Elqueeness

Description

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He died as a human, only to be told his birth was a mistake.

He was supposed to be born as the Elqueeness, the Water Spirit King. And now, they will fix that mistake and he will be reborn to his rightful destiny. But wait, there are still many problems concerning this Spirit King who doesn’t know how to do anything!

Associated Names
One entry per line
Elqueeness
Elquiness
Elquiness, the Spirit King
Spirit King Elqueeness
정령왕 엘퀴네스
Related Series
N/A
Recommendations
Dominion’s End (3)
How to Live as the Enemy Prince (2)
Gong Hua (2)
Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken (WN) (2)
At the Northern Fort (2)
Dragon Life (2)
Recommendation Lists
  1. Good novels adapted to webtoon
  2. Spirits | Espiritos
  3. Recommended
  4. al's list of korean novels
  5. A mix of everything EXCEPT romance

Latest Release

Date Group Release
03/25/24 Rainy Translations v2 illustrations &...
03/18/24 Rainy Translations v2 ss
03/11/24 Rainy Translations v1c9
03/04/24 Rainy Translations v1c8
02/28/24 Rainy Translations v1c7
02/20/24 Rainy Translations v1c6
02/12/24 Rainy Translations v1c5
02/05/24 Rainy Translations v1c4
02/05/24 Rainy Translations v1c3
02/05/24 Rainy Translations v1c2
02/05/24 Rainy Translations v1c1
02/05/24 Rainy Translations v1 illustrations &...
08/29/20 little ajummas c54
04/09/20 little ajummas c53
01/14/20 little ajummas c52
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22 Reviews sorted by


Tasear
Dream Seeker rated it
May 15, 2016
Status: c33
A good novel is characteristic by not it's action, but the feelings it leaves you afterwards. Every chapter of this gem leaves you simply cleansed of any foulness as long it's not too deep rooted. It's original idea of the adventure of spirit king on his path to learning what it means to be a king. Will he forget about his humanity which he should of never gained or will he share something with his fellow kings. So, I highly suggest you enjoy these misadventures of rise spirit king and... more>> human king as they both deal with their identity crisis. Though try not to laugh at our spirit king, he always wished he was good looking, but now he's just too good looking. It's these kind of novels that highlight what fan translation is meant to do which is to bring out sapphires hidden in other languages. This novel is certainly ones of those gems. <<less
42 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
SayMrrp
SayMrrp rated it
June 29, 2017
Status: c50
It's such a shame that it's been dropped by the translator.

I find the characters funny and memorable. I also haven't seen this kind of premise before. I really enjoy reading this story...

It's one of my favorite Korean novels.

EDIT 2021: 4 years later and I'm still sad that this is dead in the water...
28 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
HesheFell
HesheFell rated it
April 20, 2016
Status: --
This is a gender bender with an androgynous male character who is technically sexless (spirit kings have no gender) but there is NO yaoi in this. It is speculated and imagined by some readers b/c of overprotective nature of the people around the MC. The story is essentially the mc's life story. Chapters are long and broken into parts with steady but not fast releases. Boo hoo. If that sounds daunting, then stack chapter before each read. Don't let MondoX's review prevent you from checking this out. Judge this for... more>> yourself. <<less
21 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
Dellphit
Dellphit rated it
December 26, 2015
Status: --
It is overall a pleasant and light hearted read. People may not like this because there is no wuxia like action or op main character with harems but you'll like this if you're into a bit of comedy and slice of life.
16 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
Interdict
Interdict rated it
December 23, 2015
Status: --
It's a bit different from the usual, it's not high on action or drama but don't let that worry you, it is definitely not boring. It has a nice peaceful feeling, a bit of slice-of-life, yet dealing with spirit-kings and gods as the norm so it does not feel like an ordinary life type slice-of-life type. It has a bit of humor whilst not being a comedy which I think works well and just feels right for this novel. As of chapter 10 we are starting to get some adventure... more>> into it, but it still keeps the relaxed feeling (whilst still being serious).

Read it now! Don't let the fact it is not xianxia or harem etc turn you off as it is a novel which should be liked by almost everyone. It's just good!

I am not good at writing reviews so I have just tried to convey some of my feelings on the novel. <<less
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MondoX
MondoX rated it
April 11, 2016
Status: --
It is well written, but there was a full chapter of the MC's soul wandering around doing nothing. Several chapters later he was reincarnated, then it turned into a little bit of yaoi, and a little bit of gender bender or in this case androgynous male. After a couple of chapters, nothing has happened, so I decided not to waste my time on this series.
14 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
219278
219278 rated it
March 26, 2018
Status: c30
Points that should be noted:

- The MC is a beta (he takes sh*t from everyone and doesn't really do anything about it)

- The summoning aspect of this story is non-existent. After the initial summoning, it never happened again.

