The S-Classes That I Raised

James Gunn opens up about his Batman Problem and What's Wrong with the MCU

Baek Yeonjun habitually stepped forward with his left foot. He was the type with balanced strength and speed, but couldn't shake the habit of shifting his weight to the left.

The blade whistled past Song Taewon's ear. The sword strike from an A-Rank Hunter now approaching S-Rank power tore at his collar with nothing but wind pressure. Song Taewon twisted just enough to avoid the attack and seized Baek Yeonjun's extended arm.

Black shadow flickered across Song Taewon's palm, instantly neutralizing the defensive skill protecting Baek Yeonjun's arm. His fingers dug into flesh and snapped bone with a wet crunch. Song Taewon yanked the arm as if to tear it from its socket and spun left—Baek Yeonjun's right.

'Still favoring the right side.'

Weak. His reactions were faster than Song Taewon remembered, but still lagged behind his left-side responses. As Baek Yeonjun's body was pulled off balance, Song Taewon drove his knee, enhanced by rotational force, into his opponent's vulnerable right side.

Another sickening crunch.

A groan escaped through Baek Yeonjun's clenched teeth. Song Taewon remembered this same man whimpering and surrendering after taking half this punishment. But now Baek Yeonjun bit down harder and twisted his body, swallowing even a scream. He wrenched himself backward, accepting that his trapped arm would be mangled in the process.

In those brief seconds he'd bought himself, the Awakened Management Office Hunters had reached the main gate.

"Here!"

Someone hurled a potion bottle toward Baek Yeonjun. For a healer with low physical stats, throwing potions was faster first aid than running over. But before the bottle could reach its target—

Crack!

A fragment of flooring, kicked up by Song Taewon's foot, shattered the bottle mid-flight. Translucent liquid splashed uselessly across the pavement. The movement seemed almost precognitive, as if he'd been waiting for exactly this moment. And in fact, Song Taewon had known it was coming. Better than anyone else here.

The Awakened Management Office Hunters present had more experience than the current Song Taewon possessed. But when it came to pure combat experience, they couldn't match him even with over three years of additional time. Even if the quantity was similar, there remained a difference in quality.

Song Taewon dealt with the potion and simultaneously closed on Baek Yeonjun, who had retreated toward the street. Baek Yeonjun dropped low and slid across the asphalt to the sidewalk, grabbing the rear of a parked minivan. His fingers punched through the metal body as he shoved the vehicle at Song Taewon like an oversized bowling ball.

The screech of metal on pavement filled the air as the car barreled forward, blocking Song Taewon's line of sight. A moment where he inevitably lost track of Baek Yeonjun's position. But Song Taewon didn't panic. Instead of leaping over or smashing through the obstacle, he simply ran around it to the right.

"What—!"

Exactly where Baek Yeonjun had expected to find safety, Song Taewon appeared. Horror flooded the younger Hunter's face, but only briefly before thick fingers with hooked nails reached for his throat. Baek Yeonjun frantically raised his good arm to block.

Song Taewon caught the defensive arm, twisted and pulled, then slashed with a dagger in his free hand. Fresh blood ran hot over stains that hadn't yet dried.

He released the arm that had drawn a crimson line with his blade. The dagger flew from his fingertips and buried itself in the support-type Hunter standing uncertainly nearby.

'A support-type must have faster situational judgment than close-combat types.'

He'd said that before.

'You need to protect yourself while maintaining distance to use your skills at the right moment. And you must know when to retreat based on the situation.'

But turning your back on an endangered colleague was never easy. 'If I'm left alone, clearing and escaping becomes impossible, doesn't it?' He'd heard that reasoning before too.

A corpse dropped from Song Taewon's hand with a dull thud. As he turned, he saw the defensive-types who had stepped forward. Only one of the tense faces was familiar—there were others he didn't recognize.

But behind them stood more faces he knew all too well.

"When is backup from Haeyeon arriving?!"

"We can't reach them!"

"What about Sesung and the Association?"

"Same problem..."

After Song Taewon's death, no new S-Rank Hunters had joined the Awakened Management Office. Unlike the Hunter Association, no S-Rank Awakened wanted to be completely under state control. Their influence had diminished greatly, and in overwhelming situations like this, they had to request support from major guilds and the Hunter Association.

"Are you a monster or a Hunter? If you can speak, identify yourself!"

Song Taewon didn't respond. Instead, he withdrew a metal rod from his inventory—a weapon he typically used against large numbers of weak monsters. An A-Rank item that was simply sturdy, without special abilities.

