S Classes that I Raised 156 I Ran Away (2)
I covered my face with the mask as much as possible and went to Sadang Station after calling a taxi by phone in a secluded spot. The E class dungeon was not that far from Sadang Station, and as it was a bustling area, I got out of the taxi in a corner and used my stealth skill to go to the station and place the phone in the locker.
‘It’s been a long time since I came to a subway station.’
I had my own car before the return, and nowadays, I did not need to ride the subway even more. I stood and watched people going by since there was some time left before the meet. I would have been one of them if dungeons did not appear. Yoohyun would also be using the green line and go through Sadang Station[[,]] while he was riding a slick customized car now.
‘Now’s all right.’
He was more successful, and Yoohyun might not have found his studies interesting. However, I wished he would attend his classes a little and thought maybe I should go with him. Do classes differ according to grades in universities?
‘They’re about Yoohyun’s age.’
They may have been on a trip since it was summer vacation, as they carried luggage with them. I watched them as they looked like they were enjoying themselves, thinking traveling was nice.
The time to meet came quickly just like that, and I came out of the station to go to the dungeon while being careful not to brush against pedestrians. There were a total of four people in front of the dungeon building.
There were a D class and three E classes, and they did not have any initial skills that I needed to worry about. However, I used the grace since they may have gained a dangerous skill afterward.
‘There seems to be no one else.’
I had to be careful since I was using only a mask to cover my face. They might be ordinary or nice people, but seeing a chunk of gold rolling without any protection would tempt any man. Television had extensively reported that Yoojin Han’s price was exceptionally high.
‘I can manage them even if they changed their occupations to kidnappers.’
Of course, it was not me but Velare who would be managing them. The small jewel snake’s tongue darted in and out as its eyes twinkled on my wrist like it was satisfied with the night walk.
‘Help me out, Vel.’
Since low-class hunters would not have adequate poison resistance skills or items, an A class poison skill would be more than enough. However, the best option was that everything went smoothly.
“Thank you for meeting me so late.”
I went forward with a welcoming attitude after undoing the stealth skill. The D class leader looked at me up and down, and as I could not hide a bracelet because I was wearing a short-sleeved shirt, I changed the grace into a necklace. They might recognize it since it had been broadcasted on television a few times, and instead, Velare was acting as a bracelet. Since it was a snake with metallic scales, it looked like a unique and fancy accessory when it kept still.
I had on earrings, and that was everything I was wearing right now.
“I heard your voice before somewhere.”
“Really? People say my voice is quite nice.”
I took out the cash as I passed over the hunter’s words, and I placed a hundred 50,000 won bills in an envelope I had bought the same way as the mask. I put forward two envelopes filled with money to the hunter.
“Please confirm.”
He nodded after quickly checking the amount in the envelope.
“Are you alone? You said you’d be going in immediately.”
“Yes, something came up. So, I won’t be conquering the dungeon and will come out after twenty to thirty minutes. I would be grateful if you guys completed the conquest as planned tomorrow.”
“It’s a complete waste of money.”
“Yes. What I need can be gotten near the entrance…I shouldn’t have said that.”
I shrugged my shoulder on purpose.
“Can you get me in since I have to hurry?”
While the D class hunter looked at me suspiciously, he opened the door with the card key without saying anything else.
I went inside the building and took out an outer garment in front of the gate. Velare widened its eyes and moved to my hand to avoid the sleeve as I put on a winter garment in the middle of summer.
-Hss!
“It will be cold inside.”
I knocked three times and went inside the gate, and the snowing forest greeted me as always. Velare shrank in surprise when a fluttering snowflake landed on its nose.
-Hss!
“Is this the first time you have seen snow?”
Velare was still a baby, and the dungeon where jewel snakes came from would be a humid dungeon. The snake chomped on a snowflake as it shook its tale like it was in a bad mood. Velare tilted its head as the snowflake turned to water in its mouth.
-Hss
The jewel snake turned its body to go inside my sleeve as it seemed to have felt the cold now. Velare only let out its head from my coat and looked around, and I thought it acted quite adorably.
[Ho~ney!]
The volleyball came bouncing to me from afar.
[You’re alone? What’s going on?]
There was Velare, but still.
“I came out in secret.”
[Honey, you can’t be going about alone! It’s dangerous!]
Even a volleyball was nagging me, and I showed the necklace that was actually the grace. A bluebird came out from a blue jewel, and the bird landed on the volleyball.
[Hey, Mr. Shalos!]
The volleyball sprang up.
[Is it because you have made the item with Mr. Shalos’ stone? It looked exactly like Mr. Shalos when he was young, despite me having not seen him as I’m younger.]
“It’s the same? Wasn’t he a dragon?”
The inventory had clearly said Dragon Lord.
[In that world, all living creatures become dragons when they grow up to a certain extent. Mr. Shalos had been a bird and had played with Mr. White Bird often.]
“The bird who counts the stars?”
I grabbed the volleyball, and the bluebird jumped up to my shoulder.
[I haven’t found it yet! I don’t know where it is!]
“Are you looking?”
[Of course, I am. However, we cannot do much if they go into hiding. They can predict the future. We actually won’t be able to find them until they act first.]
…Where were they after taking someone’s younger brother? I repressed my surging emotions since going after this newbie would not change things.
“The successor to Diarma visited me.”
[Is that so? Nothing happened, right?]
“It offered me a deal, saying that it would save those I cared about if I made a contract.”
The volleyball shook at my words.
[No! No, honey! You can’t make a contract! You won’t, right?]
“I don’t know what I will do if things become too much. I have to save them, at least.”
