Transferred to an SSS-rank Production Class

I had suggested to Han Cha-hyun that we look into Helium, but I never imagined there would actually be a connection.

Choi Kwon-young was also checking his hunter watch, presumably having received the message.

“Did you say your name was Akis?”

“Y-yes. If that’s who you’re calling…”

“Come here, please.”

Akis, who had been hiding behind Yun Su-ho, timidly approached Choi Kwon-young. Choi Kwon-young showed him the photo Han Cha-hyun had sent.

“Is this person perhaps a member of the delegation that came ashore with you?”

“How did you know about the delegation…”

“We heard from Astro.”

At the mention of the sea spirit’s name, Akis clung to Choi Kwon-young’s arm.

“A-Astro? Player, do you know Astro?”

The sight of the frail man clinging with all his might was quite pitiful. However, the emotionally arid Choi Kwon-young didn’t even blink.

“I’ll tell you if you answer my question first.”

“Ugh, alright.”

Akis peered closely at the photo Choi Kwon-young had displayed. It was difficult to make out, having been taken in a dark place.

“I think it’s right. Why would Galatea be in a place like this…”

“Galatea?”

“Yes, she’s our delegation’s representative. The lying posture and those delicate fingertips, it must be Galatea.”

“It can’t be Galatea. We met her just yesterday.”

There was no way Galatea, who had been trapped in the basement, could have been moved to the Great Temple so quickly. Moreover, the man in the photo had a completely different build and facial features from Galatea.

‘To begin with, Galatea is a woman.’

It seemed like he was just insisting it was correct, wanting to get the information quickly. Can we really trust this sea person?

“Are you sure you’re seeing this correctly?”

“…I’m sorry. The truth is, my eyesight is poor. I can’t make it out clearly with this.”

So he was just saying whatever came to mind.

As Akis confessed the truth, Choi Kwon-young shook his head.

“I heard there were four members in the delegation. Paran, Galatea, Akis. What’s the name of the fourth person?”

“Berben, it’s Berben.”

“Hunter Yun Gaho, did you hear that?”

“Yes. I’ll request a new photo and identity confirmation from Hunter Han Cha-hyun.”

Not long after, Cha Taeyang and Atera also woke up.

Upon seeing Atera, Akis picked her up and spun around the house. Cha Taeyang followed closely behind, anxious about how Akis was holding Atera with arms that looked like they might snap.

“Child, were you in that tower too?”

“A few years ago. Um… could you put me down?”

Akis tilted his head, wondering how a child not even twenty years old could walk alone. Even after Atera explained that she was mixed-blood and grew quickly, he couldn’t erase the skeptical look in his eyes.

While the two sea people were having their reunion, I discussed the upcoming schedule with Choi Kwon-young.

“Understood. I’ll go to Badadkkot.”

“Please continue investigating the area around Shella as well.”

Something must have been bothering him, as Choi Kwon-young wanted to investigate the spire once more. He said there were other things to look into as well, so I let him move separately.

Which meant…

“Is the talk over?”

I had to move together with that Yun Su-ho guy.

Cha Taeyang sent Atera off to investigate something she had noticed. Thanks to that, today the three of us – Yun Su-ho, myself, and Akis – would be acting together. I was already getting a headache.

‘Does becoming S-rank make your growth plates S-rank too? I don’t think he was this big originally.’

Even after changing into standard-issue equipment, his towering physique still drew attention. I pulled the hood of his cloak over his head.

“Why didn’t you answer Hunter Han Cha-hyun’s calls?”

“There wasn’t really anything to report.”

“Nothing? Even after bringing that person?”

Akis, suddenly called out, flinched. I reassured him it was nothing and looked back at Yun Su-ho. He had an expression that said he didn’t understand what he’d done wrong.

Is it okay for someone with more hunter experience than me to work like this?

“I could handle it sufficiently on my own. There’s no need to report every little thing.”

“Hunter Han Cha-hyun needs to be aware of the situation too.”

“If you say so, I’ll be more careful from now on.”

A-rank and above defensive hunters were so rare they were called “god-tier” or “forbidden-tier” in vulgar terms. They were essential for raids, but their numbers were few, and high-rank awakened ones among them were even rarer. As a result, defensive hunters were often assigned only to raid-type fields. Yun Su-ho mainly participated in raids as well.

‘In his case, it’s probably closer to ‘he didn’t bother because it was troublesome.”

I somewhat understood, since he had only been frantically running raids without much of a reporting system. If he had been affiliated with a guild it might have been different, but as a free hunter working only according to his own preferences, he must have acted even more arbitrarily.

But as long as he was working with me, this couldn’t continue.

“From now on, if anything happens, make sure to tell the party leader. Don’t just tell me.”

“Got it.”

As we were talking, we arrived at the cliff with the coastal cave.

‘How is this guy going to get down here?’

It was a place with nowhere suitable to step down, so it would be troublesome without a movement skill. Even if I carried Akis on my side…

“The passage to Badadkkot is in the middle of this cliff. I’m going to use a ranger skill to get down, but do you have any method?”

Crack-

Red spikes suddenly protruded from Yun Su-ho’s back as he stood silently with his arms crossed. The spikes, stretched out like branches, soon became wings with membranes. They resembled dragon wings.