... more>> - The MC never actually uses his abilitys in a significant way. Because of the situation that he's in it makes impossible for him to be of any actual use. (For 30 chapters he doesn't take part in fights and is unable to freely use his abilitys)

- Although there are hints of some kind of gender bender, he seems to dispise the fact that he looks like a girl and the jokes created by being mistaken for a girl aren't all that funny.

- The MC is not the most intelligent thing in the world. Although hes not an idiot, he's not all that smart either.

- Training is not a focus in this book and as such I never really had any confidence in the MC actions. How do I feel confident in a MC that never fights.

- The MC never really thinks for himself, with his friend, another spirit, always there telling him what to do. "Don't do that", "yes you are allowed to say that", "no you are not allowed to remember being human", "You have to be above everyone else and cannot have sympathy for others"...

- Did I already say how useless he is?

1.5/5 for character score (for the reasons stated above)

3/5 for quality of writing (it sometimes changes from first to third person and chaper breaks aren't separate making it hard to understand who's talking)

4/5 for trying to be unique in the oversaturated "travel to another world" genre.

3/5 for world building (political). The description of the world isn't bad, but it's definitely not going to win medals.

3.5/5 for world building (magical). Although we get a basic idea of the different magic types it was never really expanded apon.

Final conclusion: the beginning is fun but it slowly becomes more and more boring as time goes on. Read if you don't intend to finish the book till the end. <<less
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onlooker
onlooker rated it
September 1, 2016
Status: c44
If you're looking for a typical shounen novel of the MC being OP and creating a harem of brainless girls left and right; this novel is clearly not for you. But if you're looking for a story with meaning full character development then welcome!

This story starts off with a clichéd beginning of his death, a hit and run accident. He spends ten days (if I remember correctly) as a ghost waiting for a reaper to appear and collect him. But much to his dismay no one appeared; leaving him to... more>> deal with matters into his own hand. Once he finally made contact with the reapers it appears that his 'birth' in our world had been a 'mistake'. The MC then finds out that his real form was a Spirit King that rules over water; not a human. The years spent in the human world left his intended world to suffer because the new Spirit King hadn't been born- the reapers were also equally confused as to why the new king hadn't reincarnated but now they found the reason.

The reapers prepare him for his new life as the Spirit King by giving him a draught to wipe his memories of his previous life. But being a powerful Spirit King that that ruled over water- the potion didn't work. He then reincarnates back to his original body but with his human memories. All is well as you may think, but a superior being with memories as a human isn't going to work out as well. This is a story is a journey of him letting go of his human self and accepting his new role as a King of spirits... Maybe... <<less
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Keimichi
Keimichi rated it
April 14, 2017
Status: c50
This was really unexpectedly interesting! Honestly, I found the first few chapters long to read, however once the introductory chapters were done and the adventure started, it was quite enjoyable. The MC is technically overpowered, and yet can't say he is ultimate being. I guess it doesn't really matter if he is OP or not if it isn't really a novel center end on battling but on adventuring and slice-of-life. Like some other reviews said, what is special is not really the action, but the daily interactions of the members.... more>> It is a sort of coming-of-age progress for the MC and his companion-- MC who slowly adapts and grows as a spirit King and his companion as he learns to assume the responsibility of a king while on the run. I guess you get attached to the characters after a while. I can't say it is everyone's cup of tea, but I think those who enjoy this genre might appreciate the atmosphere. <<less
9 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
TrueLiesLost
TrueLiesLost rated it
January 5, 2017
Status: c50
I really do love this story though it moves a bit slowly. It's funny and light and one of the ones I like to reread. Really hope a translator picks this up since it's been dropped.
9 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
rockinroll39
rockinroll39 rated it
February 23, 2018
Status: c50
It's a great novel (thus far) with a lot of potential. It's a interesting take on the reincarnation genre, and it's not the typical "you died, rip, here new life with memories cause yolo" Instead his "first" life was in reality a mistake and "his" current life should have been the "first" life to begin with. It provides problems that would be reasonable given the mess up at the beginning of the novel, and there is a lot of room to grow, which is introduced early on in the story.... more>> I hope new translators pick this up, would love to read the rest. <<less
8 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
Lislan00
Lislan00 rated it
November 30, 2017
Status: c50
I love this novel!

