The S-Classes That I Raised

Chapter 335: Second, Third (4)

I was drinking the coconut that Hyunah kindly stuck a straw into when Myungwoo arrived. What exactly is the appeal of this taste? Snacks with coconut in them were good, but I really couldn’t figure out what the water itself was supposed to taste like.

“Myungwoo~”

I smiled first. A smiling face makes it harder to get mad, after all. Myungwoo placed the box of drinks he brought onto the table.

“You didn’t have to bring anything, I said I was fine.”

“I can’t come empty-handed. How’s your condition?”

“Perfectly fine! Really. Not a single issue, and I’ll be discharged tomorrow.”

I kept emphasizing how fine I was. I’d say the wound on my back was just a random injury, and that using a potion or healing skill wasn’t good for it, which was why it was still there. Maybe I could say the mana engraving is actually good for the body.

“Sorry for calling you over when you’re busy.”

“I don’t mind being called anytime, but I’d prefer it not be to a hospital.”

He said it with a smile, but there was a sting to it. Just then, Grace popped out and flew over to Myungwoo. Then she began chirping at him in protest.

“…Can you understand her?”

“No. But I can guess you messed something up again.”

“That’s—true! It’s probably because Grace fought with Iryn!”

“Iryn? The fire spirit?”

I nodded quickly.

“Yeah, the two of them fought. They didn’t get along that well from the start. Grace’s favorite phrase is ‘bad lizard.’”

“Really? Why’s that? She didn’t have any problem with Ismuar.”

“Iryn seems a bit different from Ismuar. Ismuar is more composed.”

“That’s not entirely true. He’s surprisingly whiny sometimes. Maybe it’s their age difference. Also, I’m Ismuar’s second owner.”

“Sharlos was the first, right? Did you hear any stories about him?”

To have created a special space like the Master of the Golden Forge and put it into a skill reward, he must not have been an ordinary ability holder.

“I’ve heard bits, mostly about what he crafted and how. He even knew about the Corroding Ruler’s Sword.”

“What? Really? What’d he say?”

“He said that in sword-making, that person was the very best. If Ismuar, who worships his creator every time he opens his mouth, says so, then he must have been truly exceptional. So about that SSS-grade mana stone you gave me last time, are you really planning to make it into a sword?”

“Why?”

“You’re thinking of giving it to your brother, right? But since he already has the Ruler’s Sword, maybe you should make it something else.”

Having another SS-grade sword wouldn’t be bad, but now that he mentioned it, it made me think. It’d probably just be a secondary weapon at this point. Yuhyun could dual-wield, but it would be better to have him handle flames with one hand rather than hold two SS-grade swords.

“Can I still change it at this point?”

“Perfect timing. The forging is almost done. I took extra time to ensure it would definitely come out SS-grade or higher.”

“Hmm, I’m torn. It’d be nice if Yerim had an SS-grade weapon too, but should I count on her not needing bait gear for the ranking matches? Still, a sub-weapon could be good.”

What held me back most was the fact that the Sword Predator skill could be applied. Using an SS-grade weapon as a one-time item was insane, but there might come a situation where it was necessary. But otherwise, it’d just sit in the inventory…

“You’ve still got a few days. Think it over.”

“Yeah. But didn’t you say before that the trait would match a sword well?”

“The monster trait you mentioned did. But surprisingly, it also has a strong water element.”

“Water?”

My ears perked up. Come to think of it, the lineage of the King of Harmless, the Mist Sea clan, that’s water attribute whether you read it forward or backward.

“Then maybe I should have it made for Yerim after all.”

“If it’s for Park Yerim, you could also upgrade her original spear.”

“Really?”

“I made it, after all.”

Wow, I didn’t know that was possible. I should ask Yuhyun first. I was originally going to give it to him, and he might still need a secondary weapon.

“The SS-grade mana stones from Japan are also in forging. One of the pistols just finished. Want to see? It’s only D-grade, though.”

“Already? Of course I want to see it!”

He made it already? Even if the grade was low, it was originally intended as standard gear for low-rank Hunters, so D-grade was plenty.

“Peace, I’ll be right back. Stay here like a good boy.”

– Kkuuung.

“If someone comes, let them know I went to Myungwoo’s forge.”

I left a note on the table pad as I said that. Peace flicked his tail in slight dissatisfaction.

