S-Classes That I Raised to Devour - Chapter 37

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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 37. Dungeon Drop (2)
The Yeti, a monster that lived only within blizzards, possessed a special sense. An ability to distinguish objects no matter how fierce the blizzard raged.
And so it had sensed and tracked the spark that erupted from far away.
Yet strangely, there was nothing nearby. The spark had clearly burst close by.
“Grooowl?”
As it scratched its head and glanced about, something happened.
Whoosh! Snap!
A figure suddenly burst from the snow and swept past the Yeti.
“Screech!”
The Yeti’s shoulder bore a wound—slashed by Chae Mujin’s Light Sword Ephelui. The wound was shallow, and the bleeding soon stopped.
The Yeti laughed silently at Chae Mujin. The strike had stung somewhat, but was bearable. What pleased it more was his meager clothing.
A body without gear trembled in the cold. It meant one thing: given enough time, this would be easy prey.
“Kee-hee-hee.”
Laughing almost like a human, the Yeti circled around Chae Mujin.
Like a humanoid monster, it was cunning. It knew that merely intimidating him this way, simply waiting, would freeze him solid.
But Chae Mujin did not stand idle. He rushed at the Yeti first.
From the Yeti’s perspective, Chae Mujin’s head-on approach was laughable. Just as it reached out to grab him—
Crack!
Chae Mujin, accelerated by the Taesan Paldo skill, swept past with a deep slash across the Yeti’s shoulder.
When the high armor-piercing light attribute attack combined with the skill’s damage, a sizable wound opened on the Yeti’s shoulder.
“GRAAAAGH!”
Furious, the Yeti lashed out. It slammed its massive fists into the ground, and its body became transparent.
The Yeti’s skill—Blizzard Camouflage.
Once hidden in the blizzard, the Yeti was nearly impossible to detect, no matter how keen one’s senses. Yet it had a fatal weakness.
“During the five seconds of camouflage, it can’t move from that spot.”
Chae Mujin had been waiting for exactly this moment. The instant the Yeti, enraged, attempted to hide.
Boom!
The Yeti turned at the explosion behind it. There was Lee Minji, launched skyward.
Her dress, brilliant against the blizzard, contrasted starkly with the hundreds of kilograms of the Giant Hammer she hefted above her head with all her strength.
Unable to move due to the skill’s recoil, the Yeti threw its thick arms up to shield its head.
Crash-boom-bang!
The Yeti’s arms, blocking the Giant Hammer, crumpled inward.
“KYAAAAGH!”
The Yeti wailed in agony, but one more second remained before camouflage would activate.
Minji landed steadily from the air and took a batter’s stance, then immediately activated her skill.
「Skill—Super Strong Strike (C)」
Activation Condition: Blunt Weapon
• When skill activates, strength doubles.
(+0.015% per level)
• Weight of equipped weapon doubles.
(+0.015% per level)
Boom-crash!
With the sound of steel shattering bone, a shockwave erupted outward, the snow and ice beneath Lee Minji’s feet blasting away in a perfect circle.
Whistle-whoosh, boom!
The Yeti, airborne for a moment before landing, had its chest caved in where the hammer had struck. Blood streamed from its eyes.
It was clearly dead, but Chae Mujin approached warily. When he drew near, the Yeti crumbled into gray powder and vanished.
Two people, each nearly one hundred levels below the 200-level Yeti, had brought it down.
And Lee Minji was only level 37. Yet her power was absolutely not that of a level 37 hunter.
“Well done.”
“It was thanks to your strategy and buffs. Your buffs are just ridiculous, aren’t they?”
The two did not speak at length. Each breath froze their lungs. Chae Mujin handed Lee Minji the item the Yeti had dropped.
“It’s Yeti Hide. A shame it didn’t drop as a finished piece, but if you wrap it around you like a cloak, it should serve well enough.”
「Item—Yeti Hide」
• Thick and durable Yeti fur. Its cold resistance is exceptional; it does not soak through, nor does the cold penetrate.