As Yun Su-ho flapped the wings once, a strong wind arose. Even Akis blinked in surprise. Only Yun Su-ho remained composed.

“You… What is this?”

“Skill, Dragon’s Procession. Got it on the 72nd floor.”

“That’s not what I’m asking. I’ve never heard you had a skill like this.”

“That’s because I’ve never used it in front of others.”

An S-rank defensive type with even a flight skill. If others knew, they’d faint from the balance collapse. It’s nice that you trust me, but isn’t this a bit much? What if I go around blabbing about this?

“Is there a problem?”

“Forget it. What can I expect from you?”

He’s such an unplanned guy, so unlike his serious face. Well, just let him live like that forever, I guess.

Leaving the two behind, I started descending the cliff. Having done it a couple of times now, it wasn’t as scary as before. It was even kind of fun.

As I was climbing down the wall without hesitation, something suddenly appeared beside me.

“Ah! …It’s you.”

“Why are you going down alone?”

“Why? Because I can go down by myself.”

It was Yun Su-ho, with Akis slung over his shoulder like baggage. Yun Su-ho started insisting that he would carry me down too.

It’s not like I can’t do it alone, so why do you need to step in? Do you want to balance the weight or something?

After a long argument, we reached a conclusion.

“If you dislike it that much…”

“Why are you suddenly listening to me?”

Instead, Yun Su-ho flew slowly, matching my descending speed.

“Hey, I said go down first!”

“It’s my choice.”

“Akis says it’s hard. So hurry up and go down.”

“I-I’m fine. Please do as you find comfortable.”

How long had we been descending under that prickly gaze? The now-familiar cave entrance came into view.

“Is this the place?”

“Yes. If you follow this path, you’ll come to a large cavern where there’s a formula leading to Badadkkot.”

“Ah! I think I know. It’s the place with the nest!”

“Nest?”

Akis waved his hands as he described the scenery of the ‘nest’. Fragments placed in a lake, a place where blue magic stones shine. It seemed to match roughly.

Unlike his initially passive appearance, Akis enjoyed talking. When I asked a few questions about the sea people, he answered with a bright smile.

“The nest is where all sea people are born. Children learn Media’s myths and songs there.”

“There were shell fragments at the bottom of the lake.”

“Those are the remains of the eggs we were born from. Sea people are oviparous.”

So that’s why they were there… My curiosity was satisfied in an unexpected place.

“Is that it?”

It seemed I hadn’t asked much, but suddenly the cavern with shimmering blue light appeared. Before I could even plant my grappling hook, Yun Su-ho flew with me and Akis tucked under each arm.

“You just had to do this!”

Feeling annoyed, I punched his arm repeatedly, but only my fist hurt.

“The nest, it’s the nest!”

As soon as Yun Su-ho landed, Akis ran to the lakeshore. He closed his eyes tightly as he dipped his hand in the water, as if he couldn’t believe it.

The tears that rolled down Akis’s cheeks caused small ripples in the lake.

Gooo-

Somehow sensing it, the sea spirit in the form of a whale rose from the lake. As it poked its head out at the shore, Akis pressed his tear-stained face against the whale’s body.

“Astro, have you been well?”

– Akina, is that you, Akina? How did you…

“It’s all thanks to Media’s help.”

Finally, Akis immersed himself in the lake.

As if by magic, his legs disappeared, replaced by a beautiful tail covered in blue scales. Fins with a five-colored sheen appeared around his ears. He looked similar to the soldiers the sea spirit had summoned.

But he was far, far more beautiful.

The sea person and the spirit, reunited after a long time, swam silently in the lake for a while. We watched the scene quietly.

◆◇◆◇◆

“Atera, why are we here…?”

“My friend is here.”

“Friend?”

Taeyang’s eyes widened. The place Atera had brought Taeyang was full of grand mansions. Atera pointed to the mansion with the most luxurious gate among them.

It was a door with a familiar seal drawn on it.

“Yes, a friend who helped me. Taeyang, help me meet them again.”

After a moment’s hesitation, Taeyang grasped Atera’s hand. If they were Atera’s friend, they were his friend too. The seal bothered him, but it didn’t matter.

“Of course! …Huh?”

As Taeyang looked up to gauge the height of the wall, a raindrop fell on his forehead. It was a sunshower under the clear sky.

Taeyang smiled softly and covered Atera’s head with a piece of clothing he took out from his inventory.

“Looks like it’s a fox’s wedding day.”

“Fox?”

“Where I live, we call this kind of rain ‘fox rain’. They say it falls when a cloud that loved a fox too much cries sadly on the fox’s wedding day.”

“We have a similar story.”

Atera, holding Taeyang’s hand tightly, smiled at him.

“We call this rain ‘Media’s tears’. They say it rains when Media sheds tears. The kind Media doesn’t want her tears to trouble us, so no matter how sad she is, she only cries for a moment, just a brief moment, on days when the sun shines.”

“I wish neither the cloud, the fox, nor the sun god would be sad.”

Rain poured down on the heads of the two smiling children and one goblin. Taeyang, brushing back his wet hair, picked up Atera.

“Let’s go meet your friend.”

Atera’s eyes, filled with sunlight, shone with a beautiful color. Soon, the silhouettes of the two children disappeared into the shadows.

Beneath them, a seal featuring a fish pierced by a harpoon and gold coins gleamed.