The S-Classes That I Raised

"Noah-oppa, are you okay?"

Park Yerim's voice cut through the air. Somehow Noah had been moved beyond the hemispherical barrier. Below, he could see Liette's figure, her head tilted up toward him.

"I had a feeling, but sure enough, Noah-oppa ran into Liette-unni."

"That Kim Seobang is ruthless!"

Noah blinked and looked at the two of them. Park Yerim and a goblin. The goblin must have been the one who moved him just now.

"I'm fine. Is Mr. Yujin—are the others safe?"

"Yes. We decided to head to the hotel first."

"The hotel?"

"Didn't you see the message window?"

"It appeared, but..."

He hadn't gotten a proper look at it. Park Yerim grumbled that Mr. Volleyball wasn't doing his job.

"We need to reach the hotel before sunset, and we've got about an hour left. Luckily, we found Noah-oppa quickly."

"It was super loud, so we spotted you right away!"

"We still have to find Chief Song too. Do you want to go to the hotel? Or come with us?"

Park Yerim looked at Noah—or more precisely, at Noah's wings. Yun Yun couldn't tear her eyes away from the golden-feathered wings either.

Noah didn't answer immediately, lowering his gaze again. Liette's eyes met his directly.

"Hunter Park Yerim."

"You can just speak casually."

"I'm asking you as a fellow Hunter. Please help me face my sister."

"What?"

Park Yerim's eyes widened as she looked back and forth between Noah and Liette.

"Right now?"

"Yes. An hour is enough. No—thirty minutes is enough."

"But Liette-unni's grade must have increased too, right? She'll be SS-Rank. If we're going to fight, wouldn't it be better to call the others? Besides, I just had a major battle, and I can't use Shadowless Day yet."

"No. Hunter Park Yerim is enough."

Noah's voice carried conviction.

"Because I'm here."

It was possible now. If the opponent was Liette of all people. No one in the world knew more about Liette—about how she fought—than Noah did.

He was that confident.

"I know I'm being stubborn. It's true that I'm being unreasonable, choosing a less safe approach. But that sister down there only knows the dead version of me."

At Noah's words, Park Yerim flinched with surprise. Noah didn't know it yet, but the people appearing here were from before the regression, from the future, and at the same time, beings from the past that had actually existed. In other words, Noah really had died.

"Even if she's not my real sister, I still want to show her that I'm different. That Faible and Noah are different, and will continue to be different."

"...Yes."

Park Yerim nodded. She could completely understand Noah's feelings. Perhaps even more so because Park Yerim had experienced something similar in this dungeon herself.

"Yun Yun, can you find Chief Song?"

"Boss Kim Seobang said to stick together."

"Noah-oppa is here. And you have spatial movement, Yun Yun, so you'll be safe even alone. Even if you can't find Chief Song, you have to get back to the hotel before sunset!"

"Okay!"

"Don't get distracted!"

"I won't!"

Yun Yun shrieked as if she'd been pinched and vanished. Park Yerim turned to Noah and drew her weapon.

"So what's the plan?"

Under Park Yerim's gaze, Noah felt warmth rising in his chest along with mounting pressure. A spark of excitement stirred as well. He took a deep breath and spoke.

Liette carefully observed the beings with her little brother. One appeared to be a goblin. It was the first time she'd seen one without a mask, but aside from goblins, no Hunters could use spatial movement. As for the other one, she couldn't begin to guess.

'Who is that?'

Mid-teens, late teens at most. There was no way she wouldn't have heard of a Hunter that powerful at such a young age.

A moment later, the goblin disappeared, and Noah, after talking with the unfamiliar Hunter, flew into the barrier on his own.

"Noonim!"

"Yes, Faible."

"You're currently SS-Rank, Noonim."

"Really? I was still S-Rank though."

Liette clenched and unclenched her fist, then tilted her head.

"I do feel stronger. Come to think of it, that building broke way too easily. Normally I'd have to hit it a few more times to shatter it like that."

"And this is Hunter Park Yerim—she's S-Rank."

"Park Yerim? Ah!"

She remembered. Liette raised one hand and waved at Park Yerim.

"She's A-Rank, but Hyunah said her talent is incredible, right? Her grade and age don't match up."

"I'm still fifteen, and I awakened as S-Rank!"

At Park Yerim's shout, Liette looked at Noah again. She'd had a feeling he was a bit younger than the little brother she knew. But since his appearance had changed completely, she'd brushed it off.

