'S-Classes That I Raised' Translation - Chapter 851: Save Me
I will note that this is one of the most emotional chapters of the novel, and is much more impactful when you have the full context of the story. If you don't like spoilers for that reason, you should probably skip reading this.
Chapter translation under the cut.
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Chapter 851: Save Me
Sung Hyunje.
Two words were written clearly on each palm.
Sesung Guildmaster.
Together with the words on both hands, his fading memories resurfaced. In his mind, a clear, bright voice spoke as if chiding him:
"Sung. Hyun. Je. Now, repeat after me. I am Sung Hyunje. I am the Sesung Guildmaster. I will repay my debt to Han Yoojin tenfold. I will not leave a single crust of bread uneaten—"
"That, I don't like," Sung Hyunje muttered aloud.
He could feel the dampness of the wet earth against his skin. With every breath, the sickening stench of blood seeped deeply into his lungs.
His head was intact. Below that, he gradually became aware of his body, both arms, both wrists, and the two hands connected to them. He tried moving his fingers slightly. Both legs were also properly attached.
After being shattered, broken and torn apart countless times, he had begun to question whether his limbs had originally been attached at all. Wasn't it normal not to have them in the first place? His original form became obscured in the mist, and a single fragment became the self. Was the current self the real him, or was it the past self, or even a self from a more distant past that even he didn't know? Could one truly be certain that their present self was the real them if they couldn't recall their beginning?
Sung Hyunje clenched and unclenched his hands. They were clean except for a few smears of blood. But he could still remember the tickling sensation of the pen writing along his skin.
Sung Hyunje. Sesung Guildmaster.
The erased past, the hazy present, and the fragmenting future didn't matter. Those four words defined him. Another memory surfaced.
The aquarium.
He had kept two memories for himself. One of his identity and one of his purpose. His name written on his palm and the promise to go to the aquarium. Even if everything else about him was erased, as long as those two things remained clear, he was confident he could rise and walk without wavering.
His golden eyes slowly closed and opened. It was a simple goal, just a promise to go somewhere together for fun. It was the kind of promise that could have easily been written off or forgotten. And yet, that was precisely why it had been engraved even more deeply. Deliberately keeping such an ordinary and lighthearted promise meant that the other person was that special. Someone who could turn even the ordinary into something extraordinary.
His limp arms bent and pressed against the earth. Blood seeped from the soil between his fingers. Sung Hyunje rose to his feet.
It was night here, and yet there was no night. The bright light of the moon had chased away the darkness and bathed everything in silver. Only a few faint patches of shadow lingered, drifting to and fro between the swaying auroras of pale moonlight.
The moon rose at night, but could this place truly be called that? With a sky so silver that nightbirds closed their eyes, and daybirds couldn't sleep.
Sung Hyunje looked up at the moonlight. Within that cascading celestial glow, the Crescent Moon gazed down at him, like a god watching over her creation. It wasn't far from the truth.
"It's clear that I won't be able to escape this place with my own power."
Golden light flickered around Sung Hyunje. He had already surpassed S-rank. In his hands, he held a portion of his accumulated power and the Gardener's mana stone, refined using the Caregiver's title. One step further and he could have reached the level of a Transcendent, though he still fell short of the level of the Crescent Moon. The layers of contracts that bound him also held him back.
"But… you will not get what you want either."
Jingle, jingle— The tinkling of bells echoed.
Feeling a shiver run down his spine, Sung Hyunje lifted the corners of his mouth.
The small moon now had enough power to reach its fullness. With the Gardener's mana stone as the final drop, the vessel had been filled. Yet, Sung Hyunje had not lost himself. The Perfect Caregiver. The power held by that title was preventing him from transforming into something he didn't want to be.
By the skin of his teeth, barely, precariously, struggling to hold on. Yet refusing to give up.
The Crescent Moon didn't move. She simply hung there. But the moonlight quivered. Clink, clink, clink— Silvery chains poured down from all directions.
Clang, clang!