A few recognized it and frowned, but it was too common to identify anyone specifically.

"Stall for time until we reestablish contact!"

The defensive-type Hunters formed up at the main gate's center. Three different shields created a wall. Behind them, a bow was drawn and wind began to rage.

The first arrow shot along the path of magically conjured wind. This wasn't just an attack meant to hit—it carried a skill that would slow enemy movement upon contact with body or even shadow. This tеxt wаs асquirеd frоm М|V|L0ЕМРYR.

Song Taewon jumped back lightly to dodge and gripped the metal rod with both hands. 'The first shot is for ranging.' As soon as the initial arrow struck the ground—

A fierce wind spread outward and dozens of arrows began raining down! Song Taewon spun the rod in wide arcs, deflecting the projectiles in a rapid staccato as his body charged toward the defensive line.

"Hold the line!"

The defensive Hunters dug their heels into the ground while strong winds pushed against Song Taewon's advance. In case he tried to leap over their shields, bows and melee weapons trained skyward.

A formation designed for ground-type monsters with high attack power. Though some new faces had appeared, the formation's creator was none other than Song Taewon himself.

'Wind alone can't stop a high-rank monster or bind it even momentarily. But it can definitely reduce attack power. With just that small assistance, defensive Hunters can hold their ground.'

'Blocking attacks is easier with support than on bare ground. But it restricts movement, so don't use it when isolated.'

The rod cut through the wind in a wide swing.

A tremendous impact struck the shields, but the defensive Hunters held firm, supporting each other. The powerful recoil made Song Taewon's hands tingle slightly. Not missing the moment his movement paused, another arrow barrage poured down—arrows shot nearly straight up before raining down from above. Simultaneously, a spear thrust through a gap in the shields.

Song Taewon's right foot scraped against the ground, extending almost straight as his left leg bent deep. He swung the rod overhead, deflecting arrows in rapid succession before setting it vertically to meet the spearpoint.

The rod struck the ground with explosive force. Cracks spread from the impact point like an earthquake. Song Taewon gripped the rod's end where it was buried halfway into the pavement and put his full strength and weight behind it.

"Get clear!"

The ground split and rose nearly a meter on both sides, shaking all the way past the main gate into the parking lot. Chunks of concrete and earth flew through the air. The defensive Hunters, their feet anchored in the ground, scrambled to escape. Several with lower stats stumbled and fell.

Song Taewon released the tilted rod and kicked off the ground. Wire unspooled from his arm as he soared upward.

The thrown wire coiled around the support Hunter's neck. As he landed, Song Taewon stamped down on the defensive Hunter beside him and yanked the wire hard. The sharp crack of a breaking neck echoed as his foot kicked up a fallen spear. Catching the airborne weapon, he hurled it and quickly moved to drive his boot into an archer's chest.

A Hunter who had regained his senses swung his sword at Song Taewon. A bare hand wreathed in shadow caught the blade.

"That skill!"

Song Taewon's grip shattered the blade, and the broken metal sliced its owner's throat. A spear and sword flew at him simultaneously—from above and below in a coordinated attack practiced countless times, each movement designed not to interfere with the other.

Song Taewon raised his wire-wrapped arm to catch the spearpoint aimed at his neck while stepping on a fallen shield to deflect the lower attack. The wire around his forearm showed a scratch, and the shield was driven back against his leg. His leg took the impact, but the blade didn't penetrate.

Those two Hunters still made a formidable pair. A simultaneous attack like that would challenge even an experienced high-rank Hunter.

But Song Taewon had near-perfect knowledge of all their patterns—even the small habits they couldn't help but display.

Both attacks blocked, the sword and spear withdrew. Next they would come from both sides in a pincer movement. The spearman's footwork, the swordsman's drawn-back arm—the direction and location of their next assault were clearly visible to Song Taewon.

Both would strike high.

Song Taewon dropped low. The attacks whiffed harmlessly over him with perfect timing. Still crouched, he used the recoil to spring toward both opponents. Their weapons were still extended, insufficient time to defend.

Song Taewon's arms spread wide, then snapped forward. His hands seized both their throats. That was the end.

Corpses piled up. The remaining two defensive Hunters offered no meaningful resistance. Song Taewon approached the archer rolling on the ground, chest caved in. The man was still breathing.

"Who... are you... cough... Chief?"

Confusion filled both expression and voice.

"I am not."

The response slipped out unconsciously. The archer's eyelid twitched.

"Just now, you were exactly ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) the same..."

