The S-Classes That I Raised

Chapter 363: Murim Alliance (3)

“Keuhk!”

Gu Baekyeong instinctively curled up as one side of his face took a heavy hit. If it had been a weapon instead of a bare fist, it would’ve been fatal. Even now, a bruise was rapidly forming, and two teeth had been loosened. His vision was still spinning, but as an experienced S‑Rank Hunter, Gu Baekyeong quickly dropped to one knee and crouched low, morphing his shield.

The translucent shield reshaped into a dome that fully enveloped his body. It was far from a dignified appearance—so much so that he usually avoided it—but pride meant little compared to survival.

“Y‑you—ugh—won’t land a second hit!”

Spraying potion onto his throbbing cheek, Gu Baekyeong shouted. Crunch—the Sword of the Corrupting Sovereign embedded in the shield was pulled out. At Han Yuhyun’s current level, fully breaking through that shield was impossible.

Gu Baekyeong’s shield wasn’t made of metal or mineral, so Melting Down the Last Door had no weakening effect. Not only was it layered with Gu Baekyeong’s own defensive skill, but it was also stacked with buffs from other S‑Rank and A‑Rank Hunters. Unless it was with Han Yujin’s skill that doubled attack damage, there was likely no S‑Rank Hunter alive who could shatter that shield.

That’s why Gu Baekyeong stared back at Han Yuhyun’s cold gaze without flinching.

“All of my subordinates share the same level of defense as me. Your attacks are useless!”

It was thanks to this special defense skill that Gu Baekyeong had been given command of Shanghai’s 1st Special Forces. The Murim Alliance had attempted to take Shanghai multiple times, but they had always retreated in failure, unable to pierce his barrier.

However, the skill only applied to those with lower total stats than Gu Baekyeong, so while he was excellent at guarding, he’d rarely ever captured an enemy properly. His base stats were also relatively low, making him inefficient at dungeon clearing.

“If you’re going to run, then run! But your brother will take the punishment for it!”

As long as the enemy didn’t flee, victory was guaranteed. Bringing the video of Han Yujin had been a deliberate act to provoke the Korean Hunters.

“A turtle, huh?”

Han Yuhyun murmured coldly. Someone who could do nothing but cower—his brother Han Yujin was infinitely more useful than that. Could someone like this really dare to touch him? Gu Baekyeong’s face flushed red. “Turtle” was the insult used among offensive-type S‑Rank Hunters when mocking him. A pathetic creature that could do nothing but hide in its shell.

“I—I’m the one responsible for Shanghai, China’s greatest city! Do you think I can’t deal with a mere Hunter brought from Korea? Just try running—I’ll flog him!”

Claiming he’d show the video right in Han Yuhyun’s face, Gu Baekyeong shouted, grinding his teeth.

“What are you doing?! Get him!”

The Chinese Hunters, frozen at the sight of Gu Baekyeong taking a hit, finally started moving again. There was only one offensive-type S‑Rank Hunter among them, with low stats, and the others were a support type and A‑Ranks. Under normal circumstances, this group wouldn’t even qualify as opponents.

But Han Yuhyun’s attacks didn’t affect them.

A Chinese S‑Rank Hunter wielding a massive blade charged at him. His speed was so great that a non-Awakened person wouldn’t have been able to follow it with their eyes—but to Han Yuhyun, it was sluggish. As the blade came down, Han Yuhyun lightly twisted his body to avoid it and thrust the Sword of the Corrupting Sovereign toward the man’s throat. It was a precise strike—like threading a needle.

Thunk!

The Sword of the Corrupting Sovereign bounced off harmlessly, unable to even scratch the enemy’s skin. Instead, a faint crack appeared on Gu Baekyeong’s shield—but it quickly repaired itself. The moment Han Yuhyun’s strike failed, weapons and skills rained down on him. But his figure vanished instantly from the spot.

Crack! Boom!

The ground erupted and shattered in vain. A support-type S‑Rank Hunter shouted,

“Above!”

Blue willow leaves scattered. Up in the brightening sky, dark blue flames wrapped around the fluttering leaves. As the rain of fire fell, the Chinese Hunters gasped. Even trusting in Gu Baekyeong’s defense, their instincts made them recoil from the flames.

“Don’t be scared—it won’t work, idiots!”

Gu Baekyeong roared.

“Sparks like that can’t even tickle! Keep attacking! Even if he’s S‑Rank, he’s alone—he’ll wear out eventually!”

