S-Classes That I Raised to Devour - Chapter 20

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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 20. There’s No Such Thing as a Free Lunch (1)
The Certified Hunter examination was over. The moment the interview ended, text messages arrived confirming passes and failures—
“Kyaaah!”
Lee Min-ji leaped for joy at her passing message. But then she noticed Kim Yeo-ul looking downcast.
“Did you fail?”
“…I passed.”
“Then why are you… oh.”
Learning that his sister’s Awakening Disease couldn’t be cured, even though Kim Yeo-ul had passed the Certified Hunter exam, he felt no joy at all.
Lee Min-ji hated the gloomy atmosphere so much that she forced herself to find something to talk about.
“By the way, where did that ajusshi go? He told us to wait a minute. Don’t tell me… he abandoned us?”
Beep, beep, beep—!
“Speak of the devil—his call comes through. Ajusshi! Where are you? Come to the main gate? With Yeo-ul? Yes, got it.”
She practically dragged Kim Yeo-ul to the main gate, but Chae Mu-jin was nowhere to be seen.
Honk!
At the sound of the horn, she turned to find Chae Mu-jin waving from the driver’s seat.
“Yeo-ul, you sit in the passenger seat.”
After picking up the two of them, Chae Mu-jin spoke to Kim Yeo-ul, whose head hung low.
“Yeo-ul. Plug your home address into the GPS for me.”
“…Why our house?”
“I know a thing or two about Awakening Disease.”
“……?”
“Just enter it.”
Even in his gloom, Kim Yeo-ul could tell. Chae Mu-jin was showing him consideration.
Knowing about Awakening Disease was a lie—just an excuse to drive him home.
‘Even the association chairman said it was incurable. What good could a manager do?’
Kim Yeo-ul hadn’t relied solely on Certified Hunters. He’d researched every conceivable cure for Awakening Disease.
He’d even tried superstitions, but her condition only worsened; it had never improved, not once.
“It’s quite far… are you sure?”
“Yeah, even Busan’s fine.”
Despite his gloom, something in Chae Mu-jin’s resolute tone let Kim Yeo-ul smile a little.
Kim Yeo-ul’s house was a full three hours’ drive from the examination venue in Seoul.
“Osan, Gyeonggi Province? Isn’t this a Grade 3 Danger Zone?”
Lee Min-ji leaned forward in alarm upon seeing the destination.
The navigation system had even flashed a blunt warning: “Destination is in a Grade 3 Danger Zone. This company bears no responsibility for any incidents occurring during your journey.”
“It’s fine. People live there too.”
A Danger Zone is a space contaminated by Magical Energy and a place where Monsters appear.
But Grade 3 meant that instead of direct Magical Energy contamination or active Monster incursions, the danger came from overflow from higher-grade zones.
On the drive to Osan, Lee Min-ji talked incessantly.
“Ajusshi, you’re such an amazing person—why do you drive this economy car?”
“I don’t have money right now.”
“Your music taste is terrible. Play something current.”
“This is current to me.”
“Can’t we stop at a rest area? I’m hungry.”
“I’ll cook for you when we get there, so hold on.”
About an hour later, noticing the back seat had gone quiet, Chae Mu-jin checked the rearview mirror to find Lee Min-ji sleeping with her mouth open.
Kim Yeo-ul had shut his eyes as if passing out the moment they left.
Buzz—
A text came in. He glanced at the unknown number but could tell who it was from the content alone.
―I heard you didn’t pass, Chae Mu-jin. That’s so pitiful. Should I have another word with the association chairman? They might listen if you ask nicely.
Cheon Yi-hwa didn’t know that Chae Mu-jin had deliberately stayed out of the Hunters Association.
‘Why is this woman acting clingy now, different from my past life?’
In his past life, Cheon Yi-hwa had been cold to him. Dismissive, even when he’d tried to get close.
But this time she was approaching first, which was awkward.
‘Probably just a whim.’
She hates being ignored above all else. So if he ignored her, she’d naturally drift away.
Chae Mu-jin blocked the number and returned his focus to driving.
* * *
―You have arrived at your destination.
At the navigation’s voice, both Kim Yeo-ul and Lee Min-ji woke.
Getting out of the car, Lee Min-ji looked around.