It doesn't fokus on love as much as other novels do and instead have good character developing, exciting adventures and a genderless main character that can live up to 20 000 + ... more>>
Spoiler

he can choose to become a high level god after he has lived out his life as a spirit king.

[collapse]

The fact that he is genderless makes it all so much more fun, he allways gets misstaken for a girl and even those that like normal love can ship him with guy or girls.

This is my first review and I night not be able to express hos good it truely is but I will tell you one thing. If I could then I would follow him through his long life (as a reader) and hopefully even after, it doesn't matter how long time it would take, it is just so good.

Therefor I'm happy that this novel had 300 + chapters so please, someone out there, pick this novel up, I can't stand having to stoop at chapter 50 when I know that there is more out there.

It is really good and unique, so please take it as your next project. <<less
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hyst14
hyst14 rated it
December 26, 2015
Status: --
My very first novel. The story starts with a drama of being a neglected child and a hit and run accident. Thus the story begins introducing the angels, death god, heaven, demons and spirit kings. The story is very interesting each arc introduced new characters that are very likeable. My favorite arc is when they introduced the fire spirit king that fell inlove with the previous water spirit king elween. Its not actually boy's love for they are sexless. The comedy in this part are hilarious. I do really love... more>> this part and waiting for the progress of their loveteam

The story keeps on getting interesting. Try to start reading it or give it a try. <<less
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snowdeity
snowdeity rated it
February 8, 2016
Status: --
Pretty light hearted overall, it involves stuff like magic fantasy elements. Basically, the world's Water Spirit King disappeared and there's a drought. MC comes and save the day with adventure and stuff!
7 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
flitfish
flitfish rated it
January 13, 2016
Status: --
I find it a nice change of pace from all the xianxia I read.

Elqueeness is the story of a guy who reincarnates into a spirit king but lacks all the initial instincts most start with. You watch him fumble to accept his new identity, make friends and (currently, anyway) go on an adventure. His advances in accepting his new reality are slow, which might turn off some readers, I find it makes him realistic though. The story as a whole, has a peaceful feeling to it. His culture... more>> shock is pretty funny! His humanity also plays a pretty big role in how he acts and how others react to him. The series is becoming a bright spot in my week :) <<less
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aShinyVaporeon
aShinyVaporeon rated it
June 12, 2020
Status: c53
It's not a masterpiece, but it was certainly a fun read. In all honesty, it probably does not deserve a full 5 stars; my actual rating would be 4.5/5 at most, but I rounded up.

Elqueeness is, for the most part, pretty light, and mostly about friendship and family. Not a lot of gore or death, etc. (Although there's some deep drama involving the MC's sense of belonging). There's also no romance, at least for the MC (IT'S NOT YAOI. Don't assume that whenever the MC is close to another male and has no love interest) . The MC:

Spoiler

Is MC is a beta? I mean, he doesn't fight as as much as the people around him, but that's because: 1) he doesn't know how to fight, 2) he's got a decent personality and isn't confrontational, 3) there are more op people to beat up his enemies. If you want an op, badass MC, this is not what you're looking for. The MC is supposed to be a likeable cinnamon roll with some relatable aspects to his character, rather the vehicle of a power fantasy. He has some traumas and is a soft, squishy character, which may not be what some are looking for. But this story is his journey to become (mentally) stronger.

[collapse]

Other aspects:

Spoiler

In terms of other characters' depth, I'm not really one to judge. They don't feel 2D, but aren't really the kind that I would praise to the skies and beyond; they're just decent. The setting is kind of just generic fantasy with some twists, like most generic fantasy. It's mostly the tone and plot carrying this novel.

[collapse]

Somebody said the summoning gimmick was only used once, but it's actually used a few times later on. Gee, maybe it's because the first 30 chapters of 350+ chapter novel is only the intro or something.

BTW: Keep in mind that the first 50 chapters are actually quite long. It's just unfortunate that few chapters are being translated. There's also a cute manhwa adaptation, which is pretty far ahead (I've read it, that's where all my info is coming from).

Edited 7/25/2021: made the review a less aggressive (wow, I was probably angry when I wrote this a year ago) and updated it a bit on what I've read in the manhwa.
6 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
heishiken
heishiken rated it
March 1, 2016
Status: --
Quiete a refreshing Story, which I would definitly recommend. Also find it quiete funny at times.
5 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
Your Chanterelle
Your Chanterelle rated it
May 15, 2023
Status: Completed
The first thing worth mentioning is that English is not my native language, so you are greeted by a review translated through a translator. So I can't say how well written and understandable my review is. I know for sure that there are errors there. And I'm not sure if the names and titles are translated correctly. So if some words sound strange, I apologize in advance.

