The S-Classes That I Raised – Chapter 870

Epilogue (14)

Water stirred beneath his feet.

It gathered, spread, gathered again, and flowed away. Seong Hyunjae looked down at the ripples shifting without pattern. The wet air soaked into his collar. Moisture hung heavy in every direction.

“The postcard is going to get damp.”

Han Yujin had returned to his own world. By coming to the third origin, the distance between them had also become far too great. Which meant this was a postcard he would not be able to send for quite some time. In a world without him, the two people he held dear would continue living on.

A bitter emotion soaked into Seong Hyunjae’s heart.

Seong Hyunjae observed that feeling as well, and enjoyed it.

How very regrettable. How terribly, terribly regrettable.

How lonely, too.

Yet the very fact that he could feel such things was enjoyable in itself. For a while, he would have to be patient, turning this bitterness over and over on his tongue. Perhaps, as the days passed one by one, he would become impatient. Perhaps he would throw everything aside and try to go back. Even that sort of recklessness would be amusing.

“But this is far too obvious. Far too dull.”

Rumble—

Something stirred beneath the water. Whenever Young Chaos left his post even briefly, all sorts of things took the chance to creep in. It was not only Transcendents after the Pseudo–Origin. There were nameless monsters that had caught the scent of tempting prey—weak compared to the power it held, yet reeking of something desirable. There were wicked things that had been driven from their own worlds and now drifted through the gaps.

Black shadows skimmed beneath the surface, circling like a pack of sharks drunk on blood. Splash. Water leapt up somewhere in the distance. Cold droplets spotted the coat with dark stains. Gold eyes looked down without interest at the ripples that circled, then broke apart.

Huff—

The beast’s breathing grew louder. It growled, gnashed its teeth, bared its claws, raised its tail. The postcard held between gloved fingertips was slipped into an inner pocket. Freed fingers pressed down on the air as if striking piano keys, and from the ends of them came not a smooth melody, but light.

A quiet glitter, glitter.

And then.

Craaaash!

Flashing light became the signal flare, and the beasts surged upward. Shaaaa—water shot dozens of meters into the air in long, torn lines before pouring back down as rain. Amid the savage growls, Seong Hyunjae moved his hand once more. Golden chains appeared from nowhere and drove down into the water, light flowing along their path.

An instant later.

Kabooom!

All the water erupted at once. It was a lake saturated with mana. Electricity dug into that water, split it apart, mixed it back together, and slammed it into itself. Black masses were caught in the terrifying explosion and melted away. The water, almost entirely vaporized in an instant, gathered back only shallowly enough to lap against the heels of his shoes.

But not every monster had disappeared.

– Grrrrr.

A beast bared its fangs, the torn–away parts of its body regenerating in the blink of an eye. Seong Hyunjae wound a chain around his right arm. At the same time, the beast slid across the shallow water. Without a sound, it closed the distance in an instant and gaped its jaws wide right in front of him. Rather than dodging, Seong Hyunjae thrust his arm into that pitch–black throat.

Crunch!

Teeth tore through cloth and dug into skin. The fangs reached all the way to his shoulder, and just before they could crush bone, the end of the chain wrapped around his bitten arm rattled deeper into the beast’s throat.

At the same moment—

Pow.

The beast’s thick neck failed to withstand the explosion from within and burst apart. Its severed body dropped with a wet slap into the puddle. Seong Hyunjae moved his arm as though nothing had happened and pried off the dead head that was still stubbornly biting down. A healing skill rapidly mended the wound. But before it could fully heal—

Thud.

Seong Hyunjae, who had stood in one spot until then as if nailed there, abruptly kicked off the water. Bang! A massive tail crashed down onto the trembling surface. The little remaining water exploded outward in every direction, and a violent gust roared through. Seong Hyunjae slid a long distance as if riding the wind, putting space between himself and the beast. The chains wound around his upper body clinked.

“Well.”

His gold eyes narrowed slightly. Among the things drifting through the gaps, there were beings that approached the level of Transcendents. Or perhaps they were once Transcendents, eroded over a long stretch of time until they had lost their selves. For now, they were beasts too difficult to deal with.

Annoyingly so.

Shaaaaa—

The beast’s tail swept across everything and crushed it down. It was slow, but it was wrapped in sticky mana that would be impossible to escape once caught. Seong Hyunjae spread his wings and began to retreat, then stopped.

