Chapter 174: Sibling Fight (2)
Myungwoo completed the harness to be used as a substitute for a saddle in just one night. What’s more, it was an S-rank piece of equipment with various useful options attached. Both Noah and I could only gape in admiration.
“I didn’t expect to finish it this quickly.”
Myungwoo, who had pulled an all-nighter, spoke while squinting against the bright sunlight. We had all gathered on the rooftop garden to test the equipment. There was a slight mishap when Blue, excited to see Myungwoo after so long, pounced on him enthusiastically, but he surprisingly handled her playfulness with ease. When asked, he explained that his stats had increased again—this time focusing on health and strength.
Stats continuing to rise without leveling up… At this rate, would he end up becoming S-rank?
“I’ve been thinking for a while now, but I seem to be more suited to crafting non-lethal equipment rather than weapons. Maybe it’s due to the accumulated experience, but making this harness or Peace’s equipment was much easier and faster than when I made Hunter Park Yerim’s spear. It’s also more enjoyable.”
Myungwoo said this while spreading out the straps of the harness.
“If Grace hadn’t been for defense, even with the L-grade magic stone, it wouldn’t have reached that level. And honestly, even when it’s for monsters, making weapons feels a little unsettling.”
Hearing him say that making lethal weapons felt uncomfortable struck me like a blow to the back of the head. After all, weapons can always end up being aimed at people during disputes between Hunters. I had grown far too accustomed to that reality, but Myungwoo likely hadn’t.
…If I hadn’t regressed, would I have been able to think like him?
“Then what about the request I made…?”
“Don’t worry about it. I understand perfectly well that weapons are necessary in the current world. They’re to protect people from dungeons, after all. Of course, if that weren’t the case, I wouldn’t make them.”
With that, he showed me the back part of the harness.
“I made it white as we discussed yesterday. A conspicuous color would increase the chance of being targeted. Since the lower body doesn’t need support, it’s made as just a chest strap.”
The white leather straps were connected with golden fixtures. Perhaps for durability, metallic embellishments had been added in various spots. But with only the chest straps, to be honest, it kind of… uh… resembled a dog harness.
I felt extremely apologetic toward Noah. Though he himself was all smiles, pleased with how quickly and efficiently the equipment had been completed.
“I also added a loop on the back that you can hold onto with your hand. And this.”
Myungwoo held up a long strap that dangled from the center, its end adorned with what looked like a decorative metallic button.
“It’s a safety strap. If you press this button against your waist like this…”
He pressed the metallic button against my waist, and with a snap sound, a belt shot out and wrapped around my waist.
“You can automatically secure the belt. To release it, just press the button again. It’s designed with speed in mind.”
Tying myself with a rope seemed safer, but I had given up on the idea because I wasn’t confident I could untie it quickly in an emergency. Including a belt this simple and convenient was impressive. Myungwoo smiled pleasantly at my words of praise.
“Right now, it’s short, but once it’s adjusted for a dragon form, it’ll lengthen enough to let you stand. And look here. You see how these two spots are slightly different in color? These sections have a sort of suction effect. If you step here, you won’t slip under most circumstances.”
The suction effect was pressure-sensitive, so releasing the pressure would easily allow you to lift your foot again. Watching Myungwoo’s delighted expression as he explained the features, I realized that creating this type of equipment must truly bring him joy.
Someday, there would surely come a time when he could focus solely on making functional items without worrying about combat-related gear. Even if dungeons and the Awakener system disappeared entirely, Myungwoo’s craftsmanship would remain. He could open a workshop and thrive. One day, for sure.
“I’m confident in its performance, but just in case, activate Grace and test it.”
Myungwoo said as he handed the harness to Noah. Noah put it on and transformed into his dragon form. The white leather straps on his light gold scales complemented him quite well. …Was it okay to say it looked good on him?
— Yujin!
Noah wagged his tail, urging me to get on. As much as I hated to say it, he really did resemble a giant dog. So cute.
“Well then, excuse me.”
I climbed onto Noah’s back and fastened the waist belt. Since there was no need to stand, I placed my knees on the suction sections and grabbed the handle strap.
“Give it a proper flight test. Imagine it’s a mock battle.”
Previously, during abrupt flight maneuvers, I couldn’t hold on and Noah had to carry me in his arms. But that restricted his movement, making it difficult for him to fight effectively. As a backup supporter, it was manageable, but for a direct battle, it was disadvantageous.
I had been wondering how to deal with that during the duel with Liette. If I could hold on using the harness, that worry would be resolved.
To simulate a more realistic scenario, I called for Blue to help. To her, it probably sounded like an invitation to play. Then, I used the Terrifying Chick Class Teacher skill on Noah.
