The S-Classes That I Raised

Chapter 694: London, 24 Hours (2)

“Get every drone in the air!”

“Keep broadcasting portal locations and status, and no, helicopters are for evacuation!”

“We keep going until the power cuts out.”

The communications network was still alive. Every TV and radio station was relaying real–time evacuation routes and conditions by district. And not just them.

“In front of Royal Hospital! The road is completely jammed, so if you’re nearby, go on foot. Police are organizing the lines.”

“The Mayfair Di○ney shop – wait, you mean Gob. Lin. or what?”

“I’m Goblin! You British Mister Kim! How are you! I got no British money but I really want this duck!”

Personal streams were showing every corner of London. Sirens blared everywhere as police cars and ambulances searched for those who couldn’t evacuate on their own. Meanwhile, the air was slowly changing.

The mana density in the atmosphere was rising, like inside a dungeon. There wasn’t much time left. Fewer than a hundred exits couldn’t possibly handle a population close to ten million. Even if a large number escaped by land, it would be hard to beat the clock.

“We really get to strip the whole place?”

Yun Yun glanced over at Hangyeol. Hangyeol sneaked a look at the mini Seong Hyunjae sitting on his shoulder. Seong Hyunjae nodded with a faint smile.

“Don’t hold back. I’ll take responsibility.”

“Then I’m off! First stop!”

Yun Yun’s figure vanished. In a single hop across space, she arrived at none other than–

“Hey guys, your king is here!”

–the British Museum.

A place packed with artifacts swept up from all over the world. A lot of them were hard to turn into goblins, but plenty had been used enough and had existed long enough. Standing among them, Yun Yun flicked the hem of her durumagi coat and spun in a circle.

“Wooden spoon goblin, jade ring goblin, cracked jar goblin, golden crown goblin, every kind of goblin, come on out~ Come here, over here, let’s all have ourselves a wild party!”

The Goblin King called to them. Called them out to play. Yawns echoed here and there. On the ground and underground alike, objects that had stopped being used and were now only “on display” opened their eyes.

“Big ones, small ones, broken ones, intact ones, ones that rolled around in fields, ones wrapped in silk – whether you’re in the sky or underground, you’re all goblins! Hey, you guys who had a blast with the Mister Kims, come out and play again~ Sing, dance, pop in and out of sight, all you goblins who wanna play, gather right here!”

“There’s a hole in my side!”

“I need a Mister Kim to have tea with me!”

“I’m chess! Let’s play chess!”

“Waaah, there’s blood on my body! From like a thousand years ago!”

Goblins swarmed in. Shimmying and swaying, they circled around their king. Yun Yun raised her drumstick high.

“Goblins with teleport skills!”

“Me!”

“Me too!”

“I can!”

The longer a goblin had been around, the more attention it had received from humans and the more it had been used, the stronger it was. Thanks to that, a good number of the goblins here possessed teleportation skills.

“Goblins, my subjects. The Mister Kims in this neighborhood are in danger.”

Yun Yun spoke with a surprisingly serious expression.

“The Mister Kims?”

“But I’m not a local goblin. My home’s really far.”

“They’re still in danger.”

“Is it scary? Is there blood?”

“Quiet, quiet!”

With a grand sweep of her drumstick, Yun Yun continued.

“Goblins with teleport! Spread out to every corner of London and link to the Goblin Gate! The rest of you, keep your gates open! You know the layout of this place, right?”

“Me, me! I’m the lost tourist map goblin! Nobody’s ever found me!”

A tiny, child–sized goblin shot its hand up.

“It’s changed a lot since I was made, but I still have map skills!”

“Perfect! Tourist map goblin, share it! Goblins without teleport, go to the towns through the Goblin Gate! It’s dangerous out there! Goblins with teleport, watch out for monsters too. If it looks bad, run away right away!”

“Don’t worry, Your Majesty! They can’t catch us!”

“We’re bad at fighting but great at running~.”

“If we play a good game and come back, Boss Mister Kim said he’ll throw a feast in our village and buy us whatever we wanna eat!”

“Feast, feast!”

