Chapter 136 Out of the Frying Pan into the Fire
“Yes, it’s the Dungeon Break area. Your guild leader’s car wrecked so we need a new one. They are asking what type of vehicle they should send.”
“Do you have any preferences?”
“You really have all the brands in your garage?”
“If they are in the market, yes.”
He’s in his own league. I should ask him to bring a farm cultivator. Maybe I will, because it will be a sight. But I asked for anything moderately comfortable since a cultivator would not make a pleasant ride.
“What was the magnetic thing? Do you do all things that have to do with electricity? Can you charge your phone by yourself?”
“It’s easier to plug in the phone rather than using the skill while considering voltage and current. Controlling it is more difficult than you think.”
So it was not impossible, and I was curious how precise his control was. I pondered over what other things were applicable but stopped because I was too tired. I wanted to go to sleep as my body became as limp as wet cotton.
Thud!
I heard something heavy fall. I opened my half-closed eyes and turned my head to where the noise had come from.
-Mr. Yoojin!
It was Noah. A golden dragon landed on top of a giant monster I estimated to be an A class Dungeon Boss. Hyunjae Sung would not need to go to the junkyard since the spot was where the sportscar had been parked.
-Are you hurt anywhere?
Noah looked at me being carried by Hyunjae Sung with a worried expression. While his eyes were soft, his half-open wings and sharp nails were tense as if he would fly at Hyunjae Sung. However, since the keyword has been applied, Noah’s presence was weaker than Hyunjae Sung or Taewon Song.
“I’m all right, just tired.”
-You have a chest wound.
I should have changed my clothes. Although Noah applied his B class healing skills, the chest wound did not heal. Noah looked surprised, and Hyunjae Sung seemed intrigued when only the scratches I earned rolling about the floor healed.
-My skills seem to not be effective because they are of low level…
“No. You can specialize in healing. People are treated with respect with just B class single heal skills. It’s just that the wound is a special one.”
“How strange is it?”
I got goosebumps from him murmuring something to himself. Please return the fear resistance level to what it was.
-The gate has been settled with this last monster. We should return.
Noah spoke with his front legs stretched. I wanted to go home as soon as possible.
– Thank you for your work. But since we already called a car, we should ride it.
I did not want to ride Noah in this state since it was scary without any safety devices. Noah would not drop me easily, and I had my grace, but scary things would remain scary.
“Please heal Mr. Taewon Song if it’s alright with you. He’s hurt pretty badly.”
-Are the injuries serious?
Noah inclined his head as if the news was a surprise. He said that Taewon Song had been against an S class monster but he seemed to be more than a match for it. I just laughed. The monster was easy, but there was a person worse than an S class monster.
“Please help.”
-I can’t leave Mr. Yoojin behind like this…
His pale gray eyes narrowed and glanced at Hyunjae Sung. I understood that the situation was an uneasy one, but there was no other choice.
“Guild leader Sung came because I called him. Don’t worry.”
-All right. Please return safely.
I saw the golden dragon hesitate and then fly to the night sky with outstretched wings. While he would have potions, Taewon Song would not have used them so easily. Since the situation has been somewhat cleaned up, he would have done first aid with a low level potion.
My little brother and Hyunjae Sung…He would need at least a high level potion to heal the wounds made by those violent attack skills. He would ask a healer to ration potions.
“I don’t know why you would have a wound like this.”
Hyunjae Sung had been staring at my chest wound for a while now.
“My hand slid when I was chopping scallions in the kitchen.”
“You seem to cook with an item that will make a wound unhealable with a B class healing skill.”
“The scallion was S class.”
“Can I slice it open?”
He was not talking about scallions, and I had goosebumps on my arm.
“Are you crazy? You’ll kill me.”
“I have good control, so don’t worry.”
“Just let me leave. I’ll call a cab.”
Cabs would never come up here, and my phone was dead. I had to look for a phonebooth. Hyunjae Sung let me out without any complaints. My legs were weak, but I could somehow stand.
I walked forward, looking for an open convenience store when Hyunjae Sung made me face him with a hand on my shoulder. I was looking at him with my neck raised from the usual distance, but he seemed to be farther away. I felt a pang of envy at his height.
“You’re not nice today.”
“I think not cursing you for asking me to let you slice my chest open was more than enough kindness.”
“Didn’t you curse?”
“That was just me facing reality.”
“Then, kind Yoojin.”
He had a scary smile. I did not run because it would have been a useless attempt. It might have been better for me to choose a risky flight, but Hyunjae Sung would not have sent me along. Noah would have ranked below Taewon Song on today’s sacrificial lamb list, and my name would be right below.
“Is it because of leader Song that you’re not your usual self?”
“I’m not feeling well lately. We have been busy.”
Hyunjae Sung did not seem to know about Taewon Song’s pillage skills. He probably knew it as a nullifying skill during battle.
“That’s unfortunate. I should have paid more attention.”
“You’re a busy person, and I would appreciate it if you did not give me your attention from now on.”
“Between us? No.”
I should not have called this person. Little brother, this time, you made a wrong decision. But he would not have told me to call Hyunjae Sung if he knew that my fear resistance skill level decreased. I should have told him.
“How did Yoohyun Han come here?”