Golden light flared to meet the moonlight. Hundreds of chains burst forth, but were struck down by an even greater number, crashing down in waves of gold. Under the overwhelming difference in power, the light fractured, shattering into countless pieces. The moonlight became stained with blood as it sliced through his limbs like blades.
Without even a scream, Sung Hyunje was torn apart. Painted red once more across the red soil. The metallic tinkling of bells subsided. The moonlight resumed its quiet flow. The scattered fragments began to reassemble Sung Hyunje's body again.
The power of the pseudo-Origin, wielding the force of creation, restored 'Sung Hyunje' to his original form. Recreated perfectly, from his body, to his clothes, to even his shoes. It was proof that he hadn't lost himself.
After inhaling and releasing a long, labored breath, Sung Hyunje lay there on his back, staring up at the sky.
"You've failed again," he said.
The Crescent Moon, who had reclaimed Sung Hyunje, understood his condition. Despite having gathered everything it needed, the small moon had failed to be reborn as a full moon.
Ordinarily, 'Sung Hyunje' would have disappeared naturally under the weight of such immense power. But Han Yoojin's memories continued to awaken 'Sung Hyunje'. Erasing memories alone wasn't enough to erase 'Sung Hyunje'. And the Cradle that sought to claim the Caregiver had been blocked by the Young Chaos.
The only remaining options were to break 'Sung Hyunje' or erase his memories and start anew.
Jingle─
The moonlight trembled.
His body had been shattered to pieces countless times. When the body broke, the mind was inevitably affected. Yet, Sung Hyunje endured. He was still the Sesung Guildmaster, and he still had a promise to go to the aquarium with Han Yoojin. If he bought him ice cream, Han Yoojin would accept it while pretending that he didn't want it.
"The Cradle will disappear as well."
Sung Hyunje stood, slightly unsteady. His intact legs felt momentarily unfamiliar.
"The Elder will handle it somehow, I'm sure."
The Newbie would end up helping Han Yoojin too. The world Sung Hyunje would return to would be safe. His golden eyes curved gently as he smiled. The Crescent Moon's expression remained unchanged as she looked down at him. Her detached demeanor was like the impassive face of the moon hanging in the sky.
"Your plans have gone awry, haven't they?"
— 'I wanted to perfect you while keeping you as intact as possible.'
Unlike her unchanging face, her voice carried a clear affection. And that made it feel eerily incongruent, like a doll playing a recorded message.
Clink!
A beam of moonlight shot forward at a speed that even combat foresight couldn't anticipate, piercing Sung Hyunje's shoulder. He grabbed the moonlight, which had solidified into a chain, and tore it away.
— 'I hoped you would stay unbroken until the moment of your completion.'
More beams of moonlight shot at him. A few silver chains exploded amidst the burst of electricity, but there remained too many to fend off. Sung Hyunje's body was flung to the ground like a ragdoll, his arm broken, his ankle twisted at an unnatural angle.
"Hrgk—!"
A choked breath reflexively escaped him as the chains coiled around his neck. They yanked him around violently like a toy, careful not to kill him. No matter how many times he severed them, the moonlight was infinite. His one remaining intact leg was torn apart, and his broken ankle was ripped clean off.
Crack—His vision went black. The lifeless body of 'Sung Hyunje' was restored to its original form again. His golden eyes blinked open beneath the strands of his disheveled hair.
— 'My child, in the new world, you will not Awaken.'
Sung Hyunje's legs, barely supporting him, were pierced by chains. His knees buckled, and he collapsed to the ground.
— 'You will be unable to convey your will, neither through voice nor written words. And yet, there will be countless who desire you, and that itself will become your torment.'
Powerless and mute, yet a coveted existence. Such a thing would ultimately be treated as an object. Some would cherish him, while others would enact unspeakable cruelty upon him. Even those who cherished him would not cherish him as an equal.
— 'You will wander, unable to establish anything of your own, until you give up on yourself, or the power that sustains you fades.'