Giggling, the goblins rushed out of the museum. Yun Yun stretched hard, then chugged a mana potion.

“Gotta loot the other museums too!”

The fewer–than–a–hundred exits began to multiply quickly. All over the city, new pillars of light shot up.

“In order, in order, people!”

“Elderly and disabled first! No cars! Leave them!”

Long lines stretched out in front of the portals linked to the Goblin Gate. Most of the people were non–awakened civilians, but there were awakened mixed in as well. A few Hunters had volunteered to stay behind, but more were looking around, gauging the mood. High–rank Hunters especially hesitated as information spread quickly.

‘They say it’s gonna be like what happened in Japan.’

‘It’s dangerous even for A–class, and they’re saying S-class and maybe SS-class monsters too.’

‘In front of an SS-class, A–class or F–class barely makes a difference, so should I even stay?’

‘Mid–ranks should be allowed to run, right?’

If they chose to escape, they could shove past civilians and get out faster than anyone. Just then, above the Thames near the London Eye, the sky twisted violently. Like the color had been drained, part of the sky turned black and white and split open.

– Skreeee.

“A monster!”

A sharp golden beak cut through the air, broad wings of red feathers flaring wide. A high–tier A–class dungeon boss–level monster, Golden Beak Maia. It was A–class, but as a high–tier boss it was quasi S-class. On top of that, it was a flying–type that showered down fire rain. Showing up in the middle of a city, it was as dangerous as an S-class monster, if not worse.

As drones and cameras all swung to capture the bird and everyone tensed up–

– Grrrraaa!

An even deeper, more resonant growl rolled across the sky. At the same time, a jet–black shadow burst out of the Goblin Gate and slammed into the flapping monster.

– Screee!

Crunch!

Razor–sharp fangs sank into the bird’s throat. Claws ripped through wings and drove it straight into the water. It hadn’t even had a chance to dodge, let alone fight back. Long black wings skimmed elegantly across the river’s surface as blood and red feathers rose beneath them.

A jet–black wyvern, Thornwing Rock Dragon Comet. On her back, Kang Soyeong pushed herself up. Her long blond hair, tied up high, whipped like a banner.

“Hear me!”

Her ringing shout rolled out. Through every broadcast, it spread across London and far beyond.

“I am A–class Hunter, Dragon Knight Kang Soyeong– Ella Rose Hill!”

– Skreeeee.

Another monster bird stepped through space, revealing itself. But when it saw the rock dragon, it faltered, freezing up. The black, spike–armored dragon and the red–feathered bird faced off atop the Thames. Kang Soyeong raised her voice again.

“Where are those who will stand with me! Hunters of London, knights of Britain! Do not hesitate to leap into the mud! This place is now a dungeon, and where Hunters belong is in a dungeon!”

A spear appeared in Kang Soyeong’s hand. The monster bird’s focus was still fixed solely on Comet. The moment it let its guard down against a mere A–class rider, the spear fired.

The spearhead, backed by a Dragon Rider’s Monster Mounts skill and the stats of an S-class dark wyvern, flew.

Crunch!

It punched through the monster’s neck and buried deep into its torso. As the monster fell, the dark wyvern let out a long roar.

“For our lives have already blossomed from the mud!”

Though she belonged to Korea’s Sesung Guild, the first Dragon Knight, Kang Soyeong, was famous even in her home country of Britain. She was still young and not S-class. Even so, fighting alongside an S-class dragon, she was a Hunter acknowledged by the Sesung Guild Master as the equal of S-class.

The young dragon knight beloved by Britain.

Kang Soyeong raised a new spear high. Pale sunlight leaked through the gray clouds and glinted on her blonde hair.

“…It’s a dungeon.”

One Hunter watching that scene pulled a weapon from his inventory.

“It’s no different from a dungeon raid! Let’s get ready!”

“I’m only mid–rank, but I’ll still be better than civilians.”

“I’ve only joined a few A–class raids…”

There were, of course, those who quietly slipped away. But more of them picked up their weapons.

“My Roseeeeee!!”

