[ Chick Class Teacher (3) ]
“Be careful, hyung.”
Yuhyun tugged on my arm as he spoke. A small flame flickered in front of my feet. Peace quickly stomped it out with his paw.
The undead army melted away in Yuhyun’s flames. As expected, fire is the best weapon against the undead. As for the black golems, which had fire resistance, Moon Hyunah smashed them to bits.
It took about ten minutes to wipe them all out. Since they were gathered in one place, it ended even faster. If it had been an A-class team, they would’ve needed to spread out the army to avoid a chaotic battle, but with overwhelming firepower, numbers didn’t matter.
“I wonder what kind of statue this was.”
I kicked a pedestal, the only thing left of a statue. The writing that had once been inscribed on it was too damaged to read.
Though the second-floor gate had appeared, Yerim the debt-ridden had to gather mana stones first. I also wanted to secure the area before heading to the second floor.
Moon Hyunah and Seong Hyunjae went up first, while I entered the castle with the remaining three. I wanted to take the time to look around properly.
“There’s nothing here that we can figure out.”
The exterior of the castle was mostly intact, but the interior was hollow. The murals, ceiling decorations, and various statues were all faintly visible, but only as traces.
“I told you there was nothing to see.”
“Are all the other places like this?”
“Everywhere I’ve been, yeah.”
It was the answer I had expected, but I couldn’t help feeling a little disappointed. If there had been anything significant here, we would’ve heard about it in the five years before my regression.
‘Considering what the system people said, and looking at Myungwoo, it’s clear there’s another world.’
A ruined city inside the dungeon, completely unrelated to our world. Before, I didn’t think much of it. But now, it feels ominous.
‘Someone connected to the dungeons, someone I need to hide my information from.’
Could it be that if we don’t stop that mysterious figure, our world will end up like this too?
‘Can we really solve it by gathering fifty S-class hunters? Can I really trust the system people?’
Droplet and Tree were fine, but Deer… I didn’t know about him. But at this point, there was nothing else I could do. I had no choice but to follow along for now.
I have to trust them, but suddenly, a wave of futility hits me.
…I just wanted to regress and live comfortably. How did I end up in an A-class dungeon filled with S-class lunatics? If I had just said “okay” when Yuhyun told me to stay locked up for three years, would it have been the end-of-the-world scenario in five years?
Isn’t there anyone who can do this instead of me? I should ask next time. Though, I’ll probably have to go into a low-level dungeon with Peace for that. There’s no way I’m the only one who can do this.
“Hyung, are you okay?”
“Are you tired, sir?”
I’d been staring absentmindedly at a heavily damaged mural, and Yuhyun and Kim Seonghan approached, concern on their faces.
“No, it’s just… well, I’m a little tired, I suppose.”
Where exactly is my life heading? Will things finally calm down after I gather all fifty S-classes? When the system disappears ten years from now, I won’t have to deal with awakening special skills anymore, right?
Okay, just hang in there for ten years. I only need to survive for ten years.
“You don’t look well. Are you sure you can keep walking?”
“Let’s stop sightseeing and go rest. You should ride on Peace. Or should I carry you?”
-Grrrr
What nonsense. Just because my stats are F-class doesn’t mean I’m on the verge of death.
“I’m fine. Don’t worry, I can walk out on my own.”
I took one last look up at the towering ceiling.
The decorations that had once adorned it were gone, and rusty chains swayed in the occasional breeze. The large, round space that had been carved out might once have held stained glass. Or perhaps it housed something so unique we can’t even imagine it now.
And maybe one day, someone else, looking at the remains of square buildings and broken billboards, will have thoughts similar to mine.
…Enough with the pointless daydreaming.
“I’m done!”
As soon as we stepped outside, Yerim shouted excitedly. Soot was smeared all over her hands and even her face. She looked like a poor, overworked girl responsible for her family’s debts. In reality, though, she was raking in a fortune in side income.
“Do you have a handkerchief or something?”
“Why would I bring that? When you’re going through a dungeon, even a box of towels wouldn’t be enough.”
Well, that’s true. Maybe I should’ve at least brought wet wipes.
We passed through the gate to the second floor. Beneath the darkening sky, a city about twice the size of the one on the first floor sprawled out on a desolate plain. Unlike the first floor, the walls and buildings on the second floor were relatively intact. Outside the city walls, golems roamed, while inside, undead swarmed. Normally, this would call for urban warfare tactics.
‘But everything’s already destroyed.’
One of the tall, sturdy walls had collapsed like a sandcastle. Beyond it, there were signs that entire buildings had been pushed aside, likely along with the monsters inside.