The Yeti Hide was large enough to cover Lee Minji’s body perfectly.
The two returned to the cave and reunited with Kim Yeoul.
“Did you both level up?”
“Yes. One level.”
“I went up nine levels.”
Kim Yeoul, who had lured the Yeti with Fireball, had risen one level. Lee Minji, who had struck the final blow, had risen nine.
Chae Mujin had participated in the battle but gained no levels. He was in the 98th Demon Class range; a single Yeti was nowhere near enough.
“As your level rises, you become more resistant to heat and cold. Whether or not you knew that, Minji should find it easier to endure from here on. For now, let’s resolve the cold problem somewhat before we move on.”
At their current location, whether they descended or ascended, it was unclear how long they would have to travel or whether they would even find an exit.
Since they could not stay in place, Chae Mujin decided to solve the cold issue first and then move on.
Kim Yeoul lured the Yeti with Fireball. Chae Mujin induced its camouflage pattern. Lee Minji, buffed, struck it dead.
It was a strategy only Chae Mujin could execute.
A supporter unflinching when fighting monsters, capable of amplifying his teammates’ combat power tenfold with a single buff.
Only after they had hunted seven more Yeti did they obtain the equipment they sought.
「Equipment—Yeti Leather Boots」
Rarity: Magic
Quality: D
• When moving across snow and ice terrain, footsteps make no sound, and stamina consumption is halved.
• Cold Resistance +50
• Chill Mitigation +5%
He gave the Yeti Leather Boots to Kim Yeoul, who was low-level and vulnerable to cold, along with the Brilliant Flame Robe obtained from the Temple of Light.
「Equipment—Brilliant Flame Robe」
Rarity: Rare
Quality: E
• Magic Attack Power +76
• Light and flame-attribute skills gain the Brilliant Flame property.
“The robe has no cold-resistance function, but the Brilliant Flame property will be more effective against the Yeti. Wear it.”
“What about you, manager? Minji has the Yeti Hide, but you haven’t put on anything.”
“I’m level 98, so I’m fine. You haven’t even reached level 50 yet.”
“But…”
“Enough. No time to waste. We move.”
Chae Mujin had not hunted the Yeti thoughtlessly. He had been checking whether they came from above or below.
‘One came up from below, six came down from above.’
A dungeon is a world unto itself, and monsters are living creatures. They follow the natural order of ecosystems.
‘So something is above, and there’s a higher chance that something includes an exit.’
His only concern was Kim Yeoul and Lee Minji.
Would their bodies and minds endure this harsh environment?
Their levels were low, and they lacked real combat experience. Despite intensive joint training, it had only been one week.
By any objective measure, they were still novices.
‘I trust my eye for talent. Yeoul and Minji won’t break and give up over something like this.’
Dispelling the last of his doubts, Chae Mujin took the lead and spoke.
“Let’s go.”
* * *
Kim Yeoul and Lee Minji did not crumble easily under the strain of the joint training’s aftermath.
But as time wore on, mental fatigue was inevitable.
Both Kim Yeoul and Lee Minji glanced around almost simultaneously. There was nothing.
An hour, or perhaps several hours had passed—they could no longer tell. The same landscape repeated endlessly. They began to suspect they were walking in circles.
Every part of their bodies ached with cold that threatened to fall away, yet they could still move. For one reason alone:
Chae Mujin at the front walked on silently without complaint.
Only occasionally would he pause to survey their surroundings or turn back to check on Kim Yeoul and Lee Minji’s condition. Otherwise, he spoke not a word.
‘I never knew his buffs were this strong. I’m seriously amazed.’
Lee Minji wanted to say this, but her upper and lower lips had stuck together. She could not speak.
And if conversation had begun, she would have naturally asked:
‘How much longer? I’m cold and hungry.’
Kim Yeoul felt no different. Fear consumed her entire body.
If she froze to death in this blizzard, would anyone find her? There was no worse way to die.
What of Yeoul, left alone for the winter? All manner of dark thoughts crowded in.
Tap.
