The S-Classes That I Raised - Chapter 759: Gold (2)

The message written in text felt like a whisper in my ear. Seong Hyunjae was looking at me silently, as if he had expected it.

[If the source of life is shattered, then no matter which Transcendent it is, there is no way to intervene.]

“…Rookie!”

Seeing Choseungdal’s message brought no comfort. But I was powerless too.

[Honey, Choseungdal also has administrator privileges! Honey World is under my jurisdiction, but simply sending messages is hard to block! I could interfere if it were other Transcendents, but Senior Choseungdal is connected to the Creator…]

I recalled the scene when Choseungdal stood against the Transcendents as the system was being completed. As system administrator and contributor to its creation, her authority must surpass the rookie’s. The message continued.

[Only the source itself can heal the source.]

…but the source was an entity impossible to communicate with. Countless Transcendents had studied it over long ages, but none had ever confirmed its will.

“Um, what does that mean, sir?”

Yerim asked in confusion. Yuhyun’s expression turned cold. His tongue seemed to freeze. He forced his voice out.

“We can’t trust Choseungdal’s words. How could we?”

It could be a lie to prevent me from interfering.

“Unfortunately.”

Seong Hyunjae spoke.

“She’s not the kind to utter such a lie. Han Yuhyun, you know that too, right?”

“…I don’t know. Wouldn’t someone tell a single lie to succeed in the work they’ve prepared over so long?”

He tried to argue, but he also knew Choseungdal spoke the truth. I had already felt it. Beyond wounds or near-death, there was now a more ominous dread—my very existence felt shaken.

“…If only the source can heal it.”

I heard Yuhyun’s low voice, and quickly turned to look at my brother.

“Yuhyun, Choseungdal is trying to—”

“No?”

Our eyes met. He already had certainty in his gaze.

“You’re definitely strong. But your body is not.”

“W-what do we do if it’s true?”

Yerim’s eyes trembled. I had no answer. She abruptly looked at the Puppeteer.

“Is it true? Even a Transcendent can’t do anything?”

“It’s the realm of creation,” the Puppeteer said. “No Transcendent possesses the power to create a world or sentient beings.”

He turned his gaze to me.

“I don’t know much about the fragments of source held by sentient beings. Only someone like Choseungdal could detect them. She must have researched them for ages—to create a new source.”

A new source. Everyone’s gaze fixed on Seong Hyunjae. There was no method. We couldn’t ask the source for healing or threaten it, since communication was impossible. But—

“If Choseungdal could wield the source’s power…”

I too had thought it, yet could not utter it.

“She could heal you.”

If Seong Hyunjae completed and replaced the source, and if Choseungdal gained that power… I stared blankly at Seong Hyunjae. He remained composed.

“…A crack doesn’t mean it breaks immediately.”

“Hyung.”

“I don’t want that. I’ll try other methods, but not this. Yuhyun. No one lives forever—even me. In the end, we all must face our final moment.”

I wanted to live longer. If I made it home, I’d want many more years. But I didn’t want to break Seong Hyunjae for my sake.

“I’d rather die. It’s not that simple.”

The Puppeteer scratched at his long hair as he spoke, his expression uneasy.

“Anyway, Choseungdal and the rookie already know, so I’ll say it. Usually, death doesn’t erase an existence. Especially for sentient beings below a certain rank—most from S to A rank— they regenerate in their own world.”

“…Huh?”

“The source of the dead, to put it simply, is reborn in the world where their soul belongs. Rarely they retain memory and abilities, even appearance. That case is what we call reincarnation.”

“Reincarnation is really a thing…?”

“Though most have everything erased, making them hard to call the same person, at least…”

Time can even be reversed; reincarnation was not so surprising.

“It means they’re not ripe for harvest. The source only consumes worlds that have grown enough. While they grow to be devoured, sentient beings cycle within that world. Like crops reproducing, fragments of the source gradually increase. Some are reincarnations; others are new sentient beings born inheriting a portion of the source from their parents. In that case, the parents must have grown through sufficient cycles to spare a piece. That’s why some worlds experience explosive population growth at certain stages.”

“And then they reach harvest time.”

“Like our world.”

“Our world is rather mana-poor. If mana were abundant, quality would matter more than quantity—an average rank of C or above.”

“What about sentient beings beyond S rank?”