“Retrieval squad, move out!”
Yerim raised one hand and bounced off, hopping as she flew.
Moon Hyunah and Seong Hyunjae, who had gone up ahead, approached us. As they drew closer, I couldn’t help but sigh.
‘They’ve already fought, haven’t they?’
Those damn troublemakers. The left sleeve of Moon Hyunah’s outfit was charred black, and Seong Hyunjae’s hair was tousled and rough.
Since there weren’t any monsters on this floor capable of even grazing them, they must have fought each other. Yuhyun noticed this too, his eyes narrowing. I saw his fingers twitch—he was itching to pick a fight too.
“Looks like your clothes got burned, Hyunah.”
Feigning ignorance, I asked, and Moon Hyunah rubbed her exposed arm.
“Oops, my bad.”
Yeah, right. Like it was an accident.
“I thought there wouldn’t be any monsters in this dungeon that could damage the Breaker guild leader’s clothes. I guess I was wrong. Be careful. You’re here as a favor to me, after all. I’d feel terrible if you got hurt.”
At my comment, implying an A-class monster couldn’t have burned her clothes, Moon Hyunah’s eyebrows twitched.
“Come on, don’t be like that. Do you think some A-class weakling could burn my clothes? Obviously, it was that guy. That guy, over there.”
She blurted it out so suddenly that I couldn’t help but give her an incredulous look.
“You’ve been picking fights since before we even entered the dungeon, and now you’ve really gone and fought? We’re on the same raid team, and you’re proud of this? You’re not kids anymore. You’re old enough to know better.”
“No, listen. You wouldn’t understand because of your low stats—”
“Stats don’t matter. If you want to test your strength, set up a proper time and place for it. You’re here today because I asked you to be. Let’s finish this quickly without any trouble and go home, yeah?”
Moon Hyunah glared at Seong Hyunjae as if she were terribly wronged, but Seong Hyunjae calmly straightened his tousled hair.
“You’re always so hard on me.”
“Of course not. You must be imagining things. I love you, Moon Hyunah.”
“Such smooth talk! Say something to Seong Hyunjae too!”
“Oh, right. I love you too, Seong Hyunjae.”
“Not like that!”
“Mister! Me too!”
“You already picked up all the mana stones? Well, I love you too, Yerim. And I love Yuhyun, and Seonghan too. And of course, I love Peace.”
Yerim clung to my arm, her eyes sparkling mischievously.
“Then who do you love the most?”
Look at this cheeky kid.
“Whoever behaves the best and doesn’t cause trouble.”
“I’ve been good today, haven’t I?”
Good kids don’t pick fights with others. And Yuhyun, why are you looking at me with such hopeful eyes? The ones who behaved best today are definitely Peace and Kim Seonghan.
The sun began to set. We hadn’t even cleared a quarter of the vast city yet.
Of course, by A-class dungeon standards, we were moving at lightning speed. We’d probably finish tomorrow, meaning it would take less than two days. If all the S-classes here had monster mounts, we’d likely have cleared it in one day.
Whoosh.
A flame the size of a person’s head flared up. It wasn’t a campfire, nor was it gas or electricity. It was one of the dungeon items we had. Normally, lighting such a bright flame in the middle of a dungeon would make you an easy target for monsters, but with this group, we could blare music through loudspeakers, turn on spotlights, and set off fireworks, and we’d still be fine.
On top of that, a tent was set up. It was made from dungeon byproducts and could be stored in an inventory. But most hunters didn’t use tents. They dulled your senses and made it hard to get out quickly in an emergency, so unless the environment was extreme, most just used sleeping bags.
“You must be tired. Go inside and rest.”
Yuhyun handed me a now-shrunken Peace and spoke.
“Yeah, Mister, you should get some sleep.”
“Don’t worry about what’s happening outside. Just get some rest.”
I’m not even tired, though.
“It’s fine, I can stay up for one night. I’ve pulled all-nighters training Peace, so what’s the big deal about sleeping in a dungeon? I’d rather just finish this quickly and get out of here.”
“We’re going to keep pushing forward. We’ll rotate in pairs, hunting and returning in turns.”
Considering the distance we have to cover, it’d be faster if I just came along. And why pairs? I doubt you guys are just going to hunt monsters.
“It’d still be faster if I came with you.”
“It’s dangerous at night. Just rest, okay?”
Yuhyun said with an overly gentle tone and expression. Looking around, I saw Yerim polishing her Icewood Spear with a gleam in her eyes, Moon Hyunah had already changed into a new top, and Seong Hyunjae had swapped out his gloves.
