I'm a C-Class, but All the S-Classes Are Obsessed with Me - Chapter 23

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 23
Crack! The tip of the umbrella struck the exact center of the bowstring.
The tension that had been wound tight snapped all at once, and a sharp, metallic twang burst forth.
“What—ahhh!”
The string recoiled sideways, lashing hard against the man’s knuckles. A brief cry tore from his lips as the bow fell from his grip.
I didn’t waste the opening. Hooking the curved handle of the umbrella around one of his ankles, I wrenched it toward me with all my strength.
“Ugh—!”
Robbed of his balance, the man’s body crumpled forward in an instant. His right shoulder slammed into the ground with a dull thud.
The impact knocked the wind from him, and his frame shuddered and contracted.
“Ha…….”
I took in the sight, then collapsed backward on my haunches, exhaling in ragged gasps. I wiped the beads of sweat from my brow with the back of my hand and cast a cautious glance around.
Thankfully, no one seemed to be watching me in the midst of this chaos.
“……!”
Then, in the distance, I caught the faint wail of a siren. But for some reason, it didn’t grow any closer despite the passage of time.
Only the irritable honking of car horns drifted through at irregular intervals.
‘Traffic jam.’
It was obvious without even looking.
By now, people too curious to leave the scene and reporters desperate to capture everything would be clogging the roads.
At this rate, it would take the Association or the Academy a while longer to reach this place.
‘I have to catch the Illusionist before then.’
I rose unsteadily and brushed the dust from my clothes.
[ The Guardian of Taewon gives you a displeased look, muttering that her contractor certainly knows how to invite hardship. ]
Truth be told, it wasn’t hardship so much as a form of insurance.
If I stayed hidden here, merely observing, only to be exposed later by security footage or someone’s testimony, things would get far messier.
It was better to appear scraped and hurt—less likely to raise questions afterward.
[ The Guardian of Taewon shakes her head, as if you’ve picked up nothing but unwarranted confidence from those practice drills with other Awakened Ones. ]
I’ll admit—or rather, I genuinely wondered sometimes how S-Rank Healer Seo Do-hyeok had become powerful enough to reach that level.
Public information about the Illusionist was almost nonexistent.
‘Wait. Hold on.’
As I moved briskly forward, my gaze suddenly snagged on something. As if bewitched, I found myself drifting toward it naturally.
It was a narrow passage between two Commercial Buildings.
“Ah…….”
Irritation crashed over me all at once.
Despite having felt it before, this grating sensation was beyond my control.
The closer I drew, the worse the headache that pressed down on my skull. As I pressed my fingertips hard against my temples, a ringing noise began to circle in my ears.
“Remember this—the moment you make a judgment, everyone gets hurt.”
“Be grateful. Grateful that even this shadow exists for you.”
Tedious memories from childhood echoed like phantom voices.
‘The Association could manage this.’
The thought struck me afresh.
I bit the inside of my cheek hard and stepped into the narrow passage. Then, a few paces ahead, huddled against the wall, I caught sight of a dark shadow.
“So I told you……, not to do this.”
“……?”
“I knew……, I knew someday it’d come to this.”
Stepping closer without a sound, the black silhouette grew more distinct.
But the moment I saw the state she was in, my brow furrowed sharply.
The muttering was one thing, but she was tearing at her own fingernails until they bled.
‘Maybe I can just knock her out.’
I was considering this when she lifted her head. The woman’s eyes snapped up to meet mine, unfocused yet bearing down on me intently.
“What are you, mocking me?”
I wasn’t smiling.
If anything, the one producing that hollow laughter was this woman.
“Just stop—”
“Shut up! I’m sick of it……, shut your mouth!”
With the shout, a crimson haze bloomed from her hands.
Before I could even summon my weapon, my vision clouded and something vast filled my sight.
An Illusion had materialized between her and me without warning.
Its frame was large enough that I had to tilt my head back to see it, though creatures like this were sometimes all show and little substance.
‘Why am I suddenly thinking of a grub.’
It was then that the thought crossed my mind—struck by how grotesquely unsettling the thing looked.
The monster roared and brought its claws crashing down against the ground. Even though it was nothing more than a phantom born of illusion, the impact on both mind and body felt no different from the real thing.
[ The Guardian of Taewon estimates this creature to be at least B-Rank. Even accounting for the contractor’s current level, they advise careful consideration—illusions of this caliber demand respect. ]
If I lingered here much longer, the situation outside could spiral into something far worse than it already was.
“Do you have any idea how much you’ve made me suffer?!”