It would be different from before. Someone who had always risen to the highest place would now have to crawl at the lowest. Even if his innate excellence made him rise again, the moment he clawed himself out of the muck, he would be dragged off to a new place again.
Sung Hyunje would have no opportunity to refine the power he had accumulated. He would have neither time nor freedom to find a way to escape from the Crescent Moon. He would be muzzled, collared, and trampled helplessly underfoot.
Instead of using his impaled legs, Sung Hyunje spread his wings. But before he could rise far, the moonlight tore them apart. His body plummeted, and was shredded to pieces by the silver chains before it hit the ground. He rose, ran, and flew countless times, yet his end was always the ground.
Sung Hyunje opened his eyes once more. His limp arm and open palm came into view. Sesung Guildmaster. Sung Hyunje.
"A promise I can't keep…"
How long would Han Yoojin live? Sung Hyunje was confident he could endure, but he couldn't guarantee Han Yoojin's remaining time. Even if Han Yoojin grew old to the point Sung Hyunje could no longer recognize him, that would be alright. Even if their world had changed completely, it wouldn't matter. Even if the aquarium was a dried-up, empty lot with not a drop of water, just going there together would be enough. Even if there wasn't a single minnow, they could remember, imagine and talk about the biggest whale shark.
Sung Hyunje stood once again, his golden eyes wet. The welling tears fell silently down his face. What he felt wasn't desperation or hopelessness. It was simply…
— 'Such sadness.'
"How could I not be sad? I loved those times."
Every single moment of living in his world. Of Sung Hyunje's life. Even if Han Yoojin's time ran out, Sung Hyunje still had death left to him. His faithful death would surely come and deliver him the final gift of closure.
So he felt neither anxious nor afraid. What he felt was purely sadness.
Song Taewon would recount for him everything that had happened. There would probably be time to share a drink or two. But nothing more than that would be possible for him.
"I want to live in my world."
Just a little longer. Greedily. Like a child who still had so many things he wanted to do, yearning for more time. He didn't want to let go of all the moments yet to come.
"I want to celebrate every birthday, and even death, in that world."
His own birthdays, but also the birthdays of others. He hadn't properly celebrated Han Yoojin's birthday even once. Maybe Song Taewon's upcoming birthday would be a little different than before. Perhaps Sung Hyunje would send off everyone else first, including the two of them, and be left alone again. But this time, he hoped to remember it all and long for it once it was gone.
Even being a gravekeeper would be a joy in that world.
"While remembering who I am…"
Moonlight poured down like rain, veiling his tears. His blurred vision became stained with red. Though he knew full well he couldn't win, golden light surged forth. Electricity crackled fiercely until his last breath. Over and over, again and again.
Yet, slowly, his memories began to dissolve under the relentless violence. Sung Hyunje. Sesung Guildmaster. He struggled to connect these words, to recall their meaning. The aquarium. The massive glass tank where fish swam. He couldn't remember that place.
Sung Hyunje. Sesung Guildmaster. The aquarium.
Someone took his hand and moved a pen across his skin. They were in an unfamiliar place. Light pierced through his heart, his head. The memories he had barely pieced together were suddenly severed and cut short.
Sung Hyunje. Sesung Guildmaster. The aquarium.
The fragmented words drifted through his mind. He couldn't even remember how to breathe, but he realized that 'Sung Hyunje' was his name. Fish swam in the clear water. Bubbles rose to the surface. A vast space, a high ceiling. Moonlight streamed down from the sky.
Sung Hyunje. Sesung Guildmaster. The aquarium.
In his empty palm, he saw the illusion of letters appearing. He had made a promise to go to the aquarium. But he couldn't remember what an aquarium was. His body felt as heavy as if it were sinking into the water. His body, struggling to rise, broke apart again. It dissolved like grains of sand flowing between his fingers.
Sung Hyunje. Sesung Guildmaster. The aquarium.
The Sesung Guildmaster, named Sung Hyunje, extended his hand. The moonlit sky filled his vision. Had the sky always looked like that? Soon, his hand would be severed. He would inevitably be shattered into fragments, as if it were only the natural way of the world.
