<h4>Chapter 18</h4>


    “...I’lle back next time,” Erika said in a sulky voice.


    After gazing at the torn envelope, she turned away, and at the sight of her slouched shoulders, Se-Hoon gently began stroking his chin.


    <i>There’s still no bond formed with her yet...</i>


    While there were many ways to interpret what a bond was, when it came to Se-Hoon’s unique skill, cksmith of Bonds, there was only one simple definition. It was how significantly one existed in the other person’s heart and how well one understood and empathized with the other. That alone was the criteria for forming bonds and leveling them up; it didn’t matter what kind of feelings one harbored.


    With that criteria, Erika’s current behavior and interest should have been enough for a bond to form. Yet, there still wasn’t one between them.


    <i>Maybe her inner feelings are different from her behavior... no, that can’t be right.</i>


    Thanks to cksmith of Bonds, he was already adept at discerning the true intentions behind people’s actions before the regression. In that case, there was only one possible reason left to exin this situation.


    <i>She’s fundamentally different then, I suppose.</i>


    In order to form bonds with those who had fundamentally different valuespared to ordinary people, he needed to adopt unconventional methods.


    <i>Ugh, why is she so hard to get along with.</i>


    Though it seemed some sort of a friendship had formed between them, in reality, their rtionship could be severed at any moment. And while there was a saying that even a slight touch of sleeves could form a bond, that didn’t seem to apply to her.


    <i>It’s quite bothersome, but... the more twisted her personality is, the more unique and useful her Fatestone will be.</i>


    Since the current method didn’t seem like it would work, he decided to try and learn more about what type of person Erika was. Thus, he started to ponder how he should approach her in the future.


    —We are now entering Aqar Quf.


    The announcement came from the speaker. Se-Hoon turned his head to look outside the window.


    He gazed with fascination at the scenery of Aqar Quf, the college forbat-focused students. Unlike the other colleges, this area was filled withrge buildings.


    <i>I remember hearing that, in terms of area alone, this ce was about 1.5 timesrger than the other colleges.</i>


    These buildings were so spacious, not only because they were forbat training but also because the college was the most dominant one in Babel Academy.


    <i>Well, Aqar Quf has remained in first ce in the intercollegepetition for decades.</i>


    Sometimes the other colleges were able to take first ce, but Aqar Quf had always won it back by the end of the year.


    <i>And Borsippa has always been in third ce.</i>


    Not only did the Department of cksmithing fall behind duringpetitions with other departments, but most of the departments tailored for technical skills did as well. Unlike how the other departments were able to visibly show performances of power, technical departments tend tock mor. If they were not skilled in persuasion, they fell behind in thepetition pretty quickly.


    <i>This is the sad truth about us technicians...</i>


    As Se-Hoon was contemting various thoughts while observing the view outside, an announcement red again.


    —The next stop is the Department of Martial Arts.


    The Department of Martial Arts has had a longstanding presence since the early days of Babel Academy. In the past, it exclusively taught pure martial arts that utilized both the body and mana. Now, however, it has embraced a diverse array of techniques by integrating various technologies into its curriculum.


    The Physiology Control ss, rmended by Ricaros, was under this department.


    Upon reaching the main building, Se-Hoon stood in awe, marveling at the scale of the building that seemed toe from a different dimension.


    <i>Wow, it should be at least double the size of the Department of cksmithing...</i>


    After considering that even this building was considered rtively smallpared to thergest department building in Aqar Quf, a sense of the absurd size of the college formed in Se-Hoon’s mind.


    He entered the building while examining the surroundings. As he walked, Aqar Quf students began to show up one by one, and he soon felt their gazes converging on him.


    “Should I ask him just once?”


    “Dude. He’s still a freshman. What are you expecting?”


    “I heard he forged Rare-tier equipment already. Who knows?”


    Unlike the rather hostile treatment he received in the Department of Magic, there was a considerably friendly vibe here. Se-Hoon couldn’t help but smile at their reactions.