The woman had gotten to her feet, her voice shrill with rage as she clawed at the air.
At her gesture, the illusory beast lunged forward with its jaws spread wide, as if to tear out my throat. Instead of dodging, I stepped forward deliberately, closing the distance between us.
It was the moment those phantom fangs pierced through my shoulder.
‘Ah, this is a bit….’
That section of my body grew heavy like a water-soaked cloth before gradually returning to normal. There was almost no pain to speak of.
Illusionism thrived on fear, after all.
Had I flinched at the sudden appearance of this creature, or shown even a trace of alarm, I might well have experienced pain far beyond what I expected. But I had not.
Keeping my emotions in check, I pushed through the phantom and stepped directly in front of the woman.
“Who—what are you…? You lied to me?!”
Her eyes flooded with shock.
I didn’t know whose face she was seeing overlaid atop mine, but it hardly mattered now.
‘I’m a bit sorry about this.’
I gathered my strength and drove the tip of the umbrella straight into her solar plexus. She collapsed without even a cry.
The woman’s breathing came in ragged, metallic gasps. Within moments, she lost consciousness, and the sticky presence that had filled the alley evaporated like morning mist.
“Haah—.”
I leaned against the wall, letting the tension drain from my body.
Glancing down at myself, I saw my clothes were caked with dirt and my limbs bore various scrapes. To any onlooker, I’d look like someone who’d stumbled into trouble and paid the price for it.
‘At least that’s what it looks like.’
I swallowed down a bitter smile that threatened to surface.
[ The Guardian of Taewon gives you a thumbs-up, remarking that even a passing cat would shed tears at the sight of you now. ]
That’s quite an exaggeration, isn’t it?
[ The Guardian of Taewon narrows their eyes, clearly wounded by your lukewarm response to such high praise. ]
…Fair enough. In this situation, it was indeed praise.
‘Either way, things outside should be settling down by now.’
As that thought crossed my mind and I began to rise, the sound of commotion from outside pressed through into the alley.
‘What? Surely not….’
I glanced at the woman lying unconscious on the ground nearby.
I watched for several seconds, but she didn’t so much as twitch—yet outside, the noise only grew louder.
I moved quickly toward the mouth of the alley to assess the situation.
What came into view was entirely different from moments before.
The Hunters who’d been tangled together all bore the unmistakable marks of exhaustion. Most sat slumped with vacant expressions, or lay sprawled on the ground altogether.
“Search for the illusionist! Special Management Team, find them first!”
And overseeing them, moving from one to the next, were heavily armed individuals.
Hunters from the Association.
‘This is problematic either way.’
I’d need a way out of this without being spotted. Discovery now would mean being dragged in for questioning and drawing unwanted attention.
‘I should have finished
this before they arrived.’
[ The Guardian of Taewon suggests that there’s wisdom in turning crisis into opportunity—in this case, using the confusion to make an escape. ]
It was sound advice. With the Association mixed in, the area was more chaotic than ever.
I made my way out of the alley with an exaggerated limp. The Plaza was already cordoned off with warning tape.
“…….”
My gaze caught on something.
Off to the side of all the commotion. Near the Plaza’s entrance, several imposing black sedans were parked—impossible to miss even from a distance.
‘Could they have arrived any less subtly?’
Perhaps because of that, the area around the vehicles was oddly empty.
Just as I was about to look away toward the opposite direction and escape, a man stepped out of one of the cars.
‘…Get out of here.’
I turned my head down reflexively. There was no avoiding his notice if this continued.
So I hurried toward a nearby Commercial Building, grabbed the glass door handle, and pulled with all my strength.
Ding.
The bell chimed cheerfully, but the door didn’t budge.
‘Am I an idiot….’
With all this chaos, of course it would be locked.
The sudden sound had drawn the attention of a few people inside the shop, and our eyes met through the glass. Feeling the weight of that awkward moment, I looked for another route to escape.
I was just reaching to release the handle when it happened.
“Pardon me.”
A low, courteous voice came from behind.
C-Rank, yet every S-Rank is obsessed with me
Chapter 23
Author
| Seo Yu-yeon
Publication Date
| March 6, 2026
Publisher
| TaleSyx Corporation
Illustration
| Cho Geuk
Title Design
| Mallangkongttok
Homepage
| https://talesyx.com/
Email
| [email protected]
© Seo Yu-yeon, 2026
This publication is issued by TaleSyx in accordance with a contract with the copyright holder, and as a work protected under copyright law, it may not be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means without the written permission of TaleSyx.
UCI
| G720:N+A277-20260212008.0023
Retail Price
: 100 won

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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