since these were things from the future, I could not give examples that came to mind. Yoohyun still could not use Bloodflame. From what I had seen with Babar, he could only use Blackflame. He could not control the transparency of Blue Willow Leaves either.

A lot of rankers cursed the upgraded Blue Willow Leaves as a real bastard of a skill. If Yoohyun could use Bloodflame now, Noah would have been in real danger. A B-Class healing skill would not have been enough to heal him, and his wings would have melted away completely. Unlike ordinary flames, Bloodflame was easy to control in terms of damage range, so there would not even have been collateral damage. It would have been over before anyone could stop him.

Before my regression, Yerim had awakened later than she did now, so her skills had not increased in grade. Still, the combination of Sigh and Pale Rain had been good. I should teach her once she became more proficient with her skills.

* * *

“This way.”

When Yerim and I arrived at the Hunter detention center, Song Taewon was waiting to greet us personally and showed us inside. Even though it was for Hunters, lower-ranked ones usually just wore inventory-sealing bracelets and were sent to ordinary detention centers. This was my first time here too.

…How many times had Yoohyun been here? The thought suddenly made me feel uneasy.

“Yerim, don’t ever get arrested somewhere like this.”

“I can live without laws.”

The middle schooler who had been drinking and not wearing a helmet declared confidently. It was not illegal yet, though.

We passed several doors and even went down stairs before reaching a place deep underground. The farther in we went, the worse the expressions of the guards became. Still, items capable of restraining even S-Class Hunters would appear later, so please hang in there a little longer. …Around four years.

The holding cells for high-grade Hunters were underground. There were three cells in total, each with a separate entrance. That was to prevent the other two from getting out if one person escaped.

“It is embarrassing, but we monitor combat-oriented high-grade Hunters under the assumption that they may escape. The basic instruction is not to prevent an escape, but to report it quickly. Of course, that is because this is a detention center. Cases involving the murder of non-Awakened people are immediately transferred to a special isolation facility. Even high-grade Hunters can barely escape from there on their own.”

I did not ask about the special isolation facility. It was not as though they had prisons or equipment capable of restraining high-grade Hunters. But even they could not help becoming weaker if all their limbs were not intact.

“In Noah Ruhir’s case, he dissolved the lock with poison and escaped using Stealth. Still, he was one of the gentler ones.”

Song Taewon said this while opening a locked door. Apparently, Noah had used only the minimum amount of poison needed to keep cleanup simple. Right. The problem was that he had suddenly had an outburst. His first impression had been polite enough.

Inside was an ordinary room. It looked like a simply furnished studio apartment of roughly 350 square feet. With a separate bathroom and no cooking facilities, it seemed even larger. Though to high-grade Hunters, it was probably no more than a cramped little room.

Noah sat quietly in the middle of it with a chair pulled over. He was still wearing yesterday’s tracksuit. His hands rested together on top of his knees, which were pressed neatly together, and he looked at us as if insisting that he had been sitting quietly the whole time. He reminded me of a well-behaved golden retriever. If I told him to give me his paw, he probably would.

“Hello, Han Yujin.”

There was obvious tension in Noah’s greeting. I could not tell whether it was because of the Keyword’s effect, the title, or something else.

I smiled as kindly as I could.

“You waited as promised.”

“Yes. I only made a few phone calls and waited quietly.”

Phone calls? To his guild, perhaps. Come to think of it, what would happen to his guild? Should I just tell them all to come over? We could not keep relying on other guilds to provide security. If they were trustworthy people, moving them over as a group might not be a bad idea.

Getting Noah out was simple, since the matter could be settled by agreement. It only took one Hunter employment contract. The employment period was one month. Since he was an S-Class Hunter, even a week would have been excessive compared to the damages.

Though Noah said he would stay until he was no longer afraid of his older sister.

“Riette has been banned from entering the country.”

Song Taewon said this while handing me a copy of the contract.

“What? She’s banned from entering?”

“Yes. Officially, it is because of illegal contract trading, but based on the content of the call that day, we judged that there was a high possibility she might harm you, Han Yujin. Was this an unnecessary measure?”

“No, not at all. I’d be grateful if you did that.”

I did not want to see Riette for a while. After enough time passed, I would talk to her over the phone first, then decide whether to meet her in person.