There was no longer any need to dodge.

The head of the enormous beast that he looked up at from far below—

Slice.

—was cut away with a smooth sound.

Its thick hide and the layers of magic wrapped around it were useless. The massive body collapsed and melted down. Young Chaos lightly descended onto the water as it began filling up again. Red eyes sent him a displeased look.

“There is not a moment of peace.”

“I was merely writing a letter filled with longing.”

“I told you to stay hidden.”

“A familiar shadow flickered across the rippling water. I’m afraid it stole my attention.”

“What else would be reflected there but your own face?”

At the sight of Seong Hyunjae sighing as though stricken with homesickness, Chaos clicked his tongue. He had no choice but to bring this man along, but in many ways, he was a headache.

“We’re going to the second origin now.”

“We’re moving already?”

“It’s true that the spring is moving differently than before, but there’s no way to find out what the will of the water wants. It might have been different if the Mermaid Queen were awake. Among the Transcendents of the water attribute, she is the strongest.”

Or perhaps the King of Harmless might have been able to learn something as well. But the Mermaid Queen was asleep, and the King of Harmless was dead, leaving only traces behind. Of all things, the two Transcendents closest to water were both absent. At Young Chaos’s words, Seong Hyunjae tilted his head slightly.

“That reminds me of the young lady. I believe you said Park Yerim’s spirit inherited the title of Heir of the Mermaid Queen.”

“The third is about a hundred years too early. Even setting foot outside the world will take at least another ten years at the earliest. Either way, she can’t do anything right now.”

If someone capable of communicating with the deepest spring appeared, they might be able to attempt something. But for the moment, there was no such being.

“Another empty trip in a row.”

Seong Hyunjae spoke while accessing the system in Young Chaos’s stead.

“I cannot say I’m inclined to make Han Yujin have four more children.”

“They aren’t ordinary children. Would the first even be able to handle them? Even in my opinion, more than one is impossible. We’ll have to find another way for the rest. Still, since there was a change in the spring, it’s only a matter of time.”

[Hello, Grandpa! Chain!]

A system message appeared, sparkling.

“You aren’t the rigid administrator today, I see.”

When Yu Myungwoo was in charge, it was difficult to receive messages beyond the necessary business. At times, it made one wonder if he had simply turned on a prewritten artificial intelligence.

[Daddy stepped out for a bit, saying he needed to pull out this damn flower.]

“An intriguing story. Could I hear the details?”

[No. Daddy told me not to talk to Chain for long. Please state your business!]

Seong Hyunjae looked regretful, but he answered that they intended to go to the second origin. Yu Haneul opened an interworld travel portal through the system connection.

“The Wings That Flow Without End are, exactly as their name suggests, a flow.”

As they entered the portal, Young Chaos spoke.

“It is presumed to possess the power to flow anywhere. They say it can travel not only through space, but even against and ahead of time. For that reason, it is an origin even harder to approach than the Jewel of All Colors.”

“Because one might get swept up in it?”

“Yes. The wind that coils around the wings can drag you in if you are careless, and then time and space will become tangled. So put a leash on yourself or something, unless you wish to be flung off alone.”

Seong Hyunjae wound a chain around his own wrist and held out the end. Chaos took hold of it, and before long, the end of the portal appeared. The power of the system that had wrapped around them disappeared, and a darkness glittering with stars spread open.

Young Chaos followed his senses and headed straight for the second origin. Since it was the origin with the most powerful presence in this world, finding its location without any particular trick was not difficult.

And after some time had passed—

“So that is the second origin.”

A massive, snow–white wing. Silver wind coiling through every gap between the feathers.

It certainly appeared to be the Wings That Flow Without End, and yet Young Chaos tilted his head.

“Why is it… folded?”

“Pardon?”

“Originally, it was spread wide, as though it might take flight at any moment.”

But the white wing was folded in a curve, as if sheltering something. The silver wind, too, was weaker than it should have been. Had it become severely weakened after a long starvation?

“I have no intention of harming you. I’m here to help.”

He had no way of knowing whether it understood him, but Young Chaos spoke to it regardless. Then, pulling Seong Hyunjae with him, he avoided the wind and stepped inside the folded wing.

