<h4>Chapter 78</h4>


    The emergence of a new coalition with significant potential was causing a stir across the entire hero industry. After all, for the first time ever, the Barmuths had lost the war of the cksmithing industry to this newly formed coalition of small and medium-sized workshops. And on top of that, the Pilgrimage Church had even volunteered to be the coalition’s patron.


    However, despite the stir, Babel was standing a step apart from it all; the academy was restless over a different matter that was less than a week away—the extermination practical.


    “Did you hear where we’re going this time?”


    “I heard we’re heading to the ck Lotus Seas. I really hate that ce.”


    “Don’t forget to bring your detection tools. There were more than a couple of upperssmen who got lost during thest practical there.”


    Sighing deeply, the freshmen of Ur and Aqar Qufmented the fact that the location of the practical was the ck Lotus Seas. For them, whose participation was mandatory, the most dangerous and difficult area among the choices being chosen was not a good thing. While they could earn a lot of points even with just one small sess, one small mistake could also ruin their entire practical.


    “What are you going to do about the practical?”f


    “I would’ve considered going if the location was less dangerous, but I think I’m going to skip it this time. I mean, if I get injured, it’s straight to the infirmary for me.”


    “Yeah. I guess I’ll skip too then.”


    Conversely, for the freshmen of Borsippa whose participation wasn’t mandatory, the challenging location didn’t affect them since they could justfortably opt out. There was no need for students in the technical field to take unnecessary risks.


    But regardless of whether they had to go or not, the students were all busy finishing their various assignments before the practical. And that included two certain students.


    “Harder! Squeeze out the blood!”


    “<i>Aargh</i>!”


    Within Jake’s room, Se-Hoon was fervently squeezing out blood from Jake’s finger.


    <i>Whoosh!</i>


    And every time a drop was squeezed out into the bowl full of mana stone liquid, the core of the Water Golem submerged within would instantly absorb it, emitting a darker, blood-red light than before.


    Seeing the mana stone liquid still rippling in response to the light, Se-Hoon looked at the now-pale Jake.


    “Just a little harder! We need just a little more!”


    “That’s the tenth time you’ve said that... <i>aargh</i>!”


    Ignoring Jake’s unnecessaryments, Se-Hoon squeezed out more blood. Eventually, the core stopped moving, and an ominous trembling began.


    <i>Swoosh!</i>


    With a swirl, all of the mana stone liquid in the bowl was sucked into the Water Golem’s core which was starting to change its blood-red color back to its original blue.


    At this change, Se-Hoon shouted at Jake, who was grimacing in pain.


    “Now! Pour them in!”


    Rushing to open the stic containers prepared next to the bowl, they poured in the contents. The containers were filled with mana stone liquid, each easily worth over ten million won. But despite each being worth a considerable amount of money, they unhesitantly poured in as many as seven containers without rest.


    Then, the moment the core of the Water Golem, which had been ceaselessly absorbing the mana stone liquid, fully returned to its original blue color, the shape began to change with a clear metallic sound. From inside out, blue crystal spikes started to burst forth in all directions.


    Seeing the phenomenon, Jake watched on in awe as the core transformed from a fist-sized orb into a cross-shaped mass of crystal.


    “What exactly is happening here?”


    “The maturation is finallyplete, transforming the core entirely. And since the main ingredient was your blood, it has be a unique ore that exists nowhere else in the world.”


    “A one of a kind...” Jake murmured, mesmerized.


    Meanwhile, Se-Hoon carefully took the crystal mass out of the bowl to inspect it.


    <i>There’s no mana leaking, and the internal mana circuits seem normal.... It worked out just as nned.</i>


    The equipment he was trying to forge only required him to prepare the frame. After that, it was just allowing the materials to naturally mutate, which introduced a lot of variables. And then, Jake’s blood—the main ingredient and biggest variable of them all—was added, making it the biggest concern. But fortunately, the mutation waspleted without any issues.


    “I’ll handle the finishing touches. Step back a bit.”


    “Got it.”


    When Jake stepped back, Se-Hoon took out Lea’s enchanted White Light Dagger from his void pocket. Activating it, Se-Hoon observed the de humming with a white aura before activating White Light Surge on top to sharpen the de further.


    <i>Shnnk-</i>


    Cutting through the core like butter, the seemingly hard crystal was shaped one smooth slice at a time.


    Jake watched from the side with an amazed expression.


    <i>That skill... seems more consolidated than before.</i>


    Its sharp aura was nowpletely stable without any tremors, and more importantly, there was a density to it.


    <i>If that was only an imitation of sword aura before... then this time, it feels like the genuine thing.</i>


    Simr to Jake, who was seriously observing the de, Se-Hoon was also observing it, but he himself was puzzled by how well the White Light Dagger was slicing through the core.


    <i>Why is it working so well?</i>


    Even without focusing as much as before, the aura of White Light Surge was sharply honed. Confused, he examined the mana moving inside him and soon realized the cause.