The dark blue fire that had landed melted through the thickly paved runway. It consumed nearby facilities and vehicles, rising higher than a person’s height. To an ordinary human, it would’ve been a death sentence in an instant—but the Chinese Hunters raised their weapons again as if nothing had happened.

Arrows flew. Supported by flight skills, the offensive-type S‑Rank Hunter rose into the air. Stepping on the willow leaves, Han Yuhyun twisted midair to dodge the arrows and blades, then suddenly dropped straight down. Seeing him descend willingly, Gu Baekyeong encouraged his subordinates.

“This is our chance! Just keep him alive! Even if you slice off an arm or two, he’s S‑Rank—he won’t die! Surround him!”

The Chinese Hunters gritted their teeth and chased after Han Yuhyun. Strangely, though the airport was vast, Han Yuhyun didn’t move much—instead, he focused only on dodging the converging attacks. None of the Hunters could match his speed, but the sheer number of them was overwhelming.

To make matters worse, these Hunters—these soldiers—had always trained for coordinated attacks. At first, they were shaken by Han Yuhyun’s overwhelming stats, but they gradually recovered and began syncing up in perfect formation.

Slice—Han Yuhyun’s sleeve was barely nicked. A spear thrown with force grazed his ear, and blood-red vines shot up from the ground, aiming to coil around his ankles. Just as he dodged a blade aimed at his shoulder—

Boom!

A solid wall rose before him. The Sword of the Corrupting Sovereign smashed through it instantly, but in the moment his movement was halted, wires imbued with binding skills and more vines rushed in. The black blade turned into a chain-sword, slicing through the wires with a series of sharp snaps. But the vine skill, which remained intangible until it took form, couldn’t be stopped in time.

One of the blood-red vines wrapped around Han Yuhyun’s ankle. The moment it materialized, flames scorched it away, but even that brief pause couldn’t be avoided. As a result, a spear tip slashed across his shoulder, leaving a shallow wound. Had it not been for the defensive layering from his attire, the injury would have been far more serious.

“Good! Keep the pressure on! Don’t let him use a potion!”

Delighted to have finally landed a hit, Gu Baekyeong shouted. An S‑Rank Hunter—one who had taken down multiple SS‑Rank monsters. Capturing such a Hunter would completely change how others viewed him.

‘That bastard Cho Hwawoon, just wait.’

He’d been mocked endlessly as a turtle who couldn’t even guard a door, let alone stop Murim Alliance Hunters. Even other S‑Rank Hunters looked down on him—if he didn’t meet their standards, they treated him like trash.

Crack!

Han Yuhyun raised his arm to block a blade. His clothes tore, skin split, and blood sprayed. Minor wounds like these were accumulating. There was a limit to how long he could keep dodging and blocking when his attacks weren’t landing.

Just a little more. As long as he didn’t escape. That’s what Gu Baekyeong was thinking—until it happened.

“Haa, huff!”

One A‑Rank Hunter suddenly began gasping for breath. Even other A‑Rank Hunters were starting to stagger.

“Wh‑what’s happening?!”

Gu Baekyeong shouted in alarm. The A‑Ranks flailed, clutching at their throats.

“I—I can’t breathe…”

“We need to get out—!”

Flames soared higher than a person’s height. The fire wrapped around the Hunters, especially encircling their heads as if targeting them. Gu Baekyeong’s eyes widened in shock.

“Oxygen—damn it! Get out of there! No—don’t leave my skill’s range!”

The flames were devouring oxygen. The defensive skill only blocked damage—it didn’t help them breathe. Even jumping up wouldn’t clear the fire. The inferno had spread too far to escape, and trying to flee the skill’s radius meant burning alive before even getting clear.

An A‑Rank Hunter with a flight skill tried to soar upward—but before he could, Han Yuhyun stomped him down into the melted ground. It didn’t deal direct damage, but the sheer pressure couldn’t be resisted. The struggling Hunter quickly went still, and the others began dropping one by one.

Even the S‑Rank Hunters started slowing as oxygen grew scarce.

“Wh‑what is… this…!”

Gu Baekyeong’s face turned pale. The buffs supporting him vanished one by one. Han Yuhyun ignored the S‑Ranks still standing and approached the crouched Gu Baekyeong. Stopping just a meter away, Han Yuhyun let the Sword of the Corrupting Sovereign hang loose in his grip. The longsword transformed into a chain-sword, and as he stepped forward, he swung it with force.

Bang!

“Eek!”

The black blade struck the dome-shaped shield. Cracks splintered across it. And it didn’t stop there. Putting power into every muscle from his arm to his back, Han Yuhyun whipped the Sword of the Corrupting Sovereign again like a lash.