"So it was the past. All right then—are you two going to come at me together? Since you're Hyunah's little sister, I won't kill you either!"

"Thanks, Liette-unni! But we need to clear this dungeon. Mr. Volleyball!"

Park Yerim shouted loudly at the empty air.

"Give me one more service! She's Noah-oppa's sister! Then Noah-oppa will take Mr. Volleyball's side too, right? Right?"

"What? Ah, yes!"

Noah nodded, though he had no idea what was happening.

"Mister will probably worry about this and that anyway, so we can't make him worry about Noah-oppa's situation too! Just one more time, nice and clean, okay?"

[The final special clear quest!???]

With a whimpering "the final one," the Fair and Square Match quest appeared again. Liette looked at the message window curiously, then accepted the quest.

"I'll count it as your win if you can just hold out for 30 minutes. How's that sound, Faible?"

"I'll knock Noonim down before then! And I am Noah!"

Shouting with everything he had, Noah activated a skill.

Nest where the light descends (SSS). The wide-area support skill spread out extensively. A faint halo of light expanded and floated like tens of thousands of fireflies. At the same time, a message appeared before Liette's eyes.

My Virtual Library Empire (M|V|LE1MPYR) thanks you for reading at the source.

[Cannot use skills below SS-Rank! (Duration: 30 minutes)]

"...Huh? I can't use skills?"

Before the regression, Liette's maximum skill grade was SS-Rank. Ultimately, all the skills she could use directly—not the passive skills that were always active—were blocked.

Along with that, a message window appeared for Park Yerim as well.

[Mana recovery speed increased! Overall defense increased! Overall speed increased! Random buffs and recovery effects occur every time you touch a light sphere!]

"What is this?!"

Park Yerim shouted in amazement. It was surprising enough that it blocked the enemy's skills below SS-Rank, but there were countless additional buffs. And it even said that just by touching the constantly spreading halo of light, she'd get another buff and recover.

"Noah-oppa, you're incredible!"

"But since I'm still inexperienced, it's limited to 30 minutes."

It was also because the two dragonkin titles were in the process of fusing. While the duration was short, the cooldown was long. But once activated, it could easily overwhelm even differences in grade. Above all else—

'If it's a group versus group battle.'

Right now it was close to a one-on-one situation, but if multiple teams clashed... It was a powerful support skill that could easily trample any difference in combat ability. But in the current dungeon clearing system, how often would it be used like that?

Noah shook off the unnecessary thoughts and spread his wings wide.

"Hunter Park Yerim!"

"Yes!"

Park Yerim's magic flowed. She was quite exhausted from fighting her future and past selves, but Noah supported her with his ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don't copy, read here) Conductor of Mana skill. Under the much smoother and easier-flowing magic, water gushed up from various points with loud bangs and booms.

"All right, come at me!"

Liette bared her teeth as she drew her longsword. Even with her skills blocked, her powerful body remained. Noah and Park Yerim were weak in close combat. Their physical abilities were inferior to any S-Rank melee fighter, so if she caught them properly even once, it would be over.

BOOM!

The tip of Liette's foot kicked off the ground. The asphalt buckled as she rushed at them with incredible speed. Simultaneously, Park Yerim sharply froze the water she'd drawn out. Dozens of ice spears formed instantly and shot toward Liette. Their speed and hardness far exceeded normal levels.

Rather than dodge the ice spears flying through the air, Liette swung her sword. Even without an attack skill, the ice spears shattered with sharp cracks just from grazing her blade. Smashing through the spears flying straight at her, Liette leaped into the air, using the bouncing ice fragments as stepping stones.

"Ugh, Liette-unni, seriously!"

She was using the attack itself as footholds. At that speed, no less. Park Yerim quickly scattered the mist from her breath. The unavoidable mist spread out, and Park Yerim's magic reached Liette's body. Through the Conductor of Mana skill, Noah felt it too.

Noah, sensing Liette's movements that were too fast for his eyes to follow through mana, targeted her and used Forced Blessing. Liette's speed momentarily increased, and—

"Tch!"

The tip of her foot missed the ice spear and stepped on empty air. With speed impossible to control, she couldn't perform such delicate maneuvers.

Liette's body spun once and crashed to the ground. THUD. Cold rain poured down between the flying asphalt fragments. Liette's body was drenched before she could dodge. Then, with crackling sounds, it began to freeze.

"More troublesome than I expected."

Liette swung her frozen arm wide. White ice fragments fell from her body with heavy thuds. But it didn't end there.