Yuhyun was beyond ordinary S rank. Having broken away from our world, he should be beyond the cycle… The Puppeteer looked at Yuhyun and answered.

“Sufficiently grown individuals are consumed by the source. Sometimes they’re absorbed and vanish; other times they’re returned. Native S-rank original sources often fall into this category—fragments that fell directly from the source, not born of the source’s world. Some are pure fragments, not reincarnations. Your brother is closer to the latter. Even if his past life were erased, some humanity remains.”

So Yuhyun… indeed no longer.

“Anyway, it means the source itself is shattered. It’s different from death. It’s even more thorough than being absorbed.”

“Does that mean my existence itself disappears?”

“There’d be nothing left for you to consume. Just an empty shell.”

The Puppeteer sighed softly.

“That’s probably why Choseungdal and the others who break their oaths try to stop the source. If absorbed, it’s truly the end. The source, upon creation, is perfect oblivion.”

…Perhaps that’s why Choseungdal—who claims to love everything—cannot accept the source. Even if we fight and slay each other, we still cycle.

“Seong Hyunjae, when did you know?”

“That your condition was bad—quite some time ago. Perhaps since you severed the system’s connection. You had no memories but suspicion remained. To be precise, when I died, Choseungdal whispered.”

“Choseungdal?”

“Embrace your life with your own hands.”

That moment when I killed Seong Hyunjae.

“But I, who could save you, was no longer myself.”

“…I don’t wish for that. But why did Choseungdal—”

Wouldn’t revealing that I would vanish crush Seong Hyunjae’s will to live?

“She must have wanted you to try—to gamble on the slim chance that by fully filling yourself, you might sustain yourself.”

If it were emotionless Seong Hyunjae, # Nоvеlight # maybe so. I could imagine him gambling to survive. He once said he hadn’t played in a while. Such a thing didn’t suit his nature—he preferred to move pieces under perfect control.

“Seong Hyunjae bet heavily on me.”

He even risked F rank—truly a gamble.

“And he’s still betting.”

Though he entrusted part of himself, he still hoped I’d find him. He wouldn’t abandon himself.

“So what about me—”

[I don’t know, Honey.]

The rookie’s message flashed and blocked my view.

[I don’t want Honey to disappear.]

“Rookie!”

[I’m sorry. But…]

[Can we leave the Chain behind? It’s not to help Senior Choseungdal. I just don’t want Honey to overdo it.]

My heart sank. I didn’t want to sacrifice Seong Hyunjae to heal myself. But that was only my wish.

“Hyung.”

Yuhyun stepped in front of me as if blocking me.

“I have no reason to help the Sesung Guild Leader.”

His voice was firm.

“He’s unrelated to me. He’s only clung to you. You know that too.”

Yuhyun had no attachment or feelings for Seong Hyunjae. Only I was involved.

“I hope Mr. Sesung survives, but…”

Yerim spoke weakly, at a loss. Hyunah looked troubled.

“What a headache. If we only have to abandon one person, you’d think it’d relieve us, but it makes me uneasy.”

The Puppeteer said nothing. Losing Seong Hyunjae would be bad for him, so I couldn’t guess his plan.

“They already tried to take only you. Even more reason to stay uninvolved. Let them handle it themselves.”

“…Yuhyun.”

“Still, it’s awkward not to help Mr. Sesung. Of course, he needs healing…”

“Director Song, what will you do? To save him, you’d have to abandon Seong Hyunjae.”

Director Song was silent. Until recently, we all moved toward the same goal. Even strangers had helped us. Now I felt us splitting. Each of us prioritized differently, and so our paths diverged.

“…First, Han Yujin, flee to a safe place. Stop overextending yourself.”

Director Song’s suppressed voice came through. Yerim agreed readily. But what about Seong Hyunjae? If I did nothing and hid, he’d never trust me again. Even if not, I hated letting go at the last moment.

“Time’s almost up!”

Yerim shouted. Yuhyun’s hand reached for me. If I was caught, it’d be over. I—

[00:00]

Whirr— the sky shook. Dense mana rippled like an aurora. The presence of the surrounding S-ranks surged. Yuhyun grabbed me. Just before he lifted me into his arms, I ate a mini cookie.

“Hyung!”

I was already wearing the Wildcat Set. I slipped from Yuhyun’s grasp and ran. Not far ahead, Peace in miniature form blocked me.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by readnovel.co