    <i>The Celestial Infinity de?</i>


    Though he had just picked it up coincidentally, the sword technique was naturally blending with White Light Surge, further strengthening its foundation.


    <i>Hmm... now that I think about it, the two share a simr aspect.</i>


    Both skills were centered around the concept of a sword; White Light Surge imitated the sharp aura of a sword he had forged and the Celestial Infinity de created a sword with refined mana.


    <i>Maybe I canbine them?</i>


    With newfound interest, he consciously began to integrate the two skills.


    <i>Shnnk-</i>


    Extending out, the sharp, white aura became even finer and sharper, and his hand carving the crystal began moving faster. The slight resistance he felt before no more; now, it seemed sharp enough to also sever his fingers holding the crystal mass with just a single misstep.


    <i>Good. This feels right.</i>


    But that fact just made him even more motivated. He refined the aura further, thinking he had found a perfect tool.


    Soon, Jake’s sword began to take shape slowly.


    <i>Shnnk-</i>


    The handle was about forty centimeters long, and the guard was about thirty centimeters wide. But rather than a traditional de, there was a spine about fifteen centimeters tall where it should be, making the sword look more like a cross made of blue crystal.


    “...”


    Though it was a somewhat unique form for a sword, Jake felt overwhelming fulfillment; there wasn’t a trace of disappointment. It did look a bit strange, but with each step closer topletion, he felt a stronger and stronger sense of familiarity and longing.


    <i>So that’s how my sword will look.</i>


    He hadn’t even wielded it yet, but he was confident that it would be perfect. With eyes wide open, he watched the final cut with a pounding heart and dizziness from blood loss.


    <i>Twang!</i>


    A brilliant light shone from the blue cross.


    <strong>[Weapon ‘Luminescent Sword’ has beenpleted!</strong>


    <strong>A sword forged by an exceptional cksmith solely for one swordsman! The skill and creativity involved in creating a new ore to forge the perfect sword deserves apuse.</strong>


    <strong>The tier evaluation for ‘Luminescent Sword’ is ‘Hero’.]</strong>


    <strong>[The skill ‘White Light Surge (C)’ has been absorbed by ‘Celestial Infinity de (S)’.]</strong>


    “...Huh?”


    Surprised, Se-Hoon looked at the consecutive notification messages. He had never encountered such a situation, even before the regression, so he immediately checked the information message of the Celestial Infinity de.


    <strong>[Celestial Infinity de] 『S』</strong>


    <strong>[A sword technique that shapes the processed mana within the body into a sword.</strong>


    <strong>It uses all of the body’s strength to form a sword aura that is sharper and more powerful than ordinary sword auras.</strong>


    <strong>*Additional effects have not yet been acquired</strong>


    <strong>*Nature of the sword aura varies with the amount of mana consumed.</strong>


    <strong>*Physical fatigue umtes with each cast</strong>


    <strong>*Currently recreated sword: White Light]</strong>


    <i>So it’s iming superiority at recreating swords.</i>


    It seemed White Light Surge had been absorbed because the Celestial Infinity de was a better upgrade in all aspects.


    He grew more and more interested.


    “Ahem!”


    Coughing loudly, Jake, who had been waiting on the side, tried to grab Se-Hoon’s attention.


    “If you’re done, can I take a look now? I feel like my heart is about to burst from excitement.”


    Unlike his previous pale face, Jake was currently flushed from the excitement. Smiling at the sight, Se-Hoon handed the Luminescent Sword over.


    “Here, take a look.”


    “Th-thank you.”


    Worried it might break, Jake carefully received the Luminescent Sword, opening its information message with a tense expression.


    <strong>[<u>Luminescent Sword</u>]</strong>


    <strong>[Tier: Hero] [Quality: Above Average]</strong>


    <strong>[A sword processed from a special crystal.</strong>


    <strong>It creates crystalline water by consuming mana, which can then be shaped into a de by applying pressure to the handle.</strong>


    <strong>It also absorbs mana and moisture from the air to strengthen the de further. However, the consumption of mana and mental energy also increases proportionally to its size.</strong>


    <strong>*Can absorb mana and moisture from the air to strengthen the de, its power being proportional to the amount of mana and mental energy consumed</strong>


    <strong>*Enables the use of skill ‘Azure Brilliance Star’]</strong>


    “...”


    Reading the information message, Jake’s eyes widened in shock. He couldn’t believe that the Rare-tier core of a Water Golem had been used to forge a Hero-tier weapon.


    Of course, the overwhelming amount of mana stone liquid used for the maturation process was not to be overlooked, but even when taking that into ount, forging equipment that was one tier higher than the material used was a remarkable achievement.


    <i>If it bes known that he forged Hero equipment on his own before even finishing the first semester...</i>


    If it got out, then Se-Hoon’s reputation, which was already on the rise since the Noblesse, could even explode uncontrobly. Thus, Jake decided it was best to keep it a secret to decrease potentialpetitors.