“Ajusshi. We’re in the right place, right?”
In a row of red-brick villas, the most remote corner. Between broken windows here and there, a hollow wind sounded bleak and ominous.
Thick concrete barriers enclosed everything on all sides, covered in graffiti written in an illegible language.
When she turned at the sound of movement, it was a crow—not a person—staring at her with unsettling intensity.
“This is… the right place.”
Kim Yeo-ul seemed entirely unbothered, as if accustomed to it.
“Thank you for the ride. The house is filthy, so maybe you shouldn’t come in—”
Chae Mu-jin couldn’t be bothered to respond and simply stared at him.
“…Follow me.”
Defeated in a second, Kim Yeo-ul led them both into a decrepit villa.
They didn’t go upstairs but downward into a basement, which made Lee Min-ji grimace.
“Why do you live in a basement?”
Smack!
“Ow! Why’d you hit me! Hitting the head makes you stupid!”
“Min-ji. You clearly grew up way too spoiled.”
“I didn’t! I’m plenty kind, and—how much deeper does this go, Yeo-ul?”
Yeo-ul’s house wasn’t on Basement Level 1. It was one floor further down: Basement Level 2.
“Just a moment.”
He pulled a key from his pocket and inserted it into the door handle. Lee Min-ji found that fascinating.
“I’ve never seen anyone use an actual key before.”
“The electronic locks kept malfunctioning, so…”
The door creaked open. Its inner surface was plastered thick with Talismans.
“Brother, you’re home?”
From beyond the door came a girl’s thin, frail voice. No doctor was needed to tell—
Anyone could sense that the girl’s condition was very grave.
Spray, spray, spray.
Kim Yeo-ul applied disinfectant from a container in the entryway to his own body, then looked at the two of them.
“My sister’s immune system is weak. Would it be okay if I spray you too?”
“Yeah, go ahead.”
“I’m clean enough, so no need.”
Smack!
“Hey! Use your words, use your words!”
After disinfecting, the two of them could finally enter Kim Yeo-ul’s home.
It was a studio with a partition.
A small kitchen and bathroom right at the entrance, and one small room separated by a single door.
Kim Yeo-ul opened the door first and spoke with his sister inside.
“Gyeoul, everything okay? Who came by? Right. People I met at the exam venue—really wonderful people. They wanted to see you. Is that alright?”
“Yeah… I’m so happy. You made friends, brother.”
“Why are you crying? Don’t cry—I passed the Certified Hunter exam. We’ll move to a better place, and we can go to the best hospital in the country.”
“Thank you. Thank you so much, brother…”
Lee Min-ji disliked this kind of heavy atmosphere and fidgeted. Chae Mu-jin felt the same.
“Excuse me.”
Entering the room directly, the smell of medicine hit his nostrils hard. The girl lying in bed had a deathly pale, gaunt face.
Chae Mu-jin knelt on one knee and gently pushed Kim Yeo-ul aside.
“I’m Chae Mu-jin. And what’s the little lady’s name?”
He’d already heard it, but he wanted to hear it from her.
“…Gyeoul.”
“That’s a pretty name. Would you mind if I took a look at your body? I’d like to check how far your Awakening Disease has progressed. Is that okay?”
“…….”
Kim Gyeoul stared at his eyes for a long moment, then smiled faintly.
“That’s… okay.”
“Then I’ll look.”
The moment he carefully pulled back the blanket, Chae Mu-jin’s brow furrowed.
Beyond the skeletal thinness, her entire body was a sickly purple. He didn’t even need to palpate—he could tell at once.
‘Her being alive is a miracle. This can only be explained by her will to live.’
Kim Gyeoul’s condition was critical. Magical Energy had already invaded her entire body.
In modern terms, it was as if cancer had metastasized throughout.
And yet she was still alive for one reason alone.
‘She’s holding on through sheer willpower. So Yeo-ul won’t despair.’
Chae Mu-jin closed his eyes. Then he took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.
After some kind of resolution, he opened his eyes again.
“Min-ji. Take this card and go to an unmanned convenience store.”
“You want me to wander this creepy neighborhood alone?”
Smack!
“Ow!”
“I looked around on the way here—no Monsters. You chickening out?”
“I’m not chickening out! What should I buy?”