Someone climbed up onto the riverside railing like they were about to jump into the Thames and shouted. Kang Soyeong’s face contorted.

“At least call me Ella, I told you I changed my name! What are you doing here, Team! Where are Mom and Dad!”

The Hill family’s second son grinned and waved both arms wildly.

“Big bro took them! Our Soyeong is the besttttt!”

“Team, go already!”

Clicking her tongue, Kang Soyeong circled wide, as if patrolling the sky. All of her siblings had awakened, but among them only the third child had reached A–class as a high–rank Hunter.

“I saw your face just the other day, so I’m not even happy to see you!”

She grumbled like that, but there was a smile on her lips. Already outstanding thanks to the Dragon Rider trait, her eyes were even sharper backed by Comet’s stats. From atop Comet, she saw Hunters readying for battle. Through her earpiece, similar chatter came in.

‘It’s a tiny bit embarrassing, but… feels better than I thought!’

They had to hold out as long as possible until the evacuation finished. Wanting to run was the most natural instinct in the world. That was exactly why Seong Hyunjae had asked Kang Soyeong – and no one else. The girl who could pound hardest on the hearts of British Hunters. When she’d asked, What do I do? he had replied, Whatever your heart wants.

So Kang Soyeong shouted.

Because dragons are the best. Because knights are cool, and Hunters are cool.

“I’m super cool too!”

– Kyarrk!

Comet cried out in agreement. Kang Soyeong adjusted her grip on her weapon. The sky rippled again. Now it was truly beginning.

“The rate of monster appearances is still slow! We just saw one on the ground– ugh!”

Thud!

The earth shook. Someone caught the reporter as he staggered. Then grabbed the camera he almost dropped.

“You need to get out of here. You’re unawakened, right?”

“But someone has to show where the monsters are spawning!”

“Ah, I’m a reporter too.”

He held out a business card. Paparazzi P smiled and turned his gaze toward the monsters facing off against Hunters.

“Good call dropping by the UK on my way to see SF. I’m usually more into stills than video, but I’ll mix it up today.”

A world–class metropolis under attack. But under the protection of Hunters, everyone evacuates safely. It was a scene too important to miss. Not just high–rank, but mid– and low–rank Hunters were helping civilians escape. Creatures called goblins had shown up too.

‘And for what’s coming.’

Even P couldn’t say how the world would change from here. But he was sure of one thing – all of this would become a stepping stone. After sending the other reporter off, P vaulted up onto a rooftop.

“Hello, this is P. Hunters belonging to the European Hunter Association are now on their way to London–”

– Kyaaaa!

“Dungeonization is proceeding, centered around Trafalgar Square.”

The ground darkened as if shadows were swallowing it whole. The fountain dried out and the buildings vanished. No – only traces remained. Like the civilizations inside dungeons, it was as if thousands of years had passed in an instant and turned everything to ruins. Grass sprouted over the asphalt. Electricity and communications were cut, as if someone had simply plucked them away.

“Ah!”

A man who’d been cowering in his house in terror dropped through the floor as it disappeared. Just before he hit the newly revealed ground–

“Got you!”

A goblin snatched him out of the air. Beaming, it waved.

“Let’s go, Mister Kim! It’s dangerous here!”

Thanks to the increased number of portals and Hunters actively helping, evacuation was speeding up. Above the helicopters crisscrossing the sky, fighter jets appeared. Not to fight monsters – to deliver people. Hunters from France and Belgium jumped out of the fast–moving jets.

Thud, thud!

Impacts from their landings echoed here and there.

“Evacuation’s going smoothly.”

– Kyawww!

A golden griffin shot out of Yun Yun’s Goblin Gate. Evelyn was mounted on its back.

“It’ll be chaotic with millions suddenly flooding in, but with Hunter Associations from all over cooperating, they won’t be short on budget. And they can skim a bit off the top too.”

After hearing from Yu Myungwoo, Hangyeol had been in the States with Yun Yun, who happened to be there tagging coordinates. The two of them immediately headed back to Korea. They couldn’t bring anyone but Hangyeol, but thanks to Yun Yun’s long–distance teleport, it didn’t take long to reach Korea. There, they quickly chose the evacuation zones and opened the Gate to send the goblins out.