Boom!

Crack!

Crack—crunch—each hit shattered more of the shield, and Gu Baekyeong’s face grew increasingly pale. The cold gaze aimed at him was utterly terrifying. Despite being the same S‑Rank, he felt like a mouse before a wolf tearing open its den.

Boom! Again, the blade struck the shield, and at last, the translucent defense shattered with a final snap. Gu Baekyeong fled in panic—but the black whip-like blade chased after him like a serpent.

“Aaaargh!”

Hit square in the back, Gu Baekyeong tumbled across the ground. The blade slammed into the earth right beside his head. As it carved into the floor and retracted, it lashed out once more—this time striking Gu Baekyeong’s leg. Hit with the flat of the blade, he crumpled, clutching his broken limb.

Swish—drawing back the long-stretched chain-sword, Han Yuhyun turned behind him. Beyond the diminished flames, the remaining S‑Rank Hunters stood unsteadily. One support-type Hunter shouted desperately,

“M‑my family’s being held hostage!”

Before the words were even finished, Han Yuhyun landed in front of the offensive-type Hunter. The man scrambled to defend—but Han Yuhyun’s kick was faster.

“Urgh!”

The Hunter was launched across the air, slammed into the ground, and didn’t get back up. The lone support-type began to backpedal in fear when—

“H-Hunter Hwahyeon!”

Eun Sesun’s voice rang out.

“What he said is true! It’s confirmed in our records!”

Held aloft in the air by incorporeal Peace gripping her arm, Eun Sesun shouted again.

“And dodge, now!”

Dodge? Han Yuhyun slightly raised a brow—but then he heard it. A low tremor in the ground. Countless things were approaching fast.

Park Yerim.

Han Yuhyun activated Blue Willow Leaves and grabbed the support-type Hunter by the scruff of the neck. Leaping high into the air, he caught sight of the collapsing airport buildings.

It was water.

Rumble—!

Waves towering dozens of meters high were engulfing the airport. The planes gathered on the opposite runway had already vanished without a trace. A smaller wave reached the airport first, crashing through the windows with a deafening shatter. Furniture and fixtures were swept away, but only briefly—then came the colossal wave.

As if the entire sea had been brought over, everything was submerged in an instant. The deafening roar of the immense volume of water slamming into the ground echoed like thunder.

Once the water that had swept over the entire runway receded, Han Yuhyun landed on the soaked earth where nothing remained. He tossed the support-type Hunter aside as Park Yerim flew in next to him.

“Ugh, my head’s spinning.”

Park Yerim quickly pulled out a mana potion and gulped it down in one go.

“I told you not to waste energy.”

“It was just a practice run. A practice run! This airport’s huge, you know. But seriously, look at you, Han Yuhyun—what’s with that mess?”

He wasn’t seriously injured, but he wasn’t exactly unscathed either. Park Yerim tossed him a potion.

“Did you go berserk just because Mister got slapped?”

Instead of answering, Han Yuhyun poured the potion over his wound. Eun Sesun watched the two of them with awe. Park Yerim’s skill had been overwhelming, but it was Han Yuhyun—who had single-handedly broken the shield that even the Murim Alliance had failed to shatter—who filled her with fear.

“Where do we go next, unni?”

“Ah, I’ve already made the call. A vehicle should arrive shortly.”

Eun Sesun helped the collapsed support-type Hunter to his feet.

“Hunter Gasun, we’ll report you as deceased for now. Once surveillance on your family weakens, we’ll attempt a rescue.”

“…Yes.”

Gasun nodded without even being able to meet Han Yuhyun’s eyes. After finishing his treatment, Han Yuhyun turned toward Eun Sesun. She reflexively flinched, shoulders tensing.

“Can we head straight to Nosan Road?”

“I heard others were taking different routes to meet there—”

“We can go ahead.”

“I’ll just tag along nearby. Won’t do anything, just watch.”

With Park Yerim chiming in, Eun Sesun finally agreed. Before long, a car sent by the Murim Alliance arrived.

Boom!

A loud bang rang out. It wasn’t as if someone had hit a bomb button in their sleep—but as he opened his eyes, he saw a half-broken door swinging loosely. Standing beside the bed with a smirk was Hwang Rim.

“…What is it now.”

“The airport’s completely wiped out.”

“What?”

“By water. A flood. Probably the work of that young Hunter from Haeyeon, don’t you think?”

Instead of replying, I sat up and rubbed my face like washing it. The kids were here.