“Food. Whatever you can carry.”
“You sure? I’ve got pretty strong hands.”
“Even if you carry out the whole convenience store, I’ll accept it.”
“No regrets!”
After sending Min-ji out, he looked at Yeo-ul.
“Listen carefully.”
“……?”
“Gyeoul will die unless we treat her right now. Her being alive this long is a miracle.”
“……!”
“And I can treat her. Don’t ask how—you wouldn’t understand anyway.”
“…What?”
“But it’s something I have to stake my life on. I’m sorry to be mercenary about it, but it will cost a fortune.”
“Please. Please do it. I’ll do anything—anything at all!”
“Can you take responsibility for that?”
“Yes. You can take everything I have.”
“…Understood.”
Chae Mu-jin turned back to Gyeoul.
She had ears, so of course she’d heard the entire conversation and wore an expression of shock.
“Gyeoul. As you heard, I can treat you. But you need resolve.”
“What kind…”
“The resolve to live no matter what. Without it, you die and I die too.”
“…….”
Kim Gyeoul fell silent. That made sense—she’d only been holding on until today, wanting finally to rest.
She hadn’t let it show to her brother, but the pain was excruciating. Not a single hour of the day passed without suffering.
Overwhelmed by agony, she’d take painkillers and fall asleep, only to wake without knowing if it was the same day or the next.
But such pain she could bear.
What she truly couldn’t endure was guilt.
Guilt toward her brother. Watching Kim Yeo-ul sacrifice his entire life just to keep her alive filled her with such remorse.
But he begged her daily to hold on, to let him treat her, and she’d forced herself to endure.
Yet after long deliberation, she’d realized the truth: only her death would free her brother.
She’d decided to hold on just until her brother returned from the Certified Hunter exam. That was her last promise to herself, and—
Now, hearing that she could live, her heart wavered.
‘No. Even if by some miracle my Awakening Disease healed… I’m just a burden to brother.’
A weak body. Lower half paralyzed. She’d spend the rest of her life draining his money, like a leech.
She didn’t want to be a burden anymore.
So it would be better to just die like this—was what she thought in that moment.
Then Chae Mu-jin spoke.
“Gyeoul. Have you ever made a snowman?”
“…No.”
“Once treatment is done, you’ll be able to make as many as you want. I promise.”
“Really…?”
“Yeah. I’ve never lied in my life.”
“…….”
It was her dream. Pure white, cold snow. Playing with those cold clumps of snow herself.
She’d endured the pain by imagining throwing snowballs at her brother and building snowmen together.
At Chae Mu-jin’s words of making that dream real, an irrepressible emotion swelled in her chest.
“Please… save me.”
“Hmm? I didn’t quite catch that.”
When Chae Mu-jin playfully pretended not to hear, Kim Gyeoul mustered every last ounce of strength and cried out:
“Save me. I want to live…!”
“Good. Close your eyes slowly. No matter what happens, don’t open them.”
Chae Mu-jin didn’t believe in fate.
This was an opportunity.
The Spirit Elixir and Supreme-Grade Mana Stone, core materials for treating Awakening Disease—he just happened to have them?
It was no coincidence. The Spirit Elixir he’d won by pleasing the association chairman, and the Supreme-Grade Mana Stone by provoking Cheon Yi-hwa.
His choice to use neither and preserve them carefully had all been deliberate.
‘For them, it’s good fortune. For me, a righteous justification.’
In Min-ji’s case, eliminating the Wyvern gave him grounds to extract her skill, but Kim Yeo-ul had nothing like that.
Until now. This was his chance—saving Gyeoul in exchange for the right to claim everything Kim Yeo-ul had.
Of course, not a verbal contract. Soon he’d have him sign a contract sealed with his very soul.
A contract that could never be broken.
“Phew.”
He took a deep breath. Then two or three more.
His claim that he could cure Awakening Disease was a lie. Awakening Disease has no cure.
Instead, he could make her an Awakened One with absolute certainty.
But risking his own life—that part was genuine.
‘Even the slightest mistake and I’m dead.’
Even during the Certified Hunter exam, even witnessing Cheon Mu Sect’s fury, Chae Mu-jin hadn’t been tense.
But in this moment, he spoke with more gravity than ever before.
“Beginning.”

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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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