S-Classes That I Raised to Devour - Chapter 84

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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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Chapter 84. The Manager’s Anguish (4)
The Doppelganger’s Dagger meant to pierce through the crown of his head sliced uselessly through empty air.
In a moment Brian’s eyes couldn’t even follow, Chae Mujin’s body defied the laws of physics and exploded backward.
Light Skill, Form-Shift Movement.
A technique that detonates all of one’s internal energy in the opposite direction of travel, using the resulting recoil to propel the body.
It was an ultra-high-speed movement technique—static yet explosive—that completely eliminated preparatory motion and momentum.
Brian knew how to use this technique as well, but it wasn’t something you could deploy carelessly.
‘Power control is damnably tricky. Weak the explosion, and your speed dies. Too much, and you can’t control your body as it flies—you end up committing suicide on your own.’
Yet Chae Mujin had used Form-Shift Movement to evade the attack.
‘It’s already surprising he used Form-Shift Movement at all. But his judgment… that’s remarkable.’
Chae Mujin rolled forward, opened distance, and immediately pivoted to aim his gun.
No matter how close the range, aim always scattered in the moment after evasion.
But Chae Mujin’s fire was chillingly precise. Six of the seven Mana Bullets that erupted in an instant rushed toward the Doppelganger’s chest.
Tat-tat-tat-tat!
However, his opponent was none other than Brian’s Doppelganger.
The Doppelganger went beyond merely deflecting bullets—it twisted their trajectories and reflected several of them straight back at Chae Mujin.
Thud!
Chae Mujin batted away the reflected Mana Bullets with his forearm and immediately drew his Light Sword.
Like a spring, he kicked off his knees to launch skyward, then rode the downward momentum to slash mercilessly across the Doppelganger’s waist.
‘He accelerated with his body suspended in air. Is that a Skill? More importantly… he’s naturally using Silent Casting without thinking.’
All Hunters are trained to speak their Skill names aloud for concentration and safety.
The problem is that once you develop this habit from the beginning, even at high Levels you never shake it.
‘If you’re only fighting Monsters, whether you chant or not doesn’t matter. But unless you’re specifically training for player-versus-player combat, nobody starts with Silent Casting running passive from the jump….’
Clang! Bang! Thwack!
At close quarters, a flurry of strikes erupted between the Doppelganger and Chae Mujin.
Chae Mujin didn’t rely on sword strikes alone.
Sharp jabs that obscured vision, Muay Thai Knee Kicks that drove under the chin, Taekwondo Spinning Kicks that packed rotational force.
Weapon hand and martial technique meshed together like cogs of a single machine, turning in perfect synchrony.
‘Did this bastard receive military training from birth?’
It wasn’t some sloppy imitation. This was a killer born of searing combat experience—muscles compressed from real killing intent, channeling only murder.
The Doppelganger struggled to defend and evade against the relentless barrage of dazzling combinations.
‘My master’s reputation is on the line here.’
Snap!
Though it wasn’t strictly necessary, Brian casually snapped his fingers to send a signal—a relaxed declaration that he’d now show the real deal.
Whoosh.
Brian’s Doppelganger sank into the floor. Not vanishing—seeping into shadow.
“…!”
The Doppelganger, which had already exceeded Level 200 on pure physical ability alone, had now opened a Skill.
Chae Mujin tracked the shadow’s trajectory and pulled the trigger, but the Mana Bullets only shattered the unfortunate floor and furniture.
‘The bullets don’t work? What kind of absurd Skill is this?’
Chae Mujin swapped magazines without hesitation and rushed toward the back door.
The interior of the Dormitory was cluttered with furniture and fixtures, creating blind spots and crevices everywhere. For an assassin moving through shadow, it was perfect home ground.
‘He won’t let me exit peacefully.’
Sure enough, two pitch-black blades suddenly erupted from the shadow stretching beneath the door frame.
One aiming for the ankle, the other for the abdomen—lethal trajectories.
By human anatomy, blocking both attacks simultaneously was impossible. The only defense was to retreat. And that was precisely the perfect trap the Doppelganger intended.
But Chae Mujin had no intention of falling for such a thin ruse.
Whoosh!
Just before the shadow blades touched skin, a brilliant golden barrier enveloped Chae Mujin’s entire body.
An A-rank Skill: Heavenly Shield.
