Chapter 266: Fourth

Oof

An A-class guard who was struck hard in the groin lost consciousness and fell down. The other guards who were guarding the Akates Mana Hole were in a similar state. The area was quickly cleared by the attack of two S-class guards.

"Damn bastards!"

Mindy, who was once an Alpha agent, kicked the fallen guard with her foot. The new Akates Defense Bureau speculated that the remaining renegade defenders had left the city. Although there were still two S-class guards left, it was almost impossible to win against them.

However, the renegades were hiding in the city, waiting for an opportunity to approach the Mana Hole.

And today, although they were not SS-class, numerous S-class monsters appeared and most of the S-class guards engaged in battle. The remaining S-class guards were also guarding temporary defense agencies, not the Mana Hole. The Mana Hole and the former defense agency were still in the process of reconstruction, with only tens of thousands of A-class guards monitoring them. Several important facilities that remained were moved to temporary defense agencies, and the Mana Hall itself could not do more than replenish mana.

The current defense agency thought so.

"We want a new contract."

A man named Panus, who was one of the leaders of the former defense Bereau stood in front of the Mana Hole and spoke. The mana around him shook violently. Panus and his companions felt a chilling gaze and instinctively stiffened. They felt like mice standing in front of a snake.

"The, the price, will be these two S-class awakened individuals...."

The S-class guards, who firmly believed that Panus' command was the right thing to protect the city after receiving long-term education and indoctrination, stepped forward. A familiar voice responded to their appearance.

[Even rotten seeds need water.]

"What... What are you talking about all of a sudden!"

Panus shouted in confusion. He had previously received S-class or higher guards, or awakened individuals with special skills, as a price in his contract. He was also behind the incident of kidnapping the guards of the Medsang organization. In order to reduce the power of Akates, he occasionally sent Alphas to capture S-class guards from other cities.

"We also contracted to provide continuous assistance to help our Akates build the power to conquer other cities!"

[Are you hoping to water even the rotten seeds?]

"What, what did you say?"

[Be polite.]

As soon as the words were spoken, Panus' knees buckled. His head, kneeling on the ground, was pressed down by an indifferent voice.

[You should make a request. If there is nothing that can pique my interest, you should at least beg.]

"No, I, I..."

[There is even a bit of regret on your side, it seems.]

"No, no way!"

An overwhelming pressure spread throughout his body. His breath was choked as if his throat was being squeezed, and Panus, as well as the S-class guards, trembled with pale faces.

[Thanks to you my dear partner, have hard hard time.]

"What, what the hell..."

"What in the...?"

"It's not like I'm seeking revenge. It's something my partner will decide. I just find it annoying and unpleasant."

How can I relieve the tension? With a whisper-like last word, Panus's body trembled. The fact that someone could exert direct force on this side without any contract vanished from his mind. Captivated by the irrational fear of being crushed like a mere insect at any moment, he bowed his head.

"I-I sincerely apologize! I just wanted to restore Akates to its original state..."

"So, what do you want?"

Panus quickly lifted his head in response to the offer to listen.

"Make me a new SS-grade guard, no, make me stronger than an SS-grade awakened combatant!"

Even the Alpha, whom he believed he had perfectly tamed, went berserk and left. So others were anxious. Panus, who claimed he would become stronger despite suppressing combat guards, was coldly scrutinized.

"Your ambition seems to exceed just having two S-grade guards."

"Besides that, anything in exchange..."

Snap! With a flash of white light, the contract appeared. It offered Panus power beyond SS-grade in exchange for the voluntary sacrifice of two S-grade guards and obedience to the "White Tail." Additionally, it included a clause stating that the White Tail would assume minimal responsibility for its subordinates.

Panus quickly rose and signed the contract. As soon as the two guards finished signing, their forms melted away like wax. And then...

A figure emerged from the mana hole. A man with white hair, reptilian or feline-like eyes, and a golden aura reminiscent of reptiles or felines casually lifted the corners of his mouth. With gloved hands, he took the contract and looked at Panus.

"As agreed."

Mana surged. Panus felt powerful magic enveloping his body, penetrating him. Feeling the surging power, Panus smiled brightly.

"Now, to restore Akates--"

His voice was abruptly cut off. Instead of human speech, growls emanated, and Panus's body began to transform. He swelled in size, reddish-brown fur sprouting all over his body. Sharp ears, long tail, and membranous wings emerged, along with horns and spines along his head and neck.

- Kyaaa!

"Grr!"

Standing dazedly, Mindy was struck by the swinging tail and slammed against the wall. A monster, a mix of dragon and leopard, bared its fangs and growled. Seeing this, the golden eyes narrowed slightly.

