The S-Classes That I Raised

Chapter 651: Villain (2)

Our side’s Hunters were flustered, but they didn’t look particularly thrilled over there either. Cho Hwawoon’s face stiffened. The skin near his molars twitched, like he was clenching his teeth without realizing it. The other Hunters also edged back little by little around Seong Hyunjae. It wasn’t so much that their leader had appeared as that a tiger from a completely different species had dropped into the middle of a wolf pack. They didn’t dare attack him, and they had to follow, but he wasn’t a comrade.

“Didn’t they say it was a terrorist group?”

“No way Sesung is…?”

Between the confusion, suspicion started to sprout. Seriously, for real! Seong Hyunjae is one thing, but what do they expect Chief Song and Hyunah to do! I hurriedly stepped forward and shouted.

“That Guild Leader of Sesung is a different personality!”

Which wasn’t even that wrong. Anyway, the current Seong Hyunjae existed separately. His eyebrows lifted slightly, but he didn’t refute it.

“Second place in Chatterbox’s party rankings was the Guild Leader of Sesung.”

It was probably one of the group of Yuhyun, Yerim, Chief Song, or Seong Hyunjae who should have been second.

“Both sides decided to fairly make first and second place the managers. But the Sesung Guild Leader didn’t accept that obediently, so they used a mental–type skill – basically, something like brainwashing.”

We have regressions and reincarnations, so a little mind control is nothing. Those kinds of mental–type skills actually exist. I got hit by one from Park Hayul too. Seong Hyunjae let out a short sigh.

“A mental–type skill, you say.”

He sounded like the idea that he, of all people, had fallen for something like that was ridiculous. I never imagined he’d ever get controlled by someone else either.

“So his memories aren’t complete, either. There are people here who attended the event in Japan, right? Seong Hyunjae! After we hunted that SS–class monster in Japan, what did you give me?”

He answered without thinking about it for long.

“A bouquet, right.”

…Huh? Did he just guess? The Hunters who knew about what happened in Japan all turned to look at me. No, no.

“…What kind of flowers!”

“Roses, maybe.”

“Wrong. Sunflowers.”

So he really didn’t know. He did give me roses too, though.

“And what did I pour all over your head back then?”

“Alcohol.”

“N–no, I mean, what kind of alcohol!”

He made a troubled face.

“It probably wasn’t soju.”

“It was rosé wine.”

Why is soju even coming up here. Don’t tell me I poured booze over his head even before I regressed. More than that, his intuition is ridiculously sharp. He clearly doesn’t remember, but he’s just taking shots in the dark and getting everything right.

Anyway, this proved for sure that there were holes in Seong Hyunjae’s memories. Good, we’ll pin Chief Song and Hyunah on mind control too. Ideally, those two wouldn’t get exposed at all. There’s really no reason for the main team and sub team to butt heads, you know. If you split them up, they should be fighting split up.

“The Sesung Guild Leader got taken down…”

“If it’s the being that created this dungeon, it would be possible.”

As people murmured, Seong Hyunjae gave a light shrug.

“It is true that I’m in chains.”

To Crescent Moon. And now, there was the contract with the Filial Duty Addicts on top of that. His golden eyes curved, holding a faint smile.

“So I suppose I’ll try to be faithful to my role.”

“You can be unfaithful if you wan–”

Clang– The barrier that had been blocking the two teams shattered into pieces. It was Seong Hyunjae’s doing. If he could make it impossible to fight, then the reverse was possible too! Before I could even react—

Clatter.

Chains rattled. Peace leaped out of my arms, baring his teeth, and Shishio, who had been standing behind me, stepped forward. As the two moved to block in front of me, the tip of a chain slammed into the ground.

KRRR–!

With a thunderous roar, the ground exploded. Peace and Shishio’s bodies were thrown into the air. Peace quickly spread his wings to twist his direction, but before that could matter—

“Urgh.”

Chains sprang up from the upturned ground and wrapped around me. My body was yanked hard. Through the cascade of falling dirt, I caught a glimpse of Peace flying toward me. Letting him crash into me like this wouldn’t end well. I hurriedly threw up some kind of barrier again.

– Grrrr!

Peace’s claws scraped against the transparent barrier. A beat later Shishio also slammed down hard on the barrier.

“Director Han Yujin!”

“Calm down! You too, Peace!”