They’re fully prepared.
Honestly, it’s surprising these people are even bothering to care about my feelings. I could understand Yuhyun and Yerim, but the other two had lived without considering anyone else’s opinions ever since their awakenings. It was impressive that they were acting this restrained in front of me. But still…
“Okay, fine. I’ll go to sleep. But listen.”
I hadn’t wanted to resort to this method, but…
“You’re only allowed to hunt monsters. No funny business. Yerim, that goes for you too. The same applies to the two of you as well. If I see any signs that you’ve been fighting among yourselves—”
I paused, taking a deep breath, and then continued.
“I’ll tell Hunter Yu Myungwoo. I’ll complain that even though I told you guys not to fight until my tongue was dry, you ignored me, and now I’m so stressed that I can’t sleep, my stomach hurts, and I’m about to cry. I’ll tell him I’ve developed a severe stress disorder and that it’s all your fault. You’ve all seen the broadcasts, right? And you heard about what happened in the waiting room, didn’t you?”
Their faces, which had initially looked amused, gradually grew more serious. Monster mounts might already be contracted, but Myungwoo is another matter. I’m sorry, Myungwoo, but let me borrow your reputation for a bit.
“Mister, I still don’t have all my gear! All I’ve got is a spear!”
“Then don’t fight. Get along with your teammates.”
“It’s not like we’re going to have a full-on brawl. Just a light sparring session.”
“Even if you’re my brother, there are no exceptions.”
A “light sparring session,” my foot. I’ve seen enough ranking matches to know better. S-class hunters are the type to get all worked up if they can’t finish what they start. In just ten minutes of letting them be, Moon Hyunah’s clothes were burned. If I leave them alone for any longer, who knows how far it’ll go.
“Oh, and by the way, if anyone reports what happens, I’ll make sure to reward them generously.”
Just in case they decided to cover up the evidence, I added that bit before heading into the tent.
-Gyarrung
“Yes, yes, Peace. Let’s sleep together for the first time in a while.”
As expected, Peace is the best.
I fell asleep more deeply than I had expected, and when I woke up,
[SS-Class Skill, ‘Terrifying Chick Class Teacher’ Acquired! ]ㅁ[] (TL Note: Very young children are usually refered to as Chicks, as in, baby chickens. Chick Class is basically kindergarten and preschool)
A message window floated before my eyes. What the hell is this? Wait a minute…
‘That damn Deer.’
Someone really needs to stop that Deer from naming skills.
-Chirp
□□□ chirped softly. It had been a long time since he’d seen his dad. In reality, it had only been two days, but to □□□, it felt like an eternity.
-Kyaaa! Kyaak!
“Blue, no! Be good, come here!”
A Haeyeon A-class hunter stretched his hand toward the young griffon, who had latched onto the ceiling light fixture. Although he had been given proof of ownership by Han Yujin, Blue was still too young to settle down no matter how much he was coaxed.
The hunter managed to pull Blue down from the ceiling and then turned to the small fluffball sulking on the ground.
“Why are you so down, Chirp? Are you hungry?”
-Pee
□□□ flapped his wings and hopped off the sofa. His slow, tiny steps led him toward none other than Han Yujin’s bedroom.
-Chirp chirp!
“Want me to open the door?”
□□□ slipped inside as soon as the door cracked open and tilted his small head, looking up at the bed. When he flapped his wings, the hunter lifted him and placed him on the bed.
“Daddy’s not here. He’ll be back tomorrow.”
-Peep
□□□ plopped down on the empty bed. The hunter looked at the little bird with pity before stepping out of the room. Soon, the sound of Blue screeching echoed through the house once again.
-Chirp chirp!
He’s not here.
-Chirp chirp chirp!
He’s not here. No matter how much he calls, he doesn’t come. □□□ flapped his wings and stood up again. If dad wasn’t here, he’d have to find him.
-Chirp!
Dad! □□□ called out with all his might, trying to muster what little strength he had. If Han Yujin had been here to check □□□’s status window, he would have seen a surprising change.
Instead of ‘To Be Acquired After Growth,’ it now read ‘Master of Space (L) Acquired.’
-Chirp!!
But then,
-…Peep
He failed. As expected, he didn’t have enough mana. And now, he was really hungry.
-Chirp… Chirp chirp chirp!!
The status window reverted to its original state, and □□□ began to cry pitifully.
–TL Notes–
Hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you want to support me or give me feedback, you can do it at patreon.com/MattReading
Join my Discord! https://discord.gg/BWaP3AHHpt
the random a class hunter calling mc chicks Dad got me laughing