So...

I read the New Edition. As far as I understand, here is a translation of the Old Edition. The editions differ in the size... more>> and numbering of chapters, and there are also some differences in the text itself.

My assessment. I'll just say that I love this novel as much as I hate it. There is no other way I can evaluate this novel at the moment.

Why do I love this novel? I liked it so much that I added this novel to my favorite list (this is a huge achievement, because usually, no matter how much I like a novel, it does not go to favorites and remains just at the "like" level. It's really not easy to cross this line, and I'm not even sure where it is myself. Just at the end of reading, I can say whether I liked the novel or I fell in love with it). As for the reasons, there are a lot of them. The plot, the characters, the setting, as well as the emotions received in the process of reading (mainly joy, emotion, sadness and anger). All this made me love this novel.

Why do I hate this novel? Because at the moment this is a temporary phenomenon. I agree with the review below that "a good novel is characterized not by action, but by the feelings it leaves you after." This is the reason for my temporary hatred. There are too many feelings left for me to bear it normally. After I finished reading, in addition to satisfaction, I had a desire to "want more". But, alas, I found only two similar novels, the chapters of which I do not have access to. And the desire has not gone away and has only intensified. It was all made worse by the fact that it didn't really work out to start reading anything else. Experiencing such a strong desire for several days without a break is not very pleasant. As a result, four days after the end of reading, I couldn't stand it and decided to re-read. Another reason is the second part of the novel. Or rather, how the plot unfolds in it. It was painful, sometimes unexpected, at the very end I even came to the same confusion as MC. But what angered me most was that I simultaneously wanted to beat, comfort and forgive many characters, starting from the end of the first part right up to the last additional chapter.

How did I get to this point? Initially, I read mankhwa and I just liked it. However, the finale of the fifth season didn't get to the point I wanted to see. And the sixth one hasn't started yet at the moment. I was ruined by my own interest. Therefore, armed with a translator, I found chapters in Korean, found the chapter where the fifth season ended and began to read. The manhwa and the novel are slightly different, but this is a common thing, because in the manhwa, some moments are cut out and slightly changed. It's quite fun to read and see these differences. Moreover, I recommend reading the manhwa first, because the action there unfolds faster. The novella has more descriptions and everyday moments, judging by the initial chapters, so the novella may seem somewhat boring, which was complained about in other reviews. For reference, the 250 chapter of the manhwa corresponds to the 330 chapter of the novella. Yes, I started reading the novella not from the beginning, but from chapter 330, and through a translator. But it was precisely because I learned to read the subsequent events that I fell in love with this novel. In many ways, this merit lies on the second part.

About the plot. Attention, then there are spoilers, and very strong ones.

The novel is divided into two parts. As soon as I realized this, it became clear why the main enemy was defeated long before the end of the novel. It's simple, because it was the end of the first part. My perplexity was solved. But in fact, hints of the second part were everywhere in the first.

The first part tells about how MC became the King Spirit and his adventures. As I wrote above, up to 330 chapters of the novella I read the manga, so there may be some inaccuracies or omissions in what I know and what is written in the novella. At this time, MC slowly learns himself as the King Spirit, finds friends, family, which he missed so much in his previous life, and embarks on a dangerous journey that turned from internal showdowns in one country into saving the world.

Spoiler

It all came down to trying to stop the birth of an evil god. It really confused me that every time the heroes' attempts to cope with an almost awakened evil god ended unsuccessfully. For the most part due to the fact that a sacrifice was needed that suited the conditions of the prediction of the clock of fate. In extreme cases, the clock of fate could point to this sacrifice if there were no volunteers.

[collapse]

Was there a volunteer?

Spoiler

Yes, and very unexpected for me. Fortunately, the character did not end up as a victim, because the plans failed again.

[collapse]

Was the clock of destiny started?

Spoiler

To be honest, I don't remember if they were launched, but the clock of fate itself was destroyed by Canos.

[collapse]

Did anyone sacrifice themselves in the last act?

Spoiler

Yes and no. Two characters died, and in a rather outrageous way. Kanos, who destroyed the evil god at the cost of his existence as a god, refused the label of victim, saying that he simply took responsibility. Lapis lazuli was "dead" even before that, after his mana heart was destroyed, which he did not inform MC about.

[collapse]

The second part broke my heart. I tried not to cry, but at some moments I couldn't. I also fully realized that at some point I was wearing rose-colored glasses, which were discarded in the process of further reading. Only in the second part did I fully realize the truths that were mentioned more than once before, but were ignored by me (and MC).