Swaying on my feet, I barely managed to stay standing thanks to the help from the lynx set and shouted. In that brief instant, Seong Hyunjae was already right behind me. Strictly speaking, I’d been pulled over to him. So of course I now stood on the opposite side of the barrier from our team.

“I’m an administrator. I can get out whenever I want!”

“But you can’t just vanish by yourself from here, can you.”

He reached his hand out toward me. Just as his fingertips were about to touch my body—

– Hiss!

My necklace turned into a snake, baring its fangs. He grabbed it by the neck and casually flung it aside. Then he stripped off my other accessories as well. The thrown accessories, snakes, raised their necks stiffly from within the grass. Light sparked over them.

“…You’re a little too enthusiastic.”

I rolled my eyes sideways. That bastard Cho Hwawoon was glaring at me like a hunting dog on a leash.

“Guild Leader of Sesung! S–ranks should fight against S–ranks!”

Shishio shouted robustly.

“That’s right. Let Director Han Yujin go!”

Valerie’s voice followed. With the protests piling up, Seong Hyunjae put on a picture–perfect smile.

“Isn’t this very fitting for a villain.”

“Sure. Why don’t you go all the way and dress in black, dye your hair black too.”

“It’s a shame I don’t have a cat to stroke.”

“There’s that black mutt over there. The two of you would go great together.”

Cho Hwawoon’s eyes turned even fiercer. I let out a small snort of laughter in his direction.

“Wow, you’ve trained him well in such a short time. He doesn’t even bite without a muzzle. Good boy. Hwawoon, shake!”

“You lit–!”

Hwawoon ground his teeth. Shishio fidgeted, looking at me with concern. From beyond the barrier I could feel all the looks begging me to watch my mouth a little. I want to live as a nice, polite person too, you know, but the world just doesn’t cooperate.

“Hand that bastard over.”

Hwawoon growled, very dog–like. Seong Hyunjae didn’t even act like he’d heard him. Instead, he undid the chains wrapped around my body.

“It’s not really a color I personally enjoy.”

He pulled a pair of black gloves out of his inventory. Then, in a commanding tone, he said:

“Coat.”

The Hunters around us flinched. He slowly took off his white outer coat and put it into his inventory. Among the group of prophet–type Hunters, a few glanced at Hwawoon. He clenched his fist, then pulled a black coat out of his own inventory. Seong Hyunjae, leisurely tightening his gloves, accepted the coat Hwawoon brought over and put it on like it was the most natural thing in the world. True to being a dungeon item, the size adjusted a bit bigger, the black fabric falling in long, smooth lines.

There was barely a single step between me and Hwawoon. His voice cut through the air as it grew chill.

“Back off.”

Hwawoon’s gaze flicked between me and Seong Hyunjae. He looked like he wanted to tear both of us apart, but he obediently stepped back. What the hell did he do to make him listen that well. I’d like to learn it.

“The hair is… not going to work, I suppose.”

His gloved hand brushed my faded hair back. I took a step back and slowly clapped.

“It really suits you. So, I’ll take my leave now.”

I finished the system tweaks I’d been subtly working on. The sub team belonging to me on the other side of the barrier vanished all at once. And then I too shifted space—

“…Gah!”

My breath caught for an instant. It was interference between systems. A shock like when my Teacher skill had been forcibly rejected pounded inside my head, my vision washing white. I might have blacked out for a moment. When I opened my eyes again, bright green blades of grass were waving right in front of my nose.

Black dress shoes stepped down, crushing the wild grass. The group of prophets seemed to be gone as well; I couldn’t feel any other presences. As I tried to push my upper body up, a crushing pressure smashed down on me again.

“…Grrk.”

“They seem to have directly connected the administrator’s mana to the system for the sake of the beginners.”

Even though he was digging into the system, it was affecting me directly. I tried to block it somehow, but our proficiency gap was too big. One of his knees sank into the grass beside me. Gloved fingers slid into my hair and stroked it like he was petting a dog.

“…Hey, Seong Hyun–jae. What the hell–”

“Mr. Han Yujin.”

I strained to turn my head and look up at him. His eyes, the color of broad daylight, had sunk into a stillness like midnight.

“My story is over.”

“Then who is it that’s in front of me right now.”

“Think of it as something like a side story. Something that might exist or not exist, but usually…”

His voice was slower and drier than usual as he continued.

“…it’s where you write the stories you wanted to tell but couldn’t in the main plot.”

“…So.”