    <i>Custom orders, huh?</i>


    There were two main routes that students at Babel Academy could obtain weapons through. The first was acquiring them from outside sources, and the second was purchasing those that were forged by the students themselves. And when it came to finished products, thetter was more advantageous. As equipment forged by students was typically funded by the budget provided by the academy, each piece could be purchased at a much lower costpared to equipment provided by external sources.


    <i>But things change when ites to custom orders.</i>


    While there was no issue with purchasing student-forged equipment after reviewing their finished product, when it came to cing a custom order, the quality of the equipment wasn’t guaranteed. It was akin to gambling, especially when dealing with freshmen whose skills were not yet certified.


    <i>Still, I seem to be viewed highly due to being an honor student.</i>


    If he was receiving this much attention in the Department of Martial Arts, where the emphasis on equipment wasn’t that significant, students from other departments would probably be even more inclined to ce orders with him.


    <i>But it’s still a bit too early.</i>


    At Babel Academy, freshmen were only allowed to officially take orders starting in their second semester. Before that, since Babel hadn’t provided their budgets yet, it was unlikely for anyone to entrust their orders to them.


    Se-Hoon proceeded further into the building, as no one seemed to have the resolve to ce a custom order, and arrived in front of the ssroom situated in the far corner.


    <i>Is this it?</i>


    The te hung in front of the ssroom read “Physiology Control.” The ss appeared somewhat neglected, as it was tucked away in the far corner and had a rtively small-sized room. However, believing that he wouldn’t know for sure until he took a closer look, he walked into the ssroom.


    “How many times do I have to say I have nothing to teach you!”


    “Please, sir!”


    Upon entering the ssroom, Se-Hoon discovered an elderly man shouting and a blond young student clinging to the man’s pants.


    “...”


    The scene before Se-Hoon bewildered him. It was partly because the blond young student was Jake Myers, this year’s honor student of Aqar Quf, but mostly due to the presence of an unexpected figure.


    “Now, who are you?” Discovering Se-Hoon btedly, the old man questioned him angrily.


    He had short-cropped hair and a white beard that covered his chin. His sharp eyes and crooked mouth hinted at his rather unpleasant personality. However, that was not the important thing here.


    “Can’t you hear me? I asked who you were.”


    The old man frowned at Se-Hoon, who remained unresponsive. It was only then that Se-Hoon regained his senses and showed him Ricaros’s rmendation letter.


    “I’m Lee Se-Hoon, a first-year student from the Department of cksmithing. I’vee with Professor Ricaros’s rmendation.”


    “Ricaros? That guy sent you?”


    The old man scanned him from top to bottom with an expression of displeasure. Jake, who was still clinging on to the old man’s pants, took it upon himself to exin after sensing the man’s confusion about why Se-Hoon was rmended.


    “That friend over there is Borsippa’s honor student for this year. His demonstration during the entrance ceremony outshined mine.”


    “Hm.”


    After hearing Jake’s exnation, the old man turned his head again and began to tantly scrutinize Se-Hoon.


    Only after feeling his gaze and realizing that it was the same as the one he had felt before the regression did Se-Hoon be certain that the old man before him was someone he knew before.


    “There are always times in life when people don’t have the money. What’s the rush?


    “Who’s saying I’m not going to pay you back? Just wait a bit!


    “Ahem! I don’t have the money because I lost it while making small investments. Extend the duration a bit... wait! I get it, so don’t break the sword!!


    “Skills! I’ll teach you my skills! So please stop!!”


    The old man was Ma Kwang-Soo, also known as the Broken Sword, a retired S-rank hero, and a regr customer before the regression. Back then, he was someone who shamelessly requested equipment from Se-Hoon, even though he hadn’t paid the fees. He was also someone who instead of paying the umted interest, taught Se-Hoon skills that he created on the spot.


    Se-Hoon couldn’t believe his eyes at the reappearance of this distasteful rtionship.


    <i>This man was a professor?</i>


    He was a scum who was addicted to gambling and alcohol. He only went out hunting when he ran out of money to buy drinks. And, whenever heroes appeared on TV, he relentlessly spewed out criticism about every single w he could find in them. Skills aside, his personality alone should have been enough to make him unqualified to be a professor. So, why on earth was he here as a professor?