RUMBLE!

Not just the water facilities, but even groundwater was being drawn up, and the water level was gradually rising. Park Yerim continued pulling up water while sweeping her body through the clustered light spheres, bursting them. The light exploded with sharp pops, quickly replenishing her dwindling mana. All sorts of buffs came as bonuses.

The water that had risen to Liette's ankles in an instant froze solid. It wasn't ordinary ice. With mana concentrated intensively around Liette alone, and weight added by freezing a wide area, it formed shackles that even SS-Rank stats couldn't easily escape.

At the same time, golden wings spread above Liette's head. Despite their sparkling appearance, what those wings poured out was potent poison. The current Liette had no poison resistance. She might have poison-resistant equipment, but it wouldn't be S-Rank level.

Meanwhile, Noah's poison was enhanced. The poison that slowly paralyzed the body seeped in with Liette's breath. Liette narrowed her eyes and raised her sword high.

BOOM!

She brought it down as it was. The ice floor was gouged out and cracks spread. Then once more, the sword tip struck the ice, and finally it shattered completely. Immediately after, Liette's body leaped at Noah.

"Ugh!"

CRUNCH. Liette's sword pierced through Noah's wing. Noah gritted his teeth and let out a silent scream. But at the pain transmitted twofold, Liette only frowned. She put strength into the sword as if to sever Noah's wing entirely. But—

"Huh? What's this?"

The sword wouldn't budge. Noah's healing skill had activated, and simultaneously he was absorbing the light spheres with his entire body, continuously healing the wound. With the sword still embedded in him. The healing speed was faster than the blade cutting deeper into the wound, and it clamped down tightly on the enemy's weapon, refusing to let go.

Park Yerim didn't just watch Liette's surprise. Approaching with teleportation, Park Yerim took advantage of a close-combat buff that had just activated and precisely stabbed Liette's wrist with her spear.

SCRAPE!

A sound like scratching hard armor rang out, even though it was definitely bare skin colliding with a spear tip. But a faint wound appeared. A droplet of water flowed from Park Yerim's spear tip and seeped into Liette's wound.

It was impossible to freeze moisture in another person's body unless they were non-Awakened or low-grade Awakened. Because the opponent's magic protected them. But if water already imbued with Park Yerim's magic was introduced through a wound, brief interference was possible.

Part of Liette's wrist froze white. Her movements became sluggish and strength drained from her hand. Finally, Liette dropped her sword and fell. SPLASH. Water sprayed high.

"You really are something else."

Noah flapped his wings wide and picked up Liette's sword. Blood splattered, but even that healed cleanly in no time.

"Are you really okay?"

Park Yerim asked worriedly. Though it was a planned operation, she couldn't help but worry after seeing it firsthand.

"Yes. The wings hurt less."

Liette's sword was now in Noah's hand, pointed at Liette.

"Noonim, there are still over ten minutes left."

There were a few bloodstains, but the golden wings were pristine. They shimmered faintly, catching the sunset light falling behind him. His clothes were soaked, but his dusty hair and face had been washed clean.

In contrast, Liette, who had fallen into the muddy water, let out a chuckle and roughly wiped her face with the back of her hand.

"It's the first time anyone's taken my weapon."

"I would never have dared before."

Even if Noonim's sword had been lying on a table, the old Noah wouldn't have been able to touch it. Liette slowly rotated her wrist. The frozen part had melted somewhat, but it was still sluggish. No—her entire body was stiff. Noah's poison was gradually taking stronger effect.

Liette laughed again. Seeing her sparkling little brother, she felt strangely pleased.

"Noah is strong."

"Yes."

"You're my little brother too, right?"

"Yes."

"Then that's enough. You won't die easily."

"That was fun," Liette said, stretching widely. A faint smile also formed on Noah's lips, which had been tight with tension.

"I think I had a bit of fun this time too."

"Right? That's what I'm talking about!"

"You have no intention of apologizing to me, do you?"

"No."

Liette nodded at the "just checking" question.

"I can do it if you want. But they'd just be words. Would that satisfy you?"

Noah slowly shook his head.

"Even if it were sincere, I don't know. I don't think it would easily cover everything up."

If things continued to change like this, if more time passed, then maybe... Liette shrugged her shoulders broadly.

"Then Noah, want to play for the remaining ten minutes? Our stats are probably similar right now!"

"Yes, Noonim!"

Readjusting his grip on the sword, this time on his own, Noah charged at Liette.