He didn't even feel the need to resist or fight. He simply stared at his hand.
Sung Hyunje. Sesung Guildmaster. The aquarium.
And then, a string of pink yarn.
"…Yarn."
At some point, the string of pink yarn had descended. Or perhaps it extended out from him. The Crescent Moon lifted her head. The string of yarn stretched out endlessly. Instinctively, Sung Hyunje grabbed it.
'Happy birthday.'
With the sound of that voice, a memory flowed into him. Bundles of yarn tumbled from above. A golden dragon streaked across the bright blue sky, and hot pink yarn rained down around him.
'Hold out your hand.'
He already had. A pair of knitting needles appeared faintly in his mind.
'Though I wasn't invited, I'll leave you a gift. Take care to prevent dementia, and live a very long life.'
All the buried memories came rushing back. Sung Hyunje. Sesung Guildmaster. The aquarium. The pink yarn. Han Yoojin. Song Taewon. His guild, and his world. Like fireworks, the memories lit up his mind, sparkling brightly. Sung Hyunje rose to his feet.
The golden electricity that had vanished flared to life around him once more. And then—
Crack— the sky split open. At the end of the fluttering string of yarn, golden wings spread wide.
"I've come to save you, Princess!" Han Yoojin shouted.
Sung Hyunje laughed with pure joy.
—
Footnotes:
1. "털실" is "fur (usually wool) thread", and refers to wool spun into threads, or what we call "yarn" in English. The term for a single "thread" is also the same 실 as in 털실. In this chapter, the text just says "pink 털실" appeared. In Korean, "운명의 붉은 실 (red thread of fate)" has an analogous grammatical construction: "red 실" (red thread) vs "pink 털실" (pink wool thread), making the symbolism easier to see grammatically. In English, the phrase "red string of fate" is awkward to mirror since "pink string of yarn" sounds odd, so I went with "string of pink yarn".
2. The second line of this chapter says "three characters" in the novel because that's how Sung Hyunje's name is written in Korean (성현제). I thought "two words" was easier to understand and worked better with "Sesung Guildmaster" in English. In Korean, "Sesung Guildmaster" is actually 5 characters (세성 길드장).
What actually mind boggles me is how Jo Uisin literally zips around everywhere solving cases, skips classes, pulls all nighters, tutors other kids, and yet still maintain top grades 😭 and the fact that he can technically score higher than the 2 main leads but chooses not to. This guy is actually crazy
When I cleared the final chapter of a game that was a national failure, I became a side character within it.
A non-standard, immeasurable,
Personal Review:
I will admit, it has been a second since I read this one. I stopped at chapter 1220 so I could stack and I’ve been busy reading other things lately. However, this story will forever live rent free in my head. It’s the story that kick started my love for webnovels, and definitely the longest one I’ve read so far.
Anyway, into the review!
Main Character: Jo Euishin is probably one of my favourite main characters ever. He’s self-sacrificial, yet intelligent and determined. This man is such an unreliable narrator when it comes to himself. Also, his biased towards his playable characters (and Snare/Olmu) >>>> and the thing with chess and his family and fdfjbwkfbkugfk I can’t go into how much I adore this MC because of spoilers. Sometimes all I want to do is hug him. His trauma is something that is brought up throughout the novel, and he works on facing and overcoming it steadily throughout the novel. Also, when it comes to others, he doesn’t hesitate to help those who need it (as long as they deserve it), but he’s not soft towards his enemies either. It’s a nice little balance.
Class 1-0 (MC’s class): it took over 1000 chapters for full attendance, but each of the class members have their own unique personality and background and they’re just so ekfnwjnrwn I love them so much. They all have circumstances that they’re struggling with and I genuinely never found myself bored when reading about them. Their different dynamics with Euishin is fun to read, because ultimately all of them love him and Euishin deserves that so much. They’re interactions with each other are also fun to read about and adds nice depth to them. The class definitely gives off found family vibes. My favourite out the kids is probably Maeng Hydon (I hope I spelt that right-). Also, their teacher >>>
Jin Tribes: these guys are fairly important to the plot. They’re based on myths or famous sayings and other things along those lines. Both allies and enemies belong to this group. Though I wont say much since it is technically a spoiler, the tigers and dragons >>> those two tribes hold a special place in my heart. My favourite characters from the novel belong to them too.