"An SSS-grade monster. Quite well-made. The contract is completed."

There was no mention of the remaining humans. Originally, elevating to SS-grade while retaining the original form was insufficient. But transforming into a monster under his ownership was achievable. Not only could he fulfill the contract terms, but he could also raise the grade further.

As the white-haired man extended his hand, the monster obediently bowed its head. He tied a pink thread to one of the monster's horns skillfully with just one hand, then lightly tapped the monster's head. Following the command, the monster shot up into the sky. The man's body quickly blurred and disappeared, unable to sustain itself for long.

Amidst the lush forest, a small lake was visible. The ship, positioned a bit away to avoid attacks from the expected monster, came to a stop.

- Kyaang!

Piece, who had climbed onto the flight deck of the ship, happily leaped out of my arms. Growing in size, it spread its wings.

- Grrrlrlk.

With a gesture urging Noah, Yoohyun and I climbed onto the back of Piece. Here, since his body couldn't transform into dragons due to being in a different realm, it should be fine. It was said that exclusive transformations, where the body changes completely into another race, were difficult to use. Moreover, applying skills to Noah's current body, which wasn't purely human, was even more challenging.

Yoohyun and I rode on Peaces' back together, knowing that Yerim had a flight skill. The rest of the people boarded the small airship.

"Would it really be okay to proceed to the Medsang as  the last task?"

I murmured softly as I looked at the disc I had taken out. Installing the final disc would undoubtedly bring about something even more dangerous than before. There was a high chance of intervention from newcomers, jellyfish, and other transcendent beings.

So, I suggested going to the Medsang  first, but surprisingly, Noah opposed it. He believed it would be better to install the final disc in a slightly more advantageous location. And once we left, wouldn't this world be safe anyway?

"You said all citizens would be evacuated to other city since they have two"

"That's true, but..."

It was explained that Medsang had two SS-grade guards because it merged with nearby cities. Unusually, two mana holes appeared close by, and initially, each city was created separately. However, as the gap between Medsang and the past Nepos City widened, Nepos City eventually became part of Medsang.

Even though it was nearby, it would still take two to three hours by car, so if the citizens were evacuated, a tremendous disaster could be avoided. And if Noah opened a portal for evacuation, it would be over quickly.

"But I'm worried about Noah. He's too easily saying it's okay."

"Maybe he's more concerned about Hyung's safety. He mentioned that Hyung might be targeted by filial piety addicts."

"...Maybe if it were Yerim or Hyuna, he would have thought more."

Although the situation was slightly different because they had a city to evacuate, it still worried me. Surely, Mu was loved, too.

"Hyung can't completely take responsibility for Hunter Noah. It's a decision he made himself."

It was a valid point. From the beginning, it was impossible for me to take care of Noah alone. I had not only Noah but also Yoohyun to consider. And after helping him escape from Riette and taking care of various things, Noah still seemed unstable. Perhaps it was because I hadn't heard the details of Noah's childhood. But since Riette was his sister, his childhood couldn't have been a happy time.

I felt like I fell short of filling that long-time emptiness. Still, I wanted to help at least a little. Noah liked me, helped me, so I wanted to return the favor.

"I just hope Noah could be a little happier than he is now. Not perfectly happy, but just a little better. Can't we just live together?"

"...If Hyung wants. But he might feel even more deprived than now  Hunter Noah  and Park Yerim are different."

"...Is that so."

It's tough, really. At first, I thought of him as someone who was hurt and troubled, a kind and gentle person. I thought he would quickly recover once he escaped from Riette's influence. But the wounds and healing speeds were different for everyone. It was obvious, but why couldn't I say, "You're getting stronger so quickly, why are you like this?"

Piece landed by the lakeside, and surprisingly, it was more skilled at flying and more comfortable to ride than I expected. I patted Piece, who wagged its tail as if asking how it was. Our Piece, how did it become so skilled?

"Ahjussi don't worry and press the button. Even a lake like this is enough!"

Yerim confidently approached and said.

"There's more water than I thought, huh? There's even one here. Hello!"

I wondered why she suddenly waved her hand, but before I knew it, a horse's head popped out of the water's surface. There was even a turtle. It was a spirit.

A white foal and a blue turtle emerged from the lake toward Yerim. Whether it was because they were young or weak, they couldn't speak yet. The foal wagged its head like a gesture of affection to Yerim.

"It's safer to go to the sea. This place will soon be dangerous, so stay away for a while. Do you see that ship over there? It should be safe if you stay there. Noah, can you please contact them?"

"Yes. You should head towards the water tank."