    “<i>Tsk</i>. You don’t impress me at all... are you sure you were rmended?”


    Kwang-Soo sneered tantly, belittling Se-Hoon with disdain. Faced with the familiar attitude he remembered, Se-Hoon retrieved the rmendation letter from his pocket.


    “The rmendation letter is here.”


    “Give it to me.” He snatched the rmendation letter and read it.


    Se-Hoon suddenly lowered his head, sensing a gazeing from below.


    “...Haha.”


    Jakeughed in embarrassment after locking eyes with Se-Hoon. Though he didn’t look good while clinging to Kwang-Soo’s pants, Se-Hoon found his behavior somewhat understandable.


    <i>To be a disciple under someone like this guy, it’s definitely worth clinging to his pants.</i>


    While Kwang-Soo’s personality was utter trash, when it came to his skill, finding someone who could match him was challenging. He was one of the few adventurers who worked with Ludwig, the chairman of Babel Academy and the Emperor of Ascension.


    <i>Even Ludwig himself publicly acknowledged that he had learned a few moves from him...</i>


    Whether that was true or not couldn’t be verified, but what was true was that he was talented at teaching others. Taking into ount Se-Hoon alone, he, who was talentless in martial arts, had still effectively used one of the techniques learned from Kwang-Soo before the regression.


    “You created a sword technique by yourself?” Kwang-Soo, having finished reading the rmendation letter, looked at Se-Hoon with a skeptical gaze.


    “Yes. It’s not that particrly impressive.” Se-Hoon nodded in response.


    “Well, of course. I already know that, so there’s no need for you to exin further.”


    “...” Se-Hoon’s eyes twitched.


    Stroking his chin, Kwang-Soo suddenly looked down at Jake, who was still clinging onto him, as if he had thought of something.


    “Hey, you. Do you really want to listen to my sses that much?”


    “Yes! I really want to take it!”


    “Is that so?” Kwang-Soo smirked after he heard his response.


    Se-Hoon narrowed his eyes when he saw the unpleasant look on Kwang-Soo’s face.


    “Then try dueling him. I’ll let you take the ss if you win.”


    Jake’s eyes sparkled at Kwang-Soo’s proposal.


    ***


    There was a small training ground inside the ssroom. Despite the ssroom’s shabby appearance, the facilities inside were quite well-equipped, and the training ground seemed to have state-of-the-art equipment as well.


    <i>I guess Ludwig is still taking good care of his oldpanion.</i>


    As Se-Hoon was examining the surroundings, Kwang-Soo nced at them.


    “Stand there while facing each other.”


    At his instruction, the two stood facing each other on the dueling stage. Se-Hoon picked up a training sword, while Jake, just like in his demonstration, took his stance barehanded. If one were to judge based on their equipment alone, Se-Hoon might seem advantageous. However, considering their respective colleges, that was the wrong deduction.


    <i>Since he didn’t show everything he had during his demonstration...</i>


    Jake’s skills should have grown even more since the demonstration. Also, depending on what kind of rewards he received from Ludwig, it was possible that he had be much stronger than he was during the entrance ceremony.


    <i>To put me against someone like him...</i>


    While Kwang-Soo’s intention might just be to examine how excellent Se-Hoon’s swordsmanship was, there was no need for him to make Jake so motivated. Se-Hoon frowned, as the situation became more troublesome than he had expected.


    “There’s only going to be one round. Whoevernds a valid hit first wins, regardless of the means used. You guys don’t need to worry about getting hurt, as there are built-in safety devices in this dueling stage, and I’m also here as well.” Kwang-Soo said with a smirk.


    Though he was retired, he was a former S-rank hero. It should be a piece of cake for him to interfere and stop any student duel. As both Jake and Se-Hoon were aware of this, they red at each other without worrying much about the risk of injury.


    “Well then...”


    Kwang-Soo slowly raised his right arm, and the two assumed their stances. The tension reached its peak as their eyes locked onto each other.


