The S-Classes That I Raised – Chapter 126

Chapter 126: Iryn (2)

The ceiling light shone brightly. I remembered changing it out myself several times. The living room wasn’t very spacious. There was a sofa, a TV, and a wall clock that had stopped.

“…Why here of all places? And wait, you’re telling me you have some kind of mental skill?”

Or maybe it’s an effect of the Spirit Contract skill.

[This is Yuhyun’s favorite place!]

“Yuhyun’s?”

[Yes! This is the house he lived in with you. That’s why Iryn likes it too.]

The salamander spun around in circles, as if playing a game of chasing its tail. I could hear the affection in its voice as it spoke about Yuhyun. This little guy was a good salamander.

[This skill belongs to you, too.]

Iryn stopped spinning and looked up at me. Its black eyes gleamed like jewels.

“Mine?”

[I don’t think you can use it properly on your own yet, so I helped out a little.]

“I don’t have a skill like this.”

[You do. It’s that kind of power.]

No, this feels more like something that belongs to that lizard’s master… I suddenly remembered when the zombie had called me Diarma’s successor. Back then, I thought it was because I had absorbed traits from the Venom and Curse Dragonkin.

‘…Could it be that I can now use some of Diarma’s other skills?’

It’s not in my skill window, though. And I have no idea how to use it. Should I consult the rebellious kids about this?

I lifted my head and looked around the room again, feeling an odd sense of nostalgia. He says it’s a favorite place, but that doesn’t sit quite right with me. I had run away from here, unable to bear it. Everywhere I looked, memories of the past came flooding back, so vivid it was unbearable. Not just every corner of the house, but even a plain white cup, an empty desk, and even the bathroom slippers. I’d left almost everything behind, barely escaping with just the clothes on my back.

And yet, now I felt a strange sense of loss.

“Iryn.”

[Yes?]

“I think Yuhyun’s acting a bit strange lately. Could it have something to do with you?”

[Iryn’s influence is a little bit. But your brother… a lot.]

“What?”

[Hug me, please.]

I picked up the salamander as it requested. It was pleasantly warm and soft, just the right amount of squishy. It’d be perfect to cuddle with on a cold winter day.

[Spirits are pure energy, you see. By accepting Iryn, Yuhyun’s become more honest with himself. And thanks to his fire attribute, he’s gotten a tiny bit more… aggressive? Now that he has the power to eliminate anything that bothers him, he doesn’t hold back.]

“…Did he really hate Seong Hyunjae that much?”

[Seong Hyunjae probably tried to kill him, too! He must have thought his brother was very useful. Yuhyun sensed that.]

Iryn’s tail swayed as it spoke.

[Yuhyun’s holding back a lot, but their natures are similar. After experiencing the double effect of the attack skill, he realized what Seong Hyunjae was thinking. He must’ve figured out that Hyunjae might have tried to kill everyone else and take you for himself.]

If that had happened, Seong Hyunjae wouldn’t have survived either. Well, he would’ve ended up dead at my hands, to be precise. When I asked myself if Seong Hyunjae would truly go that far, Iryn nodded firmly. I’ve shared the skill with him twice without any issues, though.

“Yuhyun feels uneasy around him, then. It’s a pity, but maybe I really should make sure that guy stays far away.”

[No, it’s okay! Yuhyun will probably think it’s better to keep him around once he calms down. As long as you’re useful, he’ll keep protecting you. And the more people who can protect you, the less burden Yuhyun will feel.]

“But he still says he feels lonely, like I’m being taken away from him.”

[Then just make sure he doesn’t feel lonely! Tell him he’s your favorite.]

“Of course my little brother’s the best. There’s no comparison with someone like Seong Hyunjae.”

[Say it to him a lot. Remember, you and Yuhyun once had a falling out. He’s afraid it might happen again, and he doesn’t know what to do. Yuhyun’s still young!]

“You’re even younger.”

[Iryn was born with lots of knowledge already!]

“You’re still just a kid.”

Iryn tapped my arm with its tiny front paws, as if throwing a little tantrum. It was actually quite adorable. I petted its head, and it giggled as if it were ticklish.

“I thought I was doing a pretty good job showing how I feel, though. Guess I wasn’t.”

[How many times have you told him you like him, or that you love him?]

“Uh… well, I don’t say it out loud much.”

[Why not? You can say it lots! It’s not fake, is it? It’s real, so why wouldn’t you say it? Yuhyun would love it, so why are you holding back?]