The spirits, who seemed hesitant to fall, flew towards the spaceship at Yerim's urging. After the spirits completely disappeared, I took out the disc.

I looked at Yoohyun, Yerim, Noah, Hyuna, and even Peace and Sigma as if to confirm, then pressed the button. I felt confident that as long as a big shot like a gambling addict or a filial piety addict didn't pop out, everything would be fine. They're all really reliable.

Space shook. A tingling sensation spread along the hull. I was still wearing a mana reaction control item, but I could definitely feel it. The wave was bigger than the third one.

I used the teacher's skill. Yoohyun and Yerim stood in front of me as if to protect me. Peace also stuck close to me. Noah spread out a support skill, a spear appeared in Moon Hyunas hand, and chains appeared around Sigma.

- Grrrrr.

The fierce growl of an SS-class monster came from right in front of me, but it felt like a cat's purring. It wasn't just because of fear resistance. My people were too good to be scared.

Five SS-class monsters. There was no greater threat. First, the water in the lake surged. The chain tied up the monster on the right, and as if waiting, Moon Hyuna charged. As soon as the spear tore a long gash in the monster's flank, lightning struck. The teacher's skill didn't even apply to Sigma, but his limbs were perfectly coordinated. Maybe it was thanks to Moon Hyuna, who had done a lot of cooperation due to the nature of the skill.

With the combined attack of the two, one monster was quickly dealt with, and the monster caught by Yerim was also thrown into the lake. Yoohyun didn't just watch either. He didn't step forward immediately, but once he confirmed the situation and thought I was safe, he immediately set the nearest monster's head on fire. He cut off the monster's front paw that didn't die instantly and charged at it, plunging a fiery spear deep into its head.

In the meantime, Moon Hyuna and Sigma killed another monster, and when Yoohyun and Yerim were about to rush to the last one as if competing, that's when.

"Hyung!"

"Ahjussi! It's dangerous!"

Suddenly, the two left the monster came back to me. Peace also bristled his fur. I, too, felt a dangerous momentum a step late.

"Our Moon is popular~"

"If you're jealous, I'll give it to you."

Moon Hyuna whistled and Sigma stabbed the last remaining monster with a chain sparking with electricity. With a loud noise and a flash of light, my vision, which had been dyed white, recovered, and I saw a monster flying towards us.

A beast with dragon wings and horns, and reddish-brown fur.

"Yoojin-ssi, I will move you to the spaceship with Peace."

Noah said it would be better to be on the safe side. But if I go to the spaceship, the teacher's skill will be released, and as I was about to eat a mini-mini cookie, I saw something familiar flapping on one horn of the approaching beast.

"Wait a minute, is that a thread of fur?"

In my words, everyone looked at the hot pink fur thread fluttering around.

"Oh, it's the same as the one you gave to the guild master of Seseong!"

"Right? No way..."

...There's no way that monster is Sung Hyunjae. Well, it doesn't have to be in human form. The place where we met was in the system, close to the mental world, so he could have changed his appearance. It was a thread of fur at first.

For now, let's just be prepared and not attack. The monster landed on the other side of the lake. It didn't seem hostile. Rather, it was wagging its tail.

"Excuse me... Are you, by any chance, Sung hyunjae-ssi..? Are you my partner?"

- Growl.

The monster growled at my words. Was that a response? Sung hyunjae?

"Why are you in that state!"

- Growl.

"Really? Is it really you?"

Oh my, how did he end up like that? Can't he speak human language? Yoohyun and Yerim both held me back as I tried to approach the monster.

"Be careful, hyung."

"That's right, you never know."

"...Is that Sung hyunjae?"

Sigma mumbled, looking puzzled. No, he's not supposed to look like that. But is it really him? He's too docile for Sung hyunjae. If I reach out my hand, I feel  like he would give me his paw.

"If you're the guild leader of Seseong, please lift your right front paw."

The monster only wagged its tail with a growl. Hmm, maybe not. But why is he wearing a tassel? The monster, which had been sitting quietly, slowly flew over the lake and landed in front of me. Within the caution of Yoohyun and Yerim, it bowed its large head towards me.

"He's really gentle."

When I reached out and stroked its head, it purred. It's not Sung hyunjae, but it has a tassel, and it's docile without hostility.

"...Maybe it was sent by Sung hyunjae."

"The monster?"

"I'm not sure why, but I think so. Did he send it to help with the installation of the fifth disc? It seems to be SSS-grade. If we're correct, please send me a short message."

[□]

Oh, it's here. But I can't understand the content though. As the discs are installed, does the system's control decreases? It can't even keep sending quests.

Anyway, this SSS-grade monster, that's reassuring. Now one more left.

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