Noah soared into the sky, and Blue chased after him in an instant.
— Kyaaa!
With a great flap of her white wings tinged with faint gold, Blue shot past Noah and soared high into the sky in an instant. Although she wasn’t fully grown yet, her flying skills already surpassed those of a dragonkin. For Noah, who wasn’t even a real dragon, keeping up with her was still difficult.
Whoosh. The sound of the wind cutting sharply accompanied Blue as she dove like lightning toward Noah. His golden membrane wings rippled as his body pivoted into a vertical dive. Already anticipating the movement, I tightened my grip on the handle. The strap connected to the belt stretched taut, while the suction pads at my knees still held firmly, making it easier to endure than expected.
But then, Noah’s body flipped completely over. Blue, attacking swiftly and drawing a triangular path, lunged at him, forcing Noah to execute a full loop like a rollercoaster to evade her. My knees lost contact with the suction pads, and my body momentarily lifted into the air, but I managed to hang on. Noah soon returned to steady flight, and I quickly regained my balance.
— Are you okay?
“Yes, let’s keep going a little longer.”
Noah hesitated briefly before resuming his near-acrobatic maneuvers. He rapidly descended and ascended, twisted in sharp turns, and even clashed with Blue in midair as though they were engaged in a fight. My arms started to ache, but as I got used to the movements, I shifted more of my weight to the waist strap, reducing the strain on my arms.
The only thing missing was motion sickness medicine. …But poison resistance might be a problem. I had already asked someone to make motion sickness medicine that ignored poison resistance, but I hadn’t heard back yet.
“Let’s… take a break.”
I felt dizzy. Noah spread his wings wide, leveling out into a steady glide. Beside him, Blue flew alongside, matching his pace.
“I think I can manage. As long as the acrobatic flying isn’t too prolonged.”
I’ll need to empty my stomach before fighting Liette. They say nausea worsens on an empty stomach, but it’s still better than throwing up.
At that moment, both Noah and Blue turned their heads toward the Haeyeon Guild building. Something unusual caught my eye as well—a stream of water cutting across the sky.
The water twisted and writhed in the air, forming shapes. Letters.
Mister!
Yerim. My eyesight wasn’t good enough to make it out clearly, but Noah’s sharp vision allowed him to see her standing at a window, waving in our direction. The water stream shifted again, forming new words.
For dinner tonight,
Chicken!
…She had a perfectly functional phone. Why was she doing this? Amused, I raised my arms and made a circle with my hands to signal my approval. Sure, go ahead and eat whatever you want.
Yerim mouthed something silently, and the water gathered into one spot, reshaping itself.
♥
Just as I was fondly watching the heart made of water, flames suddenly appeared, wrapping around it. The water instantly evaporated, and the flames dissipated as well. A few floors above Yerim’s window, Yuhyun was standing by another window.
My younger brother smiled and waved at me, then pulled out his phone. After a moment, Yerim scowled fiercely as she stared at her own phone. She grumbled to herself and stormed away from the window.
‘…What are they doing?’
I couldn’t help but wonder if some news article would pop up later with a headline like Haeyeon Guild’s Fire-and-Water Heart Drama. Still, it seemed like the two of them were having fun in their own way.
Fire and ice may be opposites, but when kept at just the right distance, they can create a comfortable warmth—not too hot or too cold. Perhaps, in a way, they were a good match after all.
When we came back down, Myungwoo, who had been yawning, asked how it went. Naturally, I showered him with praise, calling it perfect. The belt worked smoothly, the handle was sturdy, and the suction pads were incredibly useful.
“Should I fry some chicken for dinner?”
“That’d be great. Oh, I’ll help, too.”
If Myungwoo made it all by himself, Yuhyun might refuse to eat it again. But if I helped, he’d probably eat it without complaint.
“Hunter Noah, you should come too.”
“Me too? Would that be okay?”
Noah brightened at Myungwoo’s words and turned to look at me. There was no reason he couldn’t come, so I told him to join us. He looked thrilled.
“I’ll grab a nap until dinner…”
Myungwoo said, heading off. Blue, still not satisfied, circled in the air, occasionally squawking as if inviting Noah to play with her.
“Noah, I think you need an offensive skill.”
At my words, Noah nodded in agreement.
“I’ve been thinking that having a proper offensive skill would be a good idea. Though, honestly, there’s another skill I’d want even more.”
“A skill you want? What is it?”
“…Miniaturization.”
Noah spoke hesitantly, looking a little embarrassed.
“Something like Peace’s fluid transformation would also be fine.”