The extreme Mana cost meant it couldn’t be maintained long, but in the moment of deployment, it perfectly blocked all forms of damage.
Crack! Crack-crack-crack!
The shadow blades crashed against the golden barrier, scattering brilliant sparks.
In the instant the attack was blocked, Chae Mujin safely kicked through the back door and landed in the middle of the open backyard.
Clap, clap, clap!
Brian, who had followed him out, applauded leisurely.
“From the moment you batted bullets barehanded, I figured you had no defensive Skill. Turns out you had a hidden card? You completely caught me off guard.”
“Could you keep the commentary to yourself? I’m trying to concentrate.”
“I’m giving you a break.”
At that glib response, Chae Mujin relaxed his posture with the ease of someone who’d been waiting for this.
And in that moment of complete defenselessness—
The Doppelganger erupted from the shadow of hanging leaves above Chae Mujin’s head, striking down at his crown.
Bang!
With the gunshot, a Mana Bullet struck precisely into the center of the descending Doppelganger’s forehead.
Brian let out a genuine groan of exasperation at the impossible timing and reflexes, his tongue clicking against his teeth.
“Are you really not a Returnee? Where on earth did you learn to play along like you’d believe my offer of rest, baiting me into lowering my guard?”
“Everyone keeps saying I’m a Returnee. I just have a lot of natural suspicion, so I don’t believe whatever anyone says.”
“Am I just anyone?”
“I met you for the first time today.”
“…….”
“And your Doppelganger’s feint death didn’t work either.”
At that, Brian scratched the back of his head.
“I was just surprised and told the Doppelganger to pull back for a moment. Let’s start again.”
“Since we’re taking a break anyway, are the others doing well?”
“Let me check.”
Brian, who shared vision and information with his Doppelganger, deliberated.
Should he be direct, or soften it?
“I’m not sure if they’re doing well, but they’re definitely doing something.”
Brian had chosen a middle path.
* * *
Lee Minji thought she was genuinely clever.
“I’ll finish the mission in a day!”
When she asked at the Blacksmith, they said if she brought them Mythril Ore, they’d turn it into an Ingot.
The Dwarves answered everything when asked. Even where the Mythril Mine was.
“They said just go straight that way.”
Though she’d never been to a mine before, there would surely be Dwarves there too. She could just ask them how to mine ore.
“Should I gather enough for two people as well? They’ll be so grateful they won’t know what to do.”
As Lee Minji leapt onward with her imagination running wild, she suddenly looked around.
“I feel like I’ve been running for an hour. Are we still far?”
All around her were dense mountains and forest. An uncomfortable thought began creeping into her mind. Lee Minji deliberately shook her head to brush it away.
“No, no. Just a bit further and it’ll come into view.”
But when Lee Minji tried to move again, she couldn’t take even one step.
“Which way is forward?”
Turning around to look at her surroundings had been a critical mistake. Cold sweat began beading on Lee Minji’s forehead.
“My phone. Right, right! This is a Dungeon.”
In the modern world, map apps meant you could never truly get lost. But this place was an uncharted Dungeon where getting lost was the norm even with a primitive map.
Lee Minji drew a deep breath and called out with all her might.
“Is anyone there?!”
Despite her shout, no answer came. Only the hollow chirp of insects, their purpose unknown, echoed back.
“The earth is round. Well, this is a Dungeon anyway. Either way, if I keep moving, I’ll see something.”
Gritting her teeth and summoning the power of positive thinking, Lee Minji resumed running. Thanks to Chae Mujin’s Buff, her stamina was still full.
But there was one thing even that tremendous Buff couldn’t cure: Lee Minji’s catastrophic sense of direction.
“Huh? I feel like I’ve seen this place. Let me try going this way.”
“Actually, maybe not? I should go back.”
“Wait, where is this? Ugh, let me just run.”
When you don’t know the way, the right move is to go straight, but constantly changing direction meant she either circled the same area or turned a short distance into the longest possible route.
“I think I’m lost.”
Lee Minji faced reality only after nightfall.
Even in daylight the forest was confusing. Once pitch darkness fell, she couldn’t see even her own feet.
Though stamina remained plentiful, her mental fortitude crashed sharply to nothing.
In front of others she’d boasted and pretended to be strong, but alone in the forest, her hands and feet trembled uncontrollably.
She could have mustered courage to fight a strong Monster, but the isolation and terror—far worse than any Monster—overwhelmed her.