“Because illegal contract trading is a misdemeanor, the entry ban can only last up to one year. Also, this is a list of drugs unaffected by Poison Resistance. Hunter-only hospitals have been notified as well. Once it becomes known that you possess Poison Resistance, you will be registered automatically to prevent medical accidents.”

“Understood.”

I nodded and accepted the file. The list was fairly long.

“Alcohol didn’t get you drunk either, but I guess there are drugs that work.”

“Alcohol’s toxicity is stronger than people think. Drugs that work either have almost no toxicity or are weak enough not to trigger Poison Resistance, so they do not harm the human body. Most are medical aids. There are also special drugs made from dungeon byproducts, such as Hunter painkillers.”

“I have Hunter painkillers too. My antidote item is B-Class, so I got ones that work against Poison Resistance up to B-Class.”

Yerim spoke up. I had used Hunter painkillers before my regression too, but they had been the cheapest kind. Since there were currently ones that worked up to S-Class, I would not even be able to use painkillers without turning off my resistance skill.

After receiving recommendations for common medicines unaffected by Poison Resistance, we left the detention center. Yerim stayed close at my side, while Noah followed two or three steps behind us. When I stopped, he stopped too, still lagging behind.

“Noah.”

“Yes?”

“You don’t need to walk so far away.”

“Ah… I’m more comfortable like this. Is that not allowed?”

Comfortable, huh. When he walked with Riette, he had probably always followed behind her. I could picture Riette striding confidently in front without looking back even once.

There was no need to force him to change right away, so I said it was fine and headed for the parking lot again. Since neither Yerim nor I had a driver’s license yet, Hunter Kim Jiyeon came along. When I mentioned getting one, Yerim said she would get one too and signed us both up for the test next weekend.

“So we went to a screen game arcade. It was fun in its own way, but the real thing is still best. Want to go to a shooting range together next time? We can bet dinner.”

“I’ll just buy you dinner.”

There was no way it would be a fair bet. Since there was still plenty of time before dinner, Yerim begged to go to a karaoke. I glanced at Noah, then nodded.

* * *

“I told you to lodge a complaint with the Korean Hunter Association. Hmm?”

“It is not within my authority, so if you could wait just a moment…”

An employee of the Mexican Hunter Association spoke anxiously. The ordinary lobby staff had already fled, leaving only Hunters watching Riette, the cause of the commotion.

Wearing a colorful poncho and a pointed sombrero to match, Riette fluttered her fingertips and frowned slightly. Every small movement she made caused the people around her to flinch.

“I’ve helped you so much, and you can’t even do this one thing for me?”

Riette mainly enjoyed clearing newly discovered illegal dungeons, but she also worked as a free Hunter. Mexico, which only had two S-Class Hunters after most of them had gone to the United States and Europe, had received her help a few times. Technically, they had been transactions with compensation, but in Riette’s mind, they had changed into favors she had generously bestowed.

In any case, the Mexican Hunter Association was the one in need, so they could not argue back despite her arrogant words.

“What did I do to get banned from entering? Over a few illegal contracts? Isn’t that really too much?”

- Hiss!

A small snake poked its head out from beneath the wide brim of her sombrero as if agreeing. It was a jeweled snake, its entire body glittering brilliantly. Riette raised a hand and rubbed beneath its chin.

“My darling needs to take you in soon. You want to grow up quickly too, don’t you, Bell?”

- Hiss, hiss.

The snake’s golden eyes, so much like its owner’s, narrowed with pleasure.

“Now hurry up and find a way to send Bellare and me to Korea.”

The corners of Riette’s brows rose, and murderous intent began to seep from her. The surrounding Hunters froze.

Crash!

A heavy-duty pickup truck smashed through the glass doors and charged into the lobby. Armed men jumped out after the truck skidded to a stop, leaving long tire marks across the polished floor.

Rat-a-tat-tat!

Bullets immediately rained down. The Hunters scattered or used defensive skills and equipment. Fortunately, thanks to Riette’s tyranny, there were no non-Awakened people present, nor any low-ranked Hunters vulnerable to gunfire.

“What are those supposed to be?”

Riette tilted her head as she dusted off the poncho she had already slipped out of. Bullets that had been caught in its folds fell out in a clatter. It was ordinary cloth, yet somehow it had stopped the bullets without so much as a hole.

“Dungeon breaks are divine providence! Do not defy God’s will!”

One of the armed men shouted as he pulled out a grenade. The other men drew explosives as well. Amid the tense Hunters, Riette’s lips curled upward.