Side Characters: There are quite a few. You’re definitely going to forget who someone is at least once because there are a lot of side characters. The ones that show up often though are well-developed, and each manage to have their own distinct traits which is so enjoyable.
Plot: amazing, spectacular, draw-dropping. It is so well thought out. Let me tell you right now, if you believe something to be unnecessary filler, it WILL become important later on. The foreshadowing in this novel will have you acting like a damn detective. The plot as a whole is quiet interesting, and obviously, does have slice of life aspects since that is tagged for this novel, but that honestly helped feel more connected to the large cast of side characters since they get their time to shine during these segments. When it comes to the action scenes, they written fairly well, and are enjoyable to read. The major arcs are never boring (sitting on the edge of my seat during this actually due to MC’s lack of self care), and the minor ones are fun.
Foreshadowing: As previously stated, this is phenomenal. It will blow your mind how the smallest detail will snow ball into something important as hell a couple hundred chapters down the line. Question everything. I’m still shocked by how well the author foreshadows things sometimes.
World-building: So well done. Some of the best world building I’ve ever read. It is genuinely so interesting and I never get bored of learning more.
Romance: MC doesn’t have a love interest, though there is a funny misunderstanding in the latest chapters. There is implied romance for the side characters, but I genuinely find myself shipping them since the relationships are developed nicely.
Game: Holy shit. I get steadily more heartbroken the more I find out about the game timeline. Euishin has done so much for this world and the characters and it’s fucking sad to read about how things would have gone without him. Also, aspects of the game is still important over 1000 chapters after the transmigration, and in fairly interesting ways. Anyway, just when you think you’ve learned the most tragic thing about the OG timeline, you’ll get hit again with another tragic fact that will lead you sobbing on the floor.
Enemies: BS is still a mystery 🫠 at first him and his group may not seem like much because MC uses his knowledge from the game to counter their moves, but BS is a cunning little bitch. The enemies have genuine reasons for being so and even the minor ones are fleshed out, which is always an enjoyable thing to find in a novel. Most aren’t evil just for the sake of it.
Overall, can’t really touch on much else without giving spoilers. Just know that MC is self-sacrificing and smart, but there is a fair few things he doesn’t know so it doesn’t give off know-it-all vibes that some MC’s due from this genre. If you enjoy a sort of soft apocalypse vibe with action and intensive word building and side character development, then you’ll love this.
it's bad enough that piracy sites keep being shut down BUT IT'S EVEN WORSE THEY WON'T EVEN GIVE US LEGAL ALTERNATIVES TO REPLACE THEM. LIKE. BITCH??? EVEN IF I WANT TO ACCESS YOUR STUFF LEGALLY I LITERALLY CAN'T??? YOU WON'T EVEN LET ME EXCHANGE MONEY FOR YOUR PRODUCT?? SO WHAT'S THE FUCKING POINT??? god i hate capitalism they would rather shoot themselves in the foot over money they wouldn't even get than let people enjoy something for free
naver is especially guilty of this because do you know how impossible it is to get access to the webnovels in there???? if you're not korean you're fucked! the process to get an account as a foreigner is so excruciatingly complicated it's a miracle if you manage to get it done! even if you want to buy the novels directly from the authors they've made it virtually impossible to do so! and now they're shutting down the sites that make it possible for people to read those novels without giving us any alternative so we're just fucked on all accounts!
and you might thing "oh but those sites encourage people to not pay for the official releases when they're actually available" which?? no????? if you go to literally any manhwa in webtoon the first chapters are always filled with people saying how excited they are to see the official release! how glad they are to finally be able to support the authors!