Lee Minji, who had been walking with her head bowed, too weary to lift it, suddenly raised her eyes. Something blocked the path ahead.
“A cave. Everyone, hold on just a bit longer.”
With Chae Mujin’s single word, strength surged through Kim Yeoul and Lee Minji from nowhere.
Whoooosh!
As they stepped into the large cave, the wind’s roar muffled, replaced by an eerie, echoing sound from within.
But Kim Yeoul and Lee Minji were too busy leaning against the wall and resting.
“Huff, huff.”
“Wheeze…”
They had walked for hours in a state of tension, knowing a monster could attack at any moment. And all on a mountain where oxygen was scarce.
Chae Mujin checked that their bodies had taken no serious damage before speaking.
“You both managed without giving up. I’ll scout the cave for safety. Yeoul, keep watch at the entrance. Minji, watch the inner passage. If anything happens, scream as loud as you can. I’ll come running.”
He gave Kim Yeoul and Lee Minji emergency buffs, then ventured deeper into the cave.
“…Did you know his buffs were this powerful? Not just attack power—all of his buffs are incredible.”
Lee Minji, who disliked silence, spoke first.
“I didn’t know at first either…”
“If we could kill a Yeti with his buffs, how much stronger is he than us?”
“…No matter how strong I get, I don’t think I could go deeper into this cave.”
A pitch-dark cave where not a sliver of light entered. No one could know if Yeti lurked within, or something far more grotesque.
Yet Chae Mujin had walked in without a moment’s hesitation.
The two tried to imagine it. Walking alone into that darkness.
Shake, shake.
Both of them shook their heads instinctively. It was not a matter of physical strength.
Death and the unknown were humanity’s deepest fears. Overcoming them was not something everyone could do.
“I can’t believe the manager and I are only four years apart…”
“Four years apart? What do you mean?”
“Huh? You’re twenty-six, aren’t you, manager?”
“What? You’re telling me we’re only five years apart?!”
“…How old did you think you were?”
“I thought you were a very youthful mid-thirties. Your behavior and experience are just insane.”
Chae Mujin had told Lee Minji his age was twenty-six when they met. But the intensity of what followed had made him forget.
Perhaps it was instinct.
It was impossible for someone twenty-six to be so seasoned and experienced, so he had rationalized to himself that he must be much older.
Just as this talk of Chae Mujin was breathing new energy into the moment—
Thud.
A loud sound from deeper in the cave.
Both of them leapt up, weapons raised.
Should they call Chae Mujin? Or try to handle it themselves? A thousand thoughts flashed through them—
But what emerged from the cave’s darkness was no monster. It was Chae Mujin.
Relief washed over them, but Chae Mujin’s expression was gravely serious.
“Come. Both of you.”
* * *
The cave grew narrower as they ventured deeper.
The ground was rough and treacherous underfoot. Kim Yeoul, unable to bear it, was about to cast a fire spell.
“Don’t. Conserve your mana.”
Chae Mujin stopped her before she could even activate the skill.
The cave was shallower than expected. As they walked, the passage began to brighten, but it was not the far exit—it was a dead end.
Yet the ceiling bore a hole, and dim light filtered through it.
“Sniff, sniff. Do you smell something strange?”
Lee Minji had caught an odd scent. She glanced around nervously, and Kim Yeoul stiffened, her voice low.
“…Blood.”
As Chae Mujin turned, two corpses were revealed. Two large men in formal suits. Even in the dim darkness, it was clear how brutally they had died.
“Urgh.”
Lee Minji leaned against the wall, retching. She had seen corpses before, but never one so hideously mangled.
“Could it have been the Yeti?”
Kim Yeoul asked calmly, but Chae Mujin shook his head.
“If it were, I wouldn’t have called you. Look at the wounds. Could a Yeti inflict cuts this precise?”
They bore deep slashes—the carotid artery, the heart, the Achilles tendon. Only the vital points, targeted with inhuman speed and precision.
This was not the work of a beast. It was calculated butchery.