The forge still smelled the same, a mix of wood and fire. Ismuar waved to me.

“Other than the charging and rapid-fire functions, it’s ordinary. As long as there’s enough mana, you’ll be able to handle E-grade monsters easily.”

Myungwoo handed me the black pistol, which looked unremarkable at a glance, and gestured to Ismuar. A small flame shaped like a bird flitted over. I aimed at it and pulled the trigger. With a pop, the firebird swallowed the mana bullet and scattered.

“Even with an F-grade mana reservoir, you could fire about two shots immediately. This would be super popular overseas as a self-defense weapon. Guns aren’t allowed here, but that’s not the case abroad.”

Even FF-grade awakened who aren’t recognized as Hunters could use it. Korea might be safe now, but overseas it was a different story. The demand would be enormous.

“And since the firepower is similar to a regular pistol, no one can complain it’s too dangerous.”

The reason ordinary firearms don’t work well on monsters is because they protect their bodies with mana. Low-rank monsters could still be handled with modern weapons, but the difference in efficiency was significant. A monster that an F-rank Hunter could stab to death with a single strike would still take multiple bullets to bring down.

At my words, Myungwoo shook his head.

“I can’t mass-produce them alone. I wouldn’t even be able to meet the demand from low-rank Hunters. The material cost isn’t that bad, but it’s a manpower issue.”

“Well, that makes sense. How are your apprentices doing?”

“They’re good enough to make something like this pistol if I teach them. But there aren’t many of them.”

So the problem was the lack of personnel.

“Let’s try gathering skilled people from across the country. The current forge workers don’t have crafting skills, right? If we throw them into a dungeon and say, ‘you can only escape by quickly crafting the tool you’re given while monsters are threatening you,’ and they awaken… would that be a human rights issue?”

“Only accept people who really want to make weapons.”

Myungwoo nodded, saying it seemed like a decent idea. A confidentiality agreement would definitely be necessary.

We talked about expanding the forge while drinking the tea and eating the snacks Myungwoo offered. Using the building as the main base and opening a second location nearby seemed like a good idea. That is, if enough people could be gathered.

“But why did you ask me to come? Doesn’t seem like it was about weapons.”

“Oh, right…”

It would be better to start by showing him Black’s mana stone. I was searching for the right words to explain the mana engraving when Myungwoo, who had been watching my hesitation, spoke up first.

“Is it because of Noah?”

“…Huh?”

“He seems to have a lot on his mind since coming back from Japan.”

I nodded deeply at Myungwoo’s words.

“I couldn’t exactly pry, so I’m worried. He hasn’t said anything to you?”

“He’s been talking even less than before. If before it was about his sister, now it seems like he’s thinking about something more fundamental.”

“Something fundamental?”

“That his place is vague. That there’s nothing he’s especially outstanding at.”

I already knew Noah lacked confidence in himself. But personally, it was a bit hard to fully understand. He was plenty exceptional.

“Noah’s an excellent Hunter, even objectively. So I don’t really know what more to do.”

“To others, it might sound like a privileged worry. But feeling like you’re in a vague place is harder than it sounds. He’s an S-rank Hunter, but weak for an S-rank. He only has one healing skill, so he can’t even really be called a healer. And support types are, as the name says, support.”

Support roles are important too. But yeah, public perception tends to be like that. Even outside the Hunter world, if something has the word “support” attached, people are quick to look down on it. There’s always a distinction between what’s essential and what’s not.

Maybe what he experienced in Medsang made reality feel even harsher. He learned there that support roles could be exceptional too, but that’s different from changing reality. And honestly, Medsang was only possible thanks to someone special like Myu. Most other cities still centered around combat types.

“One way is to just give up and be protected by you. But it seems like he doesn’t want to give up that easily.”

“Then his new skill must be either Intangibility or Miniaturization.”

Whether or not he uses that skill might be Noah’s turning point. Stay in comfort while being adored, or aim higher as a Hunter. That was the choice. That’s probably why he’s been avoiding me lately. To make his own decision.

‘Yerim said she could go wherever because she had a home to come back to.’

But it seemed like Noah didn’t trust me to that extent. Honestly, that’s normal. We hadn’t known each other that long, and it all started because of a title effect. Yerim’s just special. Maybe, like Hyunah said, I should also show Noah that I rely on him more. It’s hard.