“…This is.”

“A forest.”

Inside the wing was a small forest.

In the center stood a playground full of flowers. A slide, swings, seesaws, and more. A brightly colored picnic mat and a lunch basket. A child–sized tent and a toy car. On a large, round sofa sat one little child.

“That child…”

Chaos slightly furrowed his brow. Seong Hyunjae also closed his mouth with a subtle expression. The two of them were just about to approach the child, who was nodding off under warm sunlight streaming in from somewhere, when—

Whoosh!

With a rough rush of wind, the enormous wing shrank in an instant and flew to the child’s side. It became just large enough to wrap around the small body comfortably and spread itself as if warning the two men away.

“…Mm? Whaaat?”

The child rubbed his sleepy eyes and lifted his head. When he saw the two people beyond the wing, he was startled. He also seemed a little frightened.

“He certainly resembles him.”

“You mean the first. His presence is similar too. What in the world is going on?”

Young Chaos let out a short sigh. Then his body shrank. At the sight of Chaos now in the form of a boy, the child’s eyes went round.

“You’re a magic hyung!”

He clapped as if he had just watched a magic show. Chaos told Seong Hyunjae not to come closer, then carefully approached the child. The wing flinched, but it did not stop him.

“Little one. What is your name?”

“Mm. They said it’s Yujin.”

“…How old are you?”

Little Han Yujin spread out four fingers, then all five, then tilted his head and folded one back down. Four, or perhaps five.

“So this is before the second was born.”

In other words.

Young Chaos glanced back at Seong Hyunjae. Han Yujin before he had taken anyone into his arms. The nurturer in a state where he could accept someone new, which was what Seong Hyunjae had tried to reach before the regression. Seong Hyunjae quietly drew nearer and asked Chaos in a low voice.

“Do you truly believe he is Han Yujin?”

“I don’t know. As I said earlier, the wings can slip free of time. It’s possible they went into the past and brought back the young first. Or they may have found a fragment or trace of the first’s childhood. But what exactly do they intend to do with a child this young?”

Chaos looked at the wing with displeasure and asked the child, “How did you come here? Where are your parents?”

“…I don’t think I have any. I was alone, but then it called me to stay together.”

A small hand held onto the tip of the wing. The wing wrapped around him as though spreading out from his back.

“This one’s alone too. Ummm, it said it’d be nice if Yujin came.”

The child, seeming not to know much himself, folded his arms with a little hum of effort. Young Chaos spoke softly to Seong Hyunjae.

“It doesn’t seem to have kidnapped a child from the past. But he must be connected to the first. Otherwise, the second origin, which should not yet have been born, would never possess a self and move this actively.”

There was no way to know the details. Perhaps the wind of the wings, capable of flowing everywhere, had been affected by the birth of the Snowfall Tree and instinctively sought a nurturer for itself as well. That was Chaos’s guess.

“We may not be able to call him Han Yujin himself, but he could be considered a part of Han Yujin. Is this a state similar to mine and Han Gyeol’s?”

“Or perhaps he has become mixed with the second origin. That wing appears to possess a self, but it cannot properly use its power, cannot communicate, and is focused solely on protecting the child.”

“You mean the child himself may be the second origin, and the wing may be a manifestation of the power that protects the origin.”

“In any case, we cannot leave him here. It’s too dangerous.”

The second origin’s dangers were well known, which was why no Transcendents had approached it until now and why it had remained safe. But if its current condition were discovered, it would undoubtedly become a target at once. Young Chaos returned to his adult form. Since the child had apparently gotten used to it in that short time, he was no longer startled and instead looked amused. When Chaos moved to pick him up, the wing flinched. But it did not stop him. Instead, it shrank even smaller and settled into the child’s black hair like a wing–shaped hairpin.

The child, now held in Chaos’s arms, soon grew drowsy again and fell asleep. His body was four or five years old, but he seemed to sleep as much as a newborn. Seong Hyunjae gathered a small bag and a few toys from nearby.

“…We need to find somewhere to leave him.”

“Wouldn’t he be safest beside you?”

“How am I supposed to drag a little one around?”

Chaos sighed, telling him not to say anything absurd.

“Most importantly, I don’t know how to raise something young properly.”