“I let Han Yujin go. A shabby, small being that rolls around in the mud with its fur bristling and its teeth bared until the very end is rather lovely, isn’t it. I generally like those kinds of things. Those who hold possibility and don’t give up.”

I twitched, trying to jerk away from the voice pouring into my ears. But his abilities were plainly above mine.

“That’s why, for the most part, I didn’t break things apart myself. Even when I wanted to dig in, I held back.”

That was true of him. When Choi Seokwon and Yun Kyungsu’s group had come charging, he’d done his best to drag them out alive.

“But now there’s no need for that— anymore.”

The words were so calm they were almost gentle. A chill crawled down my spine at that voice.

“W–wait a sec.”

No way, he can’t be serious.

“You’re just, giving up like that…”

“I’m only going to act a little more on my own whims.”

A soft chuckle escaped him as he straightened up.

“Given my temperament, I haven’t really played the villain much. You seem to have gotten quite close with Mr. Song Taewon, Mr. Han Yujin.”

He spoke with a playful smile.

“Don’t you think it suits him too? Most likely, Song Taewon would feel at ease in the dark. As if the place of being blamed and hated had been his true seat all along.”

“What kind of bullshit is that!”

“I handled him carefully.”

I was flabbergasted. If Chief Song heard this, he’d clutch his chest.

“Do you think such extreme self–hatred is something that could be formed purely by the influence of the power dwelling inside him? Song Taewon’s attitude was closer to that of a penitent. And not just any sin, but a grave one. For example, murder of an innocent person.”

“Chief Song would never do that!”

This was complete and utter crap.

“Sure, he could make a mistake! But do you really think he’d hide it!”

It’s hard for any person to be perfectly clean. So even Chief Song could have done something wrong. But he wasn’t someone who would cover it up and pretend he didn’t know. He tilted his head slightly as he looked down at me.

“Of course not. That’s why I wanted to dig around all the more.”

“Hey! Don’t even think about messing with Chief Song!”

That lunatic! I staggered to my feet, trying to grab him. But the tip of his shoe, extended almost casually, hooked my ankle and sent me sprawling back into the grass.

“Seong Hyunjae!”

I tried to defend the system connected to me and launch a counterattack. But it still wasn’t even close. A powerful mana surged back, both softly and like a crashing wave.

“…!”

I bit down hard on my lip. It wasn’t like I was experiencing recoil like this for the first or second time. I let out a breath laced with blood as I stood. It felt like my whole body was going cold.

“You—”

“Let’s stop there.”

An arm stretched out as if to block my front. At some point, Myungwoo had appeared, looking coolly at Seong Hyunjae.

“Teacher, your favoritism is severe.”

“If I were truly showing favoritism, one side would already have been marked as a failure.”

The system returned to normal in an instant. All the mana settled like a still lake. Myungwoo glanced back at me, his brows knitting slightly.

“I’ve blocked it temporarily, but I can’t keep doing that. Yujin, you’re going to have to defend on your own.”

“…It won’t be easy.”

I straightened up and turned my gaze to Seong Hyunjae.

“But I’ll figure something out.”

His golden eyes smiled.

“My dear Mr. Han Yujin.”

His fingertips pressed to his own chest. He gave a slight bow.

“The lady you must rescue is here as well, you know.”

“Lady, my ass!”

“Do your best to entertain me.”

His figure vanished. The blades of grass rustled in the wind. Myungwoo let out a small sigh.

“There are only so many things I can interfere with. And, Yujin.”

He dipped his head slightly, whispering.

“The Mermaid Queen— doesn’t want it.”

“What?”

“Be careful.”

Myungwoo disappeared as well. Left alone, I stood there blankly for a moment before collapsing onto my butt. This is going to kill me.

“…Damn it, what the hell is he planning.”

Is he seriously going to try everything he ever wanted to do? I hadn’t thought he would actually harm Chief Song. But now, I wasn’t so sure.

“Where’s Kim Seokju!”

Bang! The door flew open. The middle–aged man who charged in full of momentum froze for a moment. Because instead of the man he was looking for, the room held—

“Welcome, barging into someone else’s guild.”

Moon Hyunah was perched on top of the desk. One leg was drawn up, her posture slouched, but she didn’t look the least bit intimidated. If anything, she was like a crouched predator about to pounce on its prey.

“The rest of you should be getting here soon too. Oh, there you are.”

Rough footsteps approached, then quieted down. Under the startled gazes, the corners of Moon Hyunah’s lips slowly curled up.