“We’re absolutely sure monsters can’t go through the Gate, right?”

Another S-class Hunter stepped out from beyond the Goblin Gate. Hanshin Guild Master, Park Mingyu. Hangyeol descended a bit and answered.

“Untamed monsters can’t. We checked.”

“We tested it by capturing an A–class monster and trying to shove it through.”

“Then that’s a relief… Huh?!”

The tiny Seong Hyunjae sitting on Hangyeol’s shoulder waved at Park Mingyu. Evelyn, turning her head, drew her bow.

“Creepy.”

After Evelyn left with Blue, Park Mingyu, who’d frozen up, finally came back to himself.

“That… Sesung…”

“Hardly shocking. You’ve heard of shrinking skills and items, haven’t you.”

“…I mean, yeah.”

If he’d just appeared small, it would have been less of a shock. But perched on the shoulder of a little boy, it felt deeply weird. Shaking his head briefly, Park Mingyu stepped forward. Guarding the most crucial Goblin Gate – that was his role.

“I’m still better for this than a newborn S-class.”

In Korea, Kim Seonghan had stayed behind. Confident, Park Mingyu activated his defensive skills. Monster cries echoed not far away.

“Take the fliers first!”

Kang Soyeong shouted. When you had to protect civilians, flying–type monsters were the most dangerous. Comet clamped her four legs around a dragon–type smaller than herself. Sliding along the black scales, Kang Soyeong grabbed Comet’s neck, swung around, and drove her spear into the throat of the dragon right in front of her.

– Kieeek!

Another monster’s screech rang out. The spawn cycle was speeding up. As Kang Soyeong darted back up onto Comet’s back, above her–

Ssswhack!

A massive arrow cleaved through the sky. Boom! The impact sounded like a missile, followed by boom, boom, boom! A rapid volley of arrows exploded against monsters on contact.

– Kyuuuk!

Blue shook her head happily toward Comet in greeting.

“Still only A–class so far?”

“Boss–level A–class, though!”

Kang Soyeong answered. The words had barely left her mouth when the air shuddered far more violently than before.

“What was it, ‘pick the worst day to go out’?”

“I don’t know Korean proverbs well, but I’m pretty sure that’s wrong.”

“Ah, way to jinx it!”

– Grrrrrr.

Splash!

A huge foot crashed down into the Thames. Water sprayed up high, soaking the monster’s chest. A massive bear–like creature with stiff fur lifted its head. Thick hide, a heavy, hulking body. Just as the S-class monster was about to let out a threatening roar–

“Hiii~!”

A tiny figure appeared above the monster. And then–

Thud!

– Groooan!

– Little bear~

A gigantic black dragon stomped the monster flat. The bear thrashed, but it couldn’t withstand the seeping miasma and the spiked scales harder than leather.

“Dragons really are the best!”

Seeing the black dragon in the distance, Hangyeol’s eyes went wide. If Liette had come too–

“Dad!”

Hangyeol whipped his head around. Right nearby, space rippled. Through the wide–opening tear, blue willow leaves scattered. Lightly stepping on the floating leaves, Han Yuhyun appeared. Park Yerim followed, flying out in an easy leap, and then fiery red fur caught Hangyeol’s eye. Flame Horned Lion Peace, and on his back–

“Daaaaad!”

“Gyeol!”

Han Yujin was sitting.

Han Yuhyun stepped in front of Peace, Park Yerim took position to the side, and behind them, Noah spread golden wings like a shield. Hangyeol barreled into Han Yujin. Han Yujin opened his arms and pulled him into a hug.

“You okay? You’re not hurt anywhere?”

“I’m fine.”

“I wasn’t talking about you!”

Patting the clinging, whiny Hangyeol, Han Yujin looked down over London. Here and there, space rippled.

“For Chief Han Yujin!”

Shishio and the other Hunters of Han Yujin’s sub–team began to appear one after another. Fully armed with Chatterbox’s gear.