S-Classes That I Raised to Devour - Chapter 12

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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 12. Even Buffs Have Skill (1)
Kim Yeo-ul ate a Rainbow Sherbet while opening up about her Dissociative Identity Disorder.
But since she herself knew very little about it, even after telling him everything, the sherbet hadn’t melted.
“Whenever I’m in a difficult situation, I always lose consciousness, and when I wake up, everyone’s dead. That’s it, right?”
“Yes…….”
“What happened on the day you first experienced this phenomenon?”
“My father took my bank account, and he was even trying to take my younger sister’s.”
“The second time?”
“I was robbed right after withdrawing cash from an ATM.”
“I’m starting to see the pattern. Yesterday, another party came and tried to steal your tokens, right?”
“Oh! Yes, that’s right.”
“For example…….”
Whoosh!
Chae Mu-jin suddenly snatched Kim Yeo-ul’s Rainbow Sherbet away.
Crack!
The response was instantaneous. Kim Yeo-ul crushed the plastic spoon she’d been holding.
He quickly returned the sherbet to its original place.
“Miss Yeo-ul?”
“Yes? Is something wrong?”
Kim Yeo-ul was holding the crushed spoon in her hand yet remained completely oblivious to what had just happened.
Chae Mu-jin found her reaction amusing and considered trying again, but decided against it.
‘With my current strength, I can’t subdue the Yaksha without doing any damage. Human lives matter, sure, but I can’t afford property destruction on top of everything else.’
He wasn’t certain what degree of provocation would trigger the Yaksha, but at least one thing was clear.
“Miss Yeo-ul’s second self… I’ll call her the Yaksha for convenience. The Yaksha emerges when someone tries to take something from you.”
“Now that you mention it, that does seem to be the case.”
“Has the Yaksha ever spoken to you? Or have you ever tried speaking to her?”
“No, never…….”
“Then let’s try reaching out first. By the way, do you dislike ice cream?”
Chae Mu-jin had already finished his ice cream, yet half of Kim Yeo-ul’s still remained.
“No! I like it.”
“Please, go ahead. All this effort we’re putting in is for survival anyway.”
Chae Mu-jin ordered a Pistachio Almond and began eating it.
He’d ordered it simply because he wanted more, but Kim Yeo-ul interpreted it as him forcing himself to eat for her sake, and her eyes welled up.
Perhaps it was the cold ice cream dulling her caution, or perhaps it was trust in Chae Mu-jin.
Either way, a remarkably bold question emerged from his ordinarily timid lips.
“What you want isn’t timid me, but the Yaksha, right?”
Caught off guard, Chae Mu-jin was taken aback. But he was no fool.
His heart might panic, but his face would never show it.
“I gave her the name Yaksha to distinguish them, not because I see her as a different person.”
“You’ve seen the Yaksha yourself. Something so dangerous… you want to use her, don’t you?”
“A murderer uses a kitchen knife to kill someone, but that doesn’t make the knife guilty.”
“The Yaksha has… killed so many people. Would you be fine with a murderer as long as it benefits you?”
Kim Yeo-ul wanted to pin this down clearly.
The suspicion and unease that had taken root in her heart regarding Chae Mu-jin.
When she’s with Chae Mu-jin, everything feels warm and comfortable.
He treated her with a father’s strictness at times, and a senior’s kindness at others.
If such a person turned out to be a liar, she wouldn’t be able to bear it. The thread of reason she was barely holding onto would snap in an instant.
While Kim Yeo-ul’s expression grew grave, Chae Mu-jin answered with perfect composure.
“It does matter, but it also doesn’t. Because Miss Yeo-ul belongs to Hunter Management.”
“……?”
“Even if you were a murderer, I would trust you. It wasn’t intentional—it was a mistake, you feel remorse, and you carry the burden of responsibility. Isn’t that right?”
“W-well, yes. No, wait. I mean, I don’t want to live as a murderer.”
“Of course, atonement doesn’t justify murder. One day, someone might come seeking revenge, either through the law or by force. The point is, you can’t just try to run away.”
“You’re saying I should fight?”
“Good heavens, no. First you apologize. Then you reach a settlement.”
“What if the other person refuses to accept my apology or a settlement?”
“Then, well.”
Chae Mu-jin shrugged.
“You fight. No matter how sorry you are, you can’t just die quietly.”