At that, I reflexively glanced at Peace. He had both gigantification and fluid transformation skills. There was probably a miniaturization skill out there too. But why did Noah want to become smaller? It would be adorable, sure—a golden baby dragon… Hmm, that might be too cute. With his sleek and streamlined shape, shrinking down would make him round and chubby—undeniably charming. …Honestly, the mental image felt like cheating.
“Well, if you could get a skill like that, it’d be great. I’ll look into it. Miniaturization would be useful for me, too.”
It’d make carrying him around much easier. I’d have to ask around for ways to obtain such a skill.
I briefly explained to Noah that I had a skill that could act as a kind of growth enhancer. I told him how I’d even helped Kim Seonghan grow into an S-rank with it. Then, I activated My Kid Is The Best on Noah.
A system window appeared in front of me, displaying the list of Noah’s unacquired optimized skills. I could only see the skill names, but most of them appeared to be support-type skills. Among them, one skill immediately caught my eye—a lone S-rank skill.
[Silent Wound (S)]
…The name gave off an eerie vibe, bringing to mind something like a silent scream. With a name like “Wound,” it was likely an offensive skill. Though there was a chance it could be a recovery skill, an S-rank healing skill would be just as welcome.
Among the rest of the skills, none of the names stood out as potential offensive abilities, and taking a gamble by spinning the random wheel wasn’t a wise choice. It was better to aim for the only S-rank skill. I selected Silent Wound, and another message window popped up.
[Acquisition conditions for Noah’s Silent Wound (S):
Subdue 500 high-rank Awakeners.
(Progress: 459/500)]
Subduing high-rank Awakeners—it was definitely an offensive skill! Even with the effects of My Kid Is The Best and Noah’s compatibility as the Lautitars’ Natural Enemy, the requirement had been significantly reduced to 500. Originally, it probably required a ridiculous number, like Myungwoo’s skill, which demanded 10,000.
‘At least there are only 41 left.’
At the same time, I felt another pang of guilt thinking about Noah’s past. He had faced that many high-rank Awakeners, not just monsters. This must have been due to the instability of foreign systems compared to South Korea’s well-established Hunter structure, but still, it weighed on me.
“If you subdue just 41 more high-rank Awakeners, you can acquire a new S-rank skill. Judging by the conditions, it seems to be an offensive one.”
“Really?”
Noah was thrilled but quickly looked worried.
“Do you think I can get the skill before my sister arrives? I can’t just go picking fights for no reason.”
“Don’t worry. I know the perfect place.”
If you need a reason, just make one. I informed Yuhyun that I’d be heading out briefly and told him where I was going. Since it wasn’t a dangerous location, his response was a simple be careful. I also let Yerim know before flying off with Noah.
Our destination was none other than a high-rank Hunter training facility located in Gyeonggi Province. Advanced combat training for A-rank and higher was conducted exclusively at remote, specialized facilities outside the city for safety reasons. This joint training ground, managed by both the Association and various guilds, was situated in a barren area where even an A-rank dungeon break had once occurred. There wasn’t a single residence in sight nearby.
To avoid being mistaken for a monster and attacked, I contacted the Association in charge of the training facility beforehand. When we landed on the sparring grounds, a plume of dust rose into the air. As expected, the area was a vast, empty dirt field, without any floor coverings since it was bound to be destroyed during practice.
‘There are quite a few people here.’
I counted seven Hunters on the training grounds alone. There were likely more inside. If I could persuade them to spar with Noah, the requirements could be met quickly. Offering a reward to whoever performed the best might work. Maybe I could use one of the decent A-rank items I picked up in Hong Kong as a prize.
“What brings you here?”
A familiar face emerged from inside the building. It was Song Taewon. He was wearing something akin to a training uniform, and a faint sheen of sweat glistened on his forehead. Even for an S-rank Hunter, it was a hot day to be moving vigorously. His outfit, which should’ve been loose-fitting, clung to his well-built frame, accentuating his physique. Truly, his body was impressive. I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of envy.
“I’m here to observe and maybe do some sparring.”
As I dismounted from Noah, another voice chimed in.
“While maintaining one’s body is commendable, this facility isn’t quite suitable for someone like you, Han Yujin.”
It was Seong Hyunjae.
Why was he here? Turning to look, I noticed a bow in his hand. The arrow loosely gripped between his fingers was undoubtedly one of Myungwoo’s creations that Evelyn had taken yesterday. Was he here to test it out? Perhaps Evelyn was here as well. Hopefully not, though—I didn’t need all three of them today. I only needed A-rank Hunters, not S-rank ones.
“What’s this about?”
–TL Notes–
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