    “Start!”


    Immediately after Kwang-Soo yelled out, Jake rushed forward at a frightening speed.


    <i>Here hees...!</i>


    For Se-Hoon, facing Jake head-on would be a suicidal act. Therefore, his only chance for victory was to spot and strike the gap in Jake’s defenses as he was sprinting the distance of about ten meters.


    <i>Using the counter technique would be a safe choice, but...</i>


    He recalled Ricaros’s advice to not use the technique unless it was a fight to the death. Additionally, it didn’t seem like it would work on Jake. Since that was the case, he decided to employ another self-defense technique he learned from Kwang-Soo before the regression.


    <i>Loosen the grip a bit more... and the footwork should be...</i>


    Se-Hoon’s firmly fixed posture loosened up. Kwang-Soo, noticing the change, showed an interested expression.


    <i>This guy... he’s quite skilled in rxing his muscles.</i>


    The art of rxing one’s muscles was to maximize flexibility by loosening force withoutpromising posture; it was not as easy as it sounded. Finding and maintaining that precarious bnce was far from simple. This was a skill that could only be achieved when one properly understood and could handle their body. It was an impressive feat that Se-Hoon, a student from the Department of cksmithing, was able to pull this technique off.


    <i>But that alone won’t do.</i>


    However, it wasn’t enough to help Se-Hoon win this duel.


    <i>He’s rxing his muscles, hm.</i>


    Noticing the changes in Se-Hoon’s stance, Jake also adjusted his posture by lowering his body slightly and extending both hands forward. He shifted from striking to grabbing, adapting himself to Se-Hoon, who was rxing his muscles. In addition, he increased his mana output throughout his body, preparing for any potential counterattacks.


    No matter what happened, there didn’t seem to be a way for Se-Hoon to win. Kwang-Soo clicked his tongue at the overwhelming skill gap between the two.


    <i>Tsk. This is why I hate arrogant people.</i>


    He never felt like teaching them, and above all, theirbat was tedious to watch. His heart desired to simply send them away, but he couldn’t do that because of the request he received from Ludwig.


    Kwang-Soo looked disapprovingly at the duel unfolding before him, finding it more annoying and less enjoyable than he had expected.


    Then suddenly, Se-Hoon dashed forward, gaining momentum by kicking the ground. This was an unexpected charge, as it seemed that he intended to counterattack after rxing his muscles.


    Kwang-Soo furrowed his brow.


    <i>This guy...</i>


    As Kwang-Soo stared intently at this iprehensible action, Se-Hoon’s right hand, clutching the sword, moved.


    <i>Swish-</i>


    He swung his sword weakly toward Jake, who casually swung his fist to counter the almost embarrassing attack.


    <i>Twang!</i>


    Se-Hoon’s sword was sent flying away after being struck, and his already apparent vulnerability became even more pronounced. Jake, seeing that Se-Hoon had lost the only advantages he had left, which were distance and equipment, swiftly closed the remaining distance and extended his left hand as fast as lightning.


    <i>Clench!</i>


    Se-Hoon’s right arm was restrained anticlimactically by Jake, who was about to exert all his strength to firmly pin Se-Hoon to the ground to prevent any rxing muscle trickery.


    <strong><i>Adrenaline</i></strong>


    The Inkstone Bracelets around Se-Hoon’s left wrist shimmered with a blue light.


    “?!”


    “...!”


    Se-Hoon’s view rotated, and the temporarily lost gravity now added eleration to his fall, forcefully driving his body toward the ground.


    <i>Bang!</i>


    “<i>Agh!”</i>


    Starting from his back, a searing pain shot through his entire body like a lightning bolt. Se-Hoon immediately knew he would’ve been long gone if he had fallen on his head. Still grabbing onto Jake’s arm, he winced and looked up at Kwang-Soo, who was looking down at him with widened eyes.


    <i>Drip.</i>


    Then, with his mouth agape and a bleeding nose, Jake finally realized that he had received a punch to the face. Se-Hoon looked at their dumbfounded expressions and chuckled as he spoke, “I struck him first.”