“Isn’t that a crime too?”
“Miss Yeo-ul. If you want to live an ordinary life, keep following the law as you do now. But if you want to become wealthy, if you don’t want to be disrespected by anyone… you can’t blindly trust the law.”
“……!”
“If the law were truly fair, the phrase ‘Rich Get Away, Poor Get Punished’ would never have come into existence. But don’t misunderstand—I’m not saying the law is useless. Humans are imperfect, and the law is created by those imperfect beings.”
“Ah…….”
She didn’t fully understand, but she grasped the essence of what Chae Mu-jin was saying.
“You’re saying you’ll always take my side? Even if it means breaking the law?”
“I can promise you this one thing.”
From beginning to end, Chae Mu-jin had not lied.
Because every word was sincere and genuine, he could speak with his chest held high.
“If you’re in the right, I will take your side, even if it means making an enemy of the entire nation.”
“Ah…….”
In truth, such matters were usually specified in a contract—the extent to which an agency would protect its talent.
But Chae Mu-jin hoped to let it slide for now.
To properly run a management company, a legal contract would eventually be necessary, but he had no desire to discuss such formalities in this moment.
‘I absolutely hate bureaucratic stuff anyway.’
Fortunately, Kim Yeo-ul was satisfied.
The reasoning behind using the Yaksha made sense, and the promise to help her even against the nation itself moved her deeply.
Even if it turned out to be a lie, she would bear no responsibility for being deceived.
‘If he’s deceived me… I’ll never forgive him.’
Her doubts melted away, and Kim Yeo-ul felt a newfound lightness in her chest—for the first time in her life, she had someone to trust and rely on.
“So what should we do now, Manager?”
Chae Mu-jin struck the table and stood up.
“Let’s go fail the third exam.”
* * *
The third exam was a one-on-one sparring match.
Last year, candidates fought the exam proctors, but the rules had changed as if it were obvious.
“Making candidates fight each other—where in the world is such an unfair exam?!”
“Having to fight five times on the hour, every hour… that’s quite burdensome.”
“Wait, Proctor. I heard non-combat jobs have to spar too. Are there no special accommodations?”
At a Supporter’s question, the proctor furrowed his brow.
“Supporters don’t lack arms and legs, and Dealers don’t have four of them. What kind of special treatment are you asking for?”
“You said we have to fight on the hour—what happens if a match goes over an hour?”
“If combat exceeds one hour, both receive a draw and zero points. Furthermore, any candidate who fails to appear at the scheduled time is automatically disqualified.”
“This is ridiculous! So we basically can’t let a match go over an hour!”
“A foolish worry. It’s already hard to fight a monster for an hour—how would fighting another Hunter take longer?”
There had been pushback during the second exam too, but nothing of this magnitude.
The proctors listened silently before settling the matter with a single statement.
“Those who have complaints about the exam rules are welcome to withdraw.”
If you don’t like it, leave. At those words, most candidates fumed yet stayed in their seats, while only a handful actually departed.
Once the atmosphere had calmed somewhat, the proctor made an additional announcement.
“This exam will evaluate each candidate’s one-on-one combat ability. To properly assess this, genuine fighting will be required, and inevitably, fatalities may occur.”
Every candidate was already acutely aware of this concern.
Even ordinary people sustain injuries in a fight, and in severe cases, permanent disability.
But if Hunters fought each other with intent to kill? At the very least, disability would result.
“We will provide all candidates with Protective Suits and Mana Weapons. The Protective Suit is synchronized with the Mana Weapon—the weapon activates only when the suit is active. In other words, there is no risk of death.”
“Oh, that’s reassuring.”
“So we can fight without holding back.”
Since even the organizers didn’t want fatalities, they spared no expense in providing equipment.
“I really hope I get matched with an Auxiliary Job.”
“Statistically, one in five should come up. Lucky, and you might get two. At minimum, I’m guaranteed two points.”
Dealers and combat job users were already counting free points from Supporters and Healers as they began formulating strategies.
“Manager… what do I do? I’ve never fought another Hunter before.”
Kim Yeo-ul immediately sought advice.
“Have you ever fought a person at all?”
“Ah, Manager. You can speak comfortably… I’m twenty-one, you know.”
Chae Mu-jin, already looking for an opening, let his tongue loose immediately.