hell i myself have done this! i've read full mtl novels and then paid to read them all over again once they're finally released in english! because i loved the raws and i wanted to see them properly translated! because i wanted to show appreciation to the author!! which i probably wouldn't have done if i'd have to pay full price for a novel i wasn't even sure i would like! shit's expensive so why would i pay for something i don't know i'm going to enjoy???
god these people are so greedy it makes them stupid
God knows how absolutely pissed off I am. I just KNOW that the government has more important and pressing issues to be solving and addressing besides fcking pirated sites and yet they’re spending all their energy crushing oversea fandoms? What is the point. WHY MAKE THESE ECONOMICALLY NOT BENEFICIAL DECISIONS OMAHATUQHAVJSKWOASYQHJSKZODUSKAK
Lukas traumatized over: worfing, submerging underwater, losing control of his senses, blood, drugs, mental manipulation cast on him, his brother, his past life
Leo: that’s not long enough so let me add one more to the list–plants!
Debut or Die (10/10): Absolute peak. The OG gold standard idol novel. My first idol novel and this #1 throne will never be overthrown.
Assistant Manager Kim Hates Idols (9/10): If you think you're working hard and having a bad day, Kim Iwol is working harder and suffering more than you T_T the unreliable narration in this one goes crazy. Pure black expresso shots of bitter depression. But the member relationships are so sweet and the bantering is funny and cute (my FAV Kim Iwol x Choi Jeho dynamic goes hard).
The Trashy PD Has to Survive as an Idol (8/10): Angst is all of these novels' middle names. I also love this story with all my heart. Unfortunately, the site I was using did not have the extra side stories uploaded, so I didn't get to read how the final loose ends wrapped up :( which made the ending feel rushed and a little unresolved.
While I’m Taking Revenge, I’ll Conquer The Top Idol (7/10): don't get me wrong; I really liked this story and it was really gripping. But while it was a thrilling read and I binged it so fast, I feel like it became less and less about idol work and more relationship drama (not that I don't welcome the misunderstandings and angst)
Idol manhwas I've read:
My Comeback as the Youngest Member: my first idol story ever! It got me into Debut or Die
Debut or Die
The Trashy PD Has to Survive as an Idol
A Blank Slate Regression for the Idol That Lost His Original Mindset
Assistant Manager Kim Hates Idols (OK I have so many gripes about the art style :| I'm so sorry but the adaptation could have been WAAAY better)
Overall, I think if there's a novel version, definitely read the novel. But the manhwa is a nice way to get you into the series.
Currently on chapter 502 of MACHASAL and THOUGHTS ABOUT THE LAST VATICAN ARC (with as minimal spoilers as possible):
I LOVE THE LUKAS X NARKE X ELIAS TRIO DYNAMIC. THE HEALING COMEDIC TRIO THAT I DIDN'T KNOW I NEEDED UNTIL THE 460s. I really wish for them to go on more missions together in the future hahaha.
OKAY SO LITERALLY WHEN IS MY BOY NARKE FINALLY GOING TO GET SOME BACKSTORY AND CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT *sobbing. I like how we get a few more breadcrumbs about his personality, life, and perspectives in the 470-480s but it's not enough T_T I'm literally so curious about this man I'm dying. IMO, I think the first 300 chapters is Lukas x Leo character relationship development heavy, and then 300-500 has been a lot more Lukas x Elias development. Now I'm just waiting for NARKEEE. I oftentimes feel like he's the 4th wheel in this quadruple main character casting T_T. PLEASE give us Narke's perspective I'm begging (there's still 300+ chapters before I catch up so I'm really praying and wishing for development in this department; it's been my motivation to keep reading recently. If people are all caught up, please give me spoilers T_T I genuinely can't stand it anymore)
WOW the end of the arc was also something special. Not me reading it in a public (albeit I was alone) space and freaking out ALOUD over the healing moments between Lukas and Elias, then Elias and Leo. The words they traded and how they confessed thoughts about their friendships with one another was just so beautiful I almost started sobbing. *holding back tears
s-u-f-j-a-n-s-t-e-v-e-n-s
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