“Mister… Yeoul… What do I do?”
No one knew she was here. No one could come to rescue her.
Collapsed in a squat, Lee Minji felt tears welling up suddenly—she felt so stupid.
“Why did I make it a secret…. You idiot. If you’d come together, this never would’ve happened.”
But she didn’t want to cry, so she gripped her own head and cursed, holding it all in.
“If I just stay still here… will Mister come find me?”
With anyone else it seemed impossible, but that ahjussi seemed like he could manage it. After all, he pulled off impossible miracles as though they were routine.
“He’s going to scold me so badly. Just thinking about it makes my head hurt….”
When she closed her eyes, Chae Mujin’s face appeared vividly—arms crossed, launching into a storm of nagging.
Already frazzled, and now tormented by a hallucination, Lee Minji flailed her arms and let out a cry.
“Stop scolding me! Stop scolding me! Stop scolding meeeee!”
Since no one was watching anyway, she shouted like the forest itself was shaking, punching away at the imaginary Chae Mujin. Then, at that very moment—
“Ahem…….”
“Oh my god, I’ve really lost it. I’m even hearing Mister’s fake coughs!”
“Minji.”
“Stop scolding me! Stop scolding me! Stop scolding meeeee!”
Thud.
Her flailing wrist suddenly caught in a firm grip. A rough, powerful hand. The sensation felt too familiar, too reassuring.
“Huh? What…?”
She snapped her eyes open.
Chae Mujin was truly standing before her.
And he wasn’t alone. Kim Yeoul and Choi Gang-im stood side by side behind him.
Their faces were visibly trembling as they desperately fought back laughter.
“…….”
“Even when you’re focused on a mission, missing dinner seemed odd. So I came looking.”
“How… how did you find me? Did you hear my voice?”
“No. I followed the Mana from my Buff that’s on you.”
The fact that she’d gotten lost in the first place had been whispered to him by Brian’s Doppelganger, but he saw no need to mention that.
“Ah… ah-haha. I see. Ah-haha.”
She dusted off her rear end as though nothing had happened, but Lee Minji’s face was flushed redder than a ripe tomato.
She didn’t want to ask how much of that he’d heard.
After returning safely to the Dormitory, the group’s late dinner began.
Kim Yeoul and Choi Gang-im held firm and managed to stay silent to the end.
But Chae Mujin did not.
“Minji.”
“Yes?”
“Did my scolding really bother you that much?”
“Ahhhhhhh!”
Shrieking, she bolted to her room—though her hands had deftly grabbed snacks to take with her.
* * *
The next morning.
Lee Minji went directly to Kim Yeoul and Choi Gang-im with a question.
“Did you find a way to get the Mythril Ingot?”
Both shook their heads simultaneously.
“Then come with me to the Mythril Mine. If we just mine the ore, the Blacksmith will turn it into an Ingot for us!”
“That’s a good method. I’m in favor, but what about you, Gang-im?”
Choi Gang-im nodded solidly in agreement.
After receiving a generous Buff from Chae Mujin, the First-Generation Hunters arrived at the mine after some trials, and entered boldly.
And the next morning.
“Did you get the Mythril Ingot?”
At Chae Mujin’s question, Lee Minji proudly extended her hand.
“Yes! Here it is!”
“That’s… impressive….”
As Chae Mujin took the Mythril Ingot from her hand, his brows furrowed.
It had the warm silver sheen of Mythril, so it was genuine. But the issue was the size.
“What is this, a miniature?”
The size was just right to pop into your mouth if it had been chocolate.
“We can’t even forge an Arrowhead from this.”
“But… it’s still an Ingot! Why does size matter? What matters is an unbreakable will! Right, you two?!”
Lee Minji spun around desperately, sending a pleading look toward Kim Yeoul and Choi Gang-im.
But Kim Yeoul bowed deeply to Chae Mujin.
“I’m sorry, Manager. We did mine ore from the Dungeon, but when we had it appraised later… it turned out to be just silver, not Mythril.”
The rest was conveyed by a memo Choi Gang-im had prepared in advance.
―We didn’t have time to mine again, so we spent all the silver ore we mined and every coin we had to buy this one Mythril Ingot.
Unlike Lee Minji, who brazenly insisted, the other two confessed with perfect honesty.
Lee Minji’s face fell with the expression of someone who’d lost everything.

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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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