“Ah, those terrorists that have been showing up lately. I’ll deal with them, so get me into Korea, all right?”

Making the decision on her own, she drew her sword. The long blade lay sideways and moved slowly. As if playing around, she swept it horizontally through the empty air.

The divided air trembled faintly.

Ping!

With a sound like a taut string snapping, overwhelming force struck the men holding the bombs. Human bodies were sliced apart like helpless straw in a storm of blades. Arms, legs, and heads fell away, yet not a single drop of blood flowed. Even the bombs, split cleanly in half, remained silent.

In that utterly unreal scene, the air shivered a beat late. The Hunters who had been standing there blankly finally swallowed dryly and let out muffled groans.

Riette put her sword into her inventory and approached the scattered corpses, which looked like broken dolls.

“God’s will? Men who say things like that never turn out decent.”

She nudged a severed head with her toe. The head rolled to the side, its wide-open eyes staring at Riette.

[Riette.]

“Oh my?”

[I will make the offer once again.]

A voice flowed from the dead head. At the same time, Riette’s golden eyes narrowed sharply.

“You were quiet for quite a while. What is it this time? I warned you not to come anywhere near me or my little brother.”

Of course, it had not been a gentle verbal warning. Blood had flowed, and flesh had scattered.

[Riet-]

“Shut up.”

Crunch.

Her combat boot stomped down and crushed the head. Riette wiped the sole of her shoe on a corpse’s clothes, then turned around. Her brightly smiling face was frighteningly cold.

“If anyone here has rock-bottom Curse Resistance and mental strength, crawl out on your own. I’ll make it painless.”

“What are you-”

The Hunter’s words stopped as Riette’s hand clamped around their throat. The Hunter, who had not even sensed Riette approaching, broke out in a cold sweat.

“Do you have a Curse Resistance skill or item? What about mental strength?”

“A C-Class item…”

“Then you’re no good.”

She flicked the hand holding their throat and threw them aside.

“Next. Let’s hurry this along, hmm?”

Or should I just kill them all? As the murderous intent thickened, the Association Hunters instinctively stepped back. Then a somewhat pale man met Riette’s gaze directly.

“It’s you.”

[Firstborn of Dio Valshecis, the Cursed Poison Dragon.]

Riette’s golden eyes shook for an instant. A deep crease formed between her brows, and the relaxed curve of her lips twisted.

“What did you just…”

[Kill Seong Hyeonje of Korea’s Sesung Guild. Capture the older brother of Han Yoohyun from Haeyeon Guild and bring him here.]

“This bastard thinks he can order me around!”

Grind.

But Riette could not move. The instincts of a Cursed Poison Dragon rather than a human had bound her feet.

If she had been a complete Dio Valshecis, she might have bowed her head politely. Instead, Riette bit down on her lip and used a skill. The savage force, more than sufficient even without borrowing her weapon’s power, tore the man possessed by the master of the Cursed Poison Dragon King apart vertically.

At the same time, pieces of the man’s body flew outward like bomb fragments.

“Argh!”

“Ugh!”

The Hunters who had been crushed under Riette’s force collapsed one after another without a chance to defend themselves. Thick poisonous miasma overflowed around them. It crept toward Riette’s feet too, but due to her high Poison Resistance, it only lingered nearby.

“…Damn, my head hurts.”

- Hiss.

The jeweled snake hiding in its owner’s hat stretched its body out and looked at Riette. Riette wiped blood from her lips with the back of her hand and frowned.

“What was that just now?”

Her memory was hazy. In any case, the unpleasant person she had met after so long was surely gone. That thing could only possess Hunters with low mental strength and Curse Resistance, and the distance it could transfer was not very far. With no human other than Riette nearby, it would have no choice but to leave.

“I thought it had given up completely. What a strange change of heart.”

It was unpleasant. As Riette irritably kicked the split corpse, a group of people appeared. The woman at the front was Mexico’s S-Class Hunter. The imposing woman looked at Riette and the corpses around her, then scowled.

“You couldn’t wait even a moment before causing trouble?”

“What? No, I-”

“This time, you’re going to prison quietly!”

“Ah, damn it! My luck has been awful lately!”

I need to get to Korea! She was confident she could win, but making the situation worse here would only cause trouble. No matter how she lived as she pleased, she still avoided falling out with every Hunter Association in the world. Clicking her tongue, Riette made a swift exit.

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