“They’re bodyguards from the banquet. I remember seeing them with Cheon Ihwa and the other two.”
“Wait—does that mean Cheon Ihwa might also be…?”
“Probably not. I can’t guarantee he survived, but there’s no Cheon Ihwa here. If he were, he wouldn’t have ended up like this.”
“But if it wasn’t the Yeti, who did this? Could there be other monsters?”
“This wasn’t a monster. It was a person.”
“…What?”
“Your minds are sluggish from the cold, but if you two observe carefully and think, you’ll find the answer.”
The bodyguards were dead, but not simply dead. They had been ambushed here and killed without putting up a fight.
“If a monster had come, they would have fought. But there’s no sign of struggle—only bodies. So the answer is clear: it was a person, a hunter, who did this.”
“Why? They’re supposed to be on our side!”
“Minji, those who thought like you are lying here as corpses. That naïve assumption—that all hunters are allies—has cost them their lives.”
A hunter who hunted other hunters.
There was only one possibility.
“A villain…?”
“Yes. One of the hunters at Hwarang Hotel was a hidden villain.”
“A villain at the banquet?”
“The Dungeon Drop didn’t just engulf the banquet hall. It consumed the entire hotel. So it’s natural a villain would be hiding among the guests.”
This was a threat incomparable to a 200-level monster.
A monster is always recognizably a monster. You can plan for it, defend against it.
But a person’s outward appearance tells you nothing. A hunter you trusted, whose back you covered—and then the blade comes. How could anyone respond?
“May the dead rest in peace.”
Chae Mujin closed the corpses’ eyes, bowed in respect, then began searching their clothing.
“W-what are you doing? Surely you’re not…?”
Lee Minji panicked, thinking Chae Mujin must be so hungry he intended to eat the corpses.
“Relax. We haven’t reached that point yet.”
“Oh… I thought…”
“The attacker took all the items they could carry, but not what they couldn’t. Why not? Because it was hidden.”
The bodyguards’ jacket pockets were empty.
But when Chae Mujin cut open the fabric with his sword, hidden items fell out.
“Those stone-like things are Ultra High-Calorie Emergency Rations. Dissolve them slowly on your tongue and eat them.”
Chae Mujin demonstrated first, then placed one in each of their mouths.
“Blegh.”
“…I’ve never tasted anything like this before.”
“Don’t expect flavor. And this is a GPS—one that works even in dungeons. If a rescue team comes, they’ll follow this signal.”
“Isn’t electronic equipment supposed to be useless in dungeons?”
“It’s just not mass-produced. The technology itself came out early on.”
The final item was a small, bean-sized red capsule.
“Don’t eat this. Eating it could seriously kill you. It’s a Signal Flare.”
“Something this small is a signal flare?”
After retrieving identical items from the second corpse, Chae Mujin bowed his head once more.
“I will use what you’ve left behind. I will seek vengeance if I can. Let’s go.”
“R-right.”
Returning to the cave entrance, Chae Mujin gently squeezed one red capsule, then hurled it skyward with all his might.
Burst-whoosh-boom!
A flare so brilliant and loud, it could not have come from something the size of a bean. It released a clear, piercing red smoke.
But would anyone come to see it? And if they did, how would they know if that person was a villain or not?
Kim Yeoul and Lee Minji, caught between hope and dread, slowly savored the emergency ration dissolving on their tongues.
“Wait thirty minutes. Anyone beyond that distance wouldn’t have seen the flare anyway.”
Chae Mujin finally sat down. But his gaze remained fixed on the entrance.
Nearly thirty minutes had passed when a silhouette appeared through the blizzard.
“Manager.”
“I see it.”
Chae Mujin rose, gripping the Light Sword Ephelui. As the figure drew close enough to make out a face, it was a single man.
“Huh?”
Lee Minji’s eyes widened in shock.
“Do you know him?”
It was meant as a joke, but Lee Minji nodded seriously.
“Yes.”
The man emerging from the blizzard was the blonde who had first spoken to them during the joint training and later exchanged contact information—Baejita.

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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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