    His thoughts returning to his sword, Jake carefully grasped the handle of the Luminescent Sword with both hands, and it began trembling faintly. Then, like they had been one entity, it adhered to his hands and his mana naturally flowed into it.


    “Wow...”


    Feeling the odd sensation through his fingertips, he couldn’t help but exim in admiration. Having held hundreds, even thousands, of swords back at his family home, this was the first time he had felt such a sensation.


    <i>It really feels like a part of my body.</i>


    A weapon forged by a master cksmith would feel like an extension of oneself without the need for a long period of adjustment—perhaps this was exactly that feeling.


    Feeling his widely pounding heart, Jake looked at Se-Hoon with trembling eyes,pletely overwhelmed by his emotions.


    “Wh-what should I do now?”


    “First, try to grip it firmly. That’s the most important part.”


    “Ah, right.”


    Nodding, Jake looked down at the Luminescent Sword again.


    No matter how well-forged a sword was, if he couldn’t grip it properly, it wouldn’t make a difference. Steeling his resolve, Jake decided to give it a go, oveing the fear that it could break with the slightest amount of force.


    <i>I trust him.</i>


    He reminded himself of how talented Se-Hoon was, the enormous cost of the materials, and the amount of blood that he sacrificed for this single sword.


    Deciding to trust in all of it, he shut his sparkling eyes and tightened his grip with all his might.


    <i>Bang-!</i>


    The air trapped in his hands immediately exploded outward, and the surrounding mana became twisted, momentarily distorting the scenery.


    For the first time since his spar with Se-Hoon, Jake had exerted his full strength. He slowly opened his eyes.


    “Wow...”


    Still wless, the handle remained intact without a single crack. Facing this unbelievable sight, Jake felt a surge of emotion that he couldn’t contain anymore.


    <i>Finally...</i>


    While his other brothers and cousins had been practicing with swords since they were seven, he hadn’t been able to even properly swing a wooden sword. He feltpletely disjointed from his family which was known for its swordsmanship. But now, with his unbroken sword in his hands, he had finally taken his first step in casting away that feeling of istion. Tears began forming uncontrobly.


    “Thank you... so much,” he barely managed to say.


    Jake sincerely expressed his feelings of gratitude.


    Seeing this, Se-Hoon smirked and pointed with his chin toward the empty space where the de should be.


    “Save your thanks for after you’ve finished checking out everything.”


    “Ah, right.”


    Smiling at Se-Hoon’s words, Jake infused his mana into the Luminescent Sword. With a blue gleam and a texture like melted ss, crystalline water began snaking up from the guard.


    Then, when Jake gripped the handle even more tightly, the crystalline water trembled andpressed.


    Soon, the de made from crystalline water was sharpened, its volume fullypressed. Finally, the fully formed Luminescent Sword appeared before them, radiating a blue light.


    “Wow...”


    The de was as clear as ss, and specks of blue mana sparkled like stars inside. Looking more like a piece of art than a sword, Jake couldn’t help but marvel at it.


    <i>With this, I could...</i>


    He felt like he could pass the family’s session ceremony with the highest honors ever. ted, he immediately turned to Se-Hoon.


    “Now, can I thank you?”


    “Well, I guess you’ve earned it now.”


    “I am truly grateful for this sword. I’ll make sure yourpensation is more than generous—actually, excessively so.”


    Seeing Jake’s shining eyes, Se-Hoon slightly lifted a corner of his mouth.


    “It’s going to be tough for you to preparepensation that someone like me will find excessive.”


    Considering that Jake would have to give something as impressive as what Ludwig gave to truly impress Se-Hoon, would his finances stretch that far?


    Butpletely unaware of who Se-Hoon wasparing him to, Jake just snorted confidently.


    “Don’t worry. Despite how I might look, I’ve never been short on money—”


    <i>Brrr-</i>


    Interrupting him, Jake’s phone vibrated in his pockets. Quickly pulling it out, his expression immediately tightened when he saw who the call was from.


    “Just a sec.... Yes, sister. This is Jake. Yes... I was actually just about to call you...”


    Seeing how Jake had ced the Luminescent Sword away and was respectfully holding his phone with both hands, Se-Hoon couldn’t help but be astonished. Jake wasn’t even on a video call.


    <i>How strictly was he taught...</i>


    He looked at Jake’s back with pity.


    “Huh? No, it’s not necessary... no... okay... I understand...”


    Hanging up, Jake turned around slowly. He carefully nced around the room.


    “There’s... something I’d like to ask.”


    Smirking at how hard Jake was trying to show that it wasn’t of his own will, Se-Hoon decided to y along.


    “What is it?”


    “Could youe to our family’s vi with me?”


    “The vi?”


    Jake nodded awkwardly.


    “My sister wants to invite you to the session ceremony too.”