“It’s not that I don’t want to… it just feels a bit awkward? We’re not kids anymore. It’s not something you do as much when you’re older.”

Iryn narrowed its eyes at me accusingly. Hey, seriously, it’s not something people usually do. Especially not between siblings. If it’s a super close parent-child relationship, sure, maybe. And even though I raised Yuhyun, we’re still brothers.

[Hyung.]

“…I’ll give it a try. Will that help?”

[Probably!]

“Probably,” huh. How irresponsible. I pinched the salamander’s soft cheek, and it flailed its tail, whining that it hurt.

[Yuhyun stayed with you all the time! And then you suddenly left! To really be okay again, things need to go back to how they were before!]

Hearing that, I looked around the place I’d run away from. I had left, but my brother had left even earlier than I did. But in truth, maybe he’d never really left this place.

A sigh slipped out of me. He’s the successful one, so he should’ve just gone on to live his life. I know I was foolish, but it seems Yuhyun’s no less stubborn. I guess blood really does run thicker than water, even if our ranks are different. But there’s no need to be similar in this way.

“I mean, I only have one little brother to look after, but he has so much going for him—why is he like this?”

[No one hates being loved, Hyung. Whether it’s a human or anything else. If he never knew those feelings, maybe he’d be fine. But once he knows, he can’t let go. And you’re the only one who loves Yuhyun like that!]

“He’s only twenty. We don’t know what the future holds.”

[No way! No future without you!]

“What, are you putting a curse on him?”

Why would he have no future? Of course he does. I went back in time, didn’t I? I need to see this kid settle down, get married, and live a good life. I’ll be sitting proudly as the family elder at his wedding. Now that I think about it, should I sit at Yerim’s wedding too? Oh, wait… Yerim has the bride’s entrance. That’ll be in ten years or so. If I’m over forty, I could pull it off… No, wait, I’ll still be in my thirties. Whoever ends up marrying her, if he messes up even a little, I’ll end him.

“I’d like to see them with kids of their own. Guess I’d better stick around for another twenty years.”

[Hyung?]

“So once he calms down and I reassure him, everything will be okay, right? He won’t go off like that every time you use your power, will he?”

[Not to today’s extent!]

So… he’ll be a little unhinged sometimes.

[He’s not used to Iryn yet. If it gets bad, splash him with water! That should calm him down!]

Yerim, I’ll leave that to you.

“Hey, I noticed you have a skill called Spirit Contract. Can you explain exactly what it does?”

[It’s just a spirit contract! The spirit’s maximum rank is the same as the contracted rank. Hyung, hyung. What’s Iryn’s rank?]

Its black eyes sparkled with curiosity. It couldn’t check its own rank?

“L-rank.”

[Wow, Iryn’s amazing! Iryn’s amazing!]

Iryn cheered happily, and I joined in, praising it as truly incredible. Growing up to L-rank was no small feat.

“Our Iryn is going to be so powerful.”

[Yes! Iryn is the strongest!]

“Make sure to get along with Yuhyun. You won’t end up breaking the contract, right?”

[Not unless one of us disappears!]

Grow big and strong, Iryn. If you reach your full potential, I’ll have no worries about the future.

“How long do you think it’ll take to grow to your full power?”

[Iryn was just born, so about… a thousand years!]

…Okay, that’s painfully slow. That’s one dream crushed.

I petted Iryn as I slowly walked around the house. The dishes in the kitchen were still there, just as they’d been left. There were two chairs at the table. The calendar on the wall was from three years ago. I flipped through a few pages and saw my birthday circled.

I turned and headed towards the rooms. Counting the time that passed before the regression, it had been a long while since I’d been here, yet I felt like I could navigate the place with my eyes closed. I grasped the door handle and slowly turned it. The room looked exactly as it had before. Unlike the last time I saw it, there were traces of daily life. The desk wasn’t empty; there were textbooks and stationery on it.

“It feels like Yuhyun’s about to call me from behind.”

— ‘Hyung, what are you doing standing there?’

[Iryn says Yuhyun’s outside, Hyung.]

“Yeah. Guess I should go back.”

As much as I wanted to look around a bit more, who knows what chaos might be happening outside. I should probably ask Yerim to throw a bucket of water over Yuhyun’s head.

“See you next time, Iryn.”

[Iryn can talk outside, too, once I get bigger!]

“Alright, I’ll look forward to it.”

…Now, how do I get out of here? I remember both of us needing to agree to leave, but it’s not working.

[Hyung?]