I emptied my teacup and let out a sigh.

“Relationships really aren’t easy.”

“Even if you raise someone from birth with care, they can still go astray. No matter how much you care, there are limits. Sometimes even the help you want to give ends up making things worse.”

“That’s true.”

Yuhyun and I had hurt each other despite our best intentions. Just because you do something for someone doesn’t mean it will turn out well. We’re not fortune-tellers. You make mistakes, and then you fix them.

“If the best path for Noah is to be like me, that’s not exactly easy.”

“You mean like you?”

“Yeah. I’ve changed a lot.”

That was true. He’d changed so much it was almost hard to recognize him. I looked across the table at Myungwoo again.

“…I think you’ve grown taller?”

“Maybe a centimeter. I meant personality, not appearance.”

“You really don’t seem like the same person I first met.”

“Most of all, it’s about confidence.”

Myungwoo smiled softly.

“Confidence that I’m the best. That I’m the undisputed number one in the world. There’s no one who can replace me.”

His voice was calm, but also confident. Just as Myungwoo said, there really was no one in this world who could replace him. Even if people had to choose between an S-class Hunter and Myungwoo, a hundred out of a hundred would shout for the blacksmith. With Myungwoo around, attracting S-class Hunters would be easy. Just wait until he completes an SS-grade weapon—there’ll be a frenzy.

It felt like a radiant light was spreading from behind Myungwoo.

“…You’re kind of cool right now.”

“You’re the same, Yujin.”

“No, I’m…”

I’m different from Myungwoo. Even if I helped him, the Golden Forge skill, that craftsmanship—it was Myungwoo’s own ability. But for me, it wasn’t something I obtained by myself. It was a power I couldn’t have had on my own in the first place.

“Hmm, well. So if Noah becomes the best in the world in the support class, maybe he’ll feel better?”

“The problem is that’s vague too. Plus, I rose to the top doing something I wanted. I hadn’t planned on becoming a weapon maker, but still, I basically achieved the greatest life goal a person can have.”

Myungwoo smiled, saying there weren’t many people in the world living as satisfyingly as he was.

“Except for worrying about you, Yujin.”

“…I have nothing to say to that.”

Especially right now, I had absolutely no excuse. I glanced at him, then carefully took out a glass bottle from my inventory and placed it on the table.

“It’s a mana stone. C-grade. Can you check its condition?”

“C-grade?”

Myungwoo picked up Black’s mana stone and looked at it.

“Looks like a dragonkin. And poisoned, with a curse?”

“Yeah. Do the traits still seem intact?”

“Yeah. It’s decent, but what are you planning to make with it? Even if it’s a rare dragonkin, C-grade is still too low in rank.”

“No, I’m not exactly making something with it… I mean, I kind of am, but…”

In the end, I explained the beast fusion skill. Myungwoo’s expression immediately twisted into a scowl.

“Into your body? You’re putting this in your body?”

“Well, it’s not really a problem. Just leaves a small scar. I don’t plan on fusing with anything else after this one either.”

After I told him about how Black helped me, Myungwoo let out a sigh and pulled out a mana stone from his inventory.

“It’s an SS-grade mana stone. Use this.”

“What? But…”

“This one’s too old to be suitable for crafting an item. I could use it as a support core, but you said this beast protected you, right? With a C-grade, you’d be lucky to even get A-grade results from it using an S-grade mana stone. You need at least A-grade for it to be safe.”

“…Thanks, Myungwoo.”

“Still, I can’t even identify the trait, so I don’t know what kind of monster it originally came from.”

I thanked him again as I received the SS-grade mana stone. I’d go back to the hospital and do the fusion right away.

“And… there’s one more thing…”

At my hesitant tone, Myungwoo frowned again.

“Say it.”

“It’s called a mana engraving. It’s not harmful to the body. It helps me.”

“Engraving?”

“Yeah, it’s on my back.”

I put the mana stones away in my inventory and took off my shirt.

“This. Can you see it?”

“…”

There was a short silence. Then came the sound of a chair scraping back, and Myungwoo stood up. Suddenly, he grabbed me by the back of the neck and pushed me down onto the table. I tried to squirm free from being pinned face-down, but the stat difference was undeniable.

“Hey, what the hell!”

“What is this. What kind of insane thing did you do?!”

Uh… yeah. He’s mad.