There was bitterness mixed into his voice. Seong Hyunjae noticed it, but did not press further.

“It won’t do us any good to stay here long. Let’s move for now.”

The three people and the small wing left.

The playground made for one child slowly scattered like a mirage.

---

The screen turned on. The scenery reflected on it shook wildly.

[Even if you tell me to just try it…]

A small grumbling voice came through. The screen was still swaying all over the place. A finger covered one corner, then disappeared.

[A live stream is kind of… I mean, it’s not like anyone’s watching.]

The dimming grass came into view. It seemed to be by a river. The shaking stopped, as though the device had been set down somewhere.

[Wow, I really can’t do this. No. This isn’t going to work. I knew I should find another way…]

The small voice muttered to itself. Then a pale face appeared on the screen and immediately darted off to the side.

[…You say the fastest way to get used to this is to make a fool of myself live, but I’m not exactly filled with confidence. Ah, make the message window smaller. Don’t shove it in my face!]

Several sighs came in a row.

[Park Hayul, are you just doing this because you think it’s funny? I’m quitting. I’m done. Stop whining.]

From somewhere came a chirp.

[Fine. It would be good to practice while I don’t have subscribers. But shouldn’t there be a script, or… Back then, there was a lot on the line. No, this is important too, but… Yeah, I don’t know what the hell was wrong with me back then either.]

Tap, tap, tap. There came the sound of fingers drumming on something. The toe of a shoe scraped across the ground with a long scuff.

[I mean, maybe once I’m in it, the words will just come out. I turned it on, so I might as well do the weather foreca—gasp!]

Thud! There was the sound of something hitting something else. A faint groan of pain followed.

[No, sorry. But why is… uh.]

A face appeared on the screen. Unable to quite look straight ahead, as if embarrassed, he bowed his head.

[Hello… I’m Han Yujin. Um, right now, it’s June 7, around 8:04 p.m. The sun is setting. There are a lot of clouds. Apparently it rained in some places.]

He cleared his throat a little. After looking lost for a moment, he bowed his head again.

[I’m sorry. I only turned this on as practice, so I didn’t think anyone would actually watch. So, I guess you could call this something like an announcement for an official broadcast. Yes. Still, thank you for watching, and from now on… honestly, I’m not sure whether I’ll do this or not, but if I do, please drop by then too.]

He must have relaxed a little, because by the end, he spoke with a faint smile.

[I hope you have a good evening, and, um… Oh, please be happy, always!]

The broadcast ended with an awkward finger heart. The screen went black.

End of Prologue.

---

Author’s Note

Hello.

Somehow, almost four years have passed since this serialization began. First, I would like to thank everyone who stayed with me until the very end. And I had fun.

Consistently serializing over such a long period was not easy in itself, and quite a few things happened here and there along the way. But now that I have placed the final period at the end of all that time and look back, those four years feel even more fun and happier than I had expected.

Because the novel became so long, I was able to greedily pack in all kinds of subject matter. But at the beginning, it was simply a story I wanted to read, a story I found fun, and I continued pressing the keys with that same feeling until the end. I believe that was possible because there were readers who walked this distant journey beside me.

I hope the time you spent with this story, which I wrote with joy, was enjoyable for you as well.

To speak briefly about the novel, the final section, along with the opening section, had already been laid out in the synopsis before I began writing. The idea was this: if Han Yujin grew, came to accept Han Yuhyun as he was, developed with Seong Hyunjae into each other’s nurturer, and properly faced himself, then a happy ending would become possible in which he could let go of twenty–five–year–old Han Yuhyun and welcome him again. As a bonus, the world would be saved too. ^^

The fifth origin and the white bird, the condition of twenty–five–year–old Han Yuhyun and Crescent Moon, and even Seong Hyunjae’s detailed setting had all been completed, so writing the ending was easier than usual. However, the path to that ending did not look easy, and early on, I worried whether I would be able to safely reach the ending I had decided upon. Fortunately, I arrived at the ending exactly as I first imagined it, and I was able to put a satisfying period on the completed work.