“Got it. So listen, Yeo-ul—you’re going to score a perfect ten on this third exam.”
“T-that’s absolutely impossible, isn’t it? During a Dungeon, we could help because we’re in the same space, but this is a one-on-one duel. Unless you mean…….”
“Calling the Yaksha out to win? Obviously not. That’d cause a scandal.”
“How am I supposed to win without the Yaksha? I can’t even imagine it.”
“You’ve got me—more reliable than the Yaksha.”
Chae Mu-jin pointed confidently at himself with his thumb.
Kim Yeo-ul didn’t disrespect him, but this was a state-run facility—it wouldn’t be careless.
“The Sparring Arena is sealed on all sides. We can only watch through windows. Buffs can’t penetrate obstacles anyway.”
“Using a skill through a wall is impossible for ordinary Hunters, true.”
“Oh, you mean you’re saying you can actually cast a Buff through the wall?”
Kim Yeo-ul lowered her voice further, wary of being overheard.
“Yeo-ul. Do I look like an ordinary Hunter to you?”
“No.”
“Exactly. So I can. And besides, even if it’s not a Buff, I can still make you win.”
Kim Yeo-ul couldn’t fathom it at all.
No matter how hard she racked her brain, she couldn’t come up with a way to win, yet Chae Mu-jin possessed not just one but two methods?
‘What on earth is the Manager?’
He’s an S-Rank Supporter everyone covets. Even Cheon I-hwa wanted him and was refused.
It wasn’t just a matter of declining a Dealer’s offer.
She was the daughter of the Hunter Association’s Chairman. Dismissing her was akin to dismissing the Chairman himself.
Kim Yeo-ul had overheard much gossip about Chae Mu-jin.
“That Chae Mu-jin guy? He’ll be gone by tomorrow morning. How dare he refuse Cheon I-hwa’s offer.”
“The Chairman is such a daughter-doting fool. Last time, the President’s son tried to seduce Cheon I-hwa and vanished the next day.”
Kim Yeo-ul had quietly worried, but surprisingly, nothing happened.
Chae Mu-jin remained unharmed. In response to this phenomenon, not only other candidates but even the proctors began looking at him differently.
‘There’s something about Chae Mu-jin!’
In reality, he was merely the youngest son of a Gamjatang Restaurant, but rumors spread rapidly nonetheless.
An artificial Awakened One created by the government. The Chairman’s hidden son. And so on.
Chae Mu-jin knew such rumors circulated but didn’t bother refuting them.
Having lived as a celebrity in his past life, he understood that ignoring low-grade provocations was the wisest response.
‘Yeo-ul seems curious about my identity, but it’s fortunate she’s concentrating on the exam without asking.’
Even without talent as a mage, her focus was good news.
Someone whose concentration wavers at mere rumors would never become a high-level Hunter.
“Yeo-ul. I said I’d make you win for sure, but without your resolve, a perfect score is impossible.”
“Resolve?”
“The resolve to kill in order to survive. Wanting to kill someone means you must also be prepared to die. Without this resolve, you have no right to be a Hunter.”
Kim Yeo-ul deliberated for quite some time before clenching her fist and answering.
“I can’t say I’m fully resolved yet, but your words are right. Without resolve, there’s no growth, correct?”
“Smart kid.”
If he had a younger sister, would it feel like this? Chae Mu-jin reached out to pat Kim Yeo-ul’s head but stopped himself.
‘I shouldn’t grow attached. Hmm.’
His arm, already extended, hung awkwardly. He raised one finger instead.
“As a sign of my own resolve, if I can’t make you a perfect ten, I’ll give you a Wish Voucher.”
“A Wish Voucher?”
“One where I’ll grant any wish you have.”
“That sounds good, but… what if you’ve done your part well and I still lose?”
“You losing is only natural. How can you do well at something you’ve never tried? I’ve made the guarantee including that aspect. So don’t burden yourself with guilt.”
This wasn’t just a hasty justification for his awkwardly extended arm.
Chae Mu-jin genuinely had the power to make Kim Yeo-ul win against any opponent.
And once he promised a reward, Kim Yeo-ul would push herself even harder out of gratitude.
“Just as long as Cheon I-hwa doesn’t come up as my opponent.”
Though spoken in jest, Chae Mu-jin felt an ominous foreboding for some reason.

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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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