“You probably have not heard the news, but the Hayeon Guild leader went to conquer a dungeon. The fire was merely a gas explosion since someone seemed to have escaped after forgetting to close a gas valve.”
“Your tongue seems to be light as a feather.”
While Hyunjae Sung was still smiling, I had to wonder where the end of his patience was since he was not a guy used to holding back. However, I could not answer any of the questions. I could not tell him Taewon Song’s skill, and I would be crazy to tell him Yoohyun’s. It was the same for the magic stone in my chest.
Hyunjae Sung spoke as he stared at me after a short silence.
“It can’t be helped.”
My knees bent not out of my own accord. My breath hitched, and everything turned white.
When my shaking vision somehow cleared, I could see my hands on the floor. The sound of my breathing seemed too far away to be mine.
“Yoojin Han.”
Hyunjae Sung lowered his body with one knee on the ground. He tousled my head like a dog and made me lift my head. Our eyes met while I was still reeling, and his gaze that pretended to be gentle instilled a deep fear in me.
“Yoojin, you should be telling me the truth.”
His sweet whisper came like an absolute command. The ends of my fingers clawed the floor.
“Why were you wounded on the chest?”
“The magic stone…”
The magic stone of Diarma. My head cleared a bit once I remembered it. Diarma and the Queen of the Mermen. I remembered what happened at that time.
A cursed poisonous dragon large enough to swallow a star and the ruler of waters.
Damn it, I had gone through almost anything despite being an F class. I would not bend to this. While I had lost the benefits of the fear resistance skill, I still had my experiences under my belt.
“My opponent is only an S class.”
I clenched my teeth. I tried to escape from the chains choking me, but it was not easy. In fiction, people would somehow break free by sheer will, but reality was bleak.
“Stop resisting and speak.”
Then you would be released. It was a tempting offer.
I could not do anything about the class difference and therefore had no way out. My stats were F class and there was a huge gap between Hyunjae Sung and me, and I had no mental resistance items.
F class was useless. Therefore, only an even higher class could win against a higher class.
“That bastard.”
I used magic through breath-taking pressure. The mental skill of the Diarma was not directed at him. I could not use it, and it would not be effective unless he accepted it due to class differences. The skill was addressed to me.
I took only some parts of the skill effects and refreshed my memory of when Diarma and the Queen faced each other and their immense presence.
An S class? That was a pond in front of an ocean.
The ocean attacked the pond and me and swept us away.
“Uh!”
Damn, I had to be crazy. I should have chosen Diarma before he became a dragon. I stopped breathing for a moment. I slid down on the ground and looked up at Hyunjae Sung with tears streaking down my face. He looked actually surprised now.
“You’re only an S class. You don’t deserve to see this.”
Why are you smiling? Hyunjae Sung picked me up again, and I felt absolutely battered inside. I wanted my pet. Hey, your daddy is dying right now.
-Peep!
“…Hey.”
It really came. I gently took the baby bird floating in front of me in my hands. The soft and warm touch calmed my racing heartbeat.
“So, it does have a teleport skill.”
“Stop looking at someone else’s pet.”
-Peep. Peep!
“Hey, thank you for coming to me, but it’s too dangerous for you to be out like this.”
It would be difficult for me if the little guy appeared during a battle. I should educate him so he would not teleport so easily, but I had no idea how to do it.
The car arrived as I fed the little guy magic stones. The driver immediately came out and opened the back door. I wanted to fall asleep the moment I sat but I glared at Hyunjae Sung, who sat next to me instead.
“If you have a conscience, please get off.”
“We will be immediately returning to the guild.”
Hyunjae Sung ignored my words and spoke to the driver. Wait, that guild would not mean Haeyeon?
“Shouldn’t you be taking me back? Do you want me to take a cab?”
“I can’t leave you like this. I’ll protect you for the foreseeable future.”
“You’re the most dangerous person I know!”
-Peep!
“Thank you for overestimating an S class.”
“Please let me out anywhere near a lane.”
I did not know whether I could walk, but I would return home if I needed to crawl. Or if someone would just let me make a phone call to Haeyeon.
“I’m unwell, but I just need to stay at home. Do you have the right to be worried about me?”
“I’ll erase a debt.”
“Two. Let’s bury the hatchet about Noah.”
“You ask too much for a lowly S class.”
Hyunjae Sung’s face creased into a sad face, and I did not care, two debts had to be paid. He seemed to know his crimes as he accepted the deal soon enough.
The car, fortunately, turned to the raising area. Noah was waiting anxiously at the parking lot.
“Mr. Yoojin!”
Noah rushed towards me and held my arm. He then glared at Hyunjae Sung.
“Why does he look worse than before?”
“He did too much as he always does. Let him rest.”
Did he know whose fault it was? Hyunjae Sung looked at my chest before getting back in the car.
“I’m curious avout what you are going to say to your little brother.”
“Hey, what? Are you going to tell him?!”
The bastard disappeared into the car without a reply. What excuse should I make? I was thinking of getting fake skin to hide the wound as I still had a few days before Yoohyun came out.
* * *
“Are you alright?”
My little brother appeared as soon as I washed up after arriving at home. Irin had become tangible from the tattoo and sat perched on my shoulder to look alternatively at Yoohyun and me.
Well, little brother, you seemed to have used a gate stone.
Proofreading credits to Para and Parra