I intentionally spoke in a weak voice, and the face drawn on the volleyball creased into a sad face.
[How can you believe that? No, you can’t make a contract like that!]
“Even if you say no, I’m honestly anxious right now. Dungeon breaks often happened before my return because they could not be managed, and now the level of difficulty is said to be raised even faster. Can I block dungeons to the end? I don’t feel confident.”
[Honey, we’re helping you! It’s different from before your return.]
“Then give me something and show me some action that would give me relief.”
I especially wanted it to give me some exceptional skills or weapons my brother could use, or an item for faster growth. Was there not a fire-type depraved? Give me something, and not just talk.
[I mean…even if you say to give…]
“Maybe I should make a contract with that jellyfish. Who cares if the world is destroyed? I’m satisfied if those I care about are all right.”
[Hooney…:(]
“Those who say that they’ll definitely pay me a price are more trustworthy than those who only talk.”
[………………………………….:(]
The volleyball should stop just showing me that it was sad. The newbie fell silent nervously for a moment and started talking again.
[I need to prepare! I’ll try to give you an item or a skill you want, so come back in a month or so!]
“That’s too long since the jellyfish probably would not wait that long.”
[Then, three weeks!]
I pretended to hesitate and then nodded. I might be able to negotiate with the jellyfish, saying that what can you give me when the depraved are persuading me not to make the contract with bribes.
“How long will it take for the jellyfish to start acting in earnest?”
[That has to do with the lizard owner. It will take a long time since it will have to make links all over again if there are not many candidates for contracting. However, it’s a relief that the contract has broken regarding Chain.]
I remembered MKC Seokwon Choi from the word contract. He would still be under one, but I had not been able to pay him attention because I was too busy. I should at least make him cancel the contract, but how should I meet him?
“Hey, the jellyfish seemed to know about the Crescent Moon. Is it still asleep?”
[Yes, but I don’t know much about it. Wait, and I’ll call Senior Tree.]
Green letters appeared on the message board after a moment.
[Hello, honey, don’t pick on the newbie.]
“I was not doing anything.”
[It’s circling now, repeatedly mumbling what should I do. About the Crescent Moon and the successor, let’s call it jellyfish. Those two are acquainted and had worked together because they had similar attributes. They are not close now.]
“That means I can hear the jellyfish’s weaknesses and skills in detail.”
[If the Crescent Moon wakes up? I don’t know much about jellyfish myself. However, it’s worrying that it is interested in you, honey. Think carefully. A contract would be very unwise.]
“If you guys would show some sincerity.”
[Don’t be so haughty. The newbie will cry.]
The volleyball crying did not affect me, as lives were on the line for me. I would release buckets of tears if crying would solve things.
“About Hyunjae Sung, or Chain. He seems to still have his memories because he had refused the Hyunjae Sung from before the return.”
I did not say anything about the fragment since there was no need to show them too much.
[Chain? That’s not something that happens often. Only a very few would be able to feel that something is strange, let alone still have their memories. Perhaps it has something to do with the Crescent Moon. When will it wake up?]
I also wished it would wake up soon since the depraved that acted most vigorously before the return seemed to have been the Crescent Moon from what I heard. I would be able to gain more information once the Crescent Moon wakes up.
[I’ll investigate. Honey, stay far away from the jellyfish and always be careful.]
I asked a few more questions and said that I would leave. The environment changed to a warm and dry forest. I took off the coat, put it in the inventory, and turned around to the gate.
It may be nine now since I had not spent that much time and would be able to go back well before ten If I returned now. I hoped I had not been discovered.
“Well, well.”
I saw people surrounding me when I went out of the gate, and they were the D and E class hunters I had met previously.
“What had you guys been waiting for? I can go home by myself without you paying me this much attention.”
The D class hunter came in front of me as I said that there was no need to worry as I did not have a scratch.
“I had been unsure, but you’re Yoojin Han, right?”
He took off my mask, and things had gotten a bit complicated.
“What time exactly is it now?”
“How can you be so foolish to walk around alone?”
I had been looked down upon again. I heard someone say that it really was Yoojin Han, and some looked at me like I was on exhibit. The price is 10,000 won for adults, 5,000 won for children, and free for veterans.
“I do not know why you’re all blocking my path, but I want a quick and peaceful solution. You guys are not really thinking about selling me, right?”
“You seem keen on keeping this a secret, and we can come to an agreement.”
That means there would be no corpses. I had been about to ask how much when a warning siren rang. They all took out their cell phones at once.
“Is it a dungeon break?”
“…There’s no mention of a break. Is it a hunter-related incident?”
I remembered my brother as the hunter answered me without a thought. If an emergency message had been sent without a dungeon break, it meant there was an incident regarding a high-class hunter. It may be Sesung’s problem since an S class hunter had just finished a dungeon conquest.
I instinctively felt that the message was related to Yoohyun, as he had been foreshadowing that he would be doing something for the past few days. It had happened.
I reached out to grab the D class hunter’s wrist, and he only stared at me as he knew that I had F class stats.
“You have a car?”
“What?”
“I would need you to drive since I don’t have a driving license.”
“What are you talking…”
Velare slid onto the man’s wrist and showed its teeth. I spoke quickly.
“It’s a snake with an A class poison skill.”
The man froze at my words, and other E class hunters stepped back in surprise. While he could hold me to detoxify him since I have a B class shield skill item, I could last until the D and E class hunters melted under the poison.
“Wait…”
“I’ll pay you well and let you live if you act as my driver.”
So, please take me to my brother. The D class hunter nodded with a rigid expression as I requested with a smile. Thank you very much.