Silence fell. Not a single sound remained. A crumpled paper cup rolling across the floor caught Song Taewon's attention.

What now? What came next?

He didn't need to think about dungeon clearing procedures, yet he couldn't move.

'First...'

Defeat the monsters. No, before that—his team members. He wanted to wipe his face, but his hands were bloody. Were the water systems still functioning? A familiar bathroom stood just steps away where he could wash up.

And no one would be there. Because they were dead. Because he had killed them.

'This is a dungeon.'

Song Taewon had to clear it and escape. A mountain of work would be waiting when he returned to Korea, in scenery he remembered exactly as it had been.

"You look like a ghost."

A voice broke the silence. Song Taewon, who had been staring downward, snapped his head up.

"You don't look ready to die—how old are you anyway?"

Moon Hyunah descended the stairs.

"Hunter Moon Hyunah."

"Did you hear about your own death?"

Song Taewon studied Moon Hyunah as she jumped down the remaining steps in one leap. Moon Hyunah hadn't entered this dungeon or even come to China with them. Her hair was black, and her aura was stronger than the real Moon Hyunah's.

So she was another monster from this place?

"Why didn't you stop me?"

"Huh?"

"You could have stopped me."

Moon Hyunah scratched the back of her head.

"I wasn't supposed to be here originally."

The current Moon Hyunah wasn't in Korea.

"I did get an offer for head of the Awakened Management Office. The Chief even asked me directly—you know, when the Breaker Guild started falling apart. Did you know you'd die back then? Is that why you recommended me? You look like you have no idea."

"..."

"So it's definitely strange, but I'm trying to force down that weird feeling. Just looking around—isn't it strange? There's no one here."

Moon Hyunah frowned, calling it unsettling.

Han Yujin, Seong Hyunjae, and Park Yerim had connected with their original bodies, making it relatively easy to notice the current suspicious circumstances. But Moon Hyunah and Liette, along with the other Hunters, had not.

Those with lower grades, even if they sensed something strange momentarily, soon had their suspicions erased. Liette perceived it clearly but didn't care. After finding Noah, she'd deliberately tried not to pay attention, partly because she thought acknowledging it might feel like waking from a dream.

Moon Hyunah's awareness was lower than Liette's, but her resistance was greater. She fought hard not to lose that deep sense of wrongness.

"So how old are you? About my age now? Maybe younger?"

"Right now, Hunter Moon Hyunah."

"I'm the strange one here, right? Please tell me I'm right."

Song Taewon hesitated, then nodded.

"This place is a dungeon, and I'm a raider."

"So I'm a monster? Seriously?"

"Yes."

Moon Hyunah let out an incredulous laugh.

"I don't think so. But this situation is definitely strange. Disgustingly so. Anyway, we're about the same age now, so I'll drop the formalities."

"Didn't you already drop them?"

"Taewon-ah, what's wrong with you?"

Moon Hyunah clicked her tongue and looked Song Taewon up and down.

"Why did you have to die? Did Seong Hyunjae really kill you?"

"I don't know. This is just a virtual future created by the dungeon."

"Looking at your current state, it doesn't seem like much will change. And from my perspective, I'm the real one. You're dead, and Seong Hyunjae has left Korea. After he officially went missing, I ran into him once by chance."

Song Taewon unconsciously focused on Moon Hyunah's words. Even knowing it wasn't real, her words drew his attention.

"Seong Hyunjae, you know—he lives as he pleases, built on a foundation of boredom. When he was with you, Taewon, he seemed to be having quite a bit of fun. But that's all gone now."

"Gone?"

"At first glance he's still the same, but... how should I put it? It feels like he's lived through the entire world already? He was somewhat like that before, but now the only thing that seems to interest him is sending postcards to the Haeyeon Guild Leader's brother."

"Because he's close with Han Yujin."

"What? He was? I had no idea."

Moon Hyunah's eyes widened.

"For all that effort, he said there were no replies. And since the Haeyeon Guild Leader wasn't interested in his own brother, he just ignored suggestions to snatch him away. He ignored all questions about Song Taewon too. It got boring, so I haven't seen him since."

The word "boring" attached to Seong Hyunjae felt so awkward it was almost ridiculous. Song Taewon slowly clenched and unclenched his blood-caked hand.

"Want to come in and wash up?"

"No."

"Still the same. So uptight. I was pretty rigid too, but compared to Song Taewon, I was flexible."

Moon Hyunah laughed and began walking. Slight tension entered Song Taewon's shoulders.