“Hold on, I think I’m getting it…”

Let’s try recalling Diarma’s memories. We had mutual consent, so… Ah, this isn’t quite like that Lizard’s version!

“Iryn, I think you meddled with it and altered the skill…”

[Really?]

“Yeah.”

Guess I have no choice but to figure this out together. Skills that aren’t system-regulated turn out to be more dangerous than I thought.

It took quite a while to undo the mental space skill. But on the bright side, I’d learned a lot about the skill itself. With a bit of practice, I might even be able to use it without Iryn’s help.

When I opened my eyes, I was staring at a ceiling. Indoors, not outside. How much time had passed? A dim light filtered through the curtains, so it wasn’t night. I was on a bed, and each of my arms was being held down. I turned my head to the right and saw Yuhyun. He was facing me, sleeping deeply, his breath soft and steady.

Seems like he’s okay.

On my left, Yerim was also asleep, gripping my wrist while sprawled out with half the blanket kicked off.

‘Yerim looks fine, too.’

Good. Seems like nothing major happened. I gently slipped my arm out from under Yuhyun’s grip. His eyes fluttered open, barely slitted.

“…Hyung?”

“Yeah, go back to sleep.”

Don’t get up. I patted him lightly, and he drifted back off, probably exhausted from whatever had happened. For an S-rank hunter to be this tired, it must’ve been a tough ordeal. Hopefully, Hong Kong’s still in one piece.

“Yerim, let go of my hand and just sleep.”

“Ugh… Guild Leader, come on… bring it on…”

Yerim mumbled in her sleep. Yep, sounds like she went head-to-head with him. Glad everyone’s safe. I carefully climbed off the bed to avoid waking them. As I looked back at the large bed that could easily fit three or four people, I couldn’t help but smile.

‘They’re both sleeping so soundly.’

Ah, adorable. When they’re asleep like this, they look like little angels. And curled up on the floor beside the bed was someone who could easily pass as an actual angel.

Noah, why are you sleeping on the floor? There’s plenty of space on the bed. Don’t they have other rooms here?

“Noah, come up here and sleep.”

At my call, Noah groggily sat up, rubbing his eyes. He looked at the empty spot I pointed to and recoiled.

“N-No, I’m fully awake now.”

“Yerim’s not too bad, and Yuhyun sleeps quietly.”

“I’ll be fine. I’ll just go wash my face.”

Noah gave the two a wary glance and left the room. Looks like they must have caused quite a commotion yesterday.

After checking on Chirp, who was asleep in a little basket, I quietly left the bedroom. The spacious living room appeared before me, with a view of the ocean through the large windows. We were still in Hong Kong, it seemed. Maybe this was a different hotel? There was even a staircase leading to a second floor. I turned on the TV, scanning the news as a tense reporter’s voice filled the screen.

“…Wow.”

What used to be solid ground was now gone. The entire area where the hotel once stood was completely submerged, with seawater filling the crater. In some places, stones looked like they’d melted and solidified again. The reporter’s description of how the ground had collapsed and melted to depths over ten meters made my ears tingle.

[“The entire city of Hong Kong is in shock at the aftermath of the massive Kraken incident. The □□□ hotel has completely vanished, and currently, there are reports of missing persons…”]

So they think the Kraken did all that. While the Kraken was massive and had wave-summoning skills, it couldn’t have caused that level of destruction. Just what the hell did they do to make the land disappear? The hotel site, along with a large stretch of coastline, was utterly wrecked.

“You’re awake.”

Seong Hyunjae came down from the second floor. It wasn’t exactly surprising to see him here, but…

“…Why the hell do you look like that? What happened to healers?”

Seeing the scars on his neck was a surprise. I could only imagine what kind of damage lay hidden beneath his clothes.

“You mean the spirit? The young master’s flames were quite fierce. They carried a property that slows down recovery, so it’ll take a few days to fully heal.”

It seemed to have a similar effect to bloodfire. But it was surprising he’d gotten injured at all.

“And what happened to Silencia’s Wings? Did you pawn it off somewhere?”

With S-rank fire resistance, he shouldn’t have taken this much damage.

“I lent it to the little lady for a while.”

“…What?”

“I thought it’d be a pity if my item got ruined if she ended up injured in the young master’s hands. I’d rather it stay intact, for now.”

Did I just hear wrong, or did this man actually protect Yerim? Going so far as to get hurt himself? I always thought he was crazy, but now he’s truly lost it.

Staring blankly at his smiling face, I turned away. I should probably wash my face, too.

–TL Notes–
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