And so the main story of the novel ended with Han Yujin accepting himself and achieving his greatest goal. Han Yujin told his twenty–five–year–old younger brother the final words he had wanted to say, and at last, he was able to say goodbye properly. If, in chapter one, Han Yujin had spoken honestly with Han Yuhyun and told him that he loved him, that he was sorry, and that he was grateful, then he would have accepted his brother’s death back then, however painfully. When the wish stone told him it could not bring back the dead, he might have grieved, but perhaps he would not have gone so far as to think of turning back time. Even if he had regressed and decided to recover his brother’s body, he would not have been so consumed by guilt that he desperately drove himself into a corner. He would have valued the family currently beside him more than the younger brother he had already let go.

But Han Yujin was unable to properly express his feelings in his final moments with his brother, and the words “I love you” remained as a keyword. The influence keyword was something Han Yujin had to say, and at the same time, something he could not say carelessly. The novel ends with the words Han Yujin had not been able to say, and the keyword disappears.

I think it was the moment most suited to placing the final period: he had accomplished everything he needed to accomplish and untangled everything that had been built up. There was nothing to add and nothing to remove.

The epilogue that followed is both an afterword that wraps things up and a prologue that begins things. Even if one achieves the largest and most important goal, life does not end. For Han Yujin, and for every character who appeared in the novel as well as the characters who did not, each person’s story continues onward.

The remaining four origins will each have another story of their own. The highest mountain is the place where Young Chaos stayed, so it will be connected to him. The Wings That Flow Without End underwent a change in the epilogue. The deepest spring will most likely become the share of Park Yerim, Sanho, and the Mermaid Queen. The Jewel of All Colors will come to need a shadow that can reveal it. That shadow is suffering headaches because of his self–proclaimed younger brother. Yu Myungwoo and Yu Haneul will cooperate as system administrators, and the people who belong to each origin’s world will, in some form or another, also become involved. It is their own affair, after all.

The First Flame has withdrawn for now, but after seeing another path in Han Yuhyun, it will not give up easily. Perhaps it will covet Han Yuhyun’s position once again. Moon Hyunah becomes entangled with Marisa and, if anything, becomes even busier than she was in the main story. Marisa, whose time is limited, will try to place her chosen successor in her position. Evelyn will try to interfere with that, and Mari will also have to bring things with her mother to a close. Kang Soyeong will, for the time being, end up screaming because Evelyn is a guild member. Liette will rush in at Kang Soyeong’s SOS, and Noah, who was trying to reorganize the healer and support–type system with Emily, will also be grabbed by the scruff of the neck. The awakened Sigma owes Moon Hyunah, so he will help her, and the Puppeteer will have no choice but to lend a hand as well.

The children will go to school, make new friends, and have all kinds of experiences. Han Gyeol, who wants to protect his younger siblings, may come to think about the usefulness of the authority he will possess along with Seong Hyunjae’s wealth. Do Hamin may want to become an ordinary café owner who loves hamsters, but I doubt it will be easy. Seok Hayan will try to make contact with the outside world, and Seok Gimyeong will work day and night for the American branch. Min Jinsoo will also try to expand beyond Korea and overseas.

Beyond that, all of those stories will influence one another, branches extending into branches, then again into more branches without end. Even characters whose names were never properly mentioned will have stories of their own.

That is why Han Yujin’s epilogue is also a prologue. For Han Yujin, of course, and for everyone else as well, it is a new beginning.

Both the main story and the epilogue of the novel have ended in the way I had envisioned.

That said, I did feel a little sorry, wondering whether I should at least let the protagonist who suffered so much get home. ^^; Because of that, I am considering a side story in which Han Yujin arrives home. I do not know whether Seong Hyunjae will be able to go home too.

Nothing has been decided yet, and if I do serialize a side story, I do not think the content could end as briefly as the epilogue, so it would likely be sometime after next year. In addition, my goal is to include side stories in each volume of the ebook editions. I believe it may also be possible to add them later to volumes that do not initially include side stories.

During serialization, there were times when I wondered when it would end, but now that the ending has arrived, I feel both relieved and regretful. It also feels strange to think that I do not have to serialize anything starting tomorrow. I have many things to do, including beginning the side stories, finishing the game, and taking care of delayed work, but one corner of my heart already feels empty. Since not everything is completely finished, including work outside the novel itself, I will try to share news from time to time.

Lastly, I once again thank the many people who helped me throughout the serialization and the readers who accompanied me on this long journey. I hope you always have happy and good days. ^^

–TL Notes–
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