How did it all start?

Spoiler

The second part begins with the MC wanting to say goodbye to Lapis Lazuli before he enters reincarnation. However, it turns out that Lapis Lazuli's soul has been lost. Our MC decides to go in search of him when he finds out that there is still a way for him to go to another world, so that Arkadon will not be devastated due to his absence (the soul will go, and the body will remain in Arkadon, in the other world he will receive a new body created by the spell of Eluen.

[collapse]

Where will the MC go?

Spoiler

I think it's clear that he went back in time and became the very person who first called Elqueeness. MC will be looking for Lapis Lazuli, simultaneously learning what he would never want to know about the past of his new family, as well as trying to reproduce all the events of the past that he knew about.

[collapse]

Will the MC suffer a lot?

Spoiler

Yes. He will have a really hard time when he is faced with the most terrible manifestations of his family's character. It will be hard because he will not be able to tell them the truth. He will also suffer from feelings of guilt in front of them. He will even try to change the past, but Canos will stop him. After that, it will be the most painful time. Fortunately, MC handle it. However, all this time I was swearing at the characters for their actions. I really felt sorry for MC, he didn't deserve such an attitude.

[collapse]

Will MC always suffer?

Spoiler

No. There will be happy moments. MC will find new friends. In particular, the best character of the second part is an Ifrit. I really love the Ifrit of the previous generation. But one fact turned out to be unexpected for me, albeit pleasant.

[collapse]

The spoiler breaks, so I will write separately about the personality of this character:

Spoiler

The Ifrit was later reborn into MC's best friend on Earth. I really didn't expect this, but this is how the Ifrit kept his promise, which was given by MC.

[collapse]

When did MC come back?

Spoiler

MC's return came four years after he got into the past. That's because he forgot the key words of the return spell. So he had to wait until his father and brother picked him up. After that, a harsh reality awaits us in the form of the 300 years that have passed on Arkadon... Yes, the MC will return only after 300 years. When all the people he knew would be long dead.

[collapse]

What will the MC do after returning?

Spoiler

He will go on a journey through Arkadon to accept reality. But besides the feeling of loss, there will also be meetings with old acquaintances and pleasant surprises. At the very end of the MC to conclude a new unexpected contract.

[collapse]

The additional chapters of the chapter left me with mixed feelings. Some pleased me, some made me feel melancholy, and some plunged me into the same twofold feelings that I experienced in the second part. But in general, in the end I was satisfied.

Regarding the plot of the additional chapters, I li ked two things the most:

Spoiler

Chapters on Canos. I won't say what they are about, but it will become clear from them why Kanos destroyed the clock of fate.

As well as chapters about MC's best friend from Earth.

[collapse]

I also once again wanted to beat up certain characters.

Spoiler

I wanted to beat Canos all the time, starting from the end of the second part. Lapis lazuli at the end of the first and second parts, as well as in additional chapters. Well, exclusively in the additional chapters, I wanted to beat one blue dragon.

[collapse]
<<less
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MillenniumMoon
MillenniumMoon
November 21, 2020
Status: c22
The beginning was quite interesting, after all there are rarely any novels that have an MC as an elemental spirit, especially a King. I only rate this 2.5/5 though. The MC is way too whiny and s*upid for my taste. He doesn't even use his powers that much, which is just a waste. And just as one of the reviewers said, he really is quite a beta. As well as a pushover, like dude's just like a copy paste of a Japanese beta protagonist. He is also pretty s*upid, he... more>> was warned in advance but he pretty much just ignores the warning causing him to be trapped.

The story is kind of sexist too and there is another thing that just made me want to stop reading.

Spoiler

There's this 17 year old girl who was about to be gang r*ped (heck, they even bound her and silenced her with a spell) but the MC and his friends just hung the perpetrators on the trees for a night then let them go. Also, that 17 years old girl, is in love and chasing after an almost 30 years old man, who by the way raised her since she was 9 years old, and he likes her too, yuck.

[collapse]

The translation has a lot of grammatical errors and typos. The idea of the story is great really but I just can't continue reading this.

Many people like this but it's just not my cup of tea. <<less
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ReapsymnHunter
ReapsymnHunter rated it
June 13, 2021
Status: c53
I really like this story, and I really want to know the story about the summoner of the previous Spirit King of Water, the blonde summoner who is closed to the unicorn and to the other spirit kings, who has the same nickname as the MC "EL".. There's so much mystery in this novel, and It keeps me intrigued and keep reading until It answered all my questions.. So